Stability to thermal degradation and chemical composition of woody biomass subjected to the torrefaction process

Published Date
November 2016, Volume 74, Issue 6, pp 845–850

Original

First Online: 

06 May 2016

DOI: 10.1007/s00107-016-1060-z

Cite this article as: 

da Silva, C.M.S., de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro, A., Pereira, B.L.C. et al. Eur. J. Wood Prod. (2016) 74: 845. doi:10.1007/s00107-016-1060-z

Author

• Carlos Miguel Simões da SilvaEmail author
• Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro
• Bárbara Luísa Corradi Pereira
• Benedito Rocha Vital
• Isabel Cristina Nogueira Alves
• Mateus Alves de Magalhaes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the stability to thermal degradation and the chemical composition of woody biomass which was subjected to the torrefaction process. Particles of eucalyptus wood were thermally treated in a rotary roaster heated at a rate of 5 °C/min. The final heating temperatures were 170, 220 and 260 °C and residence time was equal to 15 min after the desired temperature was achieved. An increase in the stability of thermal degradation of eucalyptus wood was observed when submitted to the torrefaction process. In the thermogravimetric analysis, torrefied wood had higher residual mass percentage with lower mass loss rates. Torrefaction promoted an increase in lignin from 32.7 % of the untreated samples to 52.2 % of the 260 °C heated samples. Furthermore, there was an increase in elemental carbon content from 47.4 to 54.1 %. These increases are due to elimination of a polysaccharide fraction of biomass, especially hemicelluloses. In general, the temperature increased carbon–oxygen ratio of biomass. It was concluded that the torrefaction improves the characteristics of biomass for energy purposes.

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