Torrefaction of Woody and Agricultural Biomass: Influence of the Presence of Water Vapor in the Gaseous Atmosphere

Biomass preheating in torrefaction at an industrial scale is possible through a direct contact with the hot gases released. However, their high water-content implies introducing moisture (around 20% v/v) in the torrefaction atmosphere, which may impact biomass thermochemical transformation. In this work, this situation was investigated for wheat straw, beech wood and pine forest residue in torrefaction in two complementary experimental devices. Firstly, experiments in chemical regime carried out in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) showed that biomass degradation started from lower temperatures and was faster under a moist atmosphere (20% v/v water content) for all biomass samples. This suggests that moisture might promote biomass components’ degradation reactions from lower temperatures than those observed under a dry atmosphere. Furthermore, biomass inorganic composition might play a role in the extent of biomass degradation in torrefaction in the presence of moisture. Secondly, torrefaction experiments on a lab-scale device made possible to assess the influence of temperature and residence time under dry and 100% moist atmosphere. In this case, the difference in solid mass loss between dry and moist torrefaction was only significant for wheat straw. Globally, an effect of water vapor on biomass transformation through torrefaction was observed (maximum 10%db), which appeared to be dependent on the biomass type and composition.

Application Research of Biochar for the Remediation of Soil Heavy Metals Contamination: A Review

Soil contamination by heavy metals threatens the quality of agricultural products and human health, so it is necessary to choose certain economic and effective remediation techniques to control the continuous deterioration of land quality. This paper is intended to present an overview on the application of biochar as an addition to the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soil, in terms of its preparation technologies and performance characteristics, remediation mechanisms and effects, and impacts on heavy metal bioavailability. Biochar is a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative product produced by the thermochemical transformation of plant- and animal-based biomass. Biochar shows numerous advantages in increasing soil pH value and organic carbon content, improving soil water-holding capacity, reducing the available fraction of heavy metals, increasing agricultural crop yield and inhibiting the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals. Different conditions, such as biomass type, pyrolysis temperature, heating rate and residence time are the pivotal factors governing the performance characteristics of biochar. Affected by the pH value and dissolved organic carbon and ash content of biochar, the interaction mechanisms between biochar and heavy metals mainly includes complexation, reduction, cation exchange, electrostatic attraction and precipitation. Finally, the potential risks of in-situ remediation strategy of biochar are expounded upon, which provides the directions for future research to ensure the safe production and sustainable utilization of biochar.

Thermochemical transformation in the single-step synthesis of zeolitic imidazole frameworks under solvent-free conditions

An environmentally friendly and economical route for the synthesis of zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) was developed based on the thermal treatment of mixed solid precursors in the absence of solvent and additive compounds.

Gasification of coal, Chenopodium Album biomass, and co-gasification of a coal-biomass mixture by thermogravimetric-gas analysis

Gasification studies were performed on sub-bituminous coal of the province Centro in Boyacá state of Colombia, vegetable biomass Chenopodium album (cenizo) and co-gasification of coal-biomass mixtures agglomerated with paraffin in a thermogravimetric analyzer. Biomass synergistically promoted thermochemical transformation of the coal was observed. Experimental results were compared to equilibrium composition simulations. Ash fusibility tests of the coal-biomass mixture were carried out, which allowed to clarify its behavior, such as dry or fluid ash according to own chemical composition, during the gasification process. The experimental tests allowed determining the differences in thermal decomposition, between coal, cenizo and coal-biomass blend, which are attributable to the physicochemical properties of each one solid fuel. During the tests, gas chromatography analyses were performed to establish the compositions of the syngas. The syngas obtained from biomass had the highest concentration of CO and the lowest H2; the coal and the coal-biomass mixture were slightly minor respectively. Concentrations of CH4, CO2 and C2H4 were similar between coal and biomass. This result is consistent with the higher calorific value of the coal syngas. The production of syngas from the coal-biomass mixture had the lowest contents of H2 and CO due to synergistic phenomena that occur with the fuel mixture. The co-gasification of the mixture gave the highest syngas production, carbon conversion, and thermal efficiency. These results indicate the viability of co-gasification of coal-Chenopodium album agglomerated mixtures. In gasification of non-agglomerated mixtures of coal-cenizo, the biomass can be burned directly without producing syngas.

Mechanism of the thermochemical transformation of wheat grain’s processing waste during heat treatment

The thermal destruction of wheat grain’s processing wastes from Almaty and South Kazakhstan regions was studieв. The structure of the products obtained depending on the temperature of the carbonization process was formed, and the basic physico-chemical characteristics of the obtained carbon material based on the WGPW were studied using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, IR spectroscopy and EPR spectroscopy. The analysis of the elemental composition of the obtained samples of the sorption material showed that the carbon content in the composition of the obtained carbon material is 75.08 - 76.12%, which in turn can cause a sufficiently high degree of sorption capacity of this material, as well as its mechanical strength. The obtained carbon materials based on OIP were modified with ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) to improve its physico-chemical characteristics, such as specific surface area, porosity and adsorption capacity by iodine. It is shown that structural transformations of the processing waste of wheat grain (bran) in the process of heat treatment irrespective of temperature (in the studied interval) proceed through the stage of formation of free radicals. The concentration of free radicals formed in this process, as well as the composition of the graphite-like component of the products obtained, are determined by the temperature indices of the process.