Valorization of pure poultry manure for biomass applications: Drying and energy potential characteristics

Poultry manure has gained attention as an alternative biomass. This study evaluated pure poultry manure (without adsorbent materials) by immediate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal degradation (TG), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The drying characteristics were analyzed by operating conditions effects, and energy quality by measuring calorific value. In nature pure poultry manure has a pasty aspect and high humidity (>75 % w w−1) and dry manure, interesting energetic physicochemical characteristics, such as 65 % w w−1 volatile matter, 5 % w w−1 fixed carbon content, and a 11 MJ kg−1 calorific value. Furthermore, pure poultry manure showed characteristics also resemble those of lignocellulosic biomass materials. Samples were dried in a convective dryer with varying temperatures (60, 70, and 80 °C) and air velocity values (1.0, 1.2, and 1.8 m s−1). The drying experimental data by a convection–diffusion model to obtain the effective diffusivity and activation energy of the manure. Greater temperatures reduced resistance to moisture diffusion and influence of drying air velocity was observed from model data. Dry poultry manure enables easy transportation and shows adequate energy characteristics for use as a thermal energy source to heat poultry farms and supply some of producers’ electrical consumption.