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Product Yields and Characteristics of Corncob Waste under Various Torrefaction Atmospheres

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  • Jau-Jang Lu

    (Graduate Institute of Applied Living Science, Tainan University of Technology, Tainan 710, Taiwan)

  • Wei-Hsin Chen

    (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan)

Abstract

Biomass is a promising energy source due to its abundant, carbon-fixing, and carbon-neutral properties. Torrefaction can be employed to improve the properties of biomass in an oxygen-free or nitrogen atmosphere. This study investigates the product yields and the solid product characteristics from corncob waste torrefaction at the temperatures of 250 °C and 300 °C for 1 h. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and a gas mixture of air and carbon dioxide are employed as the carrier gases. The solid product characteristics approach those of coal at the higher temperature, regardless of what the carrier gases are. The fixed carbon, higher heating value, and solid and energy yields using carbon dioxide as a carrier gas at 300 °C are close to those using nitrogen. The product safety and storage properties before and after torrefaction are revealed by the measurements of ignition temperature and hygroscopicity. A higher torrefaction temperature leads to a higher ignition temperature of treated biomass, except using the mixture of air and carbon dioxide as the carrier gas. Carbon dioxide is a better carrier gas than nitrogen for biomass torrefaction, from the storage and transportation points of view.

Suggested Citation

  • Jau-Jang Lu & Wei-Hsin Chen, 2013. "Product Yields and Characteristics of Corncob Waste under Various Torrefaction Atmospheres," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:7:y:2013:i:1:p:13-27:d:31567
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Adrian Knapczyk & Sławomir Francik & Marcin Jewiarz & Agnieszka Zawiślak & Renata Francik, 2020. "Thermal Treatment of Biomass: A Bibliometric Analysis—The Torrefaction Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-31, December.
    2. Bach, Quang-Vu & Skreiberg, Øyvind, 2016. "Upgrading biomass fuels via wet torrefaction: A review and comparison with dry torrefaction," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 665-677.

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