Compressibility and Thermal Characteristics of Plant Biomass Ashes

Abstract

Biomass has become one of major sources of renewable energy, but, after combution, the ashes of biomass are not well recycled. The compressibility and thermal characteristics of biomass ashes were experimentally analyzed and compared to silica sand, in attempt to utilize the biomass ashes as sustainable construction material. The mean particle sizes of wood and sugarcane bagasse ashes were 0.15 mm and 0.04 mm, respectively; the particles were angular and had non-uniform array. The compressibility of biomass ashes were much larger than those of sands with the same initial loading; the thermal conductivity lower. In addition, the more saturated, the higher thermal conductivity. The compressibility and thermal characteristics of biomass ashes, reported in this paper, are for uniform materials that contain relative high void contents; the mixture of soil and biomass ashes, which has denser composition, needs to be inspected further.