Pelletizing properties of torrefied spruce

Abstract

Torrefaction is a thermo-chemical conversion process improving the handling, storage and combustion properties of wood. To save storage space and transportation costs, it can be compressed into fuel pellets of high physical and energetic density. The resulting pellets are relatively resistant to moisture uptake, microbiological decay and easy to comminute into small particles. The present study focused on the pelletizing properties of spruce torrefied at 250, 275 and 300 °C. The changes in composition were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and chemical analysis. The pelletizing properties were determined using a single pellet press and pellet stability was determined by compression testing. The bonding mechanism in the pellets was studied by fracture surface analysis using scanning electron microscopy. The composition of the wood changed drastically under torrefaction, with hemicelluloses being most sensitive to thermal degradation. The chemical changes had a negative impact, both on the pelletizing process and the pellet properties. Torrefaction resulted in higher friction in the press channel of the pellet press and low compression strength of the pellets. Fracture surface analysis revealed a cohesive failure mechanism due to strong inter-particle bonding in spruce pellets as a resulting from a plastic flow of the amorphous wood polymers, forming solid polymer bridges between adjacent particles. Fracture surfaces of pellets made from torrefied spruce possessed gaps and voids between adjacent particles due to a spring back effect after pelletization. They showed no signs of inter-particle polymer bridges indicating that bonding is likely limited to Van der Waals forces and mechanical fiber interlocking.

A Comprehensive Review on Biomass Torrefaction

“…Li et al (2012) reported that the pelletization of the torrefied biomass is more energy intensive than the raw biomass. Due to the lack of the sufficient hydrogen bonds in the torrefied biomass, the pelletization process consumes more compression energy Na et al, 2013;Stelte et al, 2011). The compression energy will increase while pelletizing dried biomass particles.…”

“…The compression energy will increase while pelletizing dried biomass particles. The dried biomass materials are hard to plasticize, and possess a significant frictional resistance (Gilbert et al, 2009;Stelte et al, 2011). For example, the compression pressure in the pelletization process of the torrefied spruce increased by approximately 7 times that required for pellets from the raw spruce (Stelte et al, 2011).…”

Estimation of energy properties of torrefied Japanese cedar with colorimetric values

“…Moreover, the torrefaction process also performs functions of grindability (Morita, et al, 2009;Repellin, et al, 2010) and hydrophobic property, which improves handling properties of biofuel production and utilization. Because of the above significant features of torrefaction, studies on the torrefied biomass pellets have conducted energetically (Stelt, et al, 2011;Stelte, et al, 2011;Ghiasi, et al, 2014), and the utilization of torrefied biomass pellets for co-firing in power plants has become a center of attention (Ooiwa, 2013;Nunes, et al, 2014;Agar, et al, 2015).…”

Biomass‐Based Energy Production

“…However, there are several ways of overcoming this lack of bonding. For example, an additive with a high bonding capacity could be introduced after the torrefaction process to compensate for the loss of hydrogen bonding sites due to torrefaction [14].…”