Torrefaction of agroindustrial wastes briquettes

• Grant number: 19/17838-3
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering
• Principal researcher: Andrea Cressoni de Conti
• Grantee: Verônica Verniano Peres Cequinatto
• Home Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rosana. Rosana , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of biomass as an alternative fuel has been growing in recent years. This is due to the constant search for energy sources that replace fossil fuels and that diminish the impact on the environment. Brazil has natural and geographical conditions that are totally favorable to the production of different biomasses. The country has forests for reforestation in which the wood is intended to be extracted. The most common species for this extraction are eucalyptus and pine. Also noteworthy is the biomass of sugarcane bagasse and straw that is produced on a large scale in Brazil through the sugarcane sector. Wishing for energy use requires a high energy density. To leverage this property and improve disadvantageous physical and chemical characteristics such as; The difficult handling, transportation and high moisture content, it is used the energy densification process through briquetting. To increase the high heat value of the material the torrefaction process is used. Thus, by combining both energy densification and torrefaction process, there is a great alternative to make biomass more attractive and of greater economic value. The use of binders in the production of briquettes may favor their formation, especially when using agroindustrial residues. The present work aims to produce briquettes from sugarcane straw and bagasse blends and use Eucalyptus Saligna wood, which has a good amount of lignin, as a binder and to analyze the formation of these briquettes. Briquettes without and with torrefaction process at 300pC will be produced to verify whether there has been a significant improvement in material and briquettes properties. (AU)