Experimental trials to make wheat straw pellets with wood residue and binders

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy Vol. 69; pp. 287 - 296
• Main Authors: Lu, Donghui, Tabil, Lope G., Wang, Decheng, Wang, Guanghui, Emami, Shahram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Algal culture (microalgae); Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Binder; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomass fuel; Biotechnology; Densification; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycerol; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Miscellaneous; Natural energy; Pellet; Wood residue; Glycerol; Binder; Pellet; Densification; Biomass fuel; Wood residue; Alternative fuel; Energy consumption; Particle size; Cereal by product; Mechanical properties; Biomass; Binders; Wood waste; Tensile strength; Pelletization; Particle size distribution; Calorific value; Wheat straw
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.07.029

Crude glycerol, bentonite, lignosulfonate, and softwood residue (wood residue) were investigated in this study as binders for biomass fuel pellets for thermochemical conversion to enhance pellet quality for transportation and storage. The mass fraction of water of the wheat straw and the wood residue used for pelleting were 0.0676 and 0.0949, respectively. Wheat straw with crude glycerol, bentonite, lignosulfonate, wood residue, and pretreated wood residue with crude glycerol were compressed in a single pelleting unit at a temperature of 95 °C. The specific energy consumption, density, dimensional stability, tensile strength, calorific value, ash content, and chemical composition of the pellets made were determined. Results showed that the specific energy consumption for wheat straw pelletization significantly decreased with the addition of lignosulfonate, bentonite, wood residue, and pretreated wood residue with crude glycerol. With the addition of binders chosen in this study, the tensile strength of wheat straw pellets was improved with values ranging from 1.13 to 1.63 MPa. There was a significant increase in the higher heating value (17.98 MJ kg−1 to 18.77 MJ kg−1) when crude glycerol, wood residue, and pretreated wood residue were used as binders. The addition of both pretreated and non-pretreated wood residue significantly decreased the ash content of wheat straw pellets. •Five binders were tested for making wheat straw pellets.•Tensile strength of wheat straw pellets improved with binder addition.•Glycerol significantly increased the heating value of the wheat straw pellets.