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Steam Explosion Pre-Treatment of Sawdust for Biofuel Pellets

Author

Listed:
  • Peyman Alizadeh

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada)

  • Tim Dumonceaux

    (Bioproducts and Bioprocess National Science Program, Science and Technology Branch, Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada)

  • Lope G. Tabil

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada)

  • Edmund Mupondwa

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
    Bioproducts and Bioprocess National Science Program, Science and Technology Branch, Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada)

  • Majid Soleimani

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada)

  • Duncan Cree

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada)

Abstract

The current study explores steam explosion pre-treatment of wood sawdust to develop high-quality biofuel pellets. In order to determine optimized conditions (temperature and residence time) for steam-treated biomass, seven test responses were chosen, including bulk, particle and pellet densities as well as tensile strength, dimensional stability, ash content and higher heating value (HHV). Parameters tested for steam treatment process included the combination of temperatures 180, 200 and 220 °C and durations of 3, 6 and 9 min. Results showed that when the severity of steam pre-treatment increased from 2.83 to 4.49, most of the qualities except HHV and ash content were favorable for steam pretreated materials. The pellet density of pretreated sawdust in comparison to raw sawdust resulted in 20% improvement (1262 kg/m 3 for pretreated material compared with 1049 kg/m 3 for non-treated material). Another important factor in determining the best pellet quality is tensile strength, which can be as high as 5.59 MPa for pretreated pellets compared with 0.32 MPa for non-treated pellets. As a result, transportation and handling properties can be enhanced for steam pretreated biomass pellets. After optimization, the selected treatment was analyzed for elemental and chemical composition. Lower nitrogen and sulfur contents compared with fossil fuels make steam pretreated pellets a cleaner option for home furnaces and industrial boilers. High-quality pellets were produced based on optimized pre-treatment conditions and are therefore suggested for bioenergy applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Peyman Alizadeh & Tim Dumonceaux & Lope G. Tabil & Edmund Mupondwa & Majid Soleimani & Duncan Cree, 2022. "Steam Explosion Pre-Treatment of Sawdust for Biofuel Pellets," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jcltec:v:4:y:2022:i:4:p:72-1192:d:973266
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alba Mondragón-Valero & Borja Velázquez-Martí & Domingo M. Salazar & Isabel López-Cortés, 2018. "Influence of Fertilization and Rootstocks in the Biomass Energy Characterization of Prunus dulcis (Miller)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-12, May.
    2. Xiao He & Lianjun Wang & Anthony Lau, 2020. "Investigation of Steam Treatment on the Sorption Behavior of Rice Straw Pellets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-9, October.
    3. Tooyserkani, Zahra & Sokhansanj, Shahab & Bi, Xiaotao & Lim, Jim & Lau, Anthony & Saddler, Jack & Kumar, Linoj & Lam, Pak Sui & Melin, Staffan, 2013. "Steam treatment of four softwood species and bark to produce torrefied wood," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 514-521.
    4. Esteban Valdez & Lope G. Tabil & Edmund Mupondwa & Duncan Cree & Hadi Moazed, 2021. "Microwave Torrefaction of Oat Hull: Effect of Temperature and Residence Time," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Peyman Alizadeh & Lope G. Tabil & Edmund Mupondwa & Xue Li & Duncan Cree, 2023. "Technoeconomic Feasibility of Bioenergy Production from Wood Sawdust," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, February.

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