Comprehensive Characterization of Some Selected Biomass for Bioenergy Production.

There is a lack of information about the detailed characterization of biomass of Nigerian origin. This study presents a comprehensive characterization of six biomass, groundnut shells, corncob, cashew leaves, Ixora coccinea (flame of the woods), sawdust, and lemongrass, to aid appropriate selection for bio-oil production. The proximate, ultimate, calorific value and compositional analyses were carried out following the American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence were employed in this study for functional group analyses, thermal stability, and structural analyses. The H/C and O/C atomic ratios, fuel ratio, ignitability index, and combustibility index of the biomass samples were evaluated. Groundnut shells, cashew leaves, and lemongrass were identified as promising feedstocks for bio-oil production based on their calorific values (>20 MJ/kg). Sawdust exhibited favorable characteristics for bio-oil production as indicated by its higher volatile matter (79.28%), low ash content (1.53%), low moisture content (6.18%), and high fixed carbon content (13.01%). Also, all samples showed favorable ignition and flammability properties. The low nitrogen (<0.12%) and sulfur (<0.04%) contents in the samples make them environmentally benign fuels as a lower percentage of NOx and SOx will be released during the production of the bio-oil. These results are contributions to the advancement of a sustainable and efficient carbon-neutral energy mix, promoting biomass resource utilization for the generation of energy.

Physicochemical Characterization of Woody Lignocellulosic Biomass and Charcoal for Bio-energy Heat Generation.

Biomass and its interactions for heat generation have received little attention. In this study, the woody biomass materials were Prosopis africana (PA), Harungana madascariences (HM), Vitrllaria paradoxa (VP), and Afzelia africana (AA). The composition (extractives, carbohydrate, and lignin) of the biomass was determined. The biomass was converted to charcoal in a traditional kiln. A thermo-kinetic examination of the charcoal samples was carried out. The kinetic parameters and potential reaction mechanisms involved in the decomposition process were both obtained using the integral (Flynn-Wall Ozawa) isoconversional methods in conjunction with the Coats-Redfern approach. The activation energy profiles for the charcoal samples in oxidizing atmospheres were 548 kJ/mol for AA, 274 kJ/mol for VP, 548 kJ/mol for PA, and 274 kJ/mol for HM. All charcoal samples underwent comprehensive, multi-step, complex reaction pathways for thermal degradation. The charcoal samples exhibit not only great potential for biochemical extraction but also for bioenergy applications. The significant amount of combustion characteristics in the raw biomass and charcoal samples indicates that each type of wood charcoal produced has more fixed carbon, less ash, and less volatile matter, all of which are desirable for the thermo-chemical conversion of biomass for the production of heat.

Kinetics modeling, thermodynamics and thermal performance assessments of pyrolytic decomposition of Moringa oleifera husk and Delonix regia pod.

A non-isothermal decomposition of Moringa oleifera husk and Delonix regia seed pod was carried out in an N2 pyrolytic condition with the primary objective of undertaking the kinetics modeling, thermodynamics and thermal performance analyses of the identified samples. Three different isoconversional models, namely, differential Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Starink techniques were utilized for the deduction of the kinetics data. The thermodynamic parameters were deduced from the kinetic data based on a first-order chemical reaction model. In the kinetics study, a strong correlation (R2 > 0.9) was observed throughout the conversion range for all the kinetic models. The activation energy profiles showed two distinctive regions. In the first region, the average activation energy values were relatively higher-a typical example is in the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa technique-MH (199 kJ/mol) and RP (194 kJ/mol), while in the second region, MH (292 kJ/mol) and RP (234 kJ/mol). It was also demonstrated that the thermal process for the samples experienced endothermic reactions thought the conversion range. In summary, both the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters vary significantly with conversion-underscoring the complexity associated with the thermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass samples.