Torrefaction Temperature and Holding Time Effect on Khaya Senegalensis  Biomass

Adli Azimi Abdul Rahman; Ras Izzati Ismail; Abdul Razak Shaari

Authors

Adli Azimi Abdul Rahman Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02100 Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia
Ras Izzati Ismail Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02100 Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia
Abdul Razak Shaari Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02100 Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia

Keywords:

Torrefaction, a thermal pretreatment, biomass, Khaya senegalensis, temperature, holding time, fuel pellets

Abstract

Khaya senegalensis is fast growing plant, can be planted in marginal land and grow easily in Malaysia. Therefore, it has the potential to be developed as dedicated energy crops. This study was conducted to determine the effect of torrefaction in upgrading the quality of Khaya senegalensis biomass. Torrefaction has been known as one of the most promising pre-treatments for biomass. In this experiment, the biomass sample was torrefied in the muffle furnace at four different temperatures (225, 250, 275 and 300℃) and three durations (30, 60 and 90 minutes). The results show that both torrefaction temperature and duration posed strong impact on the biomass quality. It was found that the volatile matters of the biomass reduce significantly as the torrefaction severity increase. On the other hand, the ash and carbon content increase with the increasing temperature and duration. Most importantly the calorific value of the biomass sample amplifies to 22.26Mj/kg from 16.11Mj/kg of untreated sample when torrefied at 300℃ for 90 minutes.