Evaluation of Equilibrium Moisture Content and Chemical Composition in Torrefied Birch Wood

Abstract:

Birch wood veneer shorts from the plywood production plant in Latvia were fractionated to 0.63-2.00 mm and torrefied 30 min at 250, 260, 270, 280, 290 and 300 °C. The evaluation of hydrophobicity to untreated and torrefied birch wood was studied at constant climatic conditions (65±2% relative humidity, 22.8±0.3 °C) while standard chemical analysis methods were used to ascertain the structural and physical changes. Torrefaction process has a strong effect on the equilibrium moisture content of the fuel. The equilibrium moisture content of the torrefied wood decreased by 34% and more compared to the raw wood. Compositional analysis showed that the hemicelluloses are thermally more unstable than cellulose and lignin. During torrefaction process, hemicelluloses were almost removed, but extensive cellulose and light lignin degradation occurred only at torrefaction temperature of 300 °C. As the optimal torrefaction temperature can be considered 280 °C, where equilibrium moisture content of fuel was 5.9% and higher heating value 20.1 MJ/kg.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 721)
• Pages: 97-101
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.721.97
• Online since: December 2016
• Authors: Prans Brazdausks*, Janis Rizhikovs, Aigars Paze, Aivars Zhurinsh, Maris Puke, Ance Plavniece
• Keywords: Bioenergy, Birch Wood, Moisture Sorption, Monosaccharides, Torrefaction

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