Assessment of thermal processing of Maize waste biomass: New opportunities for exploitation as energy crop

Publication Type

Poster

Authors

karaj, S; Wüst, D; Kruse, A; Müller, J

Year of publication

2013

Conference name

21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition - Setting the course for a biobased economy

Conference location

Kopenhagen, Denmark

Conference date

3.-7.6.2013

The current academic and industrial activity is focused on sourcing feed stocks from waste and non-food biomass crops for the sustainable production of energy and substitution of fossil fuels. Slush and burn techniques are still present in many countries of the world. Agricultural residues are being slush and burn as a technique for soil enrichment but many disadvantages occurs during this process such as hummus distraction, micro fauna and micro flora are destroyed, organic matter is oxidized, sulphur and nitrogen is loosed due to volatilisation and instant mineralization of organic matter.
The objective of this study was to investigate the physical and chemical parameters of thermal processed maize waste biomass. To assess the pyrolysis behaviour of maize waste on four stage pyrolysis mechanism consisting of torrefaction (≈ 300 °C), charring (≈ 500 °C), carbonization (≈ 750 °C) and hydro thermal carbonization (≈ 245 °C).
The selected thermal processes from different substrates were investigated for their physico-chemical characteristics like: pH, conductivity, specific gravity, bulk density, porosity, moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, surface area, ion exchange capacity, solubility in water and the nutrients sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iodine number. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images for surface morphology and pore formation were conducted for each biochar substrate before and after pyrolyse. Physico-chemical characteristic and SEM pictures showed the pore formation and potential use of biochar in agriculture and forest soils.