Abstract
In the context of the circular bioeconomy and cleaner production, the incorporation of the by-products of plant biomass production in the bioenergy chain is fundamental. However, lignocellulosic wastes have properties that hinder their use for the production of biofuels. This study aims to evaluate how blends of lignocellulosic wastes improve the physical, chemical, and mechanical quality of pellets destined to the industrial sector, and to identify the challenges associated with the use of agroforestry biomass as raw material for pelletizing. Pellets were produced from blends of soybean wastes, sorghum wastes, pine needles, rice powder, Eucalyptus sawdust, and charcoal fines. Additionally, pure pellets composed of soybean wastes, sugarcane bagasse, and pine wood were evaluated. The effect of biomass type on the energy density, ash content, net heating value, and ultimate analysis was significant. The pellets produced with soybean wastes presented high contents of N (3.5–4.9%) and ashes (16.4–26.7%), besides low mechanical durability (≤ 96%), hindering its commercialization for industrial purposes. Pellets with sugarcane bagasse presented N (1.5%), S (0.03%), ashes (5.6%), mechanical durability (96.6%), and net heating value (15.1 MJ kg−1), suitable for industrial energy use in accordance with ISO 17225-6. The high N and ash contents and the low mechanical durability are the greatest challenges for the energy use of pellets produced from Brazilian agroforestry wastes.
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Data availability
The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are included in the article. Besides, the datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank the technical help provided by team of Multi-User Biomaterials Laboratory of Federal University of Lavras (UFLA, Brazil), Wood and Materials Laboratory (LAMM) of Federal University of Jataí (UFJ, Brazil), and Panels and Wood Energy Laboratory (LAPEM) of Federal University of Viçosa (UFV, Brazil).
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National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq - grant number 306793/2019-9), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES – Finance Code 001), and Research Support Foundation of Goiás state (FAPEG – grant number 201210267000887).
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DARS contributed with data collection and writing, specifically writing the initial version. MVS, MDRL, and DPG were major contributors with the review and editing of the manuscript. UOBJ analyzed and interpreted the datasets used in the current study. CRA, ACOC, and PFT contributed with supervision, search on new raw materials resources, funding acquisition, and project administration. TPP was a major contributor in writing the manuscript, specifically writing the initial version and review. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Santana, D.A.R., Scatolino, M.V., Lima, M.D.R. et al. Pelletizing of lignocellulosic wastes as an environmentally friendly solution for the energy supply: insights on the properties of pellets from Brazilian biomasses. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 11598–11617 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11401-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11401-y