Effect of Compression Pressure and Coal Binding on the Fuel Properties of Biomass Pellet

M. S. Jamala,b,*, M. Shahinuzzamanc, S. M. A. Sujanb, Md. Rakibul Hasanb, M. R. Karimd,e, M. A. Dard, R. Gulf, Nowshad Aming, and Md. Akhtaruzzamana,**

a Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, Bangi, Selangor, 43600 Malaysia

b Institute of Fuel Research & Development (IFRD), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhaka, 1205 Bangladesh

c Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, Bangi, Selangor, 43600 Malaysia

d Center of Excellence for Research in Engineering Materials, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11421 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

e K.A. CARE Energy Research and Innovation Center, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia

f Obesity Research Center and the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11461 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

g Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (The National Energy University), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, Kajang, Selangor, 43000 Malaysia

Correspondence to: *e-mail: msjdubd@gmail.com
Correspondence to: **e-mail: akhtar@ukm.edu.my

Abstract—This work leads to improvement towards fuel efficiency of biomass by pelletizing at different pressures with different percentage of coal. Two species of wood sawdust–Gurjan Balsam, Teak, and a coal sample were used in this study. Analysis of unprocessed raw materials were conducted to evaluate their fuel characteristics. From our observation, it is eminent that pellet density increases radically at pressures of 3.055–6.111MPa. This phenomenon eventually causes minor density increases with increased pressure. An increasing pattern was also observed in the variation of the heating value of pellets with the increased pelletizing pressure in both samples. Bonding between biomass particles has been identified as the main factor which influences the heating value. Consequently, this variation in bonding alters the heating value at different pressures. The formation of the solid bridge due to lignin flow and inter-diffusion between adjacent biomass particles are responsible for binding with coal and increased heating value at higher pressures. The presence of van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding also increases the heating value with increasing pressure.

Keywords: compaction of biomass, co-pelletization, heating values, pellets hardness, pellet density

DOI: 10.3103/S0361521921060070