TORREFACTION AND ANALYSIS OF MAHOGANY SAWDUST FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOLID FUEL

The findings indicate that biomass weight loss in response to temperature variation is notably pronounced at lower torrefaction temperatures (200°C and 250°C), while weight loss becomes relatively negligible at 300°C. In a fixed bed furnace, the change in sawdust mass yield between 10 minutes and 30 minutes at 200°C is approximately 10.77%, with an increase observed between 200°C and 300°C. The oxygen-carbon ratio derived from the ultimate analysis of torrefied biomass demonstrates a lower and more concentrated distribution on the Van Krevelin plot compared to that of the raw biomass. Thermal stability, as determined by TGA, follows a decreasing order of 300°C > 250°C > 200°C. TGA curves for raw sawdust and torrefied sawdust exhibit three main decomposition stages, with the torrefied sawdust curves shifting to higher temperatures. Energy yield from torrefied sawdust surpasses that of untreated sawdust. The optimal heating value of torrefied Mahogany Sawdust is 28.2 MJ/kg, a 44.62% increase over the raw sawdust’s heating value of 19.5 MJ/kg. FTIR analysis indicates that sawdust torrefied at 300°C possesses more C=C bonds compared to those torrefied at 200°C and 250°C. When employing first-order kinetic analysis, the conversion-temperature plot and ln g (α)-1/T plot for Sawdust exhibit a linear relationship with a regression coefficient (R²) of 0.7442. The strength of torrefied briquettes follows the order: 300°C > 250°C > 200°C. This study’s findings suggest that Mahogany Sawdust can serve as a renewable and environmentally friendly solid fuel alternative or potential substitute for coal.

TORREFACTION AND ANALYSIS OF MAHOGANY SAWDUST FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOLID FUEL