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Volume 31 Issue 24 December Chinese Journal of Agricultural Engineering Vol.31 No.24

2015 Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering Dec. 2015 245

Appropriate carbonization temperature and time to improve the quality of biomass molding carbon

Yan Wei, Chen Zhihao, Sheng Kuichuanÿ

(School of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058)

Abstract: In order to prepare molded carbon blocks with better quality characteristics, the biomass high-density molding fuel extruded by screw was carbonized. The carbonization temperature (400,

450, 500, 550 and 600 °C), heating rates (2, 6 and 10 °C/min) and hold times (60, 120 and 180 min) for industrial analysis of the composition,

The influence of quality indicators such as calorific value and mechanical strength. With the increase of carbonization temperature, the carbon yield and volatile content of the formed carbon block decreased, the fixed carbon content increased, and the thermal

When the carbonization temperature is 550ÿ, the calorific value reaches the maximum value, which is 31.04 MJ/kg, and the compressive strength and crushing strength are good. The force of the heating rate on the formed carbon block

The smaller the heating rate, the greater the compressive strength; when the heating rate is 2°C/min, the surface cracks of the formed carbon block are less, and the compressive strength reaches the maximum value.

is 439.8 kPa; correspondingly, the crushing strength is also better at 95.5%. When the holding time is 120 min, the formed carbon block has a higher calorific value of 29.63 MJ/kg, which is higher than

The high compressive strength of 192.1 kPa and the good crushing strength of 96.7%, too long or too short holding time are not conducive to the improvement of the quality of the formed carbon block.

Key words: carbonization; temperature; biomass; formed carbon; heating rate; holding time; compressive strength; crushing strength; calorific value

doi: 10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.24.037 CLC number: S216

Document code: A Article number: 1002-6819(2015)-24-0245-05

Yan Wei, Chen Zhihao, Sheng Kuichuan. Appropriate carbonization temperature and time to improve the quality of biomass molding carbon [J]. Chinese Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 2015,

31(24): 245-249. doi: 10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.24.037 http://www.tcsae.org

briquettes[J].
Yan Wei, Chen Zhihao, Sheng Kuichuan. Carbonization temperature and time improving quality of charcoal

Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering (Transactions of the CSAE), 2015, 31(24): 245ÿ249. (in Chinese with English abstract) http://www.tcsae.org

doiÿ10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.24.037

The calorific value of the substance at 500 ÿ can reach 28.63 27.90 and ÿ

0 Preface 26.37 MJ/kg [14]. At present, the sales price of formed carbon is generally in the range of 3 500~

In recent years, the world has been faced with excessive consumption of conventional energy and environmental pollution. 4 500 yuan/t, the change is quite large. The main reason is the quality of the formed carbon

Double pressure, the conversion of agricultural and forestry waste into high-quality solid fuel is an alternative The difference directly affects the selling price of the product. Rough surface, many cracks, easy

Important sources of fossil energy such as oil, coal and natural gas are Compared with the formed carbon with smooth surface and high strength, the broken formed carbon is more expensive.

Widespread attention from foreign scholars and industry. densification of biomass into fuel charcoal The difference is 500-800 yuan/t. However, there are many existing studies on biomass carbonization.

Formed charcoal (commonly known as machine-made charcoal) is obtained by chemically forming, which has regular product shape, Taking powdered and granular biomass as the object, the carbonization conditions have an impact on the biomass formation.

High calorific value, less ash, no smoke and high added value [1-3], many properties Study on the effect of carbonization of charcoal fuel and its mechanical strength and other properties

As much as natural charcoal, it is widely used in steel smelting, life heating, burning There are few reports, and the influencing factors and evaluation methods of the quality characteristics of formed carbon are still lacking.

Baked and other fields [4]. Therefore, the development of high-quality biomass molding carbon, not only can lack of in-depth research.

It can meet the demand for energy in industrial and agricultural production, and can also replace natural charcoal. In this paper, the high-density briquette fuel with pure fir sawdust as raw material is used as the object.

Protecting forest resources and maintaining ecological balance has important research value and The carbonization test was carried out, and the effects of carbonization temperature, heating rate and holding time were studied respectively.

application prospects. Industrial analysis of composition, calorific value, compressive strength, and crushing strength of formed carbon blocks

Research on biomass carbonization process shows that carbonization process conditions such as carbon The influence of other performance indicators, the heating rate and the mechanical strength indicators of the formed carbon were analyzed.

The quality characteristics of biomass carbon such as temperature, heating rate and holding time relationship and the causes of surface cracks in the formed carbon, for high-quality formed carbon

have an important impact [5-10]. The carbonization temperature is between 400 and 600 °C, and the cotton stalk[11] The carbonization preparation process and reasonable evaluation of (mechanism charcoal) provide a reference basis.

and fir thinning sawdust[12], the yield of biomass char decreased significantly;

1 Materials and methods

With the increase of carbonization temperature, the ash content of fast-growing poplar sawdust and peanut shell biomass char increased.

volatile matter content decreased[13]; three agroforestry biomass of pine, fir and cotton stalk 1.1 The test material is a high-

density rod-shaped briquette fuel with pure Chinese fir chips as raw material, made of sea salt blue

Tianmei Bio-Energy Co., Ltd. is prepared by screw hot extrusion molding machine.
Received date: 2015-06-16 Revision date: 2015-11-06 Fund project: National

Science and Technology Support Program Project (2012BAC17B02) and Zhejiang Province Science and Technology Program The section size is 60 mm × 60 mm, and the length of a single bar is about 700 mm.

project (2015C31061)
The pores are about 22 mm in diameter and have an average density of 1.24 g/cm3 . on woodworking machines
About the author: Yan Wei, male, Lu'an, Anhui, Ph.D. student, mainly engaged in the application of biomass energy.
Cut into block samples with an average length of 60 mm with a tungsten steel circular saw blade.
School of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058.
The average mass of each sample is 240 g, and the nylon bag is sealed and stored for later use.
Email: zjuyw@zju.edu.cn ÿCorresponding

author: Sheng Kuichuan, male, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, professor, doctoral supervisor, mainly engaged in biomass 1.2 Test equipment 5E-AC/PT(L)

Research on comprehensive utilization of resources. School of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058. automatic calorimeter (Changsha Kaiyuan Instrument Co., Ltd.

Email ÿ kcsheng@zju.edu.cn
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246 Chinese Journal of Agricultural Engineering (http://www.tcsae.org) 2015

Division); SXL-1002 type muffle furnace, DHG type electric heating constant temperature drying oven (upper Mechanical strength: The compressive strength mainly reflects the

Haijinghong Experimental Equipment Co., Ltd.); CNT4204 microcomputer-controlled electronic The ability to resist cracking under external pressure is a measure of the briquette fuel

Energy material testing machine (Meters Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.); TH-01 Biological Or the mechanical properties of carbon blocks against accumulation, extrusion and collision during transportation and storage

Quality automatic carbonization device (Hangzhou Feishun Technology Co., Ltd.), the main technical energy indicator. At present, there is still a lack of a standardized and unified carbon block mechanical strength at home and abroad.

Capability and parameters: The reactor is a cylindrical reactor made of high temperature resistant stainless steel Degree evaluation standard. The obtained carbon block sample has a regular surface, and the carbon block is placed

(consisting of kettle body, kettle cover, stainless steel bolts and sealing gaskets, etc.), volume 5 L; Between the parallel platens of the universal material testing machine (the axis of the inner hole of the carbon block is horizontal

The reaction kettle is heated by external heating (indirect heating), and the carbonization temperature can be adjusted setting), increasing the pressure load at a fixed rate of 50 mm/min until the specimen

setting, the rated maximum carbonization temperature is 800ÿ; the power of the electric heater can be changed to For rupture, calculate the compressive strength value (pressure/area) in kPa. each

Adjust the heating rate; can display the change of the carbonization temperature in the reactor with time in real time The experiment was repeated 3 times and the average value was taken. The crushing strength mainly reflects the carbon block in

carbonization, and automatically store process parameter data such as carbonization temperature changes with time; The ability to resist crushing when subjected to a certain drop, and the carbon block in the actual bar

The volatile gas produced by the distillation and carbonization process is discharged from the reactor through the pipe, and is connected to the The handling requirements under the parts are closely related, and the mass retention rate is usually used to reflect the carbon block.

into the tar condensation separation device and the combustible gas purification device. crushing strength. Each charcoal block falls freely from a height of 1 m onto the concrete floor

1.3 Test method 1.3.1 Surface, dropped 5 times in a row, weighing the size of more than 1 cm after each drop

Preparation of biomass carbon block The sum of the masses of the blocks, the mass retention rate is calculated.

Set the carbonization process conditions and influencing factors, that is, the carbonization temperature (400,
2 Results and discussion
450, 500, 550 and 600°C,), heating rate (2, 6 and 10°C/min,)

and hold times (60, 120 and 180 min) using the controlled variable method 2.1 The effect of temperature on the quality characteristics of carbon

single factor test. For each group of carbonization tests, 6 samples of the same mass were placed in the reactor. block 2.1.1 The effect of temperature on the thermal properties of carbon block

The sample block, the total mass is 1 440 g, is isolated from air and heated up to the set

After the carbonization temperature, the heat preservation is carried out, and the carbonization is terminated after the set holding time is reached, and the reaction The single factor test of carbonization temperature was carried out, and the results are shown in Table 1. Volatile from 450ÿ

The kettle was cooled to room temperature naturally, and the carbon block was taken out for quality characteristic analysis. from 24.40% at 600°C to 8.40% at 600°C, and the fixed carbon changes from 400°C

The calculation of the carbon yield Gm of the biomass carbon block is shown in formula (1). 62.44% rises significantly to 76.24% at 550ÿ, which is similar to Angin and Chen

The results of studies on safflower seeds and cotton stalks are basically consistent [15-16], which may be due to
m2
Gm =× 100% ÿ ÿ1ÿ
As the carbonization temperature increases, during the devolatilization process of biomass, the hydrogen
m
1

and oxygen are separated due to the breaking of chemical bonds, and carbon is relatively enriched. carbon
where m1 is the mass of the sample before carbonization (dry mass), g; m2 is the mass of the sample after carbonization

The volatile content of the block is lower than 450°C at 400°C, and the fixed carbon content is
Mass of carbon block (dry mass), g.

Below 550°C at 600°C, comparing the ash content at 400 and 600°C,
1.3.2 Analysis of quality characteristics of carbon block

The ash content was found to be higher than at other temperatures. Biomass
Industrial Analysis Composition: Ash and Volatile Content According to

It is related to the characteristics of the material itself. On the other hand, the carbonization process of biomass at 400 °C
GB/T28731-2012 for testing, fixed carbon content is determined by volatile and ash content

Depolymerization is the main reaction [17], the devolatilization is faster, and more ash remains.
The content is calculated, fixed carbon (%)=100ÿvolatile matter (%)ÿash (%), so

in the solid product; with the increase of the carbonization temperature, the polycondensation reaction in the carbon
All data are percentages on a dry basis.

The polycondensation reaction dominates during the chemical process; when the temperature reaches 600 °C, the polycondensation reaction
Calorific value: High calorific value is tested according to GB/T30727-2014 standard

Slowly, the rate of fixed carbon formation decreases, resulting in a decrease in its content [18].
(herein referred to as calorific value).

Table 1 Effect of carbonization temperature on quality characteristics of carbon block

Table 1 Effect of carbonization temperature on properties of charcoal briquettes ÿÿÿ

Carbonization temperature Volatile fixed carbon Calorific value Compressive strength crushing strength
Ash
Carbonization Charcoal Volatile Fixed Calorific Compression yield/ Shatter
Ash content/%
temperature/ÿ % resistence/kPa content/% carbon/% value/(MJ·kg-1) resistence/%

Uncarbonized
-
85.33±0.87 and 3.00±0.15 a 11.67 18.56±0.04 a 5669.9 -

400 37.33 23.00±1.04 d 14.57±0.05 ab 62.44 26.40±0.25 b 162.7 88.4

450 34.55 24.40±1.20 d 6.80±0.89 a 68.80 30.02±0.21 c 91.0 89.0

500 32.39 18.85±1.17 c 7.21±0.90 a 73.95 30.54±0.13 d 84.4 95.2

550 31.42 16.93±0.74 b 6.83±0.57 a 76.24 31.04±0.13 and 143.7 98.3

600 29.62 8.40±0.37 a 22.28±1.23 b 69.33 30.32±0.05 cd 85.9 95.0

Note: Different lowercase letters in the same column in the table indicate significant differences in indexes at different temperatures (P<0.05). The heating rate was 10 °C/min, and the holding time was 2 h.

Note: Values followed by different small letters in a column are significantly different among carbonization temperatures at 0.05 lever. Heating rate is 10ÿ/min, retention time is 2 h.

When the carbonization temperature was increased from 550 °C to 600 °C, the volatile matter and ash content were both equal. The fraction content increased the fastest. Its changing trend is basically consistent with similar studies [13].

Significant changes occurred. Volatile content reduced from 16.93% to 8.40%, carbon block The carbonization temperature was increased to 600ÿ, which provided the melting point of alkali metals and compounds in biomass.

Residual volatilization in Favorable temperature conditions for melting and obviously producing ash[19], and may be related to biomass

22.28%. It can be seen that the carbonization temperature in the range of 550 to 600 ° C is formed carbon The dense structure of the formed rod has a certain relationship. But its ash content increased significantly

The most intense temperature section of carbonization is that with the increase of the final temperature of carbonization, the ash It still needs further in-depth research and discussion.
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Issue 24 Yan Wei et al.: Appropriate carbonization temperature and time to improve the quality of biomass molding carbon 247

When the carbonization temperature is 400 to 550 °C, low calorific value volatiles such as CO2, The maximum mass retention rate was 98.3% in the test group at 550ÿ. this with charcoal

CO precipitation and fixed carbon enrichment and changes in ash content lead to high heat The changes of thermal characteristics are similar, and better quality is obtained at 550ÿ

The value keeps increasing, reaching a maximum of 31.04 MJ/kg at 550°C, slightly higher characteristic.

For coal with high calorific value[20] (25.51ÿ29.60 MJ/kg), when the temperature is

At 600 ÿ, the high calorific value of volatile gas such as H2, CH4 precipitation takes away large

The amount of heat makes the calorific value contained in solid biochar decreased [21]. Can

It can be seen that when the carbonization temperature is 550 °C, the thermal properties of the formed carbon block are the best.

2.1.2 The effect of temperature on the yield of formed carbon block carbon When the

carbonization temperature is 400 ~ 600 ÿ, the higher the temperature, the better the formed carbon block carbon

The lower the yield, decreased from 37.33% to 29.62%, and the charcoal of biomass scraps

The yield of carbon was significantly higher than that of biomass [4], indicating that the denser and more compact structure of biomass

It is beneficial to improve the carbon yield of carbonized products. When the temperature is lower than 400 ÿ, the carbon

Biomass mass loss during the process is mainly due to cellulose and hemicellulose

Decomposition, when the temperature is higher than 400 °C, the main decomposition reaction of lignin occurs [22].

As the carbonization temperature increases, the solid products of the carbonization process are continuously cracked

Fig. 1 Appearance characteristics of carbon blocks at different temperatures

The reaction produces bio-oil and high-temperature gas, resulting in lower char yield. therefore,

Fig.1 Appearance features of charcoal briquettes at different temperatures

For carbon blocks that only produce briquette fuel and do not require high carbonization quality

Carbonization equipment, the carbonization temperature in the production process is controlled at about 450 °C:

In order to obtain higher calorific value biomass carbon block, the carbonization temperature is controllable 2.2 Influence of heating rate on the quality characteristics of carbon block 2.2.1 Influence

Made at about 550 ÿ, depending on the requirements of the target product. of heating rate on thermal properties of carbon block and carbon yield

2.1.3 Effect of temperature on compressive and crushing strength of carbon block The carbonization temperature was 550 °C and the holding time was 2 h.

The compressive strength of the uncarbonized sample is 5 669.9 kPa, and the compressive strength after carbonization is 5 669.9 kPa. The single factor test of the heating rate, the results are shown in Table 2. biomass compact combustion

The strength is greatly reduced, and the appearance characteristics of carbon blocks at different temperatures are compared (as shown in Figure 1). During the carbonization process of the material, the outer layer is first heated, and it occurs after reaching a certain temperature.

It can be found that the carbon block basically maintains the original regular shape, but the surface produces a Pyrolysis produces biomass char, which is pyrolyzed as heat is transferred from the outer layer to the inside

some cracks. The briquette fuel itself has a dense structure and high compressive strength. Constantly passed on to the internal biomass. When the heating rate is 2 to 6 °C/min, the

And during the cracking process, moisture and volatiles are gradually removed from the biomass briquette fuel table With the increase of the heating rate, the volatile content of the formed carbon block and the carbon yield decreased.

escaping from the surface and inside, forming many voids, resulting in high compressive strength There was no significant change in the calorific value as the fixed carbon content increased. Due to the higher heating rate

It is only 1.4% to 2.8% of the compressive strength without carbonization. with charcoal When the temperature is low, the residence time of biomass in the low temperature area is prolonged, and the low calorific value organic volatile

As the temperature increases, the compressive strength of the carbon block shows a downward trend, but at 550 ÿ It has enough time for secondary decomposition, the carbonization degree is relatively high, and the output

The test group appeared repeatedly, showing a larger compressive strength of 143.7 kPa, which can be The generated low calorific value gas takes away less heat, and the obtained solid product char has

It may be because at 500 ~ 550 ÿ, lignin is decomposed violently, and the precipitation is large. The mass decreases, but the proportion of fixed carbon in the solid product increases. when liters

A large amount of volatile matter undergoes a secondary coking reaction at high temperature [23], and aggregates into solid products. When the temperature rate is 10 °C/min, the biomass pyrolysis rate is faster, because the biological

material increases the compressive strength. While in the experimental group at 600 °C, the secondary coking solid The dense and formed structure and organizational characteristics determine the decomposition rate of organic components

The product decomposes again at 600°C, resulting in a decrease in compressive strength. With carbonization is greater than the escape rate and heat transfer rate of volatile matter, resulting in volatile matter and ash

With the increase of temperature, the crushing strength of the carbon block showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. As the fractional content increases, the solid product increases but the proportion of fixed carbon and the calorific value decrease.

Table 2 Effect of heating rate on quality characteristics of carbon block

Table 2 Effect of heating rate on properties of charcoal briquettes

Heating rate Carbon yield fixed carbon Calorific value Compressive strength crushing strength
Volatile Ash
Heating Charcoal Fixed Calorific Compression Shatter
Volatile content/% Ash content/%
rate/(ÿ·min-1) yield/% carbon/% value/(MJ·kg-1) resistance/kPa resistance/%

2 36.5 24.52±1.07 a 7.53±0.59 a 67.95 29.42±0.04 a 439.8 95.5

6 33.3 19.90±0.74 b 6.07±0.37 b 74.04 29.90±0.24 a 134.3 96.9

10 34.1 23.83±0.63 a 10.17±0.17 c 66.00 27.82±0.27 b 149.8 90.9

Note: Different lowercase letters in the same column in the table indicate significant differences in indicators under different heating rates (P<0.05). The carbonization temperature was 550 °C and the holding time was 2 h.

Note: Values followed by different small letters in a column are significantly different among heating rates at 0.05 lever. Carbonization temperature 550ÿ, retention time is 2 h.

2.2.2 The effect of heating rate on the compressive strength and crushing strength of biomass carbon It can be seen from Table The heating rate has an important influence on the compressive strength of the carbon block. low heating rate

2 that when the heating rate is 2°C/min, the The heat transfer from the outside to the inside of the biomass briquette fuel is relatively slow and uniform, and the temperature

The compressive strength value is significantly higher than that of the product when the heating rate is 6 and 10 °C/min The difference is relatively small, the rate at which moisture and volatile gases escape from the inside to the outside

Strength value, the crushing resistance of the formed carbon block at a heating rate of 2 and 6 °C/min Relatively slow, not easy to generate internal voids and surface cracks. At the same time, from outside

The temperature is significantly higher than the crushing strength of the product when the heating rate is 10 °C/min. picture The pyrolysis processes of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin overlap each other during carbonization

2 shows the appearance characteristics of the formed carbon blocks at different heating rates. As can be seen, Plus, the volatile gas generated fills the inner part of the void, making the carbon block surface
Machine Translated by Google

248 Chinese Journal of Agricultural Engineering (http://www.tcsae.org) 2015

The surface cracks are relatively small, and the compressive strength and crushing strength are relatively high. and The research results of pyrolysis carbonization are basically consistent [24]. From the test results, it can be seen that

When the heating rate is high, the thermal cracking reaction is violent, and the quality of biomass briquette fuel When the holding time is 120 min, the fixed carbon content of the formed carbon block is higher, and the ash

The loss is faster, and the densely formed structure causes uneven heating inside and outside. The content is small, the calorific value is relatively high, and the compressive strength and crushing resistance are strong.

Violent carbonization has occurred in the part, and the internal part may not have started, and the precipitated volatilization Mechanical strength indicators such as degree are also better, and it is unfavorable to keep too long or too short

The separation product escape rate is fast, and it is too late to fill the internal void, and it is in the table In order to improve the quality of the formed carbon block.

There are more and larger cracks on the surface, resulting in a decrease in compressive and crushing strength.

Therefore, when the heating rate is 2°C/min, the formed carbon block can obtain better resistance.

Compressive strength and crushing strength.

2.3 The effect of holding time on the quality characteristics of carbon block

Under the condition of carbonization temperature of 550 °C and heating rate of 10 °C/min,

a. 2ÿ min-1 b. 6ÿ min-1 c. 10ÿ min-1

A single factor test of retention time was performed, and the results are shown in Table 3. It can be seen from the table that the

Fig. 2 Appearance characteristics of biochar under different heating rates

The yield of charcoal block carbon did not change significantly, indicating that the retention time has an effect on the formation of biomass.
Fig.2 Appearance features of charcoal briquettes at different temperatures
The effect of fuel carbonization solid product yield is not significant, which is similar to biomass scrap

Table 3 Influence of holding time on quality characteristics of carbon block

Table 3 Effect of residence time on properties of charcoal briquettes

hold time Carbon yield fixed carbon Calorific value Compressive strength crushing strength
Volatile Ash
Residence Charcoal Fixed Calorific Compression Shatter
Volatile content/% Ash content/%
time/min yield/% carbon/% value/(MJ·kg-1) resistence/kPa resistence/%

60 33.8 21.39±1.41 a 13.29±0.17 a 65.32 27.09±0.31 a 148.2 98.2

120 33.5 24.64±0.92 b 6.27±0.34 a 69.08 29.63±0.10 b 192.1 96.7

180 34.5 22.58±1.39 ab 13.66±7.25 a 63.76 29.46±0.04 b 161.6 89.2

Note: The carbonization temperature is 550ÿ, and the heating rate is 10ÿ·min-1.

Note: Carbonization temperature 550ÿ, heating rate 10ÿ·min-1.

temperature on characteristics products derived from bamboo chips pyrolysis

3 Conclusion based on pyrolytic polygeneration[J].
Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering (Transactions
1) The carbonization temperature has a significant effect on the properties of the formed carbon block. In 400ÿ
of the CSAE), 2014, 30(22): 245ÿ
With the increase of carbonization temperature in the temperature range of 600 °C, the carbon yield of the formed carbon block, 252. (in Chinese with English abstract) [5] Wang

The volatile content decreases, the fixed carbon content and calorific value increase, and the carbonization temperature
Ru, Hou Shulin, Zhao Lixin, etc. The key impact of biomass pyrolysis and carbonization
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When the temperature is 450ÿ, the carbon yield of the formed carbon block is higher, which is 37.33%; the carbonization temperature
Wang Ru, Hou Shulin, Zhao Lixin, et al. Analysis on influence factors of biomass
When the temperature is 550°C, a larger calorific value (31.04 MJ/kg) is obtained, and the fixed carbon content pyrolysis carbonization[J]. Renewable Energy, 2013, 31(6): 90ÿ95. (in Chinese
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[6] Chen Dengyu, Zhou Jianbin, Zhang Qisheng. Effects of heating rate on slow
2) The heating rate has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the formed carbon block. Lift
pyrolysis behavior, kinetic parameters and products properties of moso
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[7] Luo Yu, Zhao Lixin, Meng Haibo, et al. Thermal cracking of Miscanthus biomass charcoal at different temperatures
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29.63 MJ/kg, the maximum compressive strength of 192.1 kPa and the crushing strength of 96.7%,
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Carbonization temperature and time improving quality of charcoal briquettes

Yan Wei, Chen Zhihao, Sheng Kuichuanÿ
(College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China)

Abstract: Energy crisis and environmental pollution make it attractive to find an environmentally friendly and renewable
energy source to substitute fossil fuels. Charcoal briquettes produced from sawdust densified fuels by carbonization, which are
often applied in barbecue field, can not only meet the demands of energy but also protect forest resources and maintain the
ecological balance. Properties of charcoal powder were reported to be influenced by carbonization conditions such as
temperature, heating rate and residence time, while the studies on those of charcoal briquettes were rare, especially the
mechanical behavior and combustion performance. Cedarwood sawdust was used to produce high density, virgate briquette
by using spiral pipe hot extrusion equipment. The parameters of briquette: screenshot size was 60 mm ×60 mm, and the
length was 60 mm, the hole diameter was 22 mm, the average density was 1.24 g/m3 , average mass was 240 g. In order
to prepare charcoal briquettes with good transportation and combustion performances, Chinese fir sawdust briquettes were
carbonized at the temperature of 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600ÿ, heating rate of 2, 6 and 10ÿ/min, and residence time of 60,
120 and 180 min, respectively. The effects of temperature, heating rate and residence time on the compression resistance,
shatter resistance, calorific value, and ash content of charcoal briquettes were investigated. Results showed that with the
carbonization temperature increasing, the yield of charcoal briquettes decreased from 37.33% at 400ÿ to 29.62% at 600ÿ,
whereas the calorific value slightly increased from 26.40 MJ/kg at 400ÿ to 31.04 MJ/kg at 550ÿ. Charcoal briquettes appeared
to have a high calorific value at the temperature of 550ÿ as well as a relatively good property in compression resistance
(143.7 kPa) and shatter resistance. The compression resistance and shatter resistance were significantly improved with the
decrease of heating rate. Compression resistance reached the maximum value of 439.8 kPa and crack occurred rarely on
the surface of charcoal briquettes at heating rate of 2ÿ/min as well as the best shatter resistance. A residence time of 120
min could be the better choice, for it exhibited the least ash content of 6.27%, the highest fixed carbon content of 69.08%,
the highest calorific value of 29.63 MJ/kg and the highest compression resistance of 192.1 kPa, respectively. These results
can supply some technical support for the production of good quality charcoal briquettes.
Keywords: carbonization; temperature; biomass; charcoal briquette; heating rate; residence time; compression resistance;
shatter resistance; calorific value