Fast characterization of biomass fuels by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

A methodology is proposed based on thermogravimetric analysis, deconvolution of the DTG signal and empirical correlations for characterizing biomass fuels for boilers and combustors. This methodology allows determining accurately and in a short time the main parameters required for industrial operation, as are the higher heating value (HHV), the contents of moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, ashes, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of the biomass. At the present time, these parameters are obtained by using specific equipment that are much more sophisticated and expensive than the methodology proposed. Twelve types of vegetable lignocellulosic biomasses have been used in the study, i.e., wastes from wood industry, food industry and agriculture. The comparison of the results obtained, based on the methodology developed in this paper, with those published in the literature evidence the validity of the methodology for a wide range of materials.