Combustion characteristics of biomass in SouthEast Asia

Gas emission during combustion of mixed tropical wood, bamboo, oil palm trunk, acacia, and rubber wood have been investigated by using TG–MS in presence of oxygen as well as FTIR. The weight decreasing profiles and the gas formation rates of oil palm trunk was significantly different among the samples although their elemental composition was almost the same from biomass samples. It was found that H2O is the main product formed for all samples. The evolving rates of the gaseous products during the combustion and infrared spectrums such as CO, H2O, CO2, CH4 and COOH+ were found. The DTG curves spectrums for biomass present four overlapping peaks.

► Devolatilization behaviour of five tropical biomass samples studied.
► Specific differences in thermal decomposition and product distributions revealed.
► H2O was the main product formed from all samples.
► Behaviour of oil palm trunks significantly different.
► Elemental composition was almost the same for all biomass samples.