Characterization of Colombian Agroindustrial Biomass Residues as Energy Resources

A physical and chemical characterization of three Colombian agricultural biomass residues was carried out to identify promising feedstocks for thermochemical energy production. The three chosen were sugar cane bagasse (SCB), rice husk (RH), and palm kernel shell (PKS). Results showed that SCB, has high volatile material (87.41 wt % daf), lignocellulosic composition high in hemicellulose (29.68 wt % daf) and cellulose (39.81 wt. daf), high alkali index (4.07), and soft morphology; these characteristics make it a good candidate for fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil and gas. The RH, despite having a lignocellulosic composition similar to SCB, has slightly less volatile matter than SCB (75.73 wt % daf), a soft morphological structure, and high ash content (19.33 wt %) mainly of noncatalytic species, all of which make RH unattractive for pyrolysis; however, its fixed carbon content makes it very interesting for combustion and gasification processes. On the other hand, the PKS is the biomass with the highest content of fixed carbon (22.78 wt % daf) and lignin (58.30 wt %); its hard structure, low ash content (2.67 wt %), and high lignin content make it most suitable for high-temperature processes like combustion and gasification processes.