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Title: Composition-Preserving Extraction and Characterization of Biomass Extrinsic and Intrinsic Inorganic Compounds

Journal Article · · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

The inorganic content of biomass impairs size reduction tool life and the conversion process. Conventional ash extraction relies on furnace combustion that inevitably alters the inorganic compounds due to oxidation and decomposition. This study developed composition-preserving methods for extracting and analyzing extrinsic and intrinsic inorganic compounds. Comprehensive characterization was carried out on selected biomass feedstocks, including corn stover, pine residue, and pine anatomical fractions, to reveal their inorganic species and morphology. The extrinsic inorganic compounds were found to be dominated by quartz, along with other minor minerals, such as albite, microcline, and gehlenite, and have particle sizes ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers. Among the pine anatomical fractions, the needles contain the highest intrinsic silicon content while the bark trapped the most extrinsic minerals. By correlation of the total ash and extrinsic inorganic contents to the wear behavior, both the extrinsic and intrinsic inorganic compounds were concluded to have made significant contributions to the wear process. Finally, the results here validated a new approach to characterize inorganic compounds in biomass and provided fundamental insights for their potential impact on preprocessing tool wear.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation and Fuels. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1606866
Journal Information:
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 8, Issue 3; ISSN 2168-0485
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English