Characterizing value-added pellets obtained from blends of miscanthus, corn stover, and switchgrass

Hossain, Tasmin; Jones, Daniela S.; Godfrey, Edward; Saloni III, Daniel; Sharara, Mahmoud; Hartley, Damon S.

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2024.120494

Title: Characterizing value-added pellets obtained from blends of miscanthus, corn stover, and switchgrass

Journal Article · 15 April 2024 · Renewable Energy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.120494 · OSTI ID:2447443

^[1];

^[2]; Saloni III, Daniel ^[2]; Sharara, Mahmoud ^[2]; Hartley, Damon S. ^[3]

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

The current pellet industry primarily relies on woody biomass. Inclusion of a diverse feedstock, such as herbaceous biomass, is necessary to meet the rising demand for pellets in heat and power generation, and for biofuel production. This study was motivated by the need to densify biomass, improving its naturally low energy density, to reach the required pellet standards for biofuel conversion. Here, we developed value-added miscanthus pellets blended with different ratios of corn stover and switchgrass and analyzed their chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. Pure miscanthus pellet durability index (PDI) was less than 85 %, well below the ISO 17225-6 standard for herbaceous pellets. While increasing switchgrass and corn stover ratios increases durability beyond 94 %, it also increases ash content from 1.6 % to 4.6 %, a quality unfavorable for biofuel conversion. The moisture content of the blended pellets varied from 7.12 % to 12.45 %, and positively correlated with the durability of the pellets. Pure miscanthus pellets had the highest bulk density, 633 kg/m³, while pellets containing 75 % miscanthus and 25 % corn stover had the lowest density, 564 kg/m³. The findings of this study also identified a decrease in the pellet bulk density with the increase in ash content and pellet diameter.

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Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 2447443

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU--23-74468-Rev002

Journal Information:: Renewable Energy, Journal Name: Renewable Energy Vol. 227; ISSN 0960-1481

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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