OTKA Registration Number:  T 037705

Project title: 
Fundamental research by thermal analysis for the optimal utilization of biomass fuels

Principal Investigator:  Gábor Várhegyi

Institute:  Research Laboratory of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Start of research:  February 1, 12002
End of research:   December 31, 2005.

Aims:  The volatile and char forming processes are studied during the heating of biomass materials in inert gas flow and in the presence of oxygen.  The char burn off is also examined.  A special attention is paid on the role and behavior of the biomass components.  A deeper understanding of the processes is sought.  Such characteristics are determined that aim later technological developments and show the similarities and differences of the various biomass raw materials.
Methods:  The mass of representative samples is measured as function of time at various temperature programs by thermogravimetry (TG).  Thermogravimetry – mass spectrometry is employed for the study of the evolved volatiles.  Reaction kinetic models and evaluation methods are developed for the reliable description of the behavior of the samples examined.
Task 1:  Products of the energy farm of the West-Hungarian University are studied: young trees and herbaceous plants.  Other biomass raw materials are also studied in the frame of international cooperation.  Such kinetic models are elaborated that describe the behavior of the biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) more reliably than the ones available at present. 
Task 2:  The behavior of isolated biomass components (lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) are also studied to obtain additional information for the executions of Tasks 1 and 2.
Task 3:  When the samples are heated in the presence of oxygen (“temperature programmed combustion”), the oxygen content of the ambient participates in the volatilization.  The char formed during the devolatilization burns off at higher temperature.  Reaction kinetic models are elaborated to describe these processes explicitly.