Torrefaction of Leucaena Leucocephala in a fixed-bed reactor

Abstract

Raw biomass contained low energy and high moisture content which contributed to its limitation as energy source. However, the biomass properties can be improved via torrefaction method. Torrefaction is a biomass pretreatment method that is performed between 200-300 C using slow heating rate in an inert condition. In this study, Leucaena Leucocephala (Leucaena) was torrefied in a fixed-bed reactor at 20 C/min from 200-300 C at holding times of 20 min. The changes in the elemental and chemical properties of Leucaena were studied using a few methods of analysis such as proximate, elemental analysis and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer. When the torrefaction temperature was increased from 200 to 300 C, the oxygen to carbon (O/C) and hydrogen to carbon (H/C) ratio of torrefied Leucaena reduced significantly. From FTIR, the broad peak at wavenumber of approximately 3400 cm-1 due to the presence of OH group reduced in its intensity upon increasing torrefaction temperature from 200 to 300 C which indicated that the degree of hydrophobicity of torrefied Leucaena had improved.