Thermal Analysis for Improving Fuel Characteristics of Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Fibers

Abstract

Agriculture waste is well known with low melting ashes. This is due to the large quantities of alkali metals are required as nutrients. Potassium is the one of the alkali metal that contributes to the low melting ash of empty fruit bunch biomass fuel. Thermal analysis was conducted in order to determine the increasing of ash fusion temperature of EFB fiber. Ash fusion temperature has four type of shape which is initial deformation, softening temperature, hemispherical temperature and fluidization temperature. EFB fiber has melting temperature 1061°C in average. To solve low melting ashes, Ca(OH)2 was added with EFB fiber in order to increase the ash melting point. 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% by dry weight was added to EFB fiber. From the experiment by adding 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% of Ca(OH)2, the melting temperature was increase to 1114°C, 1239°C, 1277 °C and 1315 °C respectively. As conclusion this lab scale thermal analysis test was conducted in order to allow the determination of additive percentage for larger scale in order to adapt with biomass gasifiers.