Estimación de las propiedades físico-químicas de residuos agroindustriales para el aprovechamiento como biocombustible

Abstract

In Ecuador maize (Zea mays L) it´s produced in the coastal, Andean and Amazon region, 45.521 hectares are harvested annually in Manabí. On the other hand, peanuts (Arachishypogaea) are another important crop in Manabí agriculture. Within the different agricultural or processing processes, heterogeneous waste, especially biomass, which represents an environmental problem due to the lack of techniques for its use, remaining in the field in the form of waste, which creates pollution problems. An assessment was made of the physicochemical properties that influence energy potential (humidity, ash, fixed carbon and volatile material) of these residues specifically of corn stalk (TM) and peanut shell (CM) for use in the development of a solid biofuel (péllet). CM's moisture content was 11.45% and TM 10.83%. The highest ash content in CM 18.93% and a lower content at TM=11.93%. The fixed carbon content in CM=15.78% and in TM=23.11%, similar values were obtained in the volatile material content between the two residues (CM=65.47% and TM=64.96%), these results indicate that the selected waste can be used for power generation as solid biofuels. In a pilot burner, pellets were burned for each selected agro-industrial waste reaching a maximum temperature of 751±39 °C for CM and 653±13 °C for TM in time of 9 and 4 minutes respectively.   Index Terms— biomass, energy potential, solid biofuel.