title: Comparative valorisation of agricultural and industrial biowastes by combustion and pyrolysis.
abstract: Combustion and pyrolysis processes were assessed and compared for two types of lignocellulosic biowastes: agricultural (Eucalyptus bark, grape seeds, peach stones, walnut shells, olive waste and peanut shells) and industrial (primary and biological paper mill sludge) biowastes. They were characterized by elemental, proximate and thermal analyses; the pyrolysis behaviour was studied by thermogravimetric analysis and the gases produced were identified using mass spectrometry. Agricultural biowastes showed the highest calorific values, close to the fossil fuel values (20-30MJkg(-1)) and, in general, emission of gases containing the carbon element (CH4, C2H2, CO and CO2) was higher than that of the tested industrial biowastes, making the agricultural biowastes highly competitive for combustion applications such as gas fuel. Further, the solid product which resulted from the pyrolysis of industrial biowastes is a material with large specific surface area, which is a good characteristic for possible applications as adsorbent in water remediation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina I A
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calisto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Cuerda-Correa
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry and Physics, University of Léon, Campus de Vegazana, Léon, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Planning Department and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nadais
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: valdemar@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Valdemar I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Esteves
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage
keywords: Energy; Heat of combustion; Lignocellulosic biowastes; Mass spectrometry; Thermogravimetric analysis