Thermal Investigation and Kinetic Modeling of Lignocellulosic Biomass Combustion for Energy Production and Other Applications

Herein, we studied the combustion and pyrolysis for Miscanthus x giganteus (elephant grass) using thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. Currently, miscanthus is used to an extent in energy generation applications; however, issues regarding its physicochemical combustion characteristics currently hinder this uptake. In this work, the thermal and kinetic analyses of dry miscanthus and its char were performed to obtain a better understanding of its physicochemical combustion characteristics and consequently to achieve the highest benefit from the combustion process. Different kinetic modeling has been used to calculate the activation energy and the kinetic parameters during combustion/pyrolysis, such as ASTM-E698, Flynn-Wall and Ozawa, and differential iso-conversional methods. It was observed that the activation energy values were 22.3, 40-150, and 40-165 kJ mol(-1) for miscanthus, respectively. Furthermore, miscanthus species were tested in wastewater treatment and showed a potential for the rapid removal of cadmium heavy metal. In addition, a study of miscanthus ash was performed and indicated that it can be used as a source of potassium in the fertilizer industry.