Journal
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Volume 116, Issue -, Pages 396-402Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.03.093
Keywords
Steam explosion; Douglas fir; Drying kinetics; Giggnheim-Anderson-deBoer; Equilibrium moisture model
Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada
- Wood Pellet Association of Canada
- B.C. Ministry of Forest and Range
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biomass Program
- Agricultural Biorefining Innovative Network
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Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii L) particles were exposed to high pressure saturated steam (200 and 220 degrees C for Sand 10 min) to improve the durability and hydrophobicity of pellets produced from them. Depending on treatment severity, the moisture content of the particles increased from 10% to 36% (wet basis). Douglas fir particles steam-treated at 220 degrees C for 10 min had the fastest drying rate of 0.014 min(-1). The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of steam-treated samples decreased with increasing steam temperature and treatment time. The Giggnheim-Anderson-deBoer (GAB) equilibrium model gave a good fit with the equilibrium data with R-2 = 0.99. The adsorption rate of untreated pellets exposed to humid air (30 degrees C, 90% RH) for 72 h was 0.0152 min(-1) while that of steam-treated pellets ranged from 0.0125 to 0.0135 min(-1) without a clear trend with steam treatment severity. These findings are critical to develop durable and less hygroscopic pellets. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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