Title:
Practical Application of EDXRF Technology to Determine the Chemical Quality of Wood Chips
Author(s):
Zimmermann, D., Dietz, E., Riebler, M., Blum, U., Borchert, H., Kuchler, C., Kuptz, D., Hartmann, H.
Document(s):
Paper
Slide presentation
Abstract:
Sufficient wood chip fuel quality is important for failure-free combustion and less emissions. Unfortunately, mineral soil-contamination can be a serious issue as it can take place during logging or chipping process. Currently, there is no reliable quality management system for chemical wood chip quality established yet. During a previous study, so called "biomass fuel indexes for the contamination with mineral soil" (BFICS) have been developed, utilizing the ratio of Fe/Mn and Al/200. To get a rather quick impression of chemical element contents, an innovative portable EDXRF analyzer should be applied into wood chip supply chain, when quality issues could be concerned. The EDXRF device was calibrated with pulverized wood chip calibration standards (n = 30) of different tree species, in particular spruce and pine, analyzed by ICP-AES. Linear correlations between EDXRF and ICP-AES are quite tight (R > 0.98) and all elements show a sufficient limit of detection. Samples with particle sizes > 0.5 mm have a significant influence on EDXRF measurement reliability. Especially Al and Si are overestimated and show high standard deviations. Concentrations of pulverized (particle sizes < 0.5 mm) wood chips and pellets analyzed by EDXRF coincide well with ICP-AES results. Therefore, contaminated wood chips or pellets with 2 or 10 w-% mineral soil can easily be identified by EDXRF as well as clean material.
Keywords:
wood chips, solid biofuel, wood pellet, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), chemical fuel quality, fuel contamination with mineral soil
Topic:
Biomass Conversion Technologies for Heating, Cooling and Electricity
Subtopic:
Production and supply of solid fuels and intermediates
Event:
27th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
2DO.7.2
Pages:
617 - 623
ISBN:
978-88-89407-19-6
Paper DOI:
10.5071/27thEUBCE2019-2DO.7.2
Price:
FREE
