Title:
Torrefaction Process of the Phragmites Communis Growing in Soil Contaminated with Cadmium
Author(s):
Szufa, S., Romanowska-Duda, B. Z., Grzesik, M.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The research objectives was to deeply investigate a novel biomass pre-treatment technique called torrefaction process of the reed plants cultivated in soil supplemented with salts of cadmium or mixtures of copper, cadmium and lead. The emerged plants were watered once with a tap water and with cadmium salt or mixture of cadmium, cooper and lead solutions at dosages, twice higher than provides Polish standard. Cadmium was applied as Cd(NO3)2•4H2O at dosage of 10 mg Cd kg-1 dry weight of soil. Copper was used as CuSO4 x 5H2O at 280 mg Cu kg-1 dry weight of soil, while lead as Pb(NO3)2 in quantity of 280 mg Pb kg-1 dry weight of soil. The energy utility of the reed plants cultivated under special plastic tunnel in media and supplemented with the mentioned salts was checked by measuring in the harvested plants the heat of combustion, calorific value, ash content and torrefaction process under isothermal conditions. The growth of plants was evaluated every month by measurement of their height and photosynthesis activity and also the quantity of copper in plants at the beginning and end of vegetative season. Torrefaction process was done by using thermogravimetric analyzer combined with FTiR analyzer (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) to evaluate the mechanisms of phenomena's taking place during torrefaction of reed plants and to known what kind of volatile components occur during roasting this kind of biomass. The obtained results show that the used dosages of cadmium or the mixture of the used salts of cooper, cadmium and lead very slightly decrease the reed plant growth and their metabolic activity. Simultaneously these plants play the active phytoremediation role, absorbing the large quantity of these metals from the soil. An ideal plant for renewable energy production and phytoremediation applications should produce the high quantity of biomass and have the high absorption capacity of pollutants from soil reed plants produce the large yield of biomass, have the higher tolerance to cadmium and absorb heavy metals from the contaminated soil. Thus, the reed plants can be recommended for energy biomass production in soil contaminated with copper, cadmium and lead. Thermogravimetric analysis has showed that there is no influence on the speed and intensity during torrefaction process of reed plants with cadmium and on torrefaction process of reed plants without cadmium and any heavy metals components.
Keywords:
biomass, co-firing, reed canary grass, torrefaction
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Energy crops and energy grasses
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1DV.2.63
Pages:
628 - 634
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-1DV.2.63
Price:
FREE
