Evaluation of the Physical, Chemical and Thermal Properties of Portuguese Maritime Pine Biomass

Helder Filipe dos Santos Viana, Abel Martins Rodrigues, Radu Godina, João Carlos de Oliveira Matias and Leonel Jorge Ribeiro Nunes
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Helder Filipe dos Santos Viana: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, UTAD, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Abel Martins Rodrigues: Departamento de Tecnologia e Inovação, INIAV—Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrícola e Veterinária, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Radu Godina: C-MAST—Centre for Aerospace Science and Technologies—Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
João Carlos de Oliveira Matias: DEGEIT—Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Leonel Jorge Ribeiro Nunes: DEGEIT—Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: A characterisation of Pinus pinaster Aiton. (Maritime Pine) woody biomass and ashes is presented in this study. Physical, thermal and chemical analysis, including density, moisture content, calorific value, proximate and ultimate analysis, were carried out. The fuel Energy Density (E d ) and the Fuelwood Value Index (FVI) were assessed by ranking the fuelwood quality. Furthermore, the determination of the ash metal elementals was performed. The results from this study indicated, for Pinus pinaster biomass tree components, carbon content ranging from 46.5 to 49.3%, nitrogen content from 0.13 to 1.18%, sulphur content from 0.056 to 0.148% and hydrogen content around 6–7%. The ash content in the tree components ranged from 0.22 to 1.92%. The average higher heating value (HHV) was higher for pine needles (21.61 MJ·kg −1 ). The E d of 8.9 GJ·m −3 confirm the good potential of Pinus pinaster biomass tree components as fuel. The FVI ranked the wood stem (4658) and top (2861.8) as a better fuelwood and pine needles (394.2) as inferior quality. The chemical composition of the ashes revealed that the elemental contents are below the national and most European countries legislation guidelines for the employment of ash as a fertiliser.

Keywords: biomass; Pinus pinaster; fuel; heating value; fuelwood value index; energy density; ash recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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