Investigation of Hydrothermal Carbonization of Exhausted Chestnut from Tannin Extraction: Impact of Process Water Recirculation for Sustainable Fuel Production

Alessandro Cardarelli, Cristian Cordelli, Manuela Romagnoli, Francesco Pizzo and Marco Barbanera ()
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Alessandro Cardarelli: Department of Economics Engineering Society and Business Organization (DEIM), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università s.n.c., Loc. Riello, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Cristian Cordelli: Department of Economics Engineering Society and Business Organization (DEIM), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università s.n.c., Loc. Riello, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Manuela Romagnoli: Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Francesco Pizzo: Department of Economics Engineering Society and Business Organization (DEIM), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università s.n.c., Loc. Riello, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Marco Barbanera: Department of Economics Engineering Society and Business Organization (DEIM), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università s.n.c., Loc. Riello, 01100 Viterbo, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: This study explores the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process applied to the exhausted chestnut produced by the tannin extraction industry, utilizing process water recirculation to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the conversion process. Tannin extraction from wood typically involves hot water treatment, leaving behind residual wood biomass known as exhausted wood. These by-products maintain their renewable properties because they have only been exposed to hot water under a high pressure, which is unlikely to cause major alterations in their structural components. Hydrothermal treatment was carried out at temperatures of 220 °C and 270 °C for 1 h, with process water being recirculated four times. This investigation focused on analyzing the effects of recirculation on the yield and fuel properties of hydrochar, as well as characterizing the combustion behavior of the obtained hydrochar. The results indicated that recirculation of process water led to improvements in both the mass and energy yields of hydrochar. The mass yield of the hydrochar samples increased by 5–6%, and the ERE of the hydrochar samples increased by 5–8% compared to the HTC reference sample. However, alterations in the combustion characteristics were observed, including decreases in ignition temperature and combustion reactivity. The results indicate that, with PW recirculations, the combustion index decreased by about 14% and 18% for 220 °C and 270 °C, respectively. Overall, this research demonstrates the potential of utilizing HTC on chestnut tannin residue with process water recirculation to produce stable solid fuel and provides insights into the combustion behavior of the resulting hydrochar.

Keywords: hydrothermal carbonization; chestnut wood waste; process water recirculation; hydrochar; solid fuel; combustion characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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