Emission of Total Volatile Organic Compounds from the Torrefaction Process: Meadow Hay, Rye, and Oat Straw as Renewable Fuels

Justyna Czerwinska (), Szymon Szufa (), Hilal Unyay and Grzegorz Wielgosinski
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Justyna Czerwinska: Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 213, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Szymon Szufa: Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 213, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Hilal Unyay: Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 213, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Grzegorz Wielgosinski: Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 213, 90-924 Lodz, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-30

Abstract: This study aims to quantify total VOC emissions and evaluate how torrefaction alters the heat of combustion of three agricultural residues. The work examines the amount of VOC emissions during the torrefaction process at various temperatures and investigates the changes in the heat of combustion of agri-biomass resulting from the torrefaction process. The process was carried out at the following temperatures: 225, 250, 275, and 300 °C. Total VOC emission factors were determined. The reaction kinetics analysis revealed that meadow hay exhibited the most stable thermal behavior with the lowest activation energy. At the same time, rye straw demonstrated higher thermal resistance and complex multi-step degradation characteristics. The authors analyze three types of agricultural biomass: meadow hay, rye straw, and oat straw. The research was divided into five stages: determination of moisture content in the sample, determination of ash content, thermogravimetric analysis, measurement of total VOC emissions from the biomass torrefaction process, and determination of the heat of combustion of the obtained torrefied biomass. Based on the research, it was found that torrefaction of biomass causes the emission of torgas containing VOC in the amount of 2–10 mg/g of torrefied biomass, which can be used energetically, e.g., to support the torrefaction process, and the torrefied biomass shows a higher value of the heat of combustion. Unlike prior studies focused on single feedstocks or limited temperature ranges, this work systematically compares three major crop residues across four torrefaction temperatures and directly couples VOC quantifications.

Keywords: torgas valorization; torrefaction effluent gas; VOC emissions (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: 2025
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