Torrefaction analysis of woody biomasses from fast-growing plantations of Costa Rica

Torrefaction is a thermal pretreatment commonly applied to biomasses developed at 200-300 °C in the absence of oxygen. This allows to obtain improved biomasses´ properties for energy purposes. In the present work, a study of five fast-growing species (Cupressus lusitanica, Dipteryx panamensis, Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis and Vochysia ferruginea) was performed using simultaneous thermogravimetic and calorimetric analyses under pyrolysis and different torrefaction conditions (i.e. light, mild and severe). Parameters obtained from such class of analyses (e.g. mass losses, decomposition temperatures and devolatilisation rates) were correlated with characteristics of the biomasses such as composition (i.e. cellulose, lignin, ash components and extractives in different solvents) and energy parameters. This allowed the determination of the influence of biomasses´ characteristics in the thermal processes developed, as well as the selection of better torrefaction conditions. Those conditions were used to develop torrefaction processes at larger scales and the resulting materials were properly characterized.