Combustion behaviour of several Mediterranean biomass sources and their blends biomass/char

The thermal behaviours of combustion of several Mediterranean biomass sources such as Date Kernels (DK), Olive Kernels (OK), Aleppo Pine Husks (APH) and Wheat Straw (WS), as well their char and the blends biochar/biomass were considered and compared, by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under oxidative atmosphere.The chars were prepared from the raw materials in a fixed bed reactor at 850°C and the effect of heating rate on the combustion reaction of the different samples was investigated. Different parameters such as ignition temperature, the maximum temperature, the final temperature and the maximum mass loss rate obtained from TGA curves were considered. Obtained results showed, in particularly, that heating rate had a significant effect on the combustion reaction of the different samples. Also biochar could be burned with biomass very advantageously since an increase in the VM content of the biochar led to a decrease of the ignition temperature, hence a maximum combustion rate at lower temperatures..