Torrefaction influence on combustion kinetics of Malaysian oil palm wastes

Abstract The use of renewable energy has increased in the last decades including the consumption of biofuels, so the research focused on improving these energetic vectors has increased too, developing techniques that enhance energetic properties of these fuels. In this context, torrefaction is a thermal pre-treatment that diminishes the main disadvantages present in biomass such as hygroscopicity, low calorific value per unit mass and high susceptibility to self-ignition. In this study raw and torrefied palm oil wastes samples are tested using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in order to study the influence of torrefaction on combustion kinetic parameters using Coats-Redfern and Freeman-Carroll methods, showing that torrefaction increases activation energy as it enhances thermal stability of the samples. The composition of the samples is also estimated using TGA through Fraser-Suzuki deconvolution showing the changes of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose due to torrefaction process.