Torrefaction for Upgrading the Quality of Merbau Wood Waste Pellets

Abstract

Recently, biofuels are intensively studied regarding the need of alternative renewable energy sources. Woody biomass has been one of the raw materials which are used in various ways including biofuels. As for biofuels, woody biomass has yet to possess some disadvantages such as bulk dimension, low density, non-uniformity, and high moisture content. Pelletizing has been one of the ways to improve the quality of woody biomass to be a proper biofuel. However, wood pellets also still offer downside such as hygroscopicity. Torrefaction is one of the methods to upgrade pellets quality such as high calorific value, fixed carbon, and hydrophobicity. In this study, merbau wood waste pellets were dry torrefied at a temperature of 200°C and 250°C for 15 and 30 minutes. The data obtained showed that torrefaction applied on merbau wood waste pellets could produce high quality pellets.