Investigation of Solid Energy Potential of Wood and Bark Obtained from Four Clones of a 2-Year Old Goat Willow

Sim-Hee Han,Soo-Jeong Shin

doi:10.3389/fenrg.2014.00005

Abstract

To investigate solid raw material characteristics of willow (Salix caprea) bark and woody core, this study analysed overall chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, ash content, and main ash composition of both tree components. Significant differences were observed between the two in terms of chemical composition, carbohydrate composition, ash content, and major inorganics. The ash content in bark was 3.8–4.7 %, compared with 0.6–1.1 % in the woody core. Polysaccharide content in the woody core was 62.8–70.6 % but was as low as 44.1–47.6 % in the bark. The main hemicelluloses consisting of monosaccharides were xylose in the case of the woody core, and xylose, galactose, and arabinose in the case of bark. Woody core biomass of willow provides superior solid fuel raw material, as compared with bark biomass, with higher heating values, less ash content, and less slagging-causing material.

Highlights

Fossil fuels are created through the deep burial of biomass produced through photosynthesis, followed by thermochemical reactions, which eventually produce fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas (Olabi, 2012)
We investigated chemical composition and carbohydrate composition of four clones of willow, with respect to their potential as raw materials
Carbohydrate compositional analysis of willow biomass Extractives-free samples (70 mg) were hydrolyzed with 0.8 mL of 72% deuterium sulfuric acid (D2SO4) in deuterium oxide (D2O) at 30°C for 1 h. Those samples were diluted with 3.2 mL of deuterium oxide and autoclaved at 120°C for 1 h; hydrolyzates were filtered into a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tube without any neutralization or derivatization

Summary

Introduction

Fossil fuels are created through the deep burial of biomass produced through photosynthesis, followed by thermochemical reactions, which eventually produce fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas (Olabi, 2012). As a result of industrialization, these fossil fuels have been used as raw materials for fuels and chemicals, leading to increased greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere. The oil shock of the 1970s highlighted the importance of renewable energy resources and of higher biomass production systems (Klass, 1995). Sustainable production of biomass is important if lignocellulosic materials are to be used as renewable energy sources (Han et al, 2013a). The cultivation of energy crops with annual plants, perennial grasses, or short-rotation coppice, will not diminish the forestland available for biomass supply (Lewandowski et al, 2000). Annual plants or perennial grasses have a higher biomass production rate than the woody biomass, which requires more labor than a short-rotation coppice system (Fischer et al, 2005). Shortrotation coppice production of willow or poplar can be an option for sustainable biomass production, in order to generate bioenergy in a biorefinery

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Conclusion