Production of Solid Fuel from Ipomoea carnea Wood

Abstract

Ipomoea carnea woody stems were pyrolyzed in a laboratory-scale reactor in the temperatures ranging from 350° to 600°C and at constant heating rate of 5°C/min. Yield, density, ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon content and calorific value of the charcoal samples produced were evaluated. Charcoal yield ranged from 24.23% to 37.89 wt% and calorific value varied from 17.29 to 33.47 MJ/Kg. Conversion of charcoal fines to solid fuel improved combustion quality. Mass balance experiments of pyrolytic decomposition products of I. carnea yielded much higher percentages of non-condensable liquid (59.2–61.8 wt%) as compared to those of tar (4.2–4.8 wt%) and gas (7.3–8.2 wt%) fractions.