Abstract
In the presented paper, two types of animal-origin biomass, cow dung and chicken litter, are characterized in terms of combustion-related problems and ash properties. It was found that these parameters strongly depend on the farming style. Whether it is cow dung or chicken litter, free-range raw materials are characterized by higher ash contents than industrial farming ones. Free-range samples contain chlorine at lower levels, while industrial farming samples are chlorine rich. Free-range samples are characterized by the predominant content of silica in the ash: 75.60% in cow dung and 57.11% in chicken litter, while industrial farming samples contain more calcium. Samples were classified by 11 “slagging indices” based on the ash and fuel composition to evaluate their tendencies for slagging, fouling, ash deposition and bed agglomeration. Furthermore, an assessment was made against the current EU law regulations, whether the ashes can be component materials for fertilizers. The phosphorus concentration in the investigated ashes corresponds to 4.09–23.73 wt% P2O5 and is significantly higher in industrial chicken litter samples. The concentrations of Hg, Cu, As, Ni, Cd and Pb in all samples are below the limits of the UE regulations. However, concentrations of Cr in all samples and Zn in industrial chicken litter exceed these standards.
Highlights
IntroductionAnimal-origin biomass is mainly a solid animal waste (manure) that is produced during animal breeding
Animal-origin biomass is mainly a solid animal waste that is produced during animal breeding
The ash content of free-range chicken litter (CL1_FR) is significantly higher than that of industrial farming chicken litter (CL2_IF–CL5_IF): 30.10% vs. 7.10–17.09%. This is reflected in low calorific values of freerange chicken litter
Summary
Animal-origin biomass is mainly a solid animal waste (manure) that is produced during animal breeding. Various types of animal biomass were under investigation when it comes to its energy potential and usability: cattle manure [1,2], poultry litter [3,4], turkey litter [5], goat dung [6], piggery waste [7,8], horse dung [9], deer manure [10] or even elephant dung [11]. Despite this diversity, the greatest potential of animal-origin biomass comes from poultry and cattle breeding. An adult cow produces 12.4–26.0 t of waste per year for deep bedding and 11.6–22.0 t/year for a bedding-less system [14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
