Release of Potassium During Devolatilization of Spruce Bark

Abstract

Abstract The spruce bark with different particle sizes were devolatilized under various final temperatures and heating rates. The char yield and potassium release from the spruce bark at studied conditions were quantified. Lower char yields realized from the smaller fuel particles at high temperature and heating rate. It is mainly attributed to shorter residence time of volatiles in the fuel/char particles and less intensive secondary reaction of volatiles consequently. The devolatilization temperature has the most significant effects on alkali release from the studied sprue bark. At 600 °C, less than 5% of alkali released from the both small and large particles regardless of heating rate. However, at 850 °C, release of potassium from the small sprue bark particles sharply increased from 2.63% and 4.71% to 12.87% and 17.89%, as they were heated under heating rate of 50 K/min and 500 K/min, respectively. Large fraction of alkali released from studied fuel particles as they were devolatilized under a high heating rate. Additionally, more potassium release from small particles (125