biomass
YOGENDER SINGH
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW & Y. K. YADAV,
DIRECTOR GENERAL, SARDAR SWARAN SINGH
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIO-ENERGY
Biomass Characterization: Perspectives and Challenges
The article explains and discusses the different perspectives, characterization viability &
challenges of bio-energy generation from available sources of biomass in the country
B
iomass is a readily available renew-
able resource of energy having po-
tential to replace conventional fuels
in many applications mainly as bio-fuels.
Biomass comprises of mainly three elemen-
tary components such as Carbon, Oxygen
and Hydrogen. The composition of each
biomass type varies depending on origin,
species, plant type, climatic conditions etc.
Heterogeneity is an inherent characteristic
of biomass materials. The constituents of
biomass fuel vary from region to region.
Constituents of biomass also depend upon
sources from which biomass is collected
and method of preparation of bio-fuels.
The viability and feasibility of bio-energy
generation from agricultural biomass de-
pends upon the characteristics of biomass
available. Biomass could be employed for
energy conversion by means of different
processes, such as chemical, biochemical,
thermal-chemical etc. The process choice
specifically depends on the biomass char-
acteristics; therefore biomass characteriza-
tion is essential to study various biomass
related properties, fuel value, ash han-
dling, combustion, information for design,
development and operation of biomass
conversion system.
Perspectives of biomass
characterization
During the past few decades the chang-
ing scenario of energy crisis, researchers
has shown remarkable interest in advance-
ment of bio-fuel production. Bio-energy
generation from biomass depends upon
the characteristics of biomass available to
accesses fuel value, ash handling, combus-
tion characteristics etc. The determination
of the different characteristics of biomass
requires analytical methods. The proximate
analysis is estimating the main constitu-
ents of biomass which have a direct influ-
4 energética
ence on the combustion characteristics.
The advance instrumental analysis helps
to describe the compositional and process
validation.
Dimensional Analysis: The dimensional
characteristics are evaluated for three ma-
jor perpendicular dimensions of biomass
as length, breadth and thickness.
Density: Density of biomass is usually clas-
sified as bulk and true density. Density of
the biomass is the weight per unit volume
and it depends on the size, shape of the
biomass.
Angle of repose: The angle of repose is
the angle made by the biomass from the
horizontal to the sides of pile under free
falling conditions. It is a flow property of
the material.
Calorific value: Calorific value is the heat
released by the fuel under ideal combus-
tion conditions.
Moisture content: The moisture content
of the biomass can be determined by dry-
ing the sample in hot air oven till a con-
stant weight obtained.
Ash content: The ash content is deter-
mined by heating the sample in a tarred
silica crucible further placed in muffle fur-
nace at a temperature of about 600 °C till
a constant weight obtained.
Volatile Matter: The volatile matter of
biomass is that component of the carbon
present in the biomass, which, when heat-
ed converts to vapor.
Fixed Carbon Content: Fixed car-
bon is calculated by using mass balance
calculations.
Elemental analysis: Ultimate analysis gives
information regarding the elemental com-
position of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and
oxygen content of a biomass. CHNS analyser
is used for the analyses of carbon, hydrogen,
nitrogen and sulphur whereas oxygen can
be determined by the difference.
Advanced Instrumentation Techniques
Presently many advanced techniques are
available with us which can help us to
study precisely and efficiently the charac-
teristics of biomass in comparatively lesser
time than laboratory experiments. Some
such advanced techniques are discussed
below.
TGA-DTA: Thermo-gravimetric analysis
(TGA) provides information on weight
change as a function of temperature and
time whereas differential thermo-gravi-
metric analysis (DTG) as rate of weight
changes as function of time. It also gives
information on differential thermal analy-
sis (DTA), the type of reaction prevailing at
a specific temperature to know whether
the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.
The loss in weight and temperature or time
data can be used to exercise the quantities
of volatile matter, char and ash present
in the biomass. This data can further be
used to compute the thermal degradation
kinetics and other kinetic parameters such
as activation energy, order of reaction and
pre-exponential factor. Thermo-gravimet-
ric analysis is carried under non-isothermal
and isothermal conditions. In this process
the temperature increase is a pre-set, pro-
grammed or at linear heating rate and the
analysis is non-isothermal.
Differential Scanning Calorimetry
(DSC): Differential scanning calorimetry
(DSC) measures the energy transferred to
or from a sample undergoing a physical or
chemical change. It is a technique used to
measure thermal properties of polymers
based on the rate at which they absorb
heat energy compared to a reference ma-
terial. The DSC measure the difference
in the amount of energy, the heat flow,
needed to maintain the sample and the
reference at the same temperature. When
a physical or chemical change occurs in
india · AUG15
 biomass

Biomass Characterization

Physical Properties Proximate Analysis Elemental Analysis Thermal Properties

Dimensional Analysis Moisture content C Calorific Value

Density Ash Content H

Angle of Repose Volatile matter N

Fixed carbon S

the sample the sample either evolves or
absorbs energy, and the DSC measures
the difference in energy supplied to the
biomass sample and the reference sample.
This allows several properties of the ma-
terial to be ascertained; melting points,
enthalpies of melting, crystallisation tem-
peratures, glass transition temperatures
and degradation temperatures.
Typical Differential Scanning
Calorimetry curve
Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectros-
copy (FTIR): FTIR is a sensitive technique
particularly for identifying organic chemi-
cals in a whole range of applications al-
though it can also characterise some in-
Tc
Exo
Tg
Heat
Flow
Endo
Temperature
organic. It is a particularly useful tool in
isolating and characterising organic con-
tamination. FTIR relies on the fact that the
most molecules absorb light in the infra-
red region of the electromagnetic spec-
trum. The frequency range is measured
as wave numbers typically over the range
4000 – 600 cm-1.
Challenges to biomass
characterization
It has been revealed that the commercial
exploitation of biomass energy suffers
from a number technological and other
challenges. The complexity of biomass,
seasonal availability, different origin/
sources, conversion process, and type of
Tm
bio-fuel are the critical challenges for bio-
energy production to be resolved care-
fully through biomass characterization. In
spite of all these problems, the focus is on
identifying and maintaining sustainable
approach for biomass characterization to
optimize the bio-energy technologies for
bio-fuels production. The major challenges
involves in biomass characterization for
bio-energy production are as follows:
• Nature of biomass feedstocks
• Multiphase conversion processes
• Type of bio-fuel
• Technological advancement
• Experiment validation
• Process optimization
• By-products utilization
There are several important issues that
could be solved out by biomass characteri-
zation concerning the bio-energy utiliza-
tion viz. biomass collection, handling, stor-
age, technology of conversion, economy
of fuel substitution which is expected to
vary throughout India. Through this ap-
proach a database also can be developed
on biomass characterization which can be
helpful to researchers, industries and rural
population of India to use the biomass for
specific purpose

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