Effects of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin on the ignition behaviors of biomass in a drop tube furnace

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin on the ignition behaviors of biomass. The ignition events of three components and five types of single biomass particles were captured by a high-speed camera in a drop tube furnace with a temperature of 1273 K, and the combustion temperatures for the single biomass particles were measured by radiant energy analysis technology. The comparison of the flame images and the temperature evolution of five types of biomass with three components shows that the lignin content in the biomass particle strongly influences the ignition behaviors. The ignition mechanism of the biomass particle depends heavily on the lignin content. After homogeneous ignition, the rate of increase in the flame temperature and the char ignition of biomass are closely related to the lignin content. The ignition temperature of the biomass particle depends mainly on the cellulose component.

Keywords: Biomass; Cellulose; Drop tube furnace; Hemicellulose; Ignition behaviors; Lignin.