La valorisation chimique des espèces condensables issues de la torréfaction de biomasse ainsi que l'utilisation d'un gaz vecteur à faible coût, tels que les gaz de combustion, peuvent constituer des étapes importantes pour le développement du procédé de torréfaction à l'échelle industrielle. Les rendements des espèces condensables varient selon la composition de la biomasse, notamment par la présence de certains minéraux, et varient aussi en fonction de conditions opératoires telles que le gaz vecteur utilisé. Afin d'étudier l'effet du potassium sur la perte de masse de la biomasse et sur le rendement des espèces condensables, trois biomasses déminéralisées ont été imprégnées avec différentes concentrations de K2CO3 puis torréfiées à 275°C jusqu'à l'obtention d'une perte de masse cible (25 ou 30%). La torréfaction a été effectuée à la fois dans un instrument d'analyse thermogravimétrique (ATG) et dans un réacteur à l'échelle laboratoire sous azote et en présence de gaz de combustion. Des analyses ATG des biopolymères (cellulose, xylane et lignine) bruts et imprégnés avec du K ont été réalisées pour faciliter l'interprétation des résultats. La perte de masse augmente lorsque la teneur en K des biomasses augmente et, par conséquent, des temps de séjour plus courts sont suffisants pour obtenir la perte de masse cible. Cela semble être principalement le résultat du décalage de la décomposition de la cellulose vers des températures plus faibles. Les vitesses de réaction maximales sont bien plus élevées en présence de gaz de combustion car la biomasse subit des réactions d'oxydation en plus de la décomposition classique. Quelle que soit l'atmosphère, K inhibe la production d’anhydrosaccharides (levoglucosan, LAC et DGP) et de furanes (à l'exception du 2-furanmethanol). En parallèle, une augmentation substantielle du rendement en acétol est constatée. La rupture du cycle pyranose de la cellulose qui entraine la formation des produits légers est favorisée en présence de K au détriment de la dépolymérisation qui produit du levoglucosan. Le K favorise la production de 2-furanmethanol, syringol et guaiacol surtout en présence de gaz de combustion. En revanche, la production de vanilline et de syringaldéhyde est défavorisée en présence de K tandis qu'elle est fortement favorisée en présence de gaz de combustion quand la biomasse est libre de K. L'effet du K sur les rendements des espèces condensables lors de la torréfaction de la biomasse est démontré quelle que soit la nature de l'atmosphère. De plus, dans les conditions testées, l'oxygène présent dans l'atmosphère intensifie, dans une mesure plus ou moins grande, la tendance imposée par le K / The chemical valorization of condensable species from biomass torrefaction as well as the use of a low-cost carrier gas such as flue gas may be important steps for industrial-scale implementation of torrefaction. The condensable species yield varies according to the biomass composition, in particular by the presence of certain minerals, and also changes according to the operating conditions such as the gas atmosphere. In this context, to investigate the effect of potassium on mass loss of biomass during torrefaction and in the yield of condensable species, three demineralized biomasses were impregnated with different concentrations of K2CO3 and then torrefied at 275°C up to a target mass loss (25 or 30%). Torrefaction was carried out in both a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) instrument and a laboratory fixed-bed reactor under nitrogen and flue gas atmospheres. TGA of raw and K-impregnated biopolymers (cellulose, xylan and lignin) were performed to facilitate interpretation of the results. When K content increased in the biomass, shorter torrefaction times were sufficient to obtain the targeted mass loss. This behavior seems to be a result of shifting the cellulose decomposition to lower temperatures. The maximum reaction rates are much higher under flue gas because the biomass undergoes oxidation reactions in addition to the ordinary decomposition. Regardless of the gas atmosphere employed, K inhibits the production of anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, LAC and DGP) and furans (except 2-furanmethanol). This suppression is accompanied by a substantial increase in acetol yield. The cleavage of pyranose rings in cellulose which results in the formation of low molecular weight compounds is favored in the presence of K to the detriment of the depolymerization which delivers levoglucosan. K promotes the production of 2- furanmethanol, syringol and guaiacol especially under flue gas atmosphere. However, the yields of vanillin and syringaldehyde decreased in the presence of K whereas they are strongly favored under flue gas atmosphere when the biomass does not contain K. The effect of K on the yields of condensable species from biomass torrefaction is demonstrated whatever the gas atmosphere. Moreover, under the conditions tested, the oxygen present in the atmosphere intensifies, to a greater or lesser extent, the tendency imposed by the K

The use of carbon from fossil-based resources result in changes in the earth’s climate due to emissions of greenhouse gases. Biomass is the only renewable source of carbon that may be converted to transportation fuels and chemicals, markets now fully dominated by traditional oil supply. The biorefinery concept for upgrading and refinement of biomass feedstocks to value-added end-products has the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and replace fossil products. Most biorefineries use biochemical conversion processes and may have by-product streams suitable as feedstocks for thermal conversion and production of syngas. Further synthesis to value-added products from the syngas could increase the product output from the biorefinery. The application of thermal conversion processes integrated into an existing biorefinery concept has been evaluated in this licentiate thesis work. Two by-product streams; hydrolysis (lignin) residue from an ethanol plant and biogas from wastewater treatment, have been investigated as gasification/reforming feedstocks. Also, the pre-treatment method torrefaction has been evaluated for improved gasification fuel characteristics and integration aspects. A new process and system concept (Bio2Fuels) with potential carbon negative benefits has been suggested and evaluated as an alternative route for syngas production by separating biomass into a hydrogen rich gas and a carbon rich char product. The evaluation demonstrated that hydrolysis residue proved a suitable feedstock for gasification with respect to syngas composition. Biogas can be further reformed to syngas by combined biomass gasification and methane reforming, with promising results on CH4 conversion rate and increased H2/CO ratio at temperatures ≥1000°C. The pre-treatment method torrefaction was demonstrated to improve fuel qualities and may thus significantly facilitate entrained flow gasification of biomass residue streams. Also, integration of a torrefaction plant at a biorefinery site could make use of excess heat for drying the raw material before torrefaction. The Bio2Fuels concept was evaluated and found feasible for further studies. The application of thermal conversion processes into an existing biorefinery, making use of by-products and biomass residues as feedstocks, has significant potential for energy integration, increased product output as well as for climate change mitigation.

O processo de injeção pelas ventaneiras dos altos-fornos (Pulverized Coal Injection - PCI) é uma das tecnologias mais promissoras para a incorporação de biomassas termicamente tratadas na siderurgia e um dos meios de alcançar uma redução consistente nas emissões de CO2 no setor. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a combustibilidade e reatividade ao CO2 de biomassas de madeira e caroço de azeitona tratadas em laboratório desde temperaturas de torrefação (250°C) até de carbonização (450°C) e comparar com carvões típicos utilizados em PCI, correlacionando com as características ocorridas devido aos tratamentos térmicos. Além da caracterização química, as transformações devido aos tratamentos térmicos das biomassas foram avaliadas via testes de combustão em termobalança, técnicas de microscopia ótica e eletrônica, espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR) e técnicas de adsorção para análise da porosidade. Testes de combustibilidade foram conduzidos em um forno de queda livre (Drop Tube Furnace - DTF) em atmosferas convencional (O2/N2) e de oxi-combustão (O2/CO2) e os chars resultantes destes testes foram caracterizados quanto à estrutura e à reatividade ao CO2 em termobalança. Além disso, foram feitos testes de reatividade ao CO2 de misturas de eucalipto termicamente tratado e carvões em termobalança. A torrefação manteve o alto teor de voláteis das biomassas, enquanto que as biomassas carbonizadas apresentaram teores de carbono e poder calorífico semelhantes aos dos carvões de mais alto rank, com as vantagens típicas de biomassas de manterem um baixo teor de cinzas e enxofre. No entanto, o elevado teor de álcalis e fósforo nas cinzas pode ser um fator limitante na composição de misturas para PCI. O tratamento térmico das biomassas levou a gradual decomposição dos componentes da madeira com uma progressiva homogeneização da estrutura celular, associada a um aumento de aromaticidade e porosidade. De uma maneira geral, quanto menor foi a temperatura de tratamento térmico das biomassas, maior foi o burnout obtido no DTF. Comparada à atmosfera convencional (O2/N2), a atmosfera de oxicombustão (O2/CO2) levou a maiores burnouts para os chars de todas as biomassas e carvões. As biomassas carbonizadas apresentaram burnouts mais elevados que o carvão de mais baixo rank e o caroço de azeitona carbonizado apresentou baixa conversão, equivalente a um carvão de alto rank. Os chars das biomassas torrefeitas apresentaram estruturas cenosféricas isotrópicas de elevada porosidade nas paredes enquanto que os chars das carbonizadas preservaram a morfologia apresentada nas amostras originais. Os chars das biomassas foram altamente porosos, com áreas superficiais de meso e microporos em média 15 e 5 vezes maior que os chars dos carvões, respectivamente. Com relação aos testes de reatividade ao CO2 em termobalança, em geral, a reatividade dos chars das biomassas torrefeitas foi maior do que a reatividade dos chars das biomassas carbonizadas e estes foram pelo menos 10 vezes mais reativos ao CO2 do que o chars do carvão de mais baixo rank. Além das maiores áreas superficiais, principalmente o ordenamento da estrutura carbonosa e a morfologia foram fundamentais nas diferenças de reatividade ao CO2 entre os chars das biomassas e dos carvões. As misturas do carvão de mais baixo rank com a biomassa carbonizada apresentaram os melhores resultados em termos de aditividade na reatividade ao CO2. / Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) in the blast furnace tuyeres is a promising technology for incorporation of thermally-treated biomasses and it is a way to reduce CO2 emissions in ironmaking processes. The aim of this work was to evaluate combustibility and CO2 reactivity of laboratory torrefied (250°C) and carbonized (450°) olive stone and woody biomasses, comparing with typical PCI coals. The transformations produced in biomasses due to torrefaction and carbonization were evaluated by chemical analyses, combustion tests in thermobalance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical and electron microscopy and adsorption techniques. Combustion experiments were carried out in a Drop Tube Furnace (DTF) under conventional (O2/N2) and oxy-fuel (O2/CO2) atmospheres and the chars collected were characterized by its structure and CO2 reactivity in thermobalance. Reactivity tests were also conducted in thermobalance with blends of thermally-treated eucalyptus and coals. Torrefied samples maintained high contents of volatile matter, typical of raw biomasses, while carbonized biomasses showed carbon contents and high heating values similar to that of high rank coals, retaining low ash and sulfur contents. However, its high alkali and phosphorus contents could be a limiting factor to the use in blends for PCI. The thermal treatments of biomasses lead to a gradual decomposition of wood components and to a progressive homogenization of cell structure, associated to an increase in aromaticity and porosity. In general, the lower the thermal treatment temperature, the higher was the burnout in the DTF. Compared to conventional atmosphere, oxy-fuel combustion led to the highest burnouts for all biomass chars. The carbonized biomasses showed higher burnouts than the high-volatile coal and olive stone showed burnouts similar to a low-volatile coal. The chars from the torrefied biomasses showed isotropic cenospheric structures with high porosity within the walls and the chars from the carbonized biomasses preserved the morphology seen in original carbonized samples. The biomass chars presented highly porosity, with micro and mesoporosity in average, 5 and 15 times greater than the coal chars, respectively. In relation to the CO2 reactivity tests, in general, the torrefied biomass chars were more reactive than the carbonized biomass chars. However, due to its higher surface areas, structure arrangement and morphology, the carbonized biomass chars were at least 10 times more reactive than the high-volatile coal chars. The blends of high-volatile coal and carbonized eucalyptus showed good additivity in the CO2 reactivity tests in thermobalance.

O processo de injeção pelas ventaneiras dos altos-fornos (Pulverized Coal Injection - PCI) é uma das tecnologias mais promissoras para a incorporação de biomassas termicamente tratadas na siderurgia e um dos meios de alcançar uma redução consistente nas emissões de CO2 no setor. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a combustibilidade e reatividade ao CO2 de biomassas de madeira e caroço de azeitona tratadas em laboratório desde temperaturas de torrefação (250°C) até de carbonização (450°C) e comparar com carvões típicos utilizados em PCI, correlacionando com as características ocorridas devido aos tratamentos térmicos. Além da caracterização química, as transformações devido aos tratamentos térmicos das biomassas foram avaliadas via testes de combustão em termobalança, técnicas de microscopia ótica e eletrônica, espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR) e técnicas de adsorção para análise da porosidade. Testes de combustibilidade foram conduzidos em um forno de queda livre (Drop Tube Furnace - DTF) em atmosferas convencional (O2/N2) e de oxi-combustão (O2/CO2) e os chars resultantes destes testes foram caracterizados quanto à estrutura e à reatividade ao CO2 em termobalança. Além disso, foram feitos testes de reatividade ao CO2 de misturas de eucalipto termicamente tratado e carvões em termobalança. A torrefação manteve o alto teor de voláteis das biomassas, enquanto que as biomassas carbonizadas apresentaram teores de carbono e poder calorífico semelhantes aos dos carvões de mais alto rank, com as vantagens típicas de biomassas de manterem um baixo teor de cinzas e enxofre. No entanto, o elevado teor de álcalis e fósforo nas cinzas pode ser um fator limitante na composição de misturas para PCI. O tratamento térmico das biomassas levou a gradual decomposição dos componentes da madeira com uma progressiva homogeneização da estrutura celular, associada a um aumento de aromaticidade e porosidade. De uma maneira geral, quanto menor foi a temperatura de tratamento térmico das biomassas, maior foi o burnout obtido no DTF. Comparada à atmosfera convencional (O2/N2), a atmosfera de oxicombustão (O2/CO2) levou a maiores burnouts para os chars de todas as biomassas e carvões. As biomassas carbonizadas apresentaram burnouts mais elevados que o carvão de mais baixo rank e o caroço de azeitona carbonizado apresentou baixa conversão, equivalente a um carvão de alto rank. Os chars das biomassas torrefeitas apresentaram estruturas cenosféricas isotrópicas de elevada porosidade nas paredes enquanto que os chars das carbonizadas preservaram a morfologia apresentada nas amostras originais. Os chars das biomassas foram altamente porosos, com áreas superficiais de meso e microporos em média 15 e 5 vezes maior que os chars dos carvões, respectivamente. Com relação aos testes de reatividade ao CO2 em termobalança, em geral, a reatividade dos chars das biomassas torrefeitas foi maior do que a reatividade dos chars das biomassas carbonizadas e estes foram pelo menos 10 vezes mais reativos ao CO2 do que o chars do carvão de mais baixo rank. Além das maiores áreas superficiais, principalmente o ordenamento da estrutura carbonosa e a morfologia foram fundamentais nas diferenças de reatividade ao CO2 entre os chars das biomassas e dos carvões. As misturas do carvão de mais baixo rank com a biomassa carbonizada apresentaram os melhores resultados em termos de aditividade na reatividade ao CO2. / Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) in the blast furnace tuyeres is a promising technology for incorporation of thermally-treated biomasses and it is a way to reduce CO2 emissions in ironmaking processes. The aim of this work was to evaluate combustibility and CO2 reactivity of laboratory torrefied (250°C) and carbonized (450°) olive stone and woody biomasses, comparing with typical PCI coals. The transformations produced in biomasses due to torrefaction and carbonization were evaluated by chemical analyses, combustion tests in thermobalance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical and electron microscopy and adsorption techniques. Combustion experiments were carried out in a Drop Tube Furnace (DTF) under conventional (O2/N2) and oxy-fuel (O2/CO2) atmospheres and the chars collected were characterized by its structure and CO2 reactivity in thermobalance. Reactivity tests were also conducted in thermobalance with blends of thermally-treated eucalyptus and coals. Torrefied samples maintained high contents of volatile matter, typical of raw biomasses, while carbonized biomasses showed carbon contents and high heating values similar to that of high rank coals, retaining low ash and sulfur contents. However, its high alkali and phosphorus contents could be a limiting factor to the use in blends for PCI. The thermal treatments of biomasses lead to a gradual decomposition of wood components and to a progressive homogenization of cell structure, associated to an increase in aromaticity and porosity. In general, the lower the thermal treatment temperature, the higher was the burnout in the DTF. Compared to conventional atmosphere, oxy-fuel combustion led to the highest burnouts for all biomass chars. The carbonized biomasses showed higher burnouts than the high-volatile coal and olive stone showed burnouts similar to a low-volatile coal. The chars from the torrefied biomasses showed isotropic cenospheric structures with high porosity within the walls and the chars from the carbonized biomasses preserved the morphology seen in original carbonized samples. The biomass chars presented highly porosity, with micro and mesoporosity in average, 5 and 15 times greater than the coal chars, respectively. In relation to the CO2 reactivity tests, in general, the torrefied biomass chars were more reactive than the carbonized biomass chars. However, due to its higher surface areas, structure arrangement and morphology, the carbonized biomass chars were at least 10 times more reactive than the high-volatile coal chars. The blends of high-volatile coal and carbonized eucalyptus showed good additivity in the CO2 reactivity tests in thermobalance.

The replacement of fossil resources through renewable alternatives is one way to mitigate global climate change. Biomass is the only renewable source of carbon available for replacing oil as a refining feedstock. Therefore, it needs to be utilized not just as a fuel but for both biochemical and thermochemical conversion through biorefining. Optimizing and combining various conversion processes using a system perspective to maximize the valorization, biomass usage, and environmental benefits is of importance. This thesis work has evaluated the integration opportunities for various thermochemical conversion processes within a biorefinery system. The aim for all evaluated concepts were syngas production through gasification or reforming. Two potential residue streams from an existing biorefinery were evaluated as gasification feedstocks, thereby combining biochemical and thermochemical conversion. Torrefaction as a biomass pretreatment for gasification end-use was evaluated based on improved feedstock characteristics, process benefits, and integration aspects. A system concept, “Bio2Fuels”, was suggested and evaluated for low-temperature slow pyrolysis as a way to achieve simultaneous biomass refinement and transport driven CO2 negativity. Syngas was identified as a very suitable intermediate product for residue streams from biochemical conversion. Resulting syngas composition and quality showed hydrolysis residue as suitable gasification feedstock, providing some adjustments in the feedstock preparation. Gasification combined with torrefaction pretreatment demonstrated reduced syngas tar content. The co-gasification of biogas and wood in a FBG was successfully demonstrated with increased syngas H2/CO ratio compared to wood gasification, however high temperatures (≥1000°C) were required for efficient CH4 conversion. The demonstrated improved feedstock characteristics for torrefied biomass may facilitate gasification of biomass residue feedstocks in a biorefinery. Also, integration of a torrefaction unit on-site at the biorefinery or off-site with other industries could make use of excess low-value heat for the drying step with improved overall thermal efficiency. The Bio2Fuels concept provides a new application for slow pyrolysis. The experimental evaluation demonstrated significant hydrogen and carbon separation, and no significant volatilization of ash-forming elements (S and Cl excluded)  in low-temperature (<400°C) pyrolysis. The initial reforming test showed high syngas CH4 content, indicating the need for catalytic reforming. The collective results from the present work indicate that the application of thermochemical conversion processes into a biorefinery system, making use of by-products from biochemical conversion and biomass residues as feedstocks, has significant potential for energy integration, increased product output, and climate change mitigation.

Il existe aujourd’hui une prise de conscience croissante visant à considérer les résidus de biomasse comme source potentielle d’énergie, de matériaux et de produits chimiques. Dans ce contexte, le projet européen Mobile Flip vise à développer des unités mobiles de conversion de biomasse pour la valorisation de ressources agricoles et forestières non exploitées. L’une des technologies proposées est la torréfaction, traitement thermique doux entre 200 et 300°C pendantquelques minutes et en défaut d’oxygène. Le solide torréfié présente des propriétés proches de celles du charbon et convient à la combustion ou à la gazéification. En même temps, des matières volatiles sont relâchées, dont des espèces condensables potentiellement à haute valeur ajoutée en chimie. Il est donc crucial de caractériser le solide torréfié et les espèces volatiles afin d’optimiser le procédé jusqu’à l’échelle industrielle. Jusqu’à présent, peu de travaux ont simultanément cherché à caractériser et à modéliser le comportement du solide et des espèces volatiles produites en torréfaction en fonction des conditions opératoires et du type de biomasse. De plus, ces travaux portaient sur un nombre réduit de biomasses. La composition macromoléculaire de la biomasse en cellulose, hémicelluloses et lignine impacte de manière déterminante les produits de torréfaction. Cependant, les essais de torréfaction avec ces constituants sont peu nombreux et généralement réalisés avec des composants commerciaux peu représentatifs de la biomasse brute. L’objectif de ces travaux de thèse est d’étudier l’influence des caractéristiques de la biomasse, principalement représentée par sa composition en cellulose, hémicellulose et lignine, sur le comportement global de la biomasse en torréfaction, tant en termes de perte de masse du solide que de production d’espèces volatiles, en fonction des conditions opératoires. 14 représentants des principales familles de biomasse (bois feuillus, bois résineux, sous-produits agricoles et plantes herbacées) ont été sélectionnés pour cette étude. Une procédure d’extraction optimisée a été proposée pour obtenir des fractions de cellulose, hémicellulose et lignine de 5 biomasses de référence. Les données expérimentales ont été obtenues en utilisant une thermobalance couplée à une chromatographie gazeuse et une spectrométrie de masse via un système de boucles de stockage chauffées (ATG-GC/MS). La cinétique de dégradation du solide et les profils de formation des espèces volatiles ont été étudiés au cours des expériences de torréfaction incluant une partie non-isotherme (200 à 300°C, 3°C/min) suivie d’une partie isotherme (300°C, 30 min), dans des conditions expérimentales assurant le régime chimique. Les résultats obtenus avec les biomasses brutes montrent que la composition macromoléculaire de la biomasse est un facteur clé influant sur son comportement en torréfaction. Par conséquent, l’hétérogénéité de la ressource se traduit par une diversité de comportements en torréfaction, en particulier pour les biomasses agricoles. Il a été observé un comportement très différent pour les composants extraits comparés aux composants commerciaux, particulièrement dans le cas de la cellulose. Ceci montre que l’usage commun de composants commerciaux pour bâtir les modèles de torréfaction n’est pas pertinent. L'impact des caractéristiques des composants macromoléculaires sur le comportement en torréfaction a été aussi mis en évidence, particulièrement en ce qui concerne la composition en sucres des hémicelluloses et la cristallinité de la cellulose. En outre, des différences de profils de production des espèces volatiles ont été observées, même pour des composés de même nature chimique. A partir de ces résultats, un modèle de torréfaction basé sur la contribution additive de la cellulose, des hémicelluloses et de la lignine extraites est proposé pour décrire le comportement global de la biomasse en torréfaction, et ceci pour les 5 biomasses de référence. / Nowadays, there is an increasing awareness on the importance of biomass waste as a renewable source of energy, materials and chemicals. In this context, the European project MOBILE FLIP aims at developing and demonstrating mobile conversion processes suitable with variousunderexploited agro- and forest based biomass resources in order to produce energy carriers, materials and chemicals. One of these processes is torrefaction, which consists in a mild thermal treatment, occurring typically between 200 and 300°C during a few tens of minutes in a defaultoxygen atmosphere. The solid product obtained has thermal and processing properties closer to coal, and thus is suitable as fuel for combustion or gasification. During torrefaction, condensable coproducts are released, that may also be source of “green” chemicals. It is therefore crucial to characterize them to optimize the torrefaction process and design industrial units. Up to now, only few works have been focused on characterizing and modelling both solid and condensable species during torrefaction versus operating conditions and feedstock type. Furthermore, these studies typically include a reduced number of biomasses. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin,which constitute biomass macromolecular composition, are determining properties to predict biomass behaviour during torrefaction. However, torrefaction tests on these constituents are rare and always based on commercial compounds, which were proved as little representative of the native biomass. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of biomass characteristics, mainly represented by the macromolecular composition in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, on the global behaviour of biomass in torrefaction, both in terms of solid mass loss and of productionprofiles of the volatile species released, in function of the operating conditions.14 biomasses from the main biomass families (deciduouswood, coniferous wood, agricultural byproductsand herbaceous crops) were selected for this study. An optimized extraction procedure was proposed to recover cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fractions from 5 reference biomasses. Experiments were performed on a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled to a gas chromatography mass spectrometer device through a heated storage loop system (TGA-GC/MS). Solid degradation kinetics and volatile release profiles were followed during torrefaction experiments combining non-isothermal (200 to 300°C at 3°C/min) and isothermal (300°C, 30 min) conditions, ensuring the chemical regime thanks to the appropriate operating conditions. The results obtained with the raw materials demonstrated that biomass macromolecular composition is a main factor influencing biomass behavior in torrefaction. Consequently, the heterogeneity of the resource results in a diverse behavior in torrefaction, particularly in the case of agricultural biomasses. The results with the extracted components evidenced their very different behavior compared to thecommercial compounds, particularly in the case of cellulose. This suggests that a limitation could be induced by the common use in literature of commercial components for torrefaction modelling. The impact on the characterization of macromolecular components was also shown to be prevailing in their behavior in torrefaction, especially in the case of hemicellulose sugar composition and cellulose crystallinity. Furthermore, differences in release kinetics of volatile species during torrefaction were observed, even for volatiles belonging to the same chemical family (acids, furans, ketones). Derived from these results, a torrefaction model based on the additive contribution of extracted cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin to the global behavior of biomass in torrefaction was proposed, and this for the 5 representative biomasses.

La torréfaction est un traitement thermique à basse température (250 à 300 °C) en atmosphère inerte qui permet de modifier les propriétés de la biomasse. La biomasse torréfiée est alors plus dense énergétiquement, plus hydrophobe et plus fragile. Dans cette étude, un modèle numérique de torréfaction en four tournant à une dimension a été développé. Le transport des plaquettes de bois, les transferts thermiques, le séchage ainsi que les cinétiques de torréfaction ont été modélisés séparément. Après confrontation aux résultats expérimentaux, ces différents sous-modèles ont été assemblés dans un modèle global. Le modèle prédit alors l’évolution de la température et de la perte de masse des plaquettes le long du four. Les résultats numériques montrent une adéquation satisfaisante avec les valeurs obtenues lors d’expériences de torréfaction sur un four tournant pilote. Les solides torréfiés ont été analysés et leurs propriétés ont été corrélées à la perte de masse. Il a en particulier été démontré que l'énergie de broyage de la biomasse torréfiée était fortement réduite. / Torrefaction is a thermal treatment at low temperature (250-300°C) used to improve biomass properties. Torrefied biomass has a higher energy density, it is more hydrophobic and more brittle. In this study, a one-dimensional numerical model of torrefaction in a rotary kiln has been developed. The wood chips flow, the thermal transfers, the drying step and the torrefaction kinetics have been modelled separately. These submodels have been experimentally validated before being implemented together. The model can thus predict the temperature and the mass loss of wood chips along the kiln. These results are in good agreement with values obtained during torrefaction experiments in the pilot-scale rotary kiln. In parallel, torrefied biomass has been analysed in terms of composition, heating value and structural properties with emphasis on the decrease of grinding energy consumption.

La pyrolyse douce est un procédé prometteur et largement utilisé, mené à une température de 200 à 300 °C dans une atmosphère inerte afin de produire des matériaux durables (bois traité thermiquement) ou des combustibles solides (bois torréfié). Le but de cette étude est d’étudier les bois traités thermiquement dans un réacteur à l’échelle semi-industrielle pour une production durable de matériaux. Deux essences de bois européennes différentes, une essence de feuillus (peuplier, Populus nigra) et une essence de résineux (sapin, Abies pectinata), sont utilisées pour réaliser les expériences. La présente recherche est divisée en trois parties. Dans la première partie, le comportement thermique des planches de bois est étudié dans un réacteur à l’échelle semi-industrielle. Les expériences sont effectuées à 200-230 °C avec une vitesse de chauffe de 0.2 °C min-1 dans un environnement sous vide (200 hPa) pour intensifier la dégradation thermique. Quatre étapes différentes de dégradation thermique lors du traitement thermique du bois sont définies, en fonction de l'intensité de la perte de masse différentielle (DML). Les caractéristiques de dévolatilisation du bois traité sont évaluées à l'aide de l'indice de dévolatilisation (ID) basé sur les résultats de l'analyse immédiate. La corrélation de l'ID par rapport à la perte de masse des deux essences de bois est fortement caractérisée par une distribution linéaire, ce qui permet de fournir un outil simple et utile pour prédire la perte de masse du bois. Dans la seconde partie de l’étude, plusieurs analyses (spectroscopie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier, diffraction des rayons X, mesure du changement de couleur, teneur en humidité à l’équilibre et angle de contact) ont été réalisées. Les résultats obtenus démontrent clairement la dégradation thermique lors des réactions de déshydratation, de désacétylation, de dépolymérisation et de condensation au cours du traitement thermique. Les phénomènes de changement de couleur et de transformation hygroscopique observés sont illustrés et discutés en détail. La décarbonisation (DC), la déshydrogénation (DH) et la désoxygénation (DO) des bois traités sont également évaluées. Il s'avère que les trois indices peuvent être bien corrélés à la variation de couleur totale et à l'étendue de la réduction de l'hygroscopicité (HRE). Dans la dernière partie de l'étude, une modélisation cinétique du traitement thermique du bois est développée sur la base d’un schéma cinétique en deux étapes. La cinétique obtenue permet de prédire avec succès le rendement en solide de planches de bois lors du traitement dans un réacteur à l’échelle semi-industrielle. Dans le même temps, une prévision de la composition élémentaire est proposée. Celle-ci est basée sur les analyses élémentaires (ultimes) du bois non traité et du bois traité, ainsi que sur les rendements instantanés en solides. Les résultats indiquent que la prédiction des profils C, H et O est en bon accord avec les changements de composition attendus dans le matériau au cours du traitement. En résumé, les résultats obtenus et la cinétique établie sont propices à l’identification des mécanismes de dégradation thermique du bois et peuvent être utilisés pour le traitement thermique et la conception de réacteurs dans l'industrie afin de produire des matériaux bois adaptés à diverses applications. / Mild pyrolysis is a promising and widely applied process conducted at 200-300 °C in an inert condition to produce sustainable materials (i.e. heat treated wood) or solid fuel (i.e. torrefied wood). The aim of this study is to investigate the woods heat treated in a semi-industrial scale reactor for sustainable material production. Two different European wood species, a hardwood species (poplar, Populus nigra) and a softwood species (fir, Abies pectinata), are used to perform the experiments. The present research is divided into three parts. In the first part, the thermal behavior of wood boards is studied in a semi-industrial scale reactor. The experiments are carried out at 200-230 °C with a heating rate of 0.2 °C min-1 in a vacuum condition (200 hPa) to intensify the thermal degradation. Four different stages of thermal degradation during wood heat treatment are defined based on the intensity of differential mass loss (DML). The devolatilization characteristics of treated woods are evaluated by the devolatilization index (DI) based on the results of proximate analysis. The correlation of DI with respect to mass loss of the two wood species is strongly characterized by linear distribution, which is able to provide a simple tool to predict the mass loss of wood. In the second part of the study, a number of analyses, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, measurement of color change, equilibrium moisture content, and contact angle) are performed to evaluate the property changes of treated woods. The obtained results clearly demonstrate the thermal degradation through dehydration, deacetylation, depolymerization, and condensation reactions during the heat treatment. The observed phenomena of color change and hygroscopic transformation are illustrated and discussed in detail. The decarbonization, dehydrogenation, and deoxygenation of the treated woods are also evaluated. It is found that the three indexes can be well correlated to the total color difference and hygroscopicity reduction extent (HRE). In the last part of the study, the kinetic modeling of wood heat treatment is developed based on a two-step kinetic scheme. The obtained kinetics successfully predict dynamic solid yield of wood boards during the treatment in the semi-industrial reactor. Meanwhile, the prediction of elemental composition is also performed by a direct method based on the elemental analyses of untreated and treated woods at the end of the treatment, as well as the instantaneous solid yield. The results point out that the prediction of C, H, and O profiles are in good agreement with expected composition changes in the wood materials during treatment. In summary, the obtained results and established kinetics are conducive to recognizing the mechanisms of wood thermal degradation and can be used for heat treatment process and reactor design in industry to produce wood materials for various applications.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Biomass is one of the main sources of renewable and sustainable energy able to meet the growing global energy demand and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. However, the use of this biofuel requires a conscious and careful handling of natural resources, to avoid environmental imbalances and destruction of ecosystems. Among the alternatives of biomass for energy purposes forestry, agricultural and urban wastes are highlights. However, raw biomass has low energy efficiency, low density, high humidity, irregular grain, low heating value that restricts their direct use as biofuel. In order to improve the thermal properties and standardize the product is necessary to treat the biomass from industrial processes such as torrefaction and briquetting. In this context, this work aims to analyze and define the potential energy of briquettes of brachiaria grass (Brachiaria ssp.) produced by Briqfeno Industria e Comercio de Feno Ltda located in Tupaciguara - Minas Gerais. The experiments were conducted according to Brazilian rules and the standard product was submitted to density tests, moisture and immediate analysis. A relationship between heating value and moisture content was also defined. Finally, the product was submitted to the torrefaction process that improved its energy and decreased its hygroscopic character when compared to raw briquettes. / A biomassa é uma das principais fontes de energia renováveis e sustentáveis capazes de suprir a crescente demanda de energia mundial e diminuir a dependência dos combustíveis fósseis. Entretanto, o uso deste combustível requer um manuseio cuidadoso e consciente dos recursos naturais, para evitar desequilíbrios ambientais e destruição de ecossistemas. Dentre as alternativas existentes para o uso da biomassa com fins energéticos, destaca-se o reaproveitamento energético de resíduos florestais, agrícolas e urbanos. Todavia, os resíduos in natura apresentam-se com baixa eficiência energética, devido algumas características gerais que restringe o seu uso direto como combustível, tais como baixa densidade, alta umidade, granulometria irregular, baixo poder calorífico, entre outras. No intuito de corrigir algumas propriedades, melhorar e padronizar o produto faz-se necessária a utilização de processos industriais, como a briquetagem e a torrefação. Neste contexto, este trabalho consiste em analisar e definir o potencial energético de briquetes de capim braquiária (Brachiaria ssp.) produzidos pela empresa Briqfeno Indústria e Comércio de Feno Ltda sediada no município de Tupaciguara - Minas Gerais. Os experimentos foram conduzidos segundo normas nacionais e consistiram em realizar a análise imediata, determinar a densidade do briquete e definir a relação entre poder calorífico e umidade do produto padrão. Finalmente, aplicou-se o tratamento térmico denominado torrefação, o que proporcionou a valorização energética do produto e diminuiu sua característica higroscópica quando comparado ao briquete padrão. / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Off-gassing of hazardous compounds is, together with self-heating and dust explosions, the main safety hazards within large-scale biomass storage and handling. Formation of CO, CO2, and VOCs with concurrent O2 depletion can occur to hazardous levels in enclosed stored forest products. Several incidents of CO poisoning and suffocation of oxygen depletion have resulted in fatalities and injuries during cargo vessel discharge of forest products and in conjunction with wood pellet storage rooms and silos. Technologies for torrefaction and steam explosion for thermal treatment of biomass are under development and approaching commercialization, but their off-gassing behavior is essentially unknown. The overall objective of this thesis was to provide answers to one main question: “What is the off-gassing behaviour of thermally treated lignocellulosic biomass during storage?”. This was achieved by experimental studies and detailed analysis of off-gassing compounds sampled under realistic conditions, with special emphasis on the VOCs. Presented results show that off-gassing behavior is influenced by numerous factors, in the following ways. CO, CO2 and CH4 off-gassing levels from torrefied and stream-exploded biomass and pellets, and accompanying O2 depletion, are comparable to or lower than corresponding from untreated biomass. The treatments also cause major compositional shifts in VOCs; emissions of terpenes and native aldehydes decline, but levels of volatile cell wall degradation products (notably furans and aromatics) increase. The severity of the thermal treatment is also important; increases in torrefaction severity increase CO off-gassing from torrefied pine to levels comparable to emissions from conventional pellets, and increase O2 depletion for both torrefied chips and pellets. Both treatment temperature and duration also influence degradation rates and VOC composition. The product cooling technique is influential too; water spraying in addition to heat exchange increased CO2 and VOCs off-gassing from torrefied pine chips, as well as O2 depletion. Moreover, the composition of emitted gases co-varied with pellets’ moisture content; pellets of more severely treated material retained less moisture, regardless of their pre-conditioning moisture content. However, no co-variance was found between off-gassing and pelletization settings, the resulting pellet quality, or storage time of torrefied chips before pelletization. Pelletization of steam-exploded bark increased subsequent VOC off-gassing, and induced compositional shifts relative to emissions from unpelletized steam-exploded material. In addition, CO, CO2 and CH4 off-gassing, and O2 depletion, were positively correlated with the storage temperature of torrefied softwood. Similarly, CO and CH4 emissions from steam-exploded softwood increased with increases in storage temperature, and VOC off-gassing from both torrefied and steam-exploded softwood was more affected by storage temperature than by treatment severity. Levels of CO, CO2 and CH4 increased, while levels of O2 and most VOCs decreased, during storage of both torrefied and steam-exploded softwood.CO, CO2 and O2 levels were more affected by storage time than by treatment severity. Levels of VOCs were not significantly decreased or altered by nitrogen purging of storage spaces of steam-exploded or torrefied softwood, or controlled headspace gas exchange (intermittent ventilation) during storage of steam-exploded bark. In conclusion, rates of off-gassing of CO and CO2 from thermally treated biomass, and associated O2 depletion, are comparable to or lower than corresponding rates for untreated biomass. Thermal treatment induces shifts in both concentrations and profiles of VOCs. It is believed that the knowledge and insights gained provide refined foundations for future research and safe implementation of thermally treated fuels as energy carriers in renewable energy process chains.