International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022

International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews

Journal homepage: www.ijrpr.com ISSN 2582-7421

Proximate Analyses of Selected Biomass Material

Mokobia, E. Kate , Michael Christopher

Chemistry Unit, Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe, Oghara, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This paper covers the determination of proximate composition of corn stover, iroko saw dust, elephant grass and mahogany bark. The selected biomass materials
(corn stover, iroko saw dust, elephant grass and mahogany bark) were analyzed for their proximat concentration. The methods of analyses were as described by
the American Standard for Testing and Materials. Results of proximate analysis showed moisture and ash content, fixed carbon and volatile matter content to be
0.40, 0.42, 0.86 and 1.30%; 26.60, 22.60, 14.00 and 15.35%; 69.04, 73.20, 79.24 and 79.96% and 3.96, 3.78, 5.90 and 3.39% for respectively for corn stover,
iroko saw dust, elephant grass and mahogany bark. The results showed an indication that these materials are suitable for pyrolysis process because a relatively
higher bio-oil yield would be expected as the case would be.

Key word: Biomass, Pyrolysis, Proximate And Analyses

INRODUCTION

Biomass is regarded as an organic matter obtained from biological organisms like herbaceous species, plants, woody, industrial and agricultural
residues. Diverse biomass materials, being carbon neutral and abundantly available, mostly as residues, have been considered promising resources
available to generate alternative transport fuels, heat, high valued-biochemical products and electricity (Mutsengerere et. al., 2019). The International
Energy Agency of 2015 reported that biomass energy accounts for approximately 14% of the global total primary energy supply. Broadly, the uses of
biomass feed stocks can be classified as first and second-generation biomass. The first-generation biomass feed stocks are those from food crops like
sugar cane, palm, soya bean, and corn. Their continued uses could precipitate an unhealthy competition between food and fuel supply as well as
deplete the land area available for food cultivation (Agrawal et al., 2019). This represents a significant setback for the uses of food crop in the frontline
of biofuel research such that the corn-based industry, for instance, has been adjudged to be incapable of meeting the global biofuel demand (Ganet al.,
2019). On the other hand, the second-generation biomass sources are those obtained from non-food crops like weeds, straws, herbs and woods
(Agrawal et al., 2019). One of the major demerits is that the processes of utilization are less well developed and more complex in comparison to the
first-generation biomass. However, keen attention is on the second-generation biomass as they are not available as food, but rather as residues from
agricultural, industrial, and even municipal activities (Agrawal et al., 2019). Another significant advantage is that the use of biomass residues helps
resolves the challenges of waste management, energy security, climate change, and consequently eliminate the fuel versus food debate (Sjulander and
Kikas, 2020).

Pyrolysis is an endothermic process in which lignocellulosic biomass is thermally decomposed, ideally in the absence of oxygen, to produce highly
heterogeneous products, namely, bio-gas, bio-char and bio-oil (Lam et al., 2019). Pyrolysis, which could be either slow or fast, depending on the
heating rates, occurs at controlled intermediate temperatures of 300-600°C (Zamanet al., 2017;Ahorsuet al., 2018). Slow pyrolysis involves low heating
rates (< 10°C/min), long residence time (5-30 minutes) and it is generally applicable in the production of bio-char (Pecha and Garcia-Perez, 2020). On
the other hand, fast pyrolysis is more efficient in bio-oil generation and its operating conditions include rapid heating rates (1-100°C/s), short gas and
solid residence time (10-20s), and rapid vapor quenching (Safdariet al., 2019). Pyrolysis is of great interest in this research due to its adaptability to a
wide range of biomass, flexibility of operation, and production of a variety of products. To obtain a maximum and quality bio-oil yield, a good
understanding of the reactor type in addition to its intrinsic (heat and mass) transport processes and varied reaction pathways are necessary.
The aim of this research paper is to carry out proximate analysis of selected biomass materials. The specific objectives is to determine the moisture,
fixed carbon, volatile matter and ash content in corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and mahogany bark.

METHODOLOGY

Sample Procurement and Preparation

The corn stover, elephant grass, iroko, sawdust and mahogany bark used for this research was sourced or harvested from local farms and sawmill,
respectively, in Amai Community in Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria After harvesting, the raw materials were transported to the
 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022 779

Department of Science Laboratory Technology Chemistry Laboratory followed by the preparation of the raw (biomass) materials. The raw samples
were sun-dried in an open space for ten working days (8 hours per day) with an average temperature of 35 + 2 °C. The sun-dried material with the aid
of a manual crusher and hammer mill is pulverized. In order to reduce the moisture content to as low as we can the crushed materials were heated in an
oven to a temperature of 105° C for 5 hours. Then the specimen was allowed to cool gradually. The process of drying was repeated to ensure further
dryness. The moisture content was reduced drastically to enhance the heating value of the lignocellulose biomass. This was followed by grinding and
sieving of the samples into a uniform particle size of less than 2mm to achieve perfect heat and mass. Prior to analyses, the samples were stored in
Ziploc bags at ambient conditions

Determination of Proximate Analysis

This consist of the physical properties of fuels which is made up of percentages moisture content, fixed carbon, volatile matter as well as ash content.

Moisture content
The moisture content is an important property that affects the burning characteristics of biomass material. It has influence on the energy value of the
fuel (Yang et al., 2005; Onochie et al., 2017). The ASTM standard used to analyze the moisture content is ASTM E871-80. The moisture content of the
samples was determined by drying at a temperature of 105°C in an oven and expressed in percentage of oven dry mass.
1. An empty moisture dish was correctly weighed and recorded.
2. 10g of the specimen was placed inside the dish and reweighed.
3. The dish with the specimen was placed in an oven of partial vacuum (less than 100mm Hg) at a temperature of 105°C for about 5 hours.
4. After which the dish was removed from the oven and gradually allowed to cool and weighed.
5. The process was repeated for an hour until we noticed a constant weight.

Calculation:
% moisture = [(weight of sample before drying- weight of dry sample) X 100]
Weight of sample before drying

Ash content

The ASTM standard used to analyze the ash content is E1755- II. The muffle furnace was used for this analysis. The ash fraction contains all the
mineral elements jumbled together.

1. 5g of the prepared sample was placed in a crucible.

2. After which it was placed in an oven at 100 oC for 24 hours.
3. It was then removed and transferred to a muffle furnace where the temperature was increased further to 550±5 oC.
4. This increased temperature was maintained for another 8 hours
5. Finally, the crucible was removed from the furnace and transferred to a desiccator to cool, weighed and recorded.

Calculation:

The ash content was expressed in percentage dry basis using the expression below

% ash content = Weight of ash × 100

Weight of sample

Volatile matter (VM)

The VM was obtained by difference as shown in the equation below
%, VM = Initial mass of the sample - Final constant mass of the sample× 100
Initial mass of the sample

Fixed carbon

The fixed carbon (FC) was obtained from the equation below

% FC = 100 – (% moisture content + % volatile matter + % ash content)

In obtaining the fixed carbon ASTM D3174 – 76 standard method was used. The crucible cover used in performing the volatile matter last analysis was
removed after which the crucible heated over Bunsen burner to allow all the carbon to burn. The difference in weight of the residue from the previous
 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022 780

weight is the fixed carbon.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Results of proximate analysis

SAMPLE MOISTURE FIXED CARBON VOLATILE MATTER ASH CONTENT (%)

CONTENT (%) CONTENT (%) CONTENT (%)

CORN STOVER 0.40+0.2 26.60 +0.2 69.04 + 0.7 3.96 + 0.2

IROKO SAWDUST 0.42+0.2 22.60 +0.3 73.20 + 0.2 3.78+0.1
ELEPHANT GRASS 0.86+0.4 14.00 +0.4 79.24 + 0.4 5.90 +0.1
MAHOGANY BARK 1.30+0.05 15.35+0.2 79.96+ 0.7 3.39 +0.3

Table 1 showed results of proximate analysis while table 2 showed results of ultimate analysis of corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and
mahogany bark.

Moisture content

Moisture content of biomass is the quantity of water existing within the biomass, expressed as a percentage of the total material's mass. Moisture
content of biomass in natural conditions depends enormously on the type of biomass, ranging from less than 15% in cereals straw to more than 90% as
in algae biomass. This is an important parameter when using biomass for energy since it has a marked effect on and heating value. On the other, high
moisture content entails logistic issues as it increases the tendency to decompose which results in energy loss and tend to reduce energy and cost
balances (Javier and Jesus, 2019)

The results of moisture content of the various biomass range of 0.40 – 1.30% with corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and mahogany bark
recording 0.40, 0.42, 0.86 and 1.30% respectively. Amongst the biomass, mahogany bark recorded the highest value of 1.30% while corn stover was
the lowest.

MOISTURE CONTENT (%)

1.4

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
CORN STOVER IROKO ELEPHANT MAHOGANY
SAWDUST GRASS BARK

Figure 1: Moisture content of biomass

The heating value of a biomass feedstock represents the energy amount per unit mass or volume released on complete combustion. The heating value is
seen in two different ways, the higher heating value (HHV) and low heating value (LHV). The HHV includes the latent heat contained in the water
vapor that in practice cannot be used effectively, while the LHV excludes the heat of evaporation of the water formed from the hydrogen contained in
the biomass feedstock and its moisture content. Thus, the LHV is the appropriate value to assess the energy available for subsequent use.

Fixed carbon

Fixed carbon is the solid combustible residue that remains after a sample is heated at 900 degrees Celsius for a period of 7 minutes and the volatile
 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022 781

matter is expelled (Gianluca et. al., 2020)

The fixed carbon content of this present study was found in the range of 14.00 – 26.60%. Corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and mahogany
bark recorded fixed carbon content of 26.60, 22.60, 14.00 and 15.35% respectively. Corn stover recorded the highest fixed carbon (26.60%) while
elephant grass was the lowest (14.00%).

FIXED CARBON CONTENT (%)

26.6
22.6

14 15.35

CORN STOVER IROKO ELEPHANT MAHOGANY

SAWDUST GRASS BARK

Figure 2: Fixed carbon content of biomass

The fixed carbon can influence the biological conversion of fuel. Woody biomass has a much higher fixed carbon content as compared to perennial
crops. This justifies why elephant grass recorded the lowest value while corn stover which would be much in weight had the highest.

Volatile matter
The volatile matter of biomass is composed by condensable vapor and permanent gases (exclusive of water vapor) released when the biomass is heated
to 925◦C for few minutes. During this heating, the biomass decomposes into gases and solid matter is left out as char.
The volatile matter of this study were found to be 69.04, 73.20, 79.24 and 79.96% for corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and mahogany bark
respectively.

VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT (%)

79.24 79.96

73.2
69.04

CORN STOVER IROKO ELEPHANT MAHOGANY

SAWDUST GRASS BARK

Figure 3: Volatile matter content of biomass

It is worthy to state that the presence of volatile matter in biomass influences fuel reactivity, it has been observed that an increase in the volatile matter
 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022 782

content of the biomass sample causes, as a general tendency, an increase in the peak temperature. The peak temperature is the point on the burning
profile at which the rate of weight loss due to combustion is maximum. The burning profile peak temperature is usually taken as a measure of the
reactivity of the sample (Haykırı-Açma, 2003). The volatile matter content is also an important parameter for evaluating anaerobic digestion for biogas
production (Cai et. al., 2027).
Ash
Ash is generally considered to be the residue remaining after the material has been incinerated. It therefore has no energy value and, being made up of
the inorganic elements in the biomass, is of no direct value in hydrolysis technologies.
The ash contents of this study for corn stover, iroko sawdust, elephant grass and mahogany bark are 3.96, 3.78, 5.90 and 3.39% respectively

ASH CONTENT (%)

5.9

3.96 3.78 3.39

CORN STOVER IROKO ELEPHANT MAHOGANY

SAWDUST GRASS BARK

Figure 4: Ash content of biomass

The primary components of biomass ash are oxides of silica, aluminium, iron, calcium, magnesium, titanium, sodium and potassium. For example,
knowing
the exact composition of the ashes of a biomass aids in predicting both its tendency to form deposits in the boiler components and the composition of
the char produced during pyrolysis and gasification processes, which in turn also influence the combustion rate. The percentage and composition varies
according to the type of biomass (Gianluca et. al., 2020).

CONCLUSION

Biomass is regarded as an organic matter obtained from biological organisms like herbaceous species, plants, woody, industrial and agricultural
residues. Diverse biomass materials, being carbon neutral and abundantly available, mostly as residues, have been considered promising resources
available to generate alternative transport fuels, heat, high valued-biochemical products and electricity.
These materials are therefore recommended as a good material for biomass which would also be suitable for the production of bio-oil

REFERENCES
Achebe, C. H., Onokpite, E., Onokwai, A. O. (2018). Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of poultry droppings (PD) and cassava peel (CP):
Comparative study of optimal biogas production. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences 12, 87-93.
Boateng AA, Daugaard DF, Goldberg, NM and Hicks KB. (2007). Bench-scale fluidized bed pyrolysis of switchgrass for bio-oil production.
IndustEngChem Res 2007; 46: 1891-7.
Cai, J.; He, Y.; Yu, X.; Banks, S.W.; Yang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Yu, Y.; Liu, R.; Bridgwater, A.V (2017) Review of physicochemical properties and
analytical characterization of lingo-cellulosic biomass. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 76, 309–322.
Gianluca C; Franco C; Andrea N; Valentina C; Alessandro P; Alessandro F and Alessandro B (2020) Characterization of Various Biomass Feedstock
Suitable for Small-Scale Energy Plants as Preliminary Activity of Biocheaper Project
Haykırı-Açma, H (2003) Combustion characteristics of different biomass materials. Energy Convers. Manag. 44, 155–162.
Jahirul, M.I., Rasul, M.G., Chowdhury, A.A., Ashwath, N. (2012). Biofuels Production through Biomass Pyrolysis – A Technological Review.
Energies, 5, 4952- 5001: doi: 10. 3390/en5124952
Javier S and Jesús F (2019) The Role of Bioenergy in the Bioeconomy
Kristin, O., Ilkka, H., Yrjo, S. (2020). Hydrogen Enhanced Bio-fuels for Transport via Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass: A Conceptual Assessment.
Kumar, R., Strezova, V., Weldekidana, H., Hea, J., Singhb, J., Kana, T., Dastjerdia, B. (2020). Ligno-cellulose biomass pyrolysis for bio-oil
 International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, no 11, pp 778-783, November 2022 783

production: A review of biomass pre-treatment methods for production of drop-in fuels. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
123;109-116

Okonkwo, U. C., Onokpite, E., Onokwai, A. O. (2018). Comparative study of the optimal ratio of biogas production from various organic wastes and
weeds for digester / restarted digester. Journal of King Saud University- Engineering Sciences 30 (2), 123-129.
Panahi, H.K.S., Tabatabaei, M, Aghbashlo, M., Dehhaghi, M., Rehan, M and Nizami, A-S. (2019). Recent updates on the production and upgrading of
bio-crude oil from microalgae, Bio-resource Technol. Rep. 7(2019) 100216.
Safana, A.A.1, Ibrahim, I.I., Ibrahim S., Adamu, B.I., Ibrahim M. M., Shehu, H. Potential. (2018). Application of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil as a Substitute for
Diesel and Petroleum Fuel. Journal of Petroleum Engineering & Technology: 2231-1785 (Online), ISSN: 2321-5178, Volume 7, Issue 3.
Singh, Y.D.; Mahanta, P and Bora, U (2017) Comprehensive characterization of lignocellulosic biomass through proximate, ultimate and compositional
analysis for bioenergy production. Renew. Energy 2017, 103, 490–500.
Thomas, K.M (1997) The release of nitrogen oxides during char combustion. Fuel, 76, 457–473.
Yang, W., Park Y.K., Jung, J and Hyun, S. (2013) Comparison of biochar properties from biomass residues produced by slow pyrolysis at 500°C. Bio-
resource Technology, 148: 196-201