I have been trying to find a relationship between lignocellulosic biomass characteristics and its potential to be used for pretreatment in a twin-screw extruder (TSE) for bioethanol production. However, all the variables I find being analyzed for TSE are mostly about the process parameters, such as screw configuration, water content, screw rotation, etc.
Has anyone ever seen/done any research in which these process parameters are based on the composition/structure (any characteristic) of the feedstock?
Would the biomass characteristics be able to give an idea of what kind of process parameters would be ideal to process such feedstock?
Many thanks in advance for any information.
Kind regards,
Claudio Lira
To process Biomass in Twin Screw Extruder it should be soft free from extraneous matter and small in size.
Specially developed machine for feeding variety of feedstock by Canadian company looks good for pre-treatment
https://www.academia.edu/9262908/STEAM_EXPLOSION_PULPING_OF_BAGASSE_FOR_FINE_PAPER_PRODUCTION
Thanks for the answers...
I understand that some biomasses work for feeding in a TSE, but others don't, although both have the same particle size and water content. Has anybody seen other tests in which the results would say if the biomass (as received) is suitable for a TSE?
I see that some sort of cooking can be performed to the biomass as received in order to increase water content and soften the feedstock, but I wonder if there are some other characteristics, such as the amount of hemicellulose, that would facilitate the feeding and transportation of the material through the TSE.
Many thanks,
Claudio
Please contact stake technology. Their machine is supposed to handle wood chips. It is an extruder machine with special feeding arrangement to feed variety of cellulosic biomass which forms dense plug at the stage of feeding and plug broken inside extruder thus high temperature steam could be feed in extruder. High temperature inside extruder above glassy transition temperature of lignin in biomass softens feed material and facilitates formation of dense plug at feeding point. It's better you get in touch with the company and get detailed information
You will find answers to most questions you can have about biomass extrusion by looking at the following open access review paper: An overview of extrusion as a pretreatment method of lignocellulosic biomass.
Treatment of Lignocellulosic stock for bioethanol production requires removal of lignin barrier from Cellulose. Lignin has glassy transition temperature about 170 degrees centigrade.(Please get it reconfirmed as I have been out of touch with the subject for very long time). Heating biomass to the desired temperature and heating time are important parameters for pre-treatment of biomass.