Dear all,
I would like to ask your help finding the appropriate procedure to follow when it comes to performing proximate analysis for my biomass.
for your info: the red macroalgae will be dried and used as an adsorbent for heavy metals removal and also as a precursor for the production of activated carbon.
Looking forward to your assistance
Hi Mubeen,
there are two types of proximate analyses, 1) for food (moisture, ash, protein, lipid, carbohydrate), and 2) for fuels (moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash content). If we count in analysis for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives content (TAPPI is frequently referred to: https://www.tappi.org/Publications-Standards/Standards-Methods/) maybe 3 but I have not come across literature that classifies #3 as proximate.
Anyway, for #1) the most frequently cited method appears to be from AOAC. Examples can be found here:
Article Analytical Characterization of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil Gro...
Article Nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of velvet bean:...
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2007.10.001
For #2), standards for biomass (https://www.astm.org/Standards/E1757.htm) or wood fuel (https://www.astm.org/Standards/E870.htm) may the closest to your sample.
For moisture: https://www.astm.org/Standards/E871.htm
For volatile matter: https://www.astm.org/Standards/E872.htm
For ash content: https://www.astm.org/Standards/D1102.htm
For a comparison of different ASTM methods check out:
Article Application of Thermogravimetric Analysis for the Proximate ...
If your biomass type is not specifically mentioned in these standards you may have to carry out some optimisation (e.g. for ash content you need to find the right particle size, temperature and holding time at which 'all' fixed carbon is oxidised without volatilising significant amounts of minerals).
Good luck Rob.
PS: You may also want to check out the European and international standards (ISO) for proximate analysis of biomass.
Dear Dr. Robert Thomas Bachmann
I appreciate your time and effort to write this informative response.
I will study the links you attached and check if it does include the seaweeds in the scope.
Thank you very much sir!
Hi Mubeen Isam,
have you decided on the methods that you want to use? Have you found a link between the results from proximate analysis and heavy metal sorption studies?
All the best, Rob.
Dear Dr. Robert Thomas Bachmann
I would like to express my apologies for the late response,
by taking your adivce in which you mentioned the European and international standards (ISO) , I had come across the BS EU ISO for solid biofuels,
according to BS EN ISO 16559:2014, solid biofuels can include woody, herbaceous aquaculture materials which include my seaweeds.
Based on the same standards (moisture content, volatile content, ash and fixed carbon) will be calculated based on (BS EN ISO 18134-2015, BS EN ISO 18123-2015, BS EN ISO 18122-2015)
Finally, sorry again for the late response
Regards,
Hi Mubeen Isam,
thanks for sharing. How about "Have you found a link between the results from proximate analysis and heavy metal sorption studies?"?
Dear Dr. Robert Thomas Bachmann
I have yet to come across a research that link between the proximate analysis results and heavy metals sorption.
To my knowledge, the proximate analysis is a way of describing the materials which cannot be charactrized in distinctive chemical formul and can be usfull in further modification of the material.
Regards,
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