Articolo in rivista, 2021, ENG, 10.3390/pr9111907

Thermal devolatilization kinetics of dry distiller's grains with solubles (Ddgs)

Branca C.; Di Blasi C.

Istituto di Sviluppo e Tecnologie per l'Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), C.N.R., P.le V. Tecchio, Napoli, 80125, Istituto di Sviluppo e Tecnologie per l'Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili (STEMS), C.N.R., P.le V. Tecchio, 80125, Napoli, Italy, , Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio, Napoli, 80125, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio, 80125, Napoli, Italy;, , Italy

Dynamic thermogravimetric analysis is applied to investigate the thermal devolatilization of dry distiller's grain with solubles (DDGS), the major by-product of bioethanol plants. Compared with lignocellulosic biomass, the DDGS devolatilization occurs over a much wider temperature range and with slower rates. This reveals complex dynamics attributable to a peculiar chemical composition comprising, in addition to lignocellulose, proteins, starch and other minor components. The evolution of lumped volatile product classes is well described by a five-step reaction mechanism. The numerical solution of the ordinary differential equations together with a minimization of the objective function leads to activation energies invariant with the heating rate. The estimated values of 89, 120, 158, 102 and 113 kJ/mol are, on average, higher than those obtained under oxidative environments but still lower than those typically estimated for wood.

Processes 9

Keywords

DDGS, Pyrolysis, devolatilization, pyrolysis, kinetics

CNR authors

Branca Carmen

CNR institutes

STEMS – Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili