Energies, Vol. 13, Pages 480: Preparation of Solid Fuel Hydrochar over Hydrothermal Carbonization of Red Jujube Branch (Energies)

Biomass energy is becoming increasingly important, owing to the decreasing supply of fossil fuels and growing environmental problems. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising technology for producing solid biofuels from agricultural and forestry residues because of its lower fossil-fuel consumption. In this study, HTC was used to upgrade red jujube branch (RJB) to prepare hydrochar at six temperatures (220, 240, 260, 280, 300, and 320 °C) for 120 min, and at 300 °C for 30, 60, 90, and 120 min. The results showed that the energy recovery efficiency (ERE) reached maximum values of 80.42% and 79.86% at a residence time of 90 min and a reaction temperature of 220 °C, respectively. X-ray diffraction results and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements show that the microcrystal features of RJB were destroyed, whereas the hydrochar contained an amorphous structure and mainly lignin fractions at increased temperatures. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the hydrochar had better fuel qualities than RJB, making hydrochar easier to burn.