On the self-heating behavior of upgraded biochar pellets blended with pyrolysis oil: Effects of process parameters
Open accessAbstract
Biochar obtained from biomass pyrolysis is a promising carbon neutral material which can be used in substitution of fossil coal and coke in metallurgical applications. Biochar’s mechanical properties improve significantly without compromising reactivity, when upgraded by densification with pyrolysis oil and reheated. However, upgraded biochar pellets use in the industry is limited due to the risks associated with self-heating. This issue must be seriously considered for further industrial production of upgraded biochar pellets. Self-heating oven tests are generally time-consuming and limit the possibility of testing various potential solutions. The aim of this work was both to investigate the self-heating behavior of densified biochar and to possibly substitute the standard oven test with a fast and cost-effective thermogravimetric analysis. This was done by using Response Surface Methodology, where pyrolysis temperature, oil content and treatment temperature were selected as independent variables. By statistical analysis it was possible to understand that self-heating risk can be drastically reduced by upgrading the pellets at high temperatures (i.e. re-heating). In addition, through the analysis of the initial combustion temperature, the maximum weight loss rate and the activation energy (considered as responses of the model), it was possible to understand how to predict the results of the self-heating oven tests through thermogravimetric analysis.
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Oxygen deprivation during pyrolysis can exacerbate reactive functional groups, while low-temperature biochars like B600 retain surface tars that initiate thermal runaway.
“Oxygen deprivation during pyrolysis can exacerbate reactive functional groups, while low-temperature biochars like B600 retain surface tars that initiate thermal runaway [39,110,111].”
From Pilot-Scale Slow Pyrolysis, Post-Heat Treatment, and Self-Heating Performance of Biochar Fuels Derived from Construction, Renovation, and Demolition (CRD) Wood Waste (2026) · cites this paper as [111]
Section 3.7 reports greater self-heating risk for pellets made with biochar pyrolyzed at 450 °C than at 600 or 750 °C. Section 3.5 also says added pyrolysis oil can make pellets ignite faster. Neither passage attributes that risk to oxygen deprivation, reactive functional groups, or surface tars retained by a material called B600; the oil studied was added as a binder. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Riva, L., Cardarelli, A., Andersen, G. J., Buø, T. V., Barbanera, M., Bartocci, P., Fantozzi, F., & Nielsen, H. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Agder (NO)
- Università degli Studi della Tuscia (IT)
- University of Perugia (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Riva, Lorenzo
- ORCID
- Venue
- Fuel
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-10
- Volume
- 278
- Pages
- 118395
- ISSN
- 0016-2361 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3035846526
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 1.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Fuel (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- UnitusOpen (Tuscia University) (submittedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- University of Agder
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Thermal and Kinetic Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Fuel Technology › Coal and Coke Industries Research
- Keywords
- self-heating, bio-oil, densification, reheating, oven test, thermogravimetric analysis, response surface methodology, pyrolysis temperature, activation energy, coke substitution
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