Densification of Biomass

To reduce dependency on fossil fuels, there is tremendousinterest in using biomass feedstocks for producing fuels, heat,power, chemicals, and bio-products. Biomass feedstocks such as cornstover and switchgrass are often collected in baled forms, whichinvolve a lot of handling, storage, and transportation costsbecause of low bulk density of bales. Densification of biomassfeedstocks into briquettes and pellets can reduce the cost andincrease the efficiency of handling, storage, transportation, anduse of biomass feedstocks. This book provides the fundamentals ofdensification mechanisms of biomass feedstocks studied using alaboratory-scale densification apparatus, a pilot-scale roll pressbriquetting machine, a pilot-scale ring-die pelleting machine, andconstitutive modeling. This book reveals that the NATURAL BINDERSin the biomass feedstocks such as lignin, protein, starch andsugars can be activated using moisture and temperature (steam) tomanufacture high quality briquettes and pellets without addingchemical additives (binders). This book is a very useful resourcefor briquetting and pelleting industries as well as biomassdensification researchers.