UPGRADING OF PALM OIL EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH AS A FEEDSTOCK FOR GASIFICATION PROCESS VIA HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENT

• Main Author: Dennie Agustin Pohan, Rahmad
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/45162
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

UPGRADING OF PALM OIL EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH AS A FEEDSTOCK FOR GASIFICATION PROCESS VIA HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENT Palm oil empty fruit bunch is biomass which have characteristics, such as low bulk density, high moisture content, low caloric value, and high alkali content. These characteristics make EFB avoided to be used as feedstock for gasification process. Therefore, the improvement of quality of EFB is necessary to be studied. Hydrotermal treatment and torrefaction are alternatives of the thermochemical conversion method believed be able to upgrade the physicochemical properties of biomass. This study purpose to compare the quality improvement of EFB via hydrothermal treatment and torrefaction, to evaluate the effect of hydrothermal treatment and densification of EFB as feedstock on gasification performance. Both of processes were carried out at temperature of 200, 220, 240, 260, 280 and 300ºC for 1 hour. The solid product of hydrothermal treatment and torrefaction, biochars were dried and used to further analysis, such as energy densification, proximate and ultimate composition. Furthermore, biochar is densificated by pressure 50, 100 and 200 bar before used as feedstock for gasification process. The gasification process is carried out at 650ºC for 150 minutes with 30 mL/h of steam as gasifying agent. Subsequently, syngas was analized by gas chromatography for evaluating the composition. Compared to torefaction, the hydrothermal process has a greater effect on increasing the energy density of biochar. At 300ºC, the hydrothermal process and torrefaction could increase energy density by 1.54 and 1.38 times greater than EFB. The highest fixed carbon content was obtained in the 300ºC torrefaction process that was equal to 63.25%, or greater than the fixed carbon content in coal. The lowest volatile matter content was obtained in the process of 300ºC torrefaction that was equal to 30.72%, or lower than the volatile matter content in lignite type coal. The HT-200 charcoal pellet provided lower gasification gas compared to the HT-150 charcoal pellet. HT-150 biochar pellets that determine a higher cold gas efficiency (CGE) value are more suitable for use as electricity, while HT-200 biochar pellets that have a lower CGE value are suitable for use as raw materials in the chemical industry.