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Biomass-Burning

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A special issue of Fire (ISSN 2571-6255).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 19040

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Dr. Adina Magdalena Musuc

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Department of Chemical Kinetics, “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: physical chemistry, physico-chemical characterization of materials; drug delivery; pharmaceuticals development; thermal analysis; kinetics; biopolymers, cyclodextrin inclusion complexes; hydrogels; biomaterials for biomedical applications; oxide materials design/synthesis and the thermoreactivity of precursor-oxide transformations; green chemistry; thermal properties; physicochemical characterization; nanomaterials for biomedicine; nanomaterials for energy applications; catalysis
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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to submit a manuscript to the Special Issue on “Biomass-Burning” in Fire journal.

Biomass burning produces huge quantities of different gaseous pollutants and aerosol particles into the atmosphere, with a dangerous effect on human health, air quality, and climate change. Biomass material when burned releases massive kinds of gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxides (NO_x), organic acid, aldehydes, inorganic elements, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to present advances in the studies of burning of agricultural wastes, the use of biofuels, burning of living and dead vegetation, the impacts of biomass burning on air quality, burning of biomass for fuel, modelling and simulation of fossil fuel combustion, biomass for energy and hazard assessment.

In this Special Issue, original contributions as full-length research articles, review manuscripts and short communications are kindly welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Adina Magdalena Musuc
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

physico-chemical characterization
biomass-burning emissions
combustion
calorimetry
thermochemical reactions
heat transfer
ignition characteristics
energy
fossil fuel combustion
agricultural waste
biomass for fuel

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Decomposition and Kinetic Analysis of Amazonian Woods: A Comparative Study of Goupia glabra and Manilkara huberi

by Mark Dany Veloso Junior, Fidel Guerrero, Felipe Moura Araújo da Silva, Glenda Quaresma Ramos, Robert Saraiva Matos, Ștefan Țălu, Dung Nguyen Trong and Henrique Duarte da Fonseca Filho

Fire 2024, 7(11), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7110390 - 29 Oct 2024

Viewed by 753

Abstract

This study presents a detailed analysis of the thermal degradation and kinetic behavior of two Amazonian wood species, Goupia glabra (cupiúba) and Manilkara huberi (maçaranduba), using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and direct infusion mass spectrometry (DIMS). Wood samples were subjected to controlled heating rates of 20, 40, and 60 °C/min from 25 to 800 °C under an argon atmosphere. TGA revealed moisture evaporation below 120 °C, with hemicellulose degradation occurring between 220 and 315 °C, cellulose decomposition between 315 and 400 °C, and lignin breakdown over a broader range from 180 to 900 °C. The highest rate of mass loss occurred at 363.99 °C for G. glabra and 360.27 °C for M. huberi at a heating rate of 20 °C/min, with shifts to higher temperatures at faster heating rates. Activation energies were calculated using Arrhenius and Kissinger models, yielding values between 53.46–61.45 kJ/mol for G. glabra and 58.18–62.77 kJ/mol for M. huberi, confirming their stable thermal profiles. DSC analysis identified a significant endothermic peak related to moisture evaporation below 100 °C, followed by two exothermic peaks. For G. glabra, the first exothermic peak appeared at 331.45 °C and the second at 466.08 °C, while for M. huberi, these occurred at 366.41 °C and 466.08 °C, indicating the decomposition of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Enthalpy values for G. glabra were 12,633.37 mJ and 18,652.66 mJ for the first and second peaks, respectively, while M. huberi showed lower enthalpies of 9648.04 mJ and 14,417.68 mJ, suggesting a higher energy release in G. glabra. FTIR-ATR analysis highlighted the presence of key functional groups in both species, with strong absorption bands in the 3330–3500 cm⁻¹ region corresponding to O-H stretching vibrations, indicative of hydroxyl groups in cellulose and hemicellulose. The 1500–1600 cm⁻¹ region, representing aromatic C=C vibrations, confirmed the presence of lignin. Quantitatively, these results suggest a high content of cellulose and lignin in both species. DIMS analysis further identified polyphenolic compounds and triterpenoids in M. huberi, with major ions at m/z 289 and 409, while G. glabra showed steroidal and polyphenolic compounds with a base peak at m/z 395. These findings indicate the significant presence of bioactive compounds, contributing to the wood’s resistance to microbial degradation. This comprehensive thermal and chemical characterization suggests that both species have potential industrial applications in environments requiring high thermal stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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15 pages, 8032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts and Drivers of Summer Wildfires in the Cape Peninsula: A Remote Sensing Approach

by Kanya Xongo, Nasiphi Ngcoliso and Lerato Shikwambana

Fire 2024, 7(8), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7080267 - 1 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1121

Abstract

Over the years, the Cape Peninsula has seen a rise in the number of fires that occur seasonally. This study aimed to investigate the extent of fire spread and associated damages during the 2023/2024 Cape Peninsula fire events. Remote sensing datasets from Sentinel-5P, Sentinel-2, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) were used. Most of the fires on the northern side of the Cape Peninsula had a short burning span of between 6 and 12 h, but fires with a duration of 12–24 h were minimal. The northern area is composed of low forests and thickets as well as fynbos species, which were the primary fuel sources. Excessive amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and black carbon (BC) emissions were observed. High speeds were observed during the period of the fires. This is one of the factors that led to the spread of the fire. Relative humidity at 60% was observed, indicating slightly dry conditions. Additionally, the Leaf Water Content Index (LWCI) indicated drier vegetation, enhancing fire susceptibility. High temperatures, low moisture and strong winds were the main drivers of the fire. The Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) values for the targeted fires showed values close to −1, which signifies presence of a fire scar. The study can be of use to those in the fire management agencies and biodiversity conservation in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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13 pages, 1202 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Several Pellets from Agroforestry Residues: A Comparative Analysis of Physical and Energy Efficiency

by Salvatore Francesco Papandrea, Adriano Palma, Monica Carnevale, Enrico Paris, Beatrice Vincenti, Francesco Gallucci and Andrea Rosario Proto

Fire 2024, 7(7), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7070239 - 9 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1046

Abstract

The use of agroforestry biomass provides several advantages, both from an environmental point of view, in terms of the mitigation of global warming, and in terms of a circular economy for agricultural or agroforestry companies that reuse pruning residues as a source of energy. However, even if the use of energy pellets resulting from the pruning residues of various agroforestry species has excellent potential for the valorization of agricultural by-products, the physicochemical characteristics of these pellets have been scarcely studied by the scientific community. In this context, this study aims to assess the valorization potential of various lignocellulosic material residues produced during agroforestry activities. The objectives of the study include evaluating the chemical and physical characteristics of pellets produced with different mixtures of agroforestry biomass (olive, citrus, black locust, poplar, paulownia, etc.) in order to determine the optimal pellet blend from an energy and physicochemical perspective. The results of this study demonstrate that this comprehensive analysis provides valuable information on the optimization of biomass mixtures for better energy valorization, addressing both compositional and combustion-related challenges. In fact, it is observed that the addition of citrus and olive biomass to the various mixtures increases their energy potential. Furthermore, all of the pellets analyzed are found to possess an adequate and useful durability index (PDI) for their handling during storage and transport operations. This study demonstrates that olive and citrus pruning residues can be used to improve biomasses that have poor suitability in energetic, physical, and chemical terms. Further studies could be useful to understand which specific interaction mechanisms have an influence on emissions in order to optimize mixtures using different biomass sources for sustainable energy production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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15 pages, 12438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Updated Land Use and Land Cover Information Improves Biomass Burning Emission Estimates

by Guilherme Mataveli, Gabriel Pereira, Alber Sanchez, Gabriel de Oliveira, Matthew W. Jones, Saulo R. Freitas and Luiz E. O. C. Aragão

Fire 2023, 6(11), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6110426 - 7 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

Biomass burning (BB) emissions negatively impact the biosphere and human lives. Orbital remote sensing and modelling are used to estimate BB emissions on regional to global scales, but these estimates are subject to errors related to the parameters, data, and methods available. For example, emission factors (mass emitted by species during BB per mass of dry matter burned) are based on land use and land cover (LULC) classifications that vary considerably across products. In this work, we evaluate how BB emissions vary in the PREP-CHEM-SRC emission estimator tool (version 1.8.3) when it is run with original LULC data from MDC12Q1 (collection 5.1) and newer LULC data from MapBiomas (collection 6.0). We compare the results using both datasets in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes during the 2002–2020 time series. A major reallocation of emissions occurs within Brazil when using the MapBiomas product, with emissions decreasing by 788 Gg (−1.91% year⁻¹) in the Amazon and emissions increasing by 371 Gg (2.44% year⁻¹) in the Cerrado. The differences identified are mostly associated with the better capture of the deforestation process in the Amazon and forest formations in Northern Cerrado with the MapBiomas product, as emissions in forest-related LULCs decreased by 5260 Gg in the Amazon biome and increased by 1676 Gg in the Cerrado biome. This is an important improvement to PREP-CHEM-SRC, which could be considered the tool to build South America’s official BB emission inventory and to provide a basis for setting emission reduction targets and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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12 pages, 2791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of the Combustion of and Emissions from Olive and Citrus Pellets in a Small Boiler

by Adriano Palma, Francesco Gallucci, Salvatore Papandrea, Monica Carnevale, Enrico Paris, Beatrice Vincenti, Mariangela Salerno, Valerio Di Stefano and Andrea Rosario Proto

Fire 2023, 6(8), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6080288 - 29 Jul 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1584

Abstract

Agro-industrial activities generate a great amount of bioproducts as biomass residues containing energy and with potentially useful applications in the thermochemical conversion process. The management of this feedstock as uncontrolled combustion (“open burning”) can often be a problem within the supply chain for disposal practices, both in environmental and economic aspects. The residual matrices from agroforestry biomass processing can be treated to increase their energy levels and economic value. A widespread practice for sustainable disposal is the production of pellets from residual biomass, such as pruning. The aim of this study is to explore the combustion of pellets obtained from olive and citrus pruning, and their emissions into the atmosphere. This study confirms the possibility of using waste biomass to obtain a high-energy biofuel that is usable in a controlled combustion system and to monitor the process and its related emissions (CO, CO₂, NO_x, SO₂, PM). Three different pellets (olive pellet, citrus pellet and a pellet obtained from a mix of olive and citrus) were characterized to determine their physicochemical properties and burned in an 80 kW_th boiler equipped with multicyclone filter bags as an abatement system to evaluate relative emission. The characterization results show that citrus pellet has a higher ash content, moisture content and lower energy value than mixtures of olive pellet. The emission results suggest that, during combustion, higher emissions of CO and SO₂ were monitored from mixtures of citrus pellet compared to burning only olive pellet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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10 pages, 1295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermochemical Characterization of Rice-Derived Residues for Fuel Use and Its Potential for Slagging Tendency

by Chi-Hung Tsai, Yun-Hwei Shen and Wen-Tien Tsai

Fire 2023, 6(6), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6060230 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1885

Abstract

Rice is the most important cereal in Asia. However, it also results in the generation of large quantities of rice-derived residues (i.e., rice straw and rice husk). Due to the residues richness in lignocellulosic components, they potentially have considerable value in material and/or energy production without illegal burning in open fields. This work focused on investigating the thermochemical properties and inorganic/metal element contents of rice straw and rice husk. The former included proximate analysis, calorific value, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The latter covered the ten elements most relevant to their slagging/fouling indices. The results showed that they are suitable for energy use as biomass fuels, but rice husk was superior to rice straw because of the high silica content in the rice husk and the significant contents of potassium, sulfur and phosphorus in the rice straw. Using several slagging and fouling indices, the evaluation results were also consistent with their contents of inorganic elements or oxides. To increase the fuel properties of rice-derived residues, they could be pretreated with alkaline leaching, thus causing lower emissions of particulates and reduced slagging tendency when co-firing them with coal in industrial boilers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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11 pages, 3211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Ash Melting Temperatures of Agricultural Pellets Detected during Different Conditions

by Nikola Čajová Kantová, Michal Holubčík, Juraj Trnka and Alexander Čaja

Fire 2023, 6(3), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6030088 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2304

Abstract

Agricultural and other residues are promising renewable energy sources. However, they can cause problems in combustion processes. One of these problems is also low ash melting temperatures. Except, the ash melting behavior can be impacted by many factors, such as ash preparation or used atmosphere. This article deals with comparing different atmosphere conditions during measurements of ash melting temperatures of three agricultural pellets: alfalfa, straw, and hay. The first one was oxidizing with compressed air and nitrogen. The second atmosphere was reduced with the air purge, and the last was only reduced, consisting of 60% carbon monoxide and 40% carbon dioxide. Differences between individual atmospheres were none, up to 9.8%. The most significant differences have appeared between oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. In general, the oxidizing atmosphere presents a less expensive way. More attention should be paid to the use of oxidizing atmosphere for applications in heat sources mainly due to its similarity to the combustion process. However, it would be suitable to realize more comprehensive research regarding ash preparation in different ways and with using of different types of fuel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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Review

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17 pages, 765 KiB

Open AccessReview

Green Conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Sustainable Fuel Synthesis

by Hosam M. Saleh and Amal I. Hassan

Fire 2023, 6(3), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6030128 - 22 Mar 2023

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7057

Abstract

Carbon capture and use may provide motivation for the global problem of mitigating global warming from substantial industrial emitters. Captured CO₂ may be transformed into a range of products such as methanol as renewable energy sources. Polymers, cement, and heterogeneous catalysts for varying chemical synthesis are examples of commercial goods. Because some of these components may be converted into power, CO₂ is a feedstock and excellent energy transporter. By employing collected CO₂ from the atmosphere as the primary hydrocarbon source, a carbon-neutral fuel may be created. The fuel is subsequently burned, and CO₂ is released into the atmosphere like a byproduct of the combustion process. There is no net carbon dioxide emitted or withdrawn from the environment during this process, hence the name carbon-neutral fuel. In a world with net-zero CO₂ emissions, the anthroposphere will have attained its carbon hold-up capacity in response to a particular global average temperature increase, such as 1.5 °C. As a result, each carbon atom removed from the subsurface (lithosphere) must be returned to it, or it will be expelled into the atmosphere. CO₂ removal technologies, such as biofuels with carbon sequestration and direct air capture, will be required to lower the high CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere if the Paris Agreement’s ambitious climate targets are to be realized. In a carbon-neutral scenario, CO₂ consumption with renewable energy is expected to contribute to the displacement of fossil fuels. This article includes a conceptual study and an evaluation of fuel technology that enables a carbon-neutral chemical industry in a net-zero-CO₂-emissions environment. These are based on the use of collected CO₂ as a feedstock in novel chemical processes, along with “green” hydrogen, or on the use of biomass. It will also shed light on innovative methods of green transformation and getting sustainable, environmentally friendly energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Burning)

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