Advanced Applications of Torrefied Biomass: A Perspective View

Abstract

Because of the social, economic, and environmental issues linked with fossil resources, there is a global interest in finding alternative renewable and sustainable resources for energy and materials production. Biomass could be one such renewable material that is available in large quantities. However, biomass physicochemical properties are a challenge for its industrial application. Recently, the torrefaction process was developed to improve the fuel characteristics of biomass. However, in recent days, energy production has slowly been shifting towards solar and wind, and restrictions on thermal power plants are increasing. Thus, there will be a need to find alternative market opportunities for the torrefaction industry. In that regard, there is a quest to find alternative applications of torrefaction products other than energy production. This paper presents a couple of alternative applications of torrefied biomass. Torrefaction process can be used as a biomass pretreatment option for biochemical conversion processes. The other alternative applications of torrefied biomass are using it as a reducing agent in metallurgy, as a low-cost adsorbent, in carbon-black production, and as a filler material in plastics. The use of torrefied biomass in fermentation and steel production is validated through a few laboratory experiments, and the results are looking attractive. The lower sugar yield is the main challenge in the case of the microbial application of torrefied biomass. The lower mechanical strength is the challenge in the case of using it as a reducing agent in a blast furnace. To date, very few studies are available in the literature for all the highlighted applications of torrefied biomass. There is a need for extensive experimental validation to identify the operational feasibility of these applications.