Mechanical Properties of Selected Biomass Grinds

Feasible use of biomass for chemical and energy production is highly dependent on itshandling characteristics. Often, densification processes are required to improve transportation andstorage properties and improve the cost of low bulk density feedstocks. Knowledge of mechanicalproperties of biomass feedstocks is essential before efficient designs of compression anddensification systems can be achieved. Mechanical properties such as coefficient of wall friction,adhesion coefficient, and asymptotic modulus were evaluated for four biomass grinds (peat moss,wheat straw, oat hulls, and flax shives). Physical and chemical properties were also determined,along with gross calorific value. Of the four samples, peat moss had the highest coefficient of wallfriction (0.68) on a mild steel plate, and flax shives had the highest coefficient of adhesion (16.203kPa). Peat moss had the highest asymptotic modulus values for preset loads of 2000, 3000, 4000,and 4400 N. Flax shives were also found to have the highest gross calorific value (17.71 MJ/kg).