Proximate Analysis and Higher Heating Value of Waste Biomass Blends: an Energetic Approach
Abstract
The increasing demand for renewable energy sources has encouraged the valorization of agro-industrial residues as feedstocks for bioenergy production. This study evaluated the energetic potential of three blends composed of five waste biomasses, namely carnauba stalk, babassu coconut shell, babassu almond cake, cashew nutshell, and green coconut shell, originating from Northeastern Brazil. The materials were cleaned, ground, and sieved before being blended in 1:1 (w/w) ratios. Proximate analyses were performed following national and international standards to determine moisture, volatile matter, ash, and fixed carbon contents, while the Higher Heating Value (HHV) was estimated from empirical correlations based on proximate data. The results demonstrated that all blends exhibited high volatile matter contents (>85%) and low ash fractions (<6%). Among them, the blend of carnauba stalk and babassu coconut shell showed the most promising performance, with 10.66% moisture, 3.15% ash, 88.61% volatile matter, and an HHV of 22.38 MJ kg⁻¹, surpassing the other blends and conventional feedstocks such as sugarcane bagasse (~17–18 MJ kg⁻¹). The results indicate that waste biomass blends can achieve improved combustion quality and higher energy yields through synergistic effects between residues. These findings highlight their potential for renewable energy applications and contribute to the development of sustainable solid biofuels aligned with circular bioeconomy principles and Net Zero strategies.
Keywords
Bioenergy production, biomass blends, solid biofuels, circular bioeconomy, Net Zero strategies