Energy characterization of MARABÚ

Abstract

• Forest biomass marabú (Dichrostachys 
cinerea) is a wild shrub, that covers a large 
number of hectares in Cuba and that could 
become an important source of renewable 
energy; as biomass was subjected to physical 
chemical characterization, using specifi cations 
techniques of the European Committee for 
Standardization (CEN), and the main points 
of the pyrolysis process was identifi ed by 
thermo-gravimetric analysis to evaluate the 
feasibility of its use as energy source.The 
study helped to show that this biomass has 
suitable characteristics for using as an energy 
source, a heating value ≥ 19100 kJkg-1, 
3,4% of ash and a melting temperature of 
1460oC and also low in chlorine and sulfur
- The thermo-gravimetric analysis pointed 
out two areas of well-defi ned pyrolysis 
reaction: the active zone, dominated by 
the decomposition of hemi-cellulose and 
cellulose, and the passive one, marked by 
the lignin decomposition; actually it occurs in 
a wide range of temperature, lower rate of 
degradation and overlapping decomposition 
of the other components. It was also shown a 
weight loss of 60% for the former.