Influence of organic binders on the pyrolysis performance of rice straw pellets

Organic additives, which are generally used as binders, play an important role in pelletization technology. However, they influence the pyrolysis performance of pellets. In this study, pea starch (PS) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were added to rice straw pellets (RS) to investigate their influence on the pyrolysis performance. The results demonstrated that when PS was added, the yield of bio-oil and the proportion of CO were higher. When the temperature was higher than 600 °C, the pyrolysis of PS was complete, and the pyrolysis behavior of the pellets with PS was similar to that of the straw pellets without binders. CMC had no obvious effects on the pyrolysis of RS, but introducing Na (in form of Na2CO3 in the bio-char) had apparently positive synergistic effects on the gasification of bio-char. This study could serve as a reference for selecting binders and for the industrial gasification of pellets from biomass.