Resumo:
Converting agricultural waste into energy and chemicals is beneficial for developing countries. Coconut waste can be efficiently used as biomass for energy applications. The objective of this work is to characterize coconut residue in terms of physical, chemical, thermal and flow properties with a view to generating renewable energy. The ground coconut shell was divided into four main particle fractions consisting of fiber and Sauter medium diameter powder. The ground endocarp was studied as a mixture of particles of different shapes and sizes. The physical properties were different for different particle sizes and shapes, but are within the range reported in the literature for biomasses. The compressibility of the particles was greater for samples with a greater presence of fibers with a low fluidity classification, a very cohesive degree of fluidity and terminal velocity. For the classification of particle flow, the cohesion between the CHI particles was verified, CHII and CHIII, and for CHIV and CS particles, it was found that the particles present moderate cohesion, with the most cohesive degree of fluidity being found for powder and samples with less presence of fibers, and with low terminal velocity. Both milled waste groups A and B showed low permeability to fluid flow. Regarding the chemical composition of groups A and B, values similar to those obtained in the literature were found, with significant values being found for the elements Hydrogen and Oxygen. The results obtained for the real specific mass also correspond to those found in the literature, varying between CHI particles with lower density and particles from the CHIV group with higher density. For the apparent density of the groups of particles, the same variation was observed between the CHI and CHIV particles respectively. The thermal capacity, thermal conductivity, ash content and thermogravimetric analysis were also determined for the primary particle groups A and B, indicating that the biomass has significant values for its use as a source of bioenergy.
