5.3a: Size Reduction

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5.3a Size Reduction

Size reduction is also known as comminution. Decreasing particle size of biomass improves accessibility to plant cell wall carbohydrates for chemical and biochemical depolymerization. It can also increase the bulk density for storage and transportation. There is a cost of energy when using mechanical size reduction. For example, 20-40 kWh/metric tons are needed to reduce the size of hardwood chips to coarse particles of 0.6-2.0 mm in size, and kWhs typically have a cost of anywhere from $0.04-0.10 per kWh. To reduce the size of particles to a fine size (0.15-0.30 mm), 100-200 kWh/ton is required.

There are multiple methods used to reduce the size of particles, and the method used will depend on whether the sample is dry or wet. There are hammer mills (a repetitive hammering of sample), knife mills (a rotating knife slices the sample), and ball mills (the sample is put into a container with metal balls and rolled). Sometimes the sample has to be shredded and dried before using some of these techniques.

Samples can also be “densified.” Samples can be mixed with some sort of binder (to keep the materials together, like a glue) and pushed into shape, or pelletized. This increases the bulk density (i.e., from 80-150 kg/m³ for straw or 200 kg/m³ for sawdust to 600-700 kg/m³ after densification). This can lower transportation costs, reduce the storage volume, and make handling easier. After densification, the materials usually have lower moisture content.

pile of tan pellets — Figure 5.15a: Pelletized biomass.

*Credit: Marcus Kauffman via Flickr*