Investigation of the densification performance of straw under different material surface

Currently, the utilization of cereal straw as biomass feedstock is increasing, and one of the most popular applications is to produce briquettes as fuel. In the compression process, the essential consideration is the choice of coating material for the compression chamber. Compression chamber material requirements included high temperature resistant, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and relatively smooth surface. Previous research data indicated that 40% of the compression energy was consumed by the friction between the chamber and the biomass. Al₂O₃ ceramics, a low cost material, can fulfill these requirements. In this research, compression chambers with Al₂O₃ ceramics material coating surface and the Q235 carbon steel surface were used to conduct compression tests and to compare and analyze the energy consumption of compressing straw. In addition, the effects straw moisture content (9.14%, 11.47%, 13.36%), and maximum compression load (10 MPa, 12.5 MPa, 15 MPa) on energy consumption were also studied.