Evaluation of kraft lignin and residues of sawmill for producing briquettes

The aim of becoming a society based on the rational utilization of the natural resources, has led to the consideration of many alternatives by academic and industrial sectors. The forest sector may be particularly prominent in trying to achieve these goals when using residues of their processes, for timber and pulp production. One of the most important requirements in society is the energy production. Co-products of wood processing and cellulose mills can be used for bioenergy generation. The densification of biomass involves handling, transportation and storage issues, and furthermore, when industrial forest residues such as lignin are added to this biomass, the final energetic product may have some improved properties, adding value to the chain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usage of the woody industrial waste, the sawdust from Joannesia princeps Vellozo enriched with Kraft lignin as an additive, aiming to produce briquettes. One of the main findings from this work was the possibility to obtain a briquette with better properties (higher bulk density and higher resistance) when using 6% of Kraft lignin as an additive and a pressure of 1500 PSI.