Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) wastes as potential lignocellulosic feedstock for bioenergy production: Physicochemical properties, thermal behavior, and emission factors

Biomass is one of the most feasible renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. Given this fact, this study aims to demonstrate that buriti fruit wastes (pits and husks) are a promising new feedstock for bioenergy production via thermochemical conversion. To evaluate the suitability of buriti pits and husks for bioenergy generation, their physicochemical properties, performance indices, and pyrolytic behavior were evaluated based on ultimate, proximate, and calorimetry analyses, emission factors, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM images), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), thermal analysis (TG/DTG/DSC curves), and devolatilization index (DI). In addition, the mineral and metal contents were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The buriti wastes exhibited low ash (< 3.2%) and moisture contents (< 13.0%), a high heating value (HHV) of 16.11–20.61 MJ kg−1, negligible nitrogen content (< 1.2%) and sulfur (non-detected), and lower carbon dioxide (1236–1244 g kg−1) and nitrogen oxides (3.32–3.95 g kg−1) emission factors than those of reference fuels. The physicochemical properties of buriti pits and husks were consistent with those of other agroforestry and agroindustrial biomasses. The DI of 1.47 and 5.27 × 10−8 mg min−1 °C−3 (or 0.35 and 1.17 ×10−6% min−1 °C−3) of buriti pits and husks, respectively, revealed the main difference between the thermal performance and suitability of buriti pits and husks for the partial or total replacement of fossil fuels. The buriti wastes displayed exceptional performance under direct combustion, and a comparison of buriti pits and husks highlighted the remarkable suitability of buriti pits for pyrolysis, probably due to the oleaginous nature of the material.