Characterization of Biomass and Studies of Pyrolysis on Rice Husk in a Lab-Scale Pyrolyzer: A Step Toward Environmental and Energy Sustainability

“Biomass characterization” describes biomass in terms of the characteristics relevant to its intended use. Biomass appropriateness may depend on physical and chemical factors, availability, acquisition cost, and disposal. Carbon is the main constituent of any biomass. The biomass materials selected for the characterization were bagasse, bamboo dust, coconut coir, cotton stalk, Acacia nilotica branches, Lantana, pine needles, groundnut shell, rice husk, and sal seed husk. Standard methods were used for the analysis. The vital characteristics that must be established for determining suitable biomass for various thermochemical operations (pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion) include proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, calorific values, ash fusion temperatures, and devolatilization rate. The assessment concluded that rice husk was the most sustainable raw material for the investigation of pyrolysis, a thermochemical process. The effects of the size of rice husk particles, heating rate, and the maximum temperature attained by the residues on the pyrolysis process were studied. Redfern and Coats equation was used to estimate the activation energy of pyrolysis. Various applications of rice husk char are suggested, which align with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, and 15. The chapter also elucidates the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique used to evaluate the environmental impact of converting rice husk into pelletized char, used as a sustainable solid fuel.