Topic

The aim of the project is to develop and implement in a demonstration plant a process for structuring and agglomerating the lignin produced in the paper and cellulose industry in such a way as to produce a commodity which is easy to handle, suitable for recycling and suitable as a marketable new biomass solid fuel for thermal applications. The pre-treatment and agglomeration technology to be developed in the project converts the lignin into an optimum and versatile form which markedly improves combustion behaviour as well as reducing expenditure on equipment for the combustion unit. There are extensive prospects for the use of lignin as a defined product as it has none of the disad-vantages of the powdered form that has been marketed hitherto.

Measures

BTU

• Design of a process for preparing the lignin and for manufacturing agglomerates that are easy to handle and have a wide range of applications
• Tests on the agglomeration behaviour dependent on the degree of cooking, grain size, grain distribution and water content
• Selection of suitable agglomeration additives to produce specified properties as well as additives to improve the combustion and emission behaviour of the agglomerates
• Safety-related tests
• Suggestions for formulating quality standards for lignin agglomerates

DBFZ

• Fuel analysis of the lignin pellets with an examination of the components of the pellets that produce emissions. 
• Formulation of a requirement profile for the use of lignin as a fuel (dimensions, consistencies and composition)
• Conducting combustion tests to assess the combustion behaviour and measure gaseous and particulate emissions.
• Assessment of the use of additives to affect/optimise combustion behaviour.
• Classification of the lignin pellets according to regulatory approval requirements.

Gebrüder Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH

• Formulation of a process for preparing lignin and for manufacturing agglomerates which are easy to handle and have a wide range of applications.
• Use of the pilot plant’s mixing and agglomeration equipment to optimise the mixing and agglomerates (agglomerate size and distribution, consistency and abrasion resistance, optimisation and type of the addition of additives).
• Construction and operation of a demonstration plant.

Focus

BTU & DBFZ

• Production of bioagglomerates based on lignin using spent liquors containing lignin from the paper and cellulose industry, 
• development of a process for manufacturing bioagglomerates that can be implemented on an industrial scale, 
• setting of specified properties of bioagglomerates dependent on use and utilisation variants, 
• development of a demonstration plant with the aim of implementing it on an industrial scale and 
• tests on thermal utilisation (combustion and emission behaviour)

Gebrüder Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH

• Determination of the physical and chemical properties of lignin.
• Optimisation of mixing and agglomeration.
• Combustion tests with lignin agglomerates.
• Construction and operation of a demonstration plant.