Avaliação dos efeitos sinérgicos na biossecagem conjunta das biomassas de laranja e cana-de açúcar

Abstract

Biodrying is a promising alternative for moisture removal from organic waste with high water content, enabling the intensification of drying processes and the energy valorization of agro-industrial residues. Among these wastes, orange peel and sugarcane bagasse stand out due to their high availability in Brazil and their potential for use in thermal treatment systems. Although the biodrying of these materials has been individually investigated, there is a gap in understanding the effects of mixing different biomasses on process performance. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of the joint biodrying of these two biomasses by analyzing temperature variations within the system and the efficiency of water removal. Three experimental conditions were assessed: pure biomass (100% orange peel and 100% sugarcane bagasse), a mixture with 75% sugarcane bagasse and 25% orange peel, and a mixture containing 50% of each biomass on a mass basis. The hypothesis is that the combination of distinct physicochemical properties of the residues may promote the formation of a more porous and well-oxygenated bed, enhancing microbial activity and, consequently, the generation of metabolic heat responsible for drying. The investigation contributed to the development of more efficient strategies for the utilization of organic waste in thermal processes. The combined biodrying process highlighted the influence of the proportion of different biomasses on process efficiency parameters. A higher presence of sugarcane biomass improved bed porosity, promoting greater airflow percolation and the removal of 2.2 kg of water from the bed. However, a larger amount of orange biomass provided a greater supply of nutrients for the microbiota present in the organic matter analyzed, resulting in the maintenance of high temperatures throughout the entire operation period. Nevertheless, even with prolonged elevated temperatures, the experiment conducted with equal proportions of biomasses showed lower moisture removal.