Study on fusion characteristics of biomass ash

The ash fusion characteristics (AFC) of Capsicum stalks ashes, cotton stalks ashes and wheat stalks ashes that all prepared by ashing at 400°C, 600°C and 815°C are consistent after 860°C, 990°C and 840°C, respectively in the ash fusion temperature test and TG. Initial deformation temperature (IDT) increases with decreased K₂O and went up with increased MgO, CaO, Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃. Softening temperature (ST), hemispherical temperature (HT) and fluid temperature (FT) do not affected by the concentrations of each element and the ashing temperature obviously. Therefore, the IDT may be as an evaluation index of biomass AFC rather than the ST used as an evaluation index of coal AFC. XRD shows that no matter what the ashing temperature is, the biomass ashes contain same high-temperature molten material. Therefore, evaluation of the biomass AFC should not be simply on the proportion of elements except IDT, but the high-temperature molten material in biomass ash.