Impact of Hot Water Extraction on the Compaction Efficiency and Material Properties of in Pellet Production.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of material modification by hot water extraction (HWE) on the compaction efficiency of shredded stalks in the pellet production process. Samples were prepared to differ in the number of HWE cycles: HWE I was subjected to a single cycle, HWE II was subjected to two cycles, and HWE III was subjected to three cycles and unmodified material. An analysis of the compaction process was carried out to evaluate the effect of HWE on density and energy consumption. In this study, HWE pre-treatment was applied to improve biomass compaction efficiency and material properties, improving biofuel production's sustainability and efficiency. A small change was found in glucose and xylose content, suggesting that HWE slightly affects these sugars. It was found that HWE significantly increased the density of compacted biomass, with a peak density of 388.7 kg·m after the first HWE cycle. Ash content was reduced by 50% after one HWE cycle, making the biomass more suitable for biofuel applications. Furthermore, pretreatment with HWE reduced energy consumption during compaction, enhancing process efficiency. This study highlights the role of hot water extraction (HWE) in improving miscanthus compaction, enhancing density, reducing ash, and lowering energy use.