Yan Yu presented departmental PhD thesis exam

On May 10, 2022, Yan Yu, a PhD candidate of BBRG group defended her PhD thesis in her department exam. The title of her thesis is “Hydrothermal Pretreatments to Make Durable Pellets from Herbaceous Biomass”.

Summary of Yan Yu’s Ph.D. thesis:

Wood pellets have been commercially transported and utilized around the world because of their higher bulk density than other forms of biomass. As global demands for pellets continue Wood pellets have been commercially transported and utilized around the world because of their higher bulk density than other forms of biomass. As global demands for pellets continue to rise, pellet producers face a shortage of affordable wood sources. The Canadian Prairies are abundant in agricultural (ag) residues, accounting for 90% of lignocellulosic agricultural residues. Corn stover is the major biomass grown in Ontario and Quebec. In spite of the abundance of ag residues, Canada has not yet developed a commercially viable ag pellet supply chain. This research assessed the potential of adapting hydrothermal pretreatment of biomass using low-temperature steam. The proposed pretreatment approach improved the mechanical properties of the pellet, increasing heating value and water resistance ability and enhancing the pyrolysis and combustion properties of ag pellets.