Estudio del efecto de la temperatura en la carbonización hidrotermal de la pulpa del café arábigo

Abstract

This research focused on the evaluation of the hydrothermal carbonization process applied to Arabica coffee pulp, with the aim of analyzing its viability as a sustainable solid fuel. The development methodology of this research consisted of the initial formulation of the experimental design, where temperature was varied as a fundamental parameter, and variables such as residence times and a water-biomass ratio were kept constant, determined experimentally, in order to determine the influence of temperature during the process and how this is reflected in the properties of the obtained hydrochar. For this process, samples of coffee pulp were prepared and subjected to a cleaning process; these samples were then processed in a pressurized reactor under controlled conditions between 180 °C to 260 °C at autogenous pressure. The methodological process was fundamentally divided into three main phases: the preparation of the raw material, configuration and operation of the reactor, and the separation of the generated products. Subsequent analyses included the characterization of the hydrochar and the raw material through proximate analysis, and tests for energy density and higher heating value (HHV). From the obtained results, it can be inferred that an increase in temperature reduces the mass yield of the char but improves the fixed carbon content and significantly raises the higher heating value (HHV). At higher temperatures, a lower volatile material content was also observed, which favors its use in energy applications. The research concludes that hydrothermal carbonization is a promising technology for assigning value to coffee waste such as pulp, producing hydrochar with potential applications for environmental remediation, making it a sustainable energy source.