Reducción de las emisiones de gases contaminantes en el proceso de carbonización de madera proveniente de 5 especies de reforestación de Costa Rica

There is a marked interest in seeking processes to reduce greenhouse gases and the reduction of
pollutants within cities, thus industrial companies seek to produce raw materials in a more
sustainable way, thus evidencing a contribution to the objectives of the National Strategy for
Bioeconomy Costa Rica 2020-2030, specifically in affordable and non-polluting energy (Obj 7),
climate action (Obj 13) and responsible production and consumption (Obj 12). In Costa Rica it is
common for carbonization processes to be installed close to towns, however, problems are reported
for presenting high emissions (smoke) during almost the entire year due to the fact that production
is annual. Although coal has a connotation of energy use, it is currently used for many purposes,
such as soil remediation and contaminant adsorbent. In addition to this, charcoal is characterized
by producing wood charcoal from natural forest residues, which is an increasingly limited source.
For these reasons, the present study aims to reduce the emissions of polluting gases from the
carbonization process by establishing the optimal conditions for the carbonization of 5 species of
forest plantations (Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Hieronyma alchorneoides, Cupressus
lusitanica and Dipteryx panamensis) and the design of a 2 m3
industrial reactor where the pyrolytic
gases from carbonization are used, instead of emitting them directly into the atmosphere, thus
achieving the objective of reducing atmospheric pollution associated with the process. In the first
stage, the evaluation of the optimal experimental carbonization conditions will be carried out, in
which the yield in coal production and the physical-chemical characteristics (density, hardness,
moisture content, calorific power, ashes and volatiles, and chemical components) will be
determined. by elemental analysis of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen content and by
FT-IT and thermogravimetry analysis) of the carbon produced from the 5 fast-growing species of
wood used for reforestation in Costa Rica. In the second stage, considering the results of the first
stage (determination of carbonization conditions), a low-cost semi-industrial carbonization reactor
will be built, with a capacity of 2 m3, where pyrolytic gases are used to drive the carbonization
process, minimizing the gases emitted into the environment. This reactor will consist of 3 chambers,
which will operate in a cyclical mode, which will allow the reactor to operate autonomously,
continuously and indefinitely, optimizing energy efficiency, performance, emissions, work and time.
In this stage, the quality of the coal produced will be evaluated again considering the parameters
that were determined in the first stage

Disminuir las emisiones de gases contaminantes del proceso de carbonización por el establecimiento de las condiciones óptimas para
la carbonización de 5 especies de plantaciones forestales (Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Hieronyma alchorneoides, Cupressus lusitanica y Dipteryx
panamensis) y el diseño de un reactor industrial de 2 m3 donde son reutilizados y condensados las emisiones provenientes de la carbonización

La propuesta se enmarca dentro de la línea de investigación 3 de la Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal: Tecnología de
productos forestales, biomasa y bioenergía y en la Escuela de Química en la línea de investigación 1. Soluciones
Químicas para el desarrollo y 2. Soluciones de ingeniería ambiental para el desarrollo.