Upgrading of biomass materials as energy sources: Liquefaction of mosses from Turkey

Air-dried and ground moss samples were subjected to supercritical and catal ytic fluid extractions by using water, acetone, glycerol, or benzene as sol vent at different temperatures in noncatalytic runs. Ground moss samples we re suspended in water containing sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate cata lysts at 575 K in a 0.1-liter autoclave. Yields of 71.7-79.8 % were obtaine d by catalytic liquefaction of the samples. The proximate analysis data and the higher heating values (HHV) of the samples were determined. The HHV as MJ/kg of the moss samples as a function of fixed carbon (FC) were calculat ed from the following equation: HHV = 0.322(FC%) + 10.742 The correlation coefficient was 0.999. The calorific values calculated from the above equation showed a mean difference of -0.78%.