[ Bioenergy ]
[ Bioenergy ]
French Régiolis Class train using 100 % biodiesel ( B100 ). By Florian Pépellin - Own work , CC BY-SA 4.0 , https :// commons . wikimedia . org / w / index . php ? curid = 81762569
Materials The various processes used in biomass treatment use the whole gamut of stainless steels and nickel alloys . Most corrosive conditions in the fabrication of biofuels process are covered by 304 ( L ) and 316 ( L ). Lean duplex grades ( 2101 , 2003 , 2304 ) have also been applied in biomass treatment plants . One US facility used 2101
on all its storage and fermentation tanks , instead of the traditional 304L . For severe corrosion , stronger grades are required , and the high-temperature applications in the ethanol process require special stainless grades of Ni alloys . The pre-treatment phase in ethanol processing is especially corrosive , requiring duplex ( 2205 ), superduplex ( 2507 ) and superaustenitic grades , Ni alloy C-276 and alloys 317 ( L ). Likewise , biodiesel plants require duplex and superduplex grades for pretreatment systems and other stages . Recently Ampo Service supplied 15 pressure seal design gate valves in Inconel 625 and WC6 to La Rabida Energy Park in Andalusia , Spain , where CEPSA produces biodiesel from used cooking oils .
Pros and cons
Bioenergy is a somewhat controversial industry . Is it worth supporting , given recent advances in wind , solar , storage and green hydrogen ? Using wood as a biomass can lead to deforestation , meaning less absorption of CO 2 . The land taken up by growing biomass is competitive with food production . The potential for abuse is considerable : subsidies granted for forest residues have been used to cut down whole trees ( 2 ) . Traditional burning of biomass to produce heat , as practiced in poor countries , is polluting and harmful to health . But modern bioenergy production , with proper safeguards and using advanced technology such as carbon capture and scrubbing to reduce emissions , has its place in the circular economy . It is only logical to recycle landfill gas , to prevent it seeping into the atmosphere , or to recycle residues and waste to create biofuels .
A biogas facility . Photo : Weltec Biopower .
www . stainless-steel-world . net Stainless Steel World September 2023 57