基于分子动力学模拟的生物质热压成型机理

Hot-processing densification mechanism of biomass based on molecular dynamics simulation

  • 摘要: “双碳”背景下,生物质因其低污染、低碳排等优点而备受关注。生物质热压成型技术通过制备机械性能强和能量密度高的成型颗粒可克服生物质能量密度低、结构松散等缺陷而提高其利用价值。以生物质三组分(纤维素、半纤维素和木质素)为研究对象,进行了不同比例掺混下的单/双/三组分热压成型试验,利用电子万能材料试验机分析了不同成型颗粒的机械性能,并在此基础上对生物质双/三组分热压成型过程进行了分子动力学模拟,探究了生物质在热压成型过程中的微观变化和组分间的作用机制。结果表明:向纤维素中掺入不同比例的半纤维素或木质素,成型颗粒的抗压强度最高可提升至15.04 MPa(纤维素−半纤维素质量比为8∶2)。半纤维素和木质素掺混成型颗粒的机械性能最高仅为2.89 MPa(半纤维素−木质素质量比为5∶5)。在双组分掺混模拟过程中,均方位移(Mean Square Displacement, MSD)值随着致密化程度的增加而上升。库仑静电力在热压成型过程中起着主导作用,有利于提高成型颗粒的结合性能,但随着致密化程度的增加,范德华力的排斥效应越明显。纤维素−半纤维素掺混模型的氢键基数最大且数目增加最多,纤维素−木质素氢键数目及增长趋势不及前者,半纤维素−木质素氢键数目波动较大且增长不明显。对于三组分掺混试验,纤维素、半纤维素和木质素的最佳配比约为7∶2∶1,制得成型颗粒的最佳抗压强度为16.02 MPa,最佳配比下成型颗粒的径向分布函数(Radial Distribution Function, RDF)值、氢键数量、范德华力和库仑静电力的性能均优于C8(纤维素−半纤维素−木质素质量比为8∶1∶1),但最佳配比成型颗粒的高致密化程度导致范德华斥力效应增强,阻碍了分子间作用力的进一步提高。

     

    Abstract: In the context of the “dual carbon” goals, biomass has attracted significant attention due to its advantages of low pollution and low carbon emissions. The hot-processing densification technology has been employed to enhance the mechanical properties and energy density of the molded biomass pellets to overcome the limitations of biomass, including low energy density and loose structure. The hot-processing densification experiments of the single, binary, and ternary biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) were conducted and the mechanical properties of the resulted pellets were analyzed using an electronic universal material testing machine. Meanwhile, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the microscopic evolutions and interaction mechanisms among the biomass components during the hot-processing densification process. The results show that the addition proportions of hemicellulose or lignin into cellulose can increase the compressive strength of the molded pellets up to the maximum value of 15.04 MPa with the mass ratio of cellulose to hemicellulose of 8∶2. The mechanical properties of the pellets made from the hemicellulose-lignin mixtures were low and the maximum strength of the hemicellulose-lignin mixture with the mass ratio of 5∶5 reaches only 2.89 MPa. In the binary blending simulation, the Mean Square Displacement (MSD) value was observed to increase as the densification degree increased. Coulombic electrostatic forces play a dominant role during the densification process and contribute to the increasing bonding performance of the molded pellets. However, as the densification degree increased to some degree, the repulsion caused by van der Waals forces became more pronounced. The cellulose-hemicellulose blending model exhibited the highest number and greatest increase in hydrogen bonds, while the cellulose-lignin blend showed fewer hydrogen bonds and a slower growth trend. The hemicellulose-lignin blend exhibited more fluctuating trend in the hydrogen bond count with less growth. For the ternary blend experiment, the optimal ratio of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin was determined as 7∶2∶1, with the best compressive strength of 16.02 MPa. The Radial Distribution Function (RDF) value, hydrogen bond quantity, van der Waals forces, and Coulombic electrostatic forces at the optimal ratio outperformed those of the C8 blend with the cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin mass ratio of 8∶1∶1. However, the high densification degree of the optimal blending ratio results in the increasing repulsive effect caused by van der Waals forces, which hinders further increase in the intermolecular forces.

     

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