Biomass Compounded Coal and Anthracite for Tobacco Curing

For curing tobacco, the biomass compounded coal (BCC) and anthracite were compared in Qujing, Yunnan in 2010. Effect of the different materials on burning efficiency, coal refill frequency and fuel consumption, as well as quality of the cured tobacco and curing benefits were examined. The results showed that BCC raised temperature steadily, exhibiting the effect mainly during the color-fixing and drying stages. It could maintain the curing temperature evenly, which was critical mainly during the yellowing at 38℃ and color-fixation at 47℃. But, the coal quantity needed was greater and the requirement for coal refill more frequent than anthracite. The burning efficiency of BCC was 4.0 percent higher than the anthracite. The tobacco cured by using the former retained enough oil and sustained an attractive color. Hence, there was an increased proportion of high quality tobacco with an improved profit margin by 95 yuan/100 kg cured tobacco, which was 9.8 percent higher, of the product cured by using BCC than anthracite. Furthermore, BCC applied the static immersion diffusion combustion mode to complement biomass and coal resulting in a highly efficient combustion. Therefore, BCC could potentially be used as an alternative fuel to replace anthracite for tobacco curing.