To optimize wood-fired
heat (and power) plants, it is
essential
to rapidly determine the chemical composition of solid biofuels on-site
shortly before combustion. However, the standard procedures for chemical
analysis [inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry
(ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry] are time-consuming,
expensive and require highly trained personnel. Thus, they are unsuitable
for online fuel analysis. Newly developed, rapid, on-site analysis
methods might enhance analysis at the plant. Thereby, X-ray fluorescence
(XRF) analysis is one of the most promising methods. So far, XRF has
been evaluated in various fields like geology, coal, ash analysis,
as well as biomass in general, but this method is still insufficiently
investigated for the sector of solid biofuels. The aim of this work
is to evaluate and optimize an XRF analyzer for the rapid determination
of chemical elements in wood fuels. The XRF analyzer was calibrated
using several wood chip samples. Measurements before and after calibration
were compared with the reference method (ICP-OES). Results show that
XRF can be recommended for analyzing the elements Mg, P, K, Ca, Si,
Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb, while S, Cl, Ti and Ni can potentially
be determined with element-specific calibrations. Cu, As, and Cd could
not be measured satisfactorily, as many measurements were below the
limit of detection. Still, XRF might be used for threshold value monitoring
(e.g., in the scope of the German Waste Wood Ordinance).