It represents the quantity of water inside the sample, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the material. The moisture content (MCwb) referred to wet basis is expressed as the ratio between water content and the weight of biomass (obtained as the sum of the components: water, ashes, dry and ash free matter):

Moisture on dry basis (MCdb) is expressed as the ratio between the weight of water contained in biomass and the weight of ashes plus the weight of dry matter without ashes:

Moisture on dry and ash-free basis (MCdafb) is expressed as the ratio between the weight of the water contained in biomass and the weight of dry matter without ashes:

mH2O i™mH2O,, ,,,

MCdafb = 100————— 2———- = 100—— (5.3)

mb mH2O mash mdafb

Moisture on wet basis is calculated as a variation in mass between the sample as received and the oven dried sample at a temperature equal to 105 ± 2°C till the weight variation becomes negligible.