Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Thermogravimetric and Calorimetric Characteristics of Alternative Fuel in Terms of Its Use in Low-Temperature Pyrolysis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Waste and Biomass Valorization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the refuse derived fuel (RDF) utilization methods is low temperature pyrolysis. However, the high heterogeneity of RDF and the fact that its various components may influence on the degradation of other components causes difficulties with proper energy balance of the process. Determination of the energy balance could be performed with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Those methods allows the identification of kinetics of organic matter degradation in thermal processes, the calculation of activation energy, and energy demand/release during organic matter transformations. TGA and DSC were used to examine the potential of using RDF in low temperature pyrolysis. TGA analysis shows that main organic matter decomposition in RDF occurs at temperature range between 400 and 600 °C. This temperature range is typical for plastics decomposition, as plastics are a main component of alternative fuel derived from municipal solid waste. For the analyzed RDF samples activation energy within the 400–600 °C temperature range was at the level of 25.5 kJ mol−1. The four distinctive specific heat changes in the tested RDF material were observed, which means, four specific materials groups were decomposed. Four of this reaction were endothermal, and one was exothermal. The whole process is endothermic. The energy demand for transformations is − 63.62 J g−1. The results also shown that RDF low temperature pyrolysis product’s lower calorific value was at the level of 7.55 MJ kg−1, thus pyrolysis should not be considered as a pretreatment method for preparing CRDF for energy reuse.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. PN-EN 15375:2011 Standard. Secondary solid fuels—terminology, definitions and terms

  2. Winkel, R., Hamelinck, C., Bardout, M., Bucquet, C., Ping, S., Cuijpers, M., Artuso, D., Bonafede, S.: Alternative fuels and infrastructure in seven non-EU markets—final report. Brussels, Belgium (2016)

  3. Regulation of the Ministry of the Environment, 27 Sept 2001 on the waste catalog

  4. PN-EN 15359:2012 Standard. Secondary solid fuels—technical requirements and classes

  5. Dalai, A.K., Batta, N., Eswaramoorthi, I., Schoenau, G.J.: Gasification of refuse derived fuel in a fixed bed reactor for syngas production. Waste Manag. (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2008.02.009

    Google Scholar 

  6. Nowak, M., Szul, M.: Possibilities for application of alternative fuels in Poland. Arch. Waste Manag. Environ. Prot. 18, 33–44 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ulewicz, M., Maciejewski, P.: Ekologiczne korzyści ze spalania paliw alternatywnych (Application of alternative fuels—ecological benefits). Zeszyty naukowe WSOWL 2, 384–392 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Velis, C.A., Longhurst, P.J., Drew, G.H., Smith, R., Pollard, S.J.T.: Production and quality assurance of solid recovered fuels using mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of waste: a comprehensive assessment. Crit. Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol. (2010). https://doi.org/10.1080/10643380802586980

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kraszewski, A.: Rynek paliw alternatywnych wytwarzanych na potrzeby przemysłu cementowego w Polsce (The market for alternative fuels produced for the needs of the cement industry in Poland). 11 Seminarium Co-processing paliw alternatywnych w cementowniach. Kraków. (2015)

  10. Radzięciak, T.: 20 lat co-processingu paliw alternatywnych w cementowniach w Polsce (20 years co-processing of alternative fuels in cement plants in Poland.). 11 Seminarium Co-processing paliw alternatywnych w cementowniach. (11 Seminar Co-processing of alternative fuels in cement). Kraków. (2015)

  11. Buah, W.K., Cunliffe, A.M., Williams, P.T.: Characterization of products from the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste. Process Saf. Environ. Prot. (2007). https://doi.org/10.1205/psep07024

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ansah, E., Wang, L., Shahbazi, A.: Thermogravimetric and calorimetric characteristics during co-pyrolysis of municipal solid waste components. Waste Manag. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.06.015

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ahn, S.Y., Eom, S.Y., Rhie, Y.H., Sung, Y.M., Moon, C.E.: Application of refuse fuels in a direct carbon fuel cell system. Energy (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2012.12.025

    Google Scholar 

  14. Velghe, I., Carleer, R., Yperman, J., Schreurs, S.: Study of the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste for the production of valuable products. J Anal Appl. Pyrol. (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2011.07.011

    Google Scholar 

  15. Nowak, M., Cichy, B.: Szerokie spektrum możliwości analizy termicznej w badaniach i przemyśle (Broad spectrum of thermal analysis capabilities in research and industry). Chemik 68, 216–223 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Carrier, M., Loppinet-Serani, A., Denux, D., Lasnier, J.M., Ham-Pichavant, F., Cansell, F., Aymonier, C.: Thermogravimetric analysis as a new method to determine the lignocellulosic composition of biomass. Biomass Bioenergy (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.08.067

    Google Scholar 

  17. Edo, M., Budarin, V., Aracil, I., Persson, P., Jansson, S.: The combined effect of plastics and food waste accelerates the thermal decomposition of refuse-derived fuels and fuel blends. Fuel (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.04.062

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cozzani, V., Petarca, L., Tognotti, L.: Devolatilization and pyrolysis of refuse derived fuels: characterization and kinetic modelling by a thermogravimetric and calorimetric approach. Fuel (1995). https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-2361(94)00018-M

    Google Scholar 

  19. Malinowski, M., Wolny-Koładka, K.: Badanie procesu samonagrzewania się paliwa alternatywnego wytworzonego ze zmieszanych odpadów komunalnych (Investigation of the self-heating process of an alternative fuel derived from municipal solid waste). Proc. Ecopole (2015). https://doi.org/10.2429/proc.2015.9(1)034

    Google Scholar 

  20. Białowiec, A., Pulka, J., Stępień, P., Manczarski, P., Gołaszewski, J.: The RDF/SRF torrefaction: An effect of temperature on characterization of the product—carbonized refuse derived fuel. Waste Manag. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.09.020

    Google Scholar 

  21. Madanayake, B.N., Gan, S., Eastwick, C., Ng, H.K.: Thermochemical and structural changes in Jatropha curcas seed cake during torrefaction for its use as coal co-firing feedstock. Energy (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.01.097

    Google Scholar 

  22. PN-EN 14346:2011 Standard. Waste characteristics. Calculation of dry mass on the basis of dry residue or water content

  23. PN-EN 15169:2011 Standard. Waste characteristics. Determination of organic matter content for waste, slurry and sludge

  24. PN-Z-15008-04:1993 Standard. Municipal solid waste. Analysis of combustible and non-combustible content

  25. PN-G-04516:1998 Standard. Solid fuels. Determination of volatile content by means of the gravimetric method

  26. PN-G-04513:1981 Standard. Solid fuels. Determination of the higher heating value and the lower heating value

  27. Kluska, J., Klein, M., Kazimierski, P., Kardaś, D.: Pyrolysis of biomass and refuse derived fuel performance in laboratory scale batch reactor. Arch. Thermodyn. (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/aoter-2014-0009

    Google Scholar 

  28. Bates, R.B., Ghoniem, A.F.: Biomass torrefaction: modeling of reaction thermochemistry. Bioresour. Technol. (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.158

    Google Scholar 

  29. Soria-Verdugo, A., Goos, E., Gorcia-Hernando, N.: Effect of the number of TGA curves employed on the biomass pyrolysis kinetics results obtained using the distributed activation energy model. Fuel Process. Technol. (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2015.02.018

    Google Scholar 

  30. Marcus, S.M., Blaine, R.L.: Thermal conductivity of polymers, glasses & ceramics by modulated DSC. Thermochim. Acta (1994). https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-6031(94)85058-5

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rostek, E., Biernat, K.: Thermogravimetric biomas-to-liquid processes. J. Kones Powertrain Transp. 18, 377–383 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Seo, M.W., Kim, S.D., Lee, S.H., Lee, J.G.: Pyrolysis characteristics of coal and RDF blends in non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2010.03.010

    Google Scholar 

  33. Singh, S., Wu, Ch, Williams, P.T.: Pyrolysis of waste materials using TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR as complementary characterization techniques. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2011.11.011

    Google Scholar 

  34. Robinson, T., Bronson, B., Gogolek, P., Mehrani, P.: Sample preparation for thermo-gravimetric determination and thermo-gravimetric characterization of refuse derived fuel. Waste Manag. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.018

    Google Scholar 

  35. Çepolioğullar, Ö, Haykiri-Açma, H., Yaman, S.: Kinetic modeling of RDF pyrolysis: Model-fitting and model-free approaches. Waste Manag. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.027

    Google Scholar 

  36. Mizerski, W.: Tablice chemiczne wydanie drugie (Chemical tables second edition), Adamantan, Warszawa, (1997), pp. 38–39

    Google Scholar 

  37. Kordylewski, W., Bulewicz, E., Dyjakon, A., Hardy, T., Słupek, S., Miller, R., Wanik, A.: Spalanie i paliwa (Combustion and fuels). OWP, Wrocław, (2005), pp. 285–300

    Google Scholar 

  38. Jaworski, T.: Problematyka modelowania matematycznego procesów termicznego przekształcania odpadów stałych (The problem of mathematical modeling of processes solid waste incineration). Piece Przemysłowe i Kotły 1, 8–14 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Grammelis, P., Basisnas, P., Malliopoulou, A., Sakellaropoulos, G.: Pyrolysis kinetics and combustion characteristics of waste recovered fuels. Fuel (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2008.02.002

    Google Scholar 

  40. Glazoff, M.V.: Process stety review: molten salt pyrolysis of oil residue for energy industry, A Computational Thermodynamics Perspective. Technical Report. (2012)

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research is funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (2015–2019) under the Diamond Grant program nr. 0077/DIA/2015/14.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37/41 Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630, Wroclaw, Poland

    Paweł Stępień, Jakub Pulka, Małgorzata Serowik & Andrzej Białowiec

Authors
  1. Paweł Stępień
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jakub Pulka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Małgorzata Serowik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andrzej Białowiec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jakub Pulka.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Stępień, P., Pulka, J., Serowik, M. et al. Thermogravimetric and Calorimetric Characteristics of Alternative Fuel in Terms of Its Use in Low-Temperature Pyrolysis. Waste Biomass Valor 10, 1669–1677 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-0169-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-0169-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation