Study on Steam Co-Gasification of Waste Tire Char and Sewage Sludge

Grzegorz Czerski (), Katarzyna Śpiewak, Dorota Makowska and Barbora Grycova
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Grzegorz Czerski: Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Katarzyna Śpiewak: Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Dorota Makowska: Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Barbora Grycova: Institute of Environmental Technology, CEET, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: The large and growing volume of tire waste and sewage sludge requires disposal, for which thermochemical processes such as gasification can be used. Co-gasification of these two waste products allows the tire char to be used as a charge stabilizer and the sewage sludge to improve reactivity and efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the composition of a waste tire char and sewage sludge fuel blend on the gasification process, using steam as the gasification agent. Tests were carried out for tire char, municipal sewage sludge, and blends of the two in ratios of 90:10 and 67:33. An analysis of the materials used was carried out (ultimate and proximate analysis as well as ash composition), and isothermal measurements of steam gasification were taken using the thermal volumetric method for temperatures of 800, 850, and 900 °C at an elevated pressure of 1 MPa. On the basis of the results, the formation curves of the main gasification products (H 2 , CO, CO 2 , and CH 4 ) were created, the curves for the degree of carbon conversion were plotted, the reactivity indexes were determined for different degrees of conversion (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75), and the quantity and composition of the resulting gas were analyzed. Using the grain model, the kinetic parameters (activation energy and pre-exponential factor) of the gasification reaction were calculated. The addition of municipal sewage sludge had a positive effect on the reactivity of tire char and increased the efficiency of gasification, because it contained components that act as catalysts in the gasification process. There was a favorable effect from the addition and higher amount of sewage sludge on lowering both the activation energy (49.5 kJ/mol and 89.2 kJ/mol for 90:10 and 67:33 blends, respectively) and the pre-exponential factor. A significant improvement in reactivity, with a high degree of conversion and the best gas composition, was obtained for a 90:10 blend at 900 °C.

Keywords: waste tires; sewage sludge; steam co-gasification; reactivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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