Physicochemical Properties and Low-Temperature Sulfur Fixation Patterns of Fly Ash from a Biomass Power Plant

Jun Zhang, Peng Zhang, Jie Zhou, Bo Zhao, Ansheng Wei and Liqiang Zhang ()
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Jun Zhang: Huaneng Jiaxiang Power Generation Co., Ltd., Jining 272059, China
Peng Zhang: Huaneng Jiaxiang Power Generation Co., Ltd., Jining 272059, China
Jie Zhou: Huaneng Jiaxiang Power Generation Co., Ltd., Jining 272059, China
Bo Zhao: Huaneng Jiaxiang Power Generation Co., Ltd., Jining 272059, China
Ansheng Wei: National Engineering Laboratory for Reducing Emissions from Coal Combustion, Engineering Research Center of Environmental Thermal Technology of Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Green Thermal Power and Carbon Reduction, School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Liqiang Zhang: National Engineering Laboratory for Reducing Emissions from Coal Combustion, Engineering Research Center of Environmental Thermal Technology of Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Green Thermal Power and Carbon Reduction, School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Biomass power plants generate a vast amount of biomass ash (BA) and release sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and other pollutants. In this study, a new idea of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) using BA was proposed for biomass power plants. The physicochemical properties, surface morphology, and microstructure of fly ash generated by a typical biomass power plant in the Shandong area of China were characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results indicated that the BA contained alkaline-providing metal oxides, including alkali metal oxides (K 2 O at 7.57% and Na 2 O at 1.47%) and alkaline earth metal oxides (CaO at 10.52% and MgO at 4.52%). SiO 2 constituted the primary crystalline phase, while KCl, CaCO 3 , and CaSiO 3 phases were also identified. BA has diverse morphological characteristics, including irregular angular/acicular, spherical, and flocculent-shaped particles, among which the flocculent-shaped particles were mainly the calcium oxide (CaO)-containing composite of alkaline earth metal oxides and quartz. The potential of BA to absorb SO 2 is attributable to CaO and other alkaline substances. The desulfurization experiment indicated that humidified BA allows for an effective FGD process that generates flaky crystalline solids of calcium sulfate (CaSO 4 ). Therefore, this method utilizes the alkalinity of BA for FGD in biomass power plants.

Keywords: biomass ash; alkaline earth metal oxides; flue gas desulfurization (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: 2025
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