Co-Pyrolysis of Biomass with Bituminous Coal in a Fixed-Bed Reactor for Biofuel and Bioreducing Agents Production

Lina Kieush (), Andrii Koveria, Peter Sommersacher, Stefan Retschitzegger and Norbert Kienzl
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Lina Kieush: K1-MET GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Andrii Koveria: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Dnipro University of Technology, 49005 Dnipro, Ukraine
Peter Sommersacher: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria
Stefan Retschitzegger: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria
Norbert Kienzl: BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-23

Abstract: In this paper, the interaction between caking bituminous coal (HC) and two types of biomass, namely sunflower husks (SFHs) and walnut shells (WSs), was studied via lab-scale fixed-bed reactor experiments and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The dynamics of volatile matter composition and weight loss changes were analyzed for the initial biomass types and their 1:1 blends with HC during co-pyrolysis. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) revealed that during the co-pyrolysis of HC with biomass, the number of reaction stages increased to four, compared to three during individual pyrolysis, indicating synergistic thermal behavior. The apparent activation energy (E a ) of the blends was higher (62.8 kJ/mol for SFH/HC and 61.8 kJ/mol for WS/HC) than that of the individual HC (55.1 kJ/mol), SFHs (43.8 kJ/mol), and WSs (52.4 kJ/mol), confirming intensified reaction complexity. Co-pyrolysis resulted in higher methane (CH 4 ) production, with the CH 4 :HAc (acetic acid) ratio increasing from 1.2 (WSs) and 1.7 (SFHs) to 1.9 (WS/HC) and 3.3 (SFH/HC). The non-additive behavior of blends is established, indicating the interactions between biomass and HC during co-pyrolysis. These findings support a more resilient and sustainable approach to producing fuels and reducing agents, particularly through the utilization of agricultural residues and waste biomass.

Keywords: biomass; co-pyrolysis; fixed-bed reactor; sunflower husks; walnut shells; sustainable production of fuel and reducing agents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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