Co-pyrolysis kinetics of sewage sludge and oil shale thermal decomposition using TGA–FTIR analysis

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2016-06, Vol.118, p.345-352
• Main Authors: Lin, Yan, Liao, Yanfen, Yu, Zhaosheng, Fang, Shiwen, Lin, Yousheng, Fan, Yunlong, Peng, Xiaowei, Ma, Xiaoqian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Blends; Co-pyrolysis; Conversion; Hydrocarbons; Kinetics; Oil shale; Operating systems; Pyrolysis; Sewage sludge; TGA–FTIR analysis
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2016.04.004

•TGA–FTIR system was equipped for the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and oil shale.•Activation energy was calculated by Kissinger–Akhira–Sunose and Starink methods.•The co-pyrolysis characteristic parameters were researched. TGA–FTIR system was equipped under N2 for the kinetics behavior characteristics of sewage sludge (SS) and oil shale (OS) blends during co-pyrolysis. The SS was blended with OS in the range of 10–90wt.%, and then heated from 105°C to 1000°C at 10, 20 and 30°C/min under N2 atmosphere with a flow rate of 80ml/min. Two model-free methods, Kissinger–Akhira–Sunose (KAS) method and Starink method, were used to study their co-pyrolysis kinetics. There existed promoting effects on the degradation of oil shale during co-pyrolysis. The absorption of hydrocarbon became stronger with adding 10% SS. The best proportion of SS was selected as 10% due to better pyrolysis performance of OS and lower apparent activation energy (253.6kJ/mol obtained by Starink, 253.3kJ/mol obtained by KAS). The results afford a theoretical groundwork for the co-pyrolysis technology of SS and OS and the development of their thermochemical conversion systems.