Combustion characteristics of co-combusted municipal solid wastes and sewage sludge
Limei Chen, Yanfen Liao, Yuqing Xia, Xiaoqian Ma
Abstract
Incineration is an effective way to manage and utilize sewage sludge (SS). In this study, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy were used to study the characteristics of co-combusted municipal solid wastes (MSW) and SS, as well as the pollutant emission characteristics. Positive interaction was found in the co-combustion. Combustion characteristic index increased from 1.71 × 10−6 min−2°C−3 to 1.73 × 10−6 min−2°C−3 when the mass fraction of SS increased from 0% to 10%. Activation energy decreased as the proportion of sludge increased. Activation energy of the main reaction stage of MSW and SS was 321.12 KJ/mol and 63.15 KJ/mol, respectively. The emission of HCl and NO decreased during co-combustion. Considering combustion intensity, activation energy, and pollutant emission, 10% SS was the optimal blend. CaCO3, CaO, Ca(OH)2, or natural limestone decreased the emission of HCl and NO, and decreased the activation energy in the first stage but increased it in the second stage.