Reactivity in Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide of Char Formed in the Pyrolysis of Refuse-Derived Fuel

Abstract

The reactivity in oxygen and carbon dioxide of chars obtained from the pyrolysis of a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) was investigated. RDF chars were obtained in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor at low heating rates (60 °C/min) and temperatures between 500 and 800 °C. The heterogeneous gasification kinetics of the chars were studied using thermogravimetric methods and were compared to data available in the literature. The RDF chars were found to have a reactivity quite similar to that of chars obtained from municipal solid wastes and wood, but higher than that of graphite of about 5 orders of magnitude in oxygen. Raising the final temperature of the pyrolysis process from 500 to 800 °C resulted in the decrease of the H/C ratio and in a significantly lower reactivity in oxygen of the char.