Ash Melting Research Articles

Effect of the ash melting on heat and mass characteristics and reaction rate during corn stalk pellet gasification

In order to investigate the effect of ash melting on the gasification process of biomass pellet, a high-temperature visual gasification system was set up, meanwhile, a biomass melting gasification model for a single pellet was built. Considering that the fusion temperature range of ash is from 1418 K to 1558 K, 1396 K (below 1418 K), 1491 K (between 1418 K and 1558 K), 1591 K and 1677 K (above 1558 K) were chosen as the experimental temperatures. Results show that ash melting could absorb heat, thereby resisting the heat transfer inside pellet. When the gasification temperature is higher than 1558 K, as the larger spherical particles caused by ash melting and coalescing peels off from the pellet surface, the pellet covered by melting ash could be directly exposed to the environment, which is conducive to the heat and mass transfer.

Study on Water Wash Pretreatment and Al-Si Additives to Relieve the Sintering Behavior of Fungus Bran Combustion Ash

This study focuses on the sintering phenomenon that easily occurs during the direct combustion of molded fuel made from fungus bran (FB). To investigate the key factors influencing sintering, experiments are designed and conducted using a muffle furnace and a high-temperature drop furnace. The experimental results show that the combustion temperature is the primary factor triggering the sintering phenomenon. To effectively mitigate this issue, this study proposes two improvement strategies: water washing pretreatment and the use of additives. The analysis shows that water washing pretreatment effectively removes K and Mg elements, with the removal rates increasing as the washing temperature and time increase. Specifically, the removal rate of K ranges from 37.68% to 55.91%, and that of Mg ranges from 33.16% to 58.52%. Water washing pretreatment also reduces the degree of sintering; at 1400 °C, the TSF (tendency to slag formation) of the fuel increases by 25–40% after pretreatment, with a greater increases observed at higher washing temperatures and longer durations. Kaolin, used as an additive, significantly raises the ash melting point of FB and alleviates sintering, while P2O5 exacerbates it. Increasing the proportion of kaolin does not significantly enhance the TSF of high-temperature ash, but raising the P2O5 content from 5% to 10% lowers the TSF by 10–20% at the corresponding temperature.

Elevating clean energy through sludge: A comprehensive study of hydrothermal carbonization and co-gasification technologies

This study explores the recycling challenges of industrial sludge, owing to its non-recyclable properties and associated environmental problems. To promote sustainable energy utilization, a novel approach combining hydrothermal carbonization and co-gasification was employed to facilitate the conversion from waste to energy. The industrial sludge was pretreated in the batch-type hydrothermal treatment unit at 180–220 °C, followed by co-gasification. The experimental results indicate that pretreating the sludge at the hydrothermal temperature of 200 °C maximized its thermal decomposition, leading to a rougher structure with obvious cracks, eventually transforming into numerous fragmented small particles. At 1100 °C with a blending mass ratio of 1:1, the sludge hydrochar at 200 °C significantly enhanced the reactivity of coal char, exhibiting the gasification reactivity index R0.9 of 1.57 times higher than that of untreated char. Using the in-situ technique with the heating stage microscope, it was first observed that the addition of pretreated sludge coal chars underwent gasification in the shrinking core mode, displaying a significant ash melt flow phenomenon. Based on the in-situ X-ray diffraction, it was discovered that more amorphous structures were formed by the reaction of Fe with other minerals in the sludge-coal blended char after hydrothermal carbonization at 200 °C. With pretreatment at the hydrothermal temperature of 200 °C, the sludge can increase the specific surface area of the blended char and facilitate the cracking of carbon crystals during co-gasification. Its specific surface area and the Raman spectroscopic ratio ID1/IG were 1.76 and 1.17 times that of coal char, respectively. Collectively, this study highlights the potential for energy recovery from industrial sludge, contributing to sustainable waste management in the chemical industry.

Features of Plasma-Thermal Melting of Ash and Slag from Incineration Plant1

Features of Plasma-Thermal Melting of Ash and Slag from Incineration Plant1

Process exploration for scale melting and solidifying of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by horizontal cyclone melting furnace

This study used the horizontal tubular heating furnace to explore the melting potential of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) incinerator fly ash and mechanical grate furnace (MGF) incinerator fly ash. The horizontal cyclone melting furnace was then built to explore further the feasibility of scale melting of MSWI fly ash. The melting characteristic temperature, amorphous content, and heavy metal leaching concentration characterized the melting potential and solidification effect of MSWI fly ash. The experimental results show that the amorphous content of CFB fly ash after melting is up to 92.37%, and the volatilization rate of heavy metals Zn, Pb, and Ni does not exceed 30%. MGF fly ash exhibits the “sintering into shells” phenomenon during heating, and the leaching concentrations of heavy metals Pb in the sintered products still exceed the standard limits. In addition, the volatilization rates of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni in Slag II are above 50%, and the volatilization rate of Cr reaches 85%. So, slag’s amorphous content also affects heavy metals’ volatilization rate. The MSWI fly ash melting characteristic temperature decreases with the decrease of alkalinity value. When the alkalinity value drops to 0.6, the melting characteristic temperature reaches its lowest value. Mixing 80% CFB fly ash or 50% MGF bottom ash into MGF fly ash can significantly enhance the melting potential to reduce hazardous waste. When using the horizontal cyclone melting furnace to process MSWI fly ash on a large scale, MSWI fly ash achieves an excellent melting effect with an amorphous content of over 93% at the positions of the furnace middle section, inner tail cone, slag discharge outlet, and flue gas outlet. The fly ash particles are in motion in the melting furnace, so the particle size distribution affects the melting effect of MSWI fly ash.

Effect of additives and steam on chlorine transformation during plasma melting of fly ash

Effect of additives and steam on chlorine transformation during plasma melting of fly ash

Energy usage of spruce with waste face masks and spent coffee grounds as fuel in a pellet boiler

It is necessary to reduce dependency on fossil fuels for heating and waste generation, while also utilizing the energy potential of waste materials. One possibility is to create fuel pellets where waste makes up a small proportion so that the properties of the wood are not significantly altered with. This article investigates the energy usage of pellets containing spent coffee grounds (5 % or 10 %) and waste face masks (5 % or 10 %), with spruce sawdust as the primary input material (80 % or 90 %). The elemental, thermogravimetric, calorific value, mechanical durability, emission and performance characteristics, and ash melting temperatures of the pellets were evaluated during the experiment. The results were compared with respect to pure spruce sawdust pellets and the specified limit values for wood pellets in commercial and residential applications as specified in ISO 17225 [18]. Both tested samples met the element content limit (N, S, Cl, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Zn) for the highest quality grade (A1). No significant amounts of harmful elements were detected. The samples also complied with the limits of moisture content, ash content, and net calorific value (also known as lower calorific value). All samples met the emission limits in their respective classes (3, 4, or 5) according to STN EN 303-5+A1 [35]. However, the samples failed to meet the limit values for mechanical durability and ash melting temperatures. Despite this, the manufactured pellet samples represent a suitable fuel product for combustion purposes as a more sustainable thermal energy fuel.

Mitigation mechanisms of ash deposition and adhesion by different coatings on heated surfaces at macro and molecular scales

Research on the mitigation of ash deposition on coals rich in alkali and alkaline earth metals using coatings is limited. Existing research methods, mainly focusing on ash composition and melting characteristics, cannot fully elucidate the key mechanisms underlying ash adhesion properties on various coated surfaces. Therefore, this study explored the mitigation mechanisms of nickel and chromium coatings on ash deposition using a drop tube furnace, custom-made ash adhesion strength tester, and molecular dynamics. The results revealed that nickel and chromium coatings effectively mitigated ash deposition, with a more significant effect at temperature less than 1000 °C. Above 1000 °C, the ash melting led to a significant increase in ash adhesion strength, diminishing the inhibitory effect of coatings. The key minerals, Na2SO4, Ca2MgSi2O7, and Ca2Al2SiO7, mainly physically adsorbed onto the NiO(001) and Cr2O3(001) surfaces. The binding energy of these minerals with NiO(001) and Cr2O3(001) was significantly lower than that on α-Fe2O3(110) surfaces. The α-Fe2O3(110) system was more stable, and minerals readily adhered to the α-Fe2O3(110) surface, whereas none of these minerals readily bound to NiO(001) and Cr2O3(001), maintaining their adhesion state. Consequently, nickel and chromium coatings demonstrated excellent resistance to ash adhesion and deposition, with nickel coatings being more effective.

Experimental investigation on high-temperature co-gasification and melting behavior of petrochemical sludge and bituminous coal in CO2 atmosphere

High-temperature co-gasification of petrochemical sludge (PS) and bituminous coal (BC) can melt heavy metals and fly ash in hazardous waste, decompose dioxins, and generate syngas, which can achieve clean disposal and high value resource utilization of wastes. In this investigation, the high-temperature co-gasification and ash melting experiments of PS mixed with BC were carried out in a high-temperature tube furnace under CO2 atmosphere. The effects of gasification temperature and blending ratios (PS:BC) on co-gasification characteristics and ash melting behavior were investigated. The synergistic effect of co-gasification of PS-BC was examined. The results show that the yield of syngas (CO + H2) was proportional to the temperature and the proportion of BC. As the temperature increased from 1100 °C to 1400 °C, the yield of syngas increased from 1.42 m3/kg to 1.54 m3/kg. At 1300 °C, as the blending ratio of PS:BC shifted from 1:0 to 0:1, the yield of syngas increased significantly from 0.49 m3/kg to 1.88 m3/kg. The most significant synergistic effect of PS-BC co-gasification was the enhanced CO yield. At a blending ratio of 1:1, the synergistic coefficient of CO yield reached a maximum of 1.31. As for the residues, with the increase of temperature and the proportion of BC, the ash melting got promoted. The leaching toxicity of heavy metals in the residues can meet the release standard (GB5805.3–2007), being safe for disposal.

Technology Innovation in Incinerator Fly Ash Sintering and Melting Brings Regional GHG Mitigation and Economic Benefits

Technology Innovation in Incinerator Fly Ash Sintering and Melting Brings Regional GHG Mitigation and Economic Benefits

Melting and Flow Behavior of Coal Ash at High Temperatures Based on SiO2-Al2O3-CaO/Na2O Pseudoternary Phase Diagram.

The entrained-flow gasifier has a better adaptability to various coals. The composition of coal ash is an important factor affecting the high-temperature flow characteristics of molten slag. Based on the SiO2-Al2O3-CaO/Na2O ternary phase diagram, the high-temperature molten flow characteristics of slag located in the main phase regions of feldspar, melilite, diopside, and mullite were investigated by experiments and thermodynamic software calculations. The results indicate that the melting process of ash in the three phase zones is influenced by different factors. It was discovered by infrared spectroscopy analysis that the slag was dominated by Si2O52- ion clusters in the feldspar region. The slag in the diopside region had a slightly higher proportion of simple silicate ion clusters than the slag in the feldspar region, resulting in better fluidity. This is significant for revealing the mechanism of coal ash melting and flowing and guiding industrial coal blending.

Quality assessment of biomass pellets available on the market; example from Poland

This study evaluates the quality of 30 biomass pellets sold for residential use in Poland. It provides data on their physical, chemical, and petrographic properties and compares them to existing standards and the information provided by the fuel producers. The results reveal considerable variations in the quality of the pellets and show that some of the purchased samples are not within the DINplus and/or ENplus certification thresholds. Among all 30 purchased samples, only one passes the quality thresholds set by the PL-US BIO, a newly established quality certification in Poland that combines quality assessment following DINplus with optical microscopy analysis. The primary issues causing a decrease in pellet quality include elevated ash and fines content, compromised mechanical durability, too low ash melting temperature, and additions of undesired additions like bark, inorganic matter, and petroleum products. Our research highlights the need for improved fuel quality control measures, and transparent and accurate product labeling, as well as the need for a comprehensive and publicly available national database of solid biomass fuel producers and fuels sold. These are essential steps toward increasing customers’ awareness and trust, encouraging them to embrace biomass fuels as reliable and sustainable sources of energy.

CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE GROWING AND USE OF ENERGY CROPS IN UKRAINE

The purpose of the work is to analyze state of the art of Ukraine’s energy crops sector, as well as to develop recommendations for creating favorable conditions for the implementation of respective projects in the country. Energy crops are plants that are grown to obtain biomass as a fuel or feedstock for the further production of energy, biomass fuels or biofuels. Their advantage is the possibility of cultivation on marginal or low-quality lands, that is those that are unsuitable for the cultivation of common agricultural crops. Wood and grass energy crops have good fuel characteristics, which are close to those of forest wood. As for chlorine content and ash melting point, these indicators are much better than those of straw. In Ukraine, as in the EU, the potential for growing energy crops is determined mainly by the available area of unused agricultural and low-productivity land on which respective plantations can be created. Experts of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine estimate the current economic potential of energy crops for obtaining various types of biomass fuels in Ukraine as 5.44 Mtoe/yr (2021). By 2050, this potential may more than double, reaching 11.20 Mtoe/yr. In the current Ukraine’s biomass potential, the total share of energy crops is 21%, approximately equally divided between wood/grass crops (solid biomass biofuel) and corn silage (biogas). By 2050, this share may increase to 26%, the largest contribution being from wood/grass energy crops (16%) intended for solid biomass fuel production. Projects on the cultivation of energy crops are quite difficult for practical implementation as they are sensitive to many factors, which affects their economic performance. Usually, the payback period of such projects is 7...9 years, which is on the verge of profitability and economic feasibility. The Bioenergy Association of Ukraine has elaborated several tools to stimulate the development of this sector in the country. Implementation of the suggested support mechanisms will significantly increase the attractiveness of projects on energy crops cultivation for investment.

Impact of cultivation conditions on physicochemical characteristics of Miscanthus × giganteus biomass

AbstractMiscanthus × giganteus has emerged as a successful energy crop for remediating marginal land, offering potential as an alternative energy source for climate change mitigation. This study aimed to assess the physicochemical properties for gasification of Miscanthus × giganteus biomass from plantations with diverse soil origins, characteristics, contamination levels, age, and climate conditions, aiming to determine their influence on the energy properties. Fuel parameters, i.e.: ash content, volatile matter, calorific value, ultimate analysis, and ash melting behavior were measured. Analysis of biomass samples revealed significant variations in the ash content and volatile matter with the average values of 4.5 and 78.8%, respectively, depending of the produced biomass. The calorific value remained consistently high, ranging from 18 to 19 MJ kg−1, even when biomass was derived from the contaminated soil. Additionally, biomass ash exhibited complete melting at temperatures exceeding 1300 °C, signifying its suitability for gasification without encountering technical obstacles. Employing PCA analysis, the significance of plantation age, location, and soil characteristics in shaping the physicochemical properties of Miscanthus × giganteus biomass for gasification was highlighted. The results illustrated that soil contamination by trace elements had a minimal impact on the physicochemical properties, whereas plantation age and climate conditions significantly influenced to the fuel properties of biomass.

Physicochemical transformation of gasification slags with different residue carbon contents during sintering/melting process

The ash residue after gasification in the coal gasifier contains a certain proportion of residual carbon, which exerts a significant effect on the slag properties such as sintering, melting, and flow within the furnace. The residues discharged outside the gasifier retain the distribution patterns of ash and residual carbon under gasification conditions. This study selected coarse and fine residues generated from an entrained-flow gasifier and investigated the transformation of slags with different carbon contents during heating process. The obtained ash residues underwent characterization to determine the modes of the compositions occurrence. Subsequently, ash residues with different carbon contents were observed for the sintering-melting processes with a high-temperature confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). With the aid of FactSage, the physicochemical transformation of slag particles was determined. The impact of residual carbon on particle characteristics manifests in both physical structure and chemical reactions. On one hand, residue residual carbon can act as a skeleton during the melting process, causing the molten phase to enter the pores of porous carbon, intensifying particle shrinkage. After the inorganic components melt, the liquid encapsulated by carbon retains the original particle shape. On the other hand, the carbon can react with the inorganic ash components. If the carbon content is less than 6%, a new FexSi with a high ash melting point can be formed. As the carbon content increases, the carbon reacts with the Si to form SiC. This implies a reduction in the liquid content. Therefore, the flow temperature is greatly delayed by an increase in carbon content above 14%.

Ash melting behaviors of high-sodium coal and its co-combustion with coal gangue to inhibit slagging

Fouling and slagging are major challenges that impede the clean and efficient use of high-sodium coals (HC) for power generation. To address these persistent issues, this study examined the impact of sodium (Na) on ash-melting behaviors and assessed the feasibility of mitigating fouling and slagging through the co-combustion of HC with coal gangue (CG). The mineral transformation mechanisms were analyzed through experimental and thermodynamic calculations using the FactSage software. The potential for inhibiting slagging through the co-firing of HC with CG rich in silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) was also investigated. The presence of Na-containing species led to the formation of more flexible minerals and lowered the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs). Na not only decreased the initial temperature required for the formation of the liquid phase but also increased the proportion of the liquid phase during high-temperature ash-melting processes. Co-firing with CG rich in silica and alumina significantly improved the AFTs of HC. Furthermore, this approach effectively reduced the propensity for fouling and slagging. In practice, it is recommended to control the co-firing ratios of CG within 10–30% to inhibit slagging and fouling issues while maintaining a smooth boiler operation.

Ash Formation and Associated Interactions during Co-Combustion of Wheat Straw and Sewage Sludge

The aim of the present work was to investigate ash formation and associated interactions during the pulverized fuel co-combustion of biomass fuels. Combustion experiments were carried out with narrowly sized wheat straw (WS), sewage sludge (SS), and their blends in a drop tube furnace at 1100 °C and 1300 °C. The resulting residual ash and fine particulate matter (PM10) were characterized with various analyses. It was observed that co-combustion influences size distributions of the residual ash particles and generally generates larger residual ash particles close to those of SS combustion. The interaction of K capture by minerals enhances the melting and consequently increases the production of large and melting ash particles during co-combustion. It was found that blending SS with WS has not only the positive interaction of K capture by minerals from SS ash to significantly reduce submicron ash formation, but also the positive interaction of transforming alkali chlorides into alkali sulfates to reduce the corrosiveness of submicron ash particles. Co-combustion of SS with WS can also reduce the presence of alkali chloride at PM1–10, lowering the propensities of deposition and corrosion of the fine residual ash particles.

High-Temperature Ash Melting and Fluidity Behavior upon the Cocombustion of Sewage Sludge and Coal.

Wastewater treatment produces a large amount of sludge, where the minimizing of the disposed sludge is essential for environmental protection. The co-combustion of sludge with coal is a preferable method for sewage sludge disposal from the economic and environmental perspective. The co-combustion of sludge has been widely used in the industry with the advantages of large processing capacity. The melting characteristics of ash are an important criterion for the selection of the co-combustion methods and furnace types. In this study, two types of sludge and four types of coal with different ash melting points were selected, where the ash melting behavior upon co-combustion is investigated by experimental and thermodynamical approaches. Especially, the slag fluidity upon co-combustion is explored via a modified inclined plane method. It has been found that the presence of SiO2 and CaO in sludge substantially enhances its fusion temperature owing to the high content of CaO, while SiO2 acts as a solvent, facilitating the co-melting of other oxides and raising the sludge fusion temperature. Fe2O3 exhibits a specific mass fraction within the range of 10-20%. Furthermore, the presence of CaO and SiO2 prohibits the flow ability of the slag at high temperatures, and Fe2O3 promotes the flow ability for sludge at high temperatures. With increasing base/acid ratio, the sludge flow velocity increases remarkably and peaks at 1.6. The interaction between Fe-Ca and Si-AI significantly affects the fluidity significantly. The findings are expected to optimize the condition of co-combustion and desirable furnace design for the incineration of sludge.

Characteristics and mechanism of slagging in a 500 t/d MSW incinerator

With the promotion of classified collection of municipal solid waste (MSW), the heating value of waste sent to incinerators has significantly increased, which affects slagging and ash deposition. Thoroughly studying the slag characteristics in incinerators is important for determining its formation conditions and processes. In this study, slag samples from the furnace and superheaters of a 500 t/d incinerator were comprehensively studied. The slag characteristics were measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and field-emission high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM); the chemical thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were carried out using FactSage; and the melting kinetics were analysed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that under the high-temperature environment of the furnace, CaO and Fe2O3/MgO/Al2O3 react with SiO2 to form low-melting-point eutectic crystals, which are in a molten or semi-molten state and easily adhere to the inner wall of the furnace to form slag that is difficult to remove. CaSO4 does not melt in the furnace but moves with the flue gas and is mainly deposited on the surfaces of the third- and second-stage superheaters. Na2SO4 and K3Na(SO4)2 are in a gaseous state under high-temperature conditions in the furnace, and then transform into a liquid or solid state and condense on the surface of the superheaters. The ash melting process in the furnace can be described using zero-order kinetics. These research results provide a theoretical foundation for the detailed prediction of slagging and ash deposition in waste incinerators.

The influence mechanism of ionic liquids on the ash melting and combustion characteristics of Zhundong high-alkali coal

ABSTRACT This study investigated the ash reduction and quality improvement effects of four types of ionic liquids on Zhundong high-alkali coal, focusing on the evolution laws of coal ash melting and combustion performance under the ionic liquid system, which provided a theoretical basis for the subsequent utilization of high-alkali coal. Ionic liquids can effectively reduce inorganic mineral content and volatile matter yield, increase fixed carbon and oxygen content in coal, and reduce hydrogen and sulfur content. The silicon-aluminum ratio of coal ash increased, and the content of low-melting minerals in coal ash decreased, while the content of refractory minerals increased, leading to an increase in the melting temperature of coal ash. Ionic liquids can inhibit the oxidation reaction of coal, which is beneficial for suppressing spontaneous combustion of coal and improving safety during storage and transportation.