Co-pyrolysis of biomass and coal blend by TG and in a free fall reactor

Co-pyrolysis characteristics of white pine and sub-bituminous coal blend were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and in a free fall reactor. The pyrolysis behavior of the blends at various biomass blending ratios was compared with that of the individual coal and biomass. The results from TG indicate that the interactions between the blends present an inhibitive effect on thermal decomposition, resulting in higher than expected char yields. In the free fall reactor, a positive synergy effect on tar production was observed under the higher biomass blending ratio. Moreover, the compositions of the gaseous products from the blends are not all in accordance with those of their parent fuels. The observed synergetic effects might be due to char-coal interactions in TG, while gas-coal interactions are preferred in free fall reactor.