Co-pyrolysis of pine sawdust and lignite in a thermogravimetric analyzer and a fixed-bed reactor

Co-pyrolysis characteristics of lignite and pine sawdust were studied in a TGA and a fixed-bed reactor. The effects of pyrolysis temperature and blending ratio on the yield and composition of pyrolysis products (gas, tar, and char) were investigated. TGA experiments showed that pine sawdust decomposition took place at lower temperatures compared to lignite. With increasing the pine sawdust content in the blend, the DTG peaks shifted towards lower temperatures due to synergetic effect. In fixed-bed experiments, the synergetic effect increased the yield of volatile matter compared to the calculated values. The major gases released at low temperatures were CO2 and CO. However, hydrogen was the primary gaseous product at higher temperatures. During co-pyrolysis, concentrations of benzene, naphthalene, and hydrocarbons in the tar decreased, accompanied by an increase in phenols and guaiacol concentrations. With increasing pyrolysis temperature, the OH, aliphatic CH, C=O, and C-O functional groups in char decomposed substantially. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.