title: Effects of sewage sludge blending on the coal combustion: a thermogravimetric assessment.
abstract: Combustion of urban sewage sludge together with coal in existing infrastructures may be a sustainable management option energetically interesting for these materials, usually considered wastes. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the combustion of a semianthracite coal and the modifications undergone when adding a small percentage (2%, 5%, 10%) of sewage sludge. Both Differential Scanning Calorimetric analysis and Differential Thermogravimetry burning profiles showed differences between coal and sewage sludge combustion. However, the effects of adding a percentage of sewage sludge equal or smaller than 10% was hardly noticeable in terms of heat release and weight loss during the coal combustion. This was further proved by non-isothermal kinetic analysis, which was used to evaluate the Arrhenius activation energy corresponding to the co-combustion of the blends. This work shows that thermogravimetric analysis may be used as an easy rapid tool to asses the co-combustion of sewage sludge together with coal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Natural Resources, University of León, Avenida de Portugal 41, León, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morán
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D003031:Coal; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D017745:Incineration / Q000379:methods*; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D013818:Thermogravimetry
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D012722:Sewage