Impact of blend ratio on the co-firing of post-methanated distillery effluent solid waste and low-rank Indian coal via analysis of oxidation kinetics through TGA

Abstract

Distillery effluent is usually discharged in open pond systems after anaerobic digestion. Due to strict norms made by Environmental Protection Acts, alternative ways are being explored to treat the effluent further and also recover the possible energy content from the distillery effluent. In this study, an attempt has been made to study the oxidation kinetics of dried Post-Methanated Distillery Effluent (PMDE) solid waste blended with Low Rank Indian Coal (LRIC) at different blending ratios in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Heating rates of 10 °C min⁻¹ and 100 °C min⁻¹ were used. Due to the low reactivity of PMDE, a slight tendency of detraction in the overall reactivity of the blended samples was observed during combustion. Increase in the blending ratio of PMDE does not have much significant detraction in primary reactions of the thermal decomposition of blended samples, at both heating rates. Also for higher blending ratios, a significant improvement in the required activation energy for burning of blended samples was noted.