Investigation on Co-Combustion Kinetics of Anthracite and Waste Plastics by Thermogravimetric Analysis

In order to effectively recycle resource for the benefit of the global environment, the utilization of waste plastics as auxiliary injectant for blast furnaces is becoming increasingly important. Combustion kinetics of plastics-coal blends with 0, 10%, 20% and 40% waste plastics (WP) are investigated separately by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) from ambient temperature to 900 °C in air atmosphere. These blends are combusted at the heating rates of 5, 10 and 20 °C/min. The results indicate that, with the increase of waste plastics content, the combustion processes of blends could be divided into one stage, two stages and three stages. The waste plastics content and heating rates have important effects on the main combustion processes of blends. With the increase of waste plastics content, the ignition temperature and the final combustion temperature of blends tend to decrease, while the combustion reaction becomes fiercer. With the increase of the heating rate, the ignition temperature, the mass loss rate of the peaks and the final combustion temperature of blends combustion tend to increase. The Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) iso-conversional method is used for the kinetic analysis of the main combustion process. The results indicate that, when the waste plastics content varied from 0 to 40%, the values of activation energy increase from 126. 05 to 184. 12 kJ /mol.