Kinetics of co-gasification of rice husk biomass and high sulphur petroleum coke with oxygen as gasifying medium via TGA

Co-gasification of biomass with petroleum coke is making significant inroads for utilizing the energy content of both biomass and petroleum coke judiciously. In the present work, detailed physico-chemical characterization of the feed materials via standard methods, gasification of individual rice husk (RH) biomass, high sulphur petroleum coke (PC), and co-gasification of RH biomass and high sulphur PC, at three heating rates (10, 20, and 30 °C/min) via thermogravimetric analyzer was investigated. The obtained TGA data was analyzed by employing model-free isoconversional methods, viz. Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) for the determination of kinetic parameters. Activation energy determined from model-free isoconversional KAS and FWO methods for petroleum coke gasification alone was found to be 126.75 and 128.3 kJ/mol, respectively, whereas for the RH + PC (3: 1) blend, it was 86.85 and 87.84 kJ/mol, respectively. Reactivity of PC was found to increase in presence of RH during co-gasification. [Display omitted] •First comprehensive study on kinetics of co-gasification of RH and high sulphur PC•Lesser activation energy is required for co-gasification of RH + PC vis-a-vis PC.•Reactivity of PC was found to increase in presence of RH during co-gasification.•Synergistic effect of co-gasification of RH and PC was observed.•Master plots for reaction models for co-gasification of RH and PC are described.