Gasification of mixtures of lignocellulosic wastes and refuse derived char

Introduction – Gasification represents an attractive alternative to the well-established thermal treatment systems for the recovery of energy from solid wastes [1]. RDF is a highly heterogeneous material that contains carbonaceous materials with a good calorific value but also a relevant mineral fraction and substantial amounts of water. Direct incorporation of RDF in biomass pellets for combustion or gasification presents several problems mainly due to the heterogeneity of these materials. The polymer components tend to melt and aggregate in the feeding devices and gasification or combustion are not homogeneous leading to incomplete oxidation and increased formation of chars or tars. The energetic valorization of RDF using advanced thermochemical conversion technologies is of great interest and the torrefaction process can help to upgrade RDF and obtain a higher quality fuel. The torrefied RDF becomes easier to grind, more hydrophobic and with a lower content of water [2]. The main purpose of this work is to test the gasification of lignocellulosic wastes (pine biomass wastes), supplemented with different percentages of an industrial RDF char.