Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance
The high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass fuels exacerbates slagging and corrosion during co-combustion with coal, thereby limiting industrial utilization. To address these challenges, this study proposes a green pretreatment combining Fenton and photocatalytic processe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Fuel Processing Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000359 |
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| author | Zhuwei Liu Lin Li Tingsan Song Rui Wang Mingxin Li Yusheng Wang Dani Zuo Dongmei Bi |
| author_facet | Zhuwei Liu Lin Li Tingsan Song Rui Wang Mingxin Li Yusheng Wang Dani Zuo Dongmei Bi |
| author_sort | Zhuwei Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass fuels exacerbates slagging and corrosion during co-combustion with coal, thereby limiting industrial utilization. To address these challenges, this study proposes a green pretreatment combining Fenton and photocatalytic processes. Walnut shells (WS) were treated with g-C3N4-loaded calcium alginate microbeads under simultaneous simulated daylight irradiation and Fenton oxidation. Thermogravimetric analysis was employed to investigate the combustion characteristics of coal blended with pretreated and untreated WS. Results demonstrated a 170 % enhancement in the combustion performance index (S) at a heating rate of 20 °C/min. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that the pretreatment reduced AAEMs content by 53.5 %, specifically decreasing K₂O and Na₂O concentrations in ash from 5.21 % to 0.87 %. Slagging indices analysis further confirmed mitigated fouling risks, showing a low slagging index of 0.158 and a fouling index of 0.129. Kinetic analysis using model-free methods indicated a 12.8 % increase in activation energy (E = 149.94 kJ/mol for pretreated walnut shells-coal blends compared to 132.91 kJ/mol for untreated blends), indicating a suppression of the catalytic effects of AAEMs on coal degradation. This work establishes a sustainable strategy for optimizing biomass-coal co-combustion systems with improved environmental compatibility and industrial applicability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-03fcdb6866a446e98d1a1242c7a27ad4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0378-3820 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fuel Processing Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-03fcdb6866a446e98d1a1242c7a27ad42025-08-20T02:13:32ZengElsevierFuel Processing Technology0378-38202025-07-0127210821110.1016/j.fuproc.2025.108211Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performanceZhuwei Liu0Lin Li1Tingsan Song2Rui Wang3Mingxin Li4Yusheng Wang5Dani Zuo6Dongmei Bi7Institute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, China; Jiangsu Institute of Marine Resources Development, Lianyungang 222005, China; State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; Corresponding author at: Institute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, China.Institute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaInstitute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaInstitute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaInstitute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaInstitute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaInstitute of New Energy, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, ChinaSchool of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, ChinaThe high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass fuels exacerbates slagging and corrosion during co-combustion with coal, thereby limiting industrial utilization. To address these challenges, this study proposes a green pretreatment combining Fenton and photocatalytic processes. Walnut shells (WS) were treated with g-C3N4-loaded calcium alginate microbeads under simultaneous simulated daylight irradiation and Fenton oxidation. Thermogravimetric analysis was employed to investigate the combustion characteristics of coal blended with pretreated and untreated WS. Results demonstrated a 170 % enhancement in the combustion performance index (S) at a heating rate of 20 °C/min. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that the pretreatment reduced AAEMs content by 53.5 %, specifically decreasing K₂O and Na₂O concentrations in ash from 5.21 % to 0.87 %. Slagging indices analysis further confirmed mitigated fouling risks, showing a low slagging index of 0.158 and a fouling index of 0.129. Kinetic analysis using model-free methods indicated a 12.8 % increase in activation energy (E = 149.94 kJ/mol for pretreated walnut shells-coal blends compared to 132.91 kJ/mol for untreated blends), indicating a suppression of the catalytic effects of AAEMs on coal degradation. This work establishes a sustainable strategy for optimizing biomass-coal co-combustion systems with improved environmental compatibility and industrial applicability.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000359Alkali and alkaline earth metalsFenton oxidationPhotocatalytic pretreatmentSlagging/fouling indexes |
| spellingShingle | Zhuwei Liu Lin Li Tingsan Song Rui Wang Mingxin Li Yusheng Wang Dani Zuo Dongmei Bi Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance Fuel Processing Technology Alkali and alkaline earth metals Fenton oxidation Photocatalytic pretreatment Slagging/fouling indexes |
| title | Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance |
| title_full | Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance |
| title_fullStr | Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance |
| title_short | Coupled Fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment: A novel strategy for reducing AAEMs in biomass to enhance coal co-combustion performance |
| title_sort | coupled fenton oxidation and photocatalytic pretreatment a novel strategy for reducing aaems in biomass to enhance coal co combustion performance |
| topic | Alkali and alkaline earth metals Fenton oxidation Photocatalytic pretreatment Slagging/fouling indexes |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025000359 |
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