Co-combustion of distillery sludge and coal for application in boiler and subsequent utilization of the generated...

Combustion stands as one of the essential methods in resource recovery for disposal of distillery sludge. In this study, sludge along with coal has been considered an option for co-combustion in the grate furnace aiming for further application as a boiler fuel. Detailed analysis was carried out to verify the feasibility of co-combustion of sludge with coal. Distillery sludge was blended with coal as a mixed fuel at co-combustion ratios of 20%, 30%, and 40% in grate furnace. The results of the analysis indicated that the combustion with 40% sludge mixed coal is suitable for application as a fuel in boiler. According to the chemical composition of bottom ash, weight loss from 460 to 800°C indicated the presence of C-C and C-H. Also, EDX and XRD analyses of mixed fuel was carried out to determine the mineralogical composition. The presence of quartz (SiO₂), mullite (3Al₂O₃2SiO₂), and hematite (Fe₂O₃) present in the ash can be used as mineral additives in cement industries. The study also provided a promising approach towards diverting combustion bottom ash from landfills for its utilization in various industries which can be a possible cost-effective solution.