Trace elements partitioning during co-firing biomass with lignite in a pilot-scale fluidized bed combustor

This study describes the partitioning of 18 trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, V, Zn) and 9 major and minor elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, S, Si, Ti) during co-firing of olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue with high sulfur and ash content lignite in 0.3 MWt Middle East Technical University (METU) Atmospheric Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustor (ABFBC) test rig with limestone addition. Concentrations of trace elements in coal, biomass, limestone, bottom ash, cyclone ash and filter ash were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectroscopy (ICP-OES and ICP-MS). Partitioning of major and minor elements are influenced by the ash split between the bottom ash and fly ash and that the major proportion of most of the trace elements (As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Tl, V and Zn) are recovered in fly ash when firing lignite only. Co-firing lignite with biomass enhances partitioning of these elements to fly ash. Co-firing also shifts the partitioning of Cd, P, Sb and Sn from bottom to fly ash.