MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Raising AF use PARR SURO eM Ns eile hme cee LOL CS Sa tae eno CSCI cuca coe) mone Ralls CONV celat sue acorn eld area O RUM AMM eerie MU Mo a LLU Sy (AFs), Pee Nae aten eesesur aMule n eA Pega aca he use of alternative fuels (AF) is key taal for many cement companies to help reduce energy costs as well as their dependency on fossil fuels, which are often imported from unstable placesin the world and affected by financial speculation. Furthermore, AF use is an effective way to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint of the industry, especially when the AF has a high biogenic content. Awide range of solid and liquid materials can be used as AF, from tyres to exhausted solvents, plastic scraps to industrial residues, While some AF are diverted to other uses (such as recycling for plastic and cellulosic ethanol for agricultural scraps), banned (eg tyres in some European countries) or only allowed in limited quantities (eg exhaust solvents), municipal solid wastes (MSW) are available everywhere, includingin emerging countries. International trends show 2 general increase in volumes, due to population growth, as well asin quality ‘as wealth Increases. Moreover, stringent environmental regulation has seen MSW disposal fees soar. en Pree eee aes From MSW to tailor-made fuel This range of opportunities has encouraged Entsorga to optimise and fine-tune reliable, proven and sustainable waste processing and material handling solutions for industrial AF users. Entsorga was founded in 1997 by two Italian entrepreneurs who were inspired by nh eke ea een the concepts of zero-waste and the circular economy to create a suite of integrated state-of the-art technology platforms for the production of alternative fuels. While Entsorga offers a portfolio of different technologies such as composting, ‘and anaerobic digestion, the company has recently focussed on providingthe cementindustry with a means to increase its fossil fuel substitution rate by supplying a full range of AF, from traditional solid recovered fuel (SRF) to tailor-made processed engineered fuel (PEF), which is approved n the US as Non-Hazardous ‘Secondary Material by the Environmental Protection Agency. All fuels produced are processed from unsorted municipal waste ora post recycling waste stream and contain on average atleast 50 per cent biogenic content, providing 0.5t of CO, savings per tonne of co-processed AF. Usually, manufactured AF (such as SRF and PEF} isa dry and homogeneous fluff with a heating value of 16-18M4) kg (7000-80008tu/lb), suitable for pneumatic or mechanical feeding to the Kiln, The product can be designed to meetry TECHNICAL FORUM applied in the hot meal alkali-to-sulphate molar ratio equation, the ratio becomes ‘meaningless Calcium langbeinite vs free calcium sulphate In theirarticle the authors also differentiated between two forms of calcium sulphate present - calcium tangbeinte and fre calcium sulphate - as drivers to sulphate cycles. The formation of two ess thermally-stable calcium sulphate compounds in the hat mealis the cause of heavy sulphate cycles Calcium angbeinite (,S0,2CaS0,) one molecule of potassium sulphate in combination with two molecules of calcium sulphate — is thermally stable to 1520°C in oxidising burning conditions. Ifthe sulphate isin excess ofthe alkalis but only to the extent that all the calcium sulphate will be bound as langbeinite, then build-up and ring issues might not be too severe, provided there are oxidising burning conditions in the Kiln However, ifthe sulphate isin excess ofthe alkalis, to the extent that there is more calcium sulphate than can be combined in calcium langbeinite, then the issues will be more severe, Calcium sulphate (CaS0,) is thermally unstable above 1420°C, irespective ofthe burning conditions, and will break down to free lime, SO, and oxygen. These are around the temperatures in the burning zone of the kin, The hotter the kiln has to be burnt to combine the clinker, then the greater will be the thermal breakdown of calcium sulphate in the burning zone. ln reducing burning conditions, the calcium sulphate (CaS0))is thermally unstable from 900°C, These are the temperatures at the bottom of the preheater and inlet of the kiln, Burning solid alternative fuels (AFs) such as motor tyres in the kiln inlet will inevitably lead to reducing burning conditions at this point ‘and result in this breakdown of calcium sulphate and heavy sulphate recirculation. The moderator well remembers an instance where whole motor tyres were burnt in the inlet of akln with a heavy sulphur burden. The preheater blocked within eight hours and the resulting hard build-up required two weeks to be cleaned ‘out ofthe preheater. For the sulphate to bein excess of that which can be combined as calcium langbeinite requires alot of sulphate. ifthose levels are reached in the hot meal then almost certainly there are reducing burning conditions in some part, ofthe kiln. To assess whether there are reducing burning conditions inthe kiln, the article included a checklist of process parameters such as the momentum ofthe Kiln main burner, the colour ofthe clinker, and the possible presence of any FeO, orthorhombic CA orinsoluble alkalis. The relations between kin inlet oxygen, NO, and CO should also be correlated ‘Oxygen remains the key ‘Over the yeas the issues caused by heavy sulphur cycles, and the link between those cycles and the burning conditions inthe kiln have been the most common topic raised in the Technical Forum. Hard-to- burn or solid As have only made such issues more common. Asuffcient supply of ‘oxygen tothe kiln is critical Any limitations ‘on the drawing of oxygen into the kiln or ‘exhausting the gases from the kiln are also a common cause of such issues. Mi CemNet B2B The business directory listing service to make your company STAND OUT from the crowd