PLASMATRON GASIFICATION OF RAW WASTE VEGETABLES FROM STEAM MECHANICAL HEAT TREATMENT

Application of plasma in biomass energy production is a novel and potential technology. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility and operational performance of plasmatron (plasma torch) gasification of biomass wastes, taking raw waste vegetables mixed with raw wood (RWV/RW) from Steam Mechanical Heat Treatment (SMHT) as the target material (VRM). The SMHT is one of the alternatives to pre-treat the municipal solid waste (MSW) before its further separation and reutilization. This plasmatron process has several advantages including high heating rate, short heating time, no viscous tar and low residual char or lava. The production of CO and H2 (syngas) which are the major components in the gas products (90.05–93.43 vol.%), occurs with relatively high reaction rates. The maximum concentrations of gaseous products occurring times are between 0.25 to 0.75 minutes. Almost 90% of the gaseous products were appeared in 2 min of reaction time. With the injection of steam, the mass yields of H2 and CO2 also increase. The inorganic components are converted into non-leachable vitrified lava which is non-hazardous. Steam injection prefers to the syngas production, promotes the gasification of VRM completely and also shows a positive benefit for the inhibition of greenhouse gas (GHG) (CH4+CO2) production in the major reaction time. The gasification of VRM by plasmatron changed the BET surface area to 10.33 times from 573 K to 873 K. After steam injections, the larger BET surface area of 241.27 m 2 g -1 at 873 K with 1 mL min -1 water flow rate resulting from steam gasification are believed to be due to the activation by steam and higher density of plasma. All the information obtained in this study is useful for the rational design and proper operation of plasmatron gasification system for treating VRM.