Thermogravimetric and Kinetic Analysis of Co-Combustion of Waste Tires and Coal Blends

[Image: see text] The waste tire is a fuel with the potential to partially replace coal due to the high heat value. In the present study, the combustion characteristics of the tire powders, bituminous coal, and their blends were examined using the thermogravimetric analyzer. The influence of heating rate on tire powders combustion and the burnout characteristics of their blends were studied. The increase of the heating rate caused the combustion temperature of the tire powders to become high but reduced the maximum weight loss rate. The combustion characteristics of the blends of coal and tire powders approached the combination of those of the individual sample, suggesting that the interaction effects between coal and tire powders were slight. Furthermore, the influence of different ratios on ignition characteristics, burnout temperature, and combustion effect of the blends was studied at the optimal combustion rate. The addition of tire powders improved the ignition characteristics, reduced the burnout temperature and increased the burnout rate of coal to a certain extent. An increase in the proportion of tire powders led to a decrease in the activation energy in the temperature range of 349–465 °C, whereas it caused an increase from 465 °C to burnout, which could be attributed to the fact that the volatile matter was more combustible than fixed carbon within 349–465 °C, and the combustion effect of fixed carbon in the tire powders gradually manifested in the combustion from 465 °C to burnout when the tire powders content increased.