Experiences from feeding and co-firing of lignin powder in a lime kiln

• A significant part of the fossil fuel oil consumption at a pulp mill today is related to combustion in the lime kiln. Therefore, replacing fuel oil with lignin in this application has been one of the most important issues in the FRAM2 (Future Resource-Adapted Mill) research program coordinated by Innventia (formerly STFl-Packforsk) and funded by Sodra and other partners. A full-scale trial to fire lignin powder in a lime kiln was carried out at the Sodra Cell Monsteras mill, as part of the research program. In total 37 tonnes of lignin was co-fired with fuel oil. For part of the trial the kiln was operated on 100 % lignin. The experiences from the trial imply that it is possible to achieve stable and continuous operation of a lime kiln when lignin is used as the main fuel. The temperature levels in the kiln are of the same order of magnitude as when firing fuel oil or wood powder. Sulfur capture by the lime is very efficient, but there is a threshold above which S02 emissions increase rapidly. In the trial this step change occurred when going from 90 % to 100 % lignin firing. Based on the trial results, it is possible to produce lime with consistent quality when firing lignin, and the temperature reached in the burner zone is sufficient for proper sintering of the lime nodules. White liquor can be produced from the lime with the same causticizing efficiency and at the same rate as during normal operation. The mill operators also commented that it was easier to control the performance of the kiln when co-firing lignin and oil compared to the normal operation with co-firing of bark and oil.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Pappers-, massa- och fiberteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Fossil fuels

Fuel oils

Furnaces

Kilns

Lime

Paper and pulp mills

Sintering

Sulfur

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)