Peter Sommersacher
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Peter Sommersacher has a total of 4 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Andrii Koveria
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Dnipro University of Technology, Dmytra Yavornytskoho Ave. 19/2, 49005 Dnipro, Ukraine
1 shared publication - Lina Kieush
K1-MET GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
1 shared publication - Norbert Kienzl
BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria
1 shared publication - Stefan Retschitzegger
BEST—Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 25 August 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Sustainability
- Vol. 17 (17) , 7654
Co-Pyrolysis of Biomass with Bituminous Coal in a Fixed-Bed Reactor for Biofuel and Bioreducing Agents Production
In this paper, the interaction between caking bituminous coal (HC) and two types of biomass, namely sunflower husks (SFHs) and walnut shells (WSs), was studied via lab-scale fixed-bed reactor experiments and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The dynamics of volatile matter composition and weight loss changes were analyzed for the initial biomass types and their 1:1 blends with HC during co-pyrolysis. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) revealed that during the co-pyrolysis of HC with biomass, the number of reaction stages increased to four, compared to three during individual pyrolysis, indicating synergistic thermal behavior. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the blends was higher (62.8 kJ/mol for SFH/HC and 61.8 kJ/mol for WS/HC) than that of the individual HC (55.1 kJ/mol), SFHs (43.8 kJ/mol), and WSs (52.4 kJ/mol), confirming intensified reaction complexity. Co-pyrolysis resulted in higher methane (CH4) production, with the CH4:HAc (acetic acid) ratio increasing from 1.2 (WSs) and 1.7 (SFHs) to 1.9 (WS/HC) and 3.3 (SFH/HC). The non-additive behavior of blends is established, indicating the interactions between biomass and HC during co-pyrolysis. These findings support a more resilient and sustainable approach to producing fuels and reducing agents, particularly through the utilization of agricultural residues and waste biomass.
- 25 August 2025
- Published by MDPI AG in Sustainability
- Vol. 17 (17) , 7654
Open AccessCo-Pyrolysis of Biomass with Bituminous Coal in a Fixed-Bed Reactor for Biofuel and Bioreducing Agents Production
In this paper, the interaction between caking bituminous coal (HC) and two types of biomass, namely sunflower husks (SFHs) and walnut shells (WSs), was studied via lab-scale fixed-bed reactor experiments and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The dynamics of volatile matter composition and weight loss changes were analyzed for the initial biomass types and their 1:1 blends with HC during co-pyrolysis. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) revealed that during the co-pyrolysis of HC with biomass, the number of reaction stages increased to four, compared to three during individual pyrolysis, indicating synergistic thermal behavior. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the blends was higher (62.8 kJ/mol for SFH/HC and 61.8 kJ/mol for WS/HC) than that of the individual HC (55.1 kJ/mol), SFHs (43.8 kJ/mol), and WSs (52.4 kJ/mol), confirming intensified reaction complexity. Co-pyrolysis resulted in higher methane (CH4) production, with the CH4:HAc (acetic acid) ratio increasing from 1.2 (WSs) and 1.7 (SFHs) to 1.9 (WS/HC) and 3.3 (SFH/HC). The non-additive behavior of blends is established, indicating the interactions between biomass and HC during co-pyrolysis. These findings support a more resilient and sustainable approach to producing fuels and reducing agents, particularly through the utilization of agricultural residues and waste biomass.