This project was designed to evaluate the combustion performance of and emi
ssions from a fluidized bed combustor during the combustion of mixtures of
high sulfur and/or high chlorine coals and municipal solid waste (MSW). The
effect of sulfur dioxide on the formation of molecular chlorine during co-
combustion of fuels was examined in this study. Sulfur dioxide was shown to
be an effective inhibitor for the formation of molecular chlorine through
the Deacon Reaction and, subsequently, the formation of chlorinated organic
s. Theoretically, co-firing high sulfur coals with MSW will decrease the po
ssibility of polychlorodibenzodioxin/furan (PCDD/F) formation during the co
mbustion process. A mixture of coal and PVC pellets was burned in a 0.1 MWt
h bench-scale fluidized bed system at WKU and no detectable amounts of chlo
rinated organics were found in the flue gas and bed ash. The results from t
his study indicated the practical effects of using coal as a combustion sup
port fuel when burning MSW.