Municipal landfills generate a significant amount of high-energy biogas, which can be used as a renewable gaseous fuel. However, it is necessary to improve the quality of this biogas due to the presence of various chemical compounds. The most common pollutants in landfill biogas include volatile compounds of silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine. The aforementioned elements, as well as other metals, were found both in the deposits and in the engine oil. The paper presents detailed characteristics of the solid residues formed in selected parts of gas engines powered by landfill biogas. Its elemental composition and morphology were investigated in order to determine the structure and influence of these deposits. In order to better understand the observed features, selected analyses were also conducted for biogas, engine oil and the condensate generated during biogas dewatering. It was found that the content of individual elements in samples collected from the same part of the gas engine but sourced from various landfills vary. The occurrence of elements in deposits, e.g., Mg, Zn, P and Cr, depends on the location of sampling sites and the type of engine. It was also observed that the deposits formed in parts that come into contact with both biogas and engine oil contain Ca or Zn, which can be related to biogas pollutants as well as different oil additives. The presence of Al, Fe, Cu, Cr, Sn or Pb in selected motor oil samples can be explained by the penetration of metallic abrasives, which confirms the abrasive properties of the formed deposits. The analysis of the characteristic deposits may contribute to the selection of an appropriate landfill biogas purification technology, thus reducing the operating costs of energy cogeneration systems. Finally, we highlight challenges for biogas purification processes and anticipate the direction of future work.

The main purpose of this research was to determine the chemical composition of deposits in gas engines fuelled by coal mine methane (CMM), as well as its dependence on the place of collection. This composition was compared with that for deposits formed in biogas-powered engines. It was also found that the chemical composition of deposits varies depending on the place of their formation in the engine and on the gaseous fuel used. The dominant mineral deposits found in gas engines fuelled by CMM contained Ca, Zn, P, and S, which originate from oil additives. The Al, Cr, Cu, Ti, and Fe elements present in the tested samples are related to the wear of the engine under normal operation. The remaining trace elements can originate as impurities from the air.

The biogas produced in municipal wastewater-treatment plants (WWTP) should be cleaned before it can be used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. Efficient running of such engines is possible only subject to using high quality biogas and lubricating oil. Otherwise, biogas impurities in course of complex chemical reactions may form deposits on various engine parts as well as seriously contaminate the lubricating oil. In this paper, mineral deposits containing high concentration of bismuth, silicon, sulphur, calcium and zinc are studied. Silicon deposits demonstrating strong friction properties are formed during combustion of volatile silica compounds. As these deposits build up, abrasion problems, ignition failure and even engine failure result. The bismuth containing deposits comes from bearings degradation, zinc and calcium were derived from the additives present in commercially available lubricating oil, while lead, aluminium, copper, nickel, iron and chromium were introduced by engine wear phenomena. The highest bismuth content was located at the engine cylinder heads and the lowest at the exhaust elements, whereas highest calcium content was registered on the pistons. Silicon containing deposits are highest in the exhaust and lowest at the engine head. Zinc deposits are highest at the piston.