Innovative Technological Approach for the Cyclic Nutrients Adsorption by Post-Digestion Sewage Sludge-Based Ash Co-Formed with Some Nanostructural Additives under a Circular Economy Framework

Piotr Sakiewicz, Krzysztof Piotrowski, Mariola Rajca, Izabella Maj, Sylwester Kalisz, Józef Ober, Janusz Karwot and Krishna R. Pagilla
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Piotr Sakiewicz: Division of Nanocrystalline and Functional Materials and Sustainable Pro-Ecological Technologies, Institute of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Krzysztof Piotrowski: Department of Chemical Engineering and Process Design, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, ks. M. Strzody 7, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Mariola Rajca: Institute of Water and Wastewater Engineering, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Izabella Maj: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Sylwester Kalisz: Department of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Józef Ober: Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, Roosevelta 26-28, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Janusz Karwot: Sewage and Water Supply Ltd., Pod Lasem 62, 44-210 Rybnik, Poland
Krishna R. Pagilla: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-28

Abstract: This paper presents a new, innovative technological approach, in line with Circular Economy principles, to the effective management of sludge generated during municipal wastewater treatment processes and subsequently used for biogas production. This approach allows for optimal, functional, and controlled cascade-type biotechnological thermal conversion of carbon compounds present in sewage sludge, later in solid digestate residues (after biogas production), and finally in the ash structure (after incineration, purposefully dosed nanostructural additives make the production of a useful solid product possible, especially for cyclic adsorption and slow release of nutrients (N, P, K) in the soil). The idea is generally targeted at achieving an innovative conversion cycle under a Circular Economy framework. In particular, it is based on an energy carrier (methane biogas) and direct energy production. The functionalized combustion by-products can be advantageous in agriculture. The use of ashes with nanostructural additives (halloysite, kaolinite) from combustion of sewage sludge after the anaerobic fermentation as an adsorbent of selected nutrients important in agriculture (Na + , K + , NO 3 ? , SO 4 2? , PO 4 3? , Cl ? ) was verified at laboratory scale. The tests were carried out both for pure ash and for the ash derived from combustion with the purposeful addition of kaolinite or halloysite. The equilibrium conditions for nitrate, potassium, sodium, phosphate(V), sulphate(VI), and chloride ions from aqueous solutions with the use of the three adsorbent structures were determined. The obtained innovative results were interpreted theoretically with adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Jovanovi?). The most spectacular and clearly favorable results related to the influence of nanostructural additives in the process of sludge combustion, and formation of sorption surfaces under high temperature conditions were identified in the case of sorption-based separation of phosphate(V) ions (an increase from 1.13% to 61.24% with the addition of kaolinite, and even up to 76.19% with addition of halloysite).

Keywords: innovative pro-ecological technology; wastewater treatment; post-digestion sewage sludge; biogas plant; adsorption; ash; halloysite; kaolinite; nutrients; slow release; agricultural fertilizers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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