Separation of Cellulose from Wastewater and Valorisation via Pyrolysis: A Case Study in the Czech Republic

Denisa Djordjevićová, Marco Carnevale Miino (), Jakub Raček, Tomáš Chorazy, Petr Hlavínek and Zuzana Vranayova
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Denisa Djordjevićová: AdMaS Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Marco Carnevale Miino: AdMaS Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Jakub Raček: AdMaS Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Tomáš Chorazy: AdMaS Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Petr Hlavínek: AdMaS Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 651/139, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Zuzana Vranayova: Department of Building Services, Institute of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Košice, Vysokoškolská 4, 04200 Košice, Slovakia

Resources, 2024, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Currently, the recovery of resources from urban wastewater (WW) represents a priority. On this topic, the potential recovery of cellulose for its subsequent reuse in different sectors is gaining interest. In this work, a large-size conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was selected as a case study. A preliminary mechanical treatment was used, with the aim of separating, quantifying, and characterizing cellulose in WW. The results suggest that the per-capita production of dry primary cellulosic sludge (D-PCS) is equal to 1.46 ± 0.13 kg D-PCS PE −1 y −1 , with an average calorific value of 21.04 MJ kg −1 DM . Cellulosic fibres have an average length of >100 µm and a thickness of 2–5 µm. The D-PCS was subsequently treated via medium-temperature pyrolysis; a total of 29.5% of the initial D-PCS was converted into pyrolyzed primary cellulosic sludge (P-PCS) and only 26% into pyrolytic gas. More than 44.5% of the dried cellulose can be converted into pyrolytic oil. Moreover, three different scenarios of recovery have been considered, and the impact of cellulose separation in terms of COD fluxes entering the WWTP and potential energy recovery has been studied. The results suggested that, in this case study, the potential separation of the primary cellulosic sludge from the influent water flux would have no significant impact on COD load entering the biological treatments and biogas production in the anaerobic digestion of the secondary sludge.

Keywords: wastewater treatment; mechanical pretreatment; resource recovery; cellulose reuse; solid carbonaceous product (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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