Thermal Transformation of Carbon and Oxygen-Containing Organic Compounds in Sewage Sludge During Pyrolysis Treatment

Yanjun Hu, Yanjun Lu, Wenchao Ma, Linjie Wang, Haryo Wibowo, Zhicheng Huang and Fan Yu
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Yanjun Hu: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China
Yanjun Lu: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China
Wenchao Ma: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135#, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300392, China
Linjie Wang: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China
Haryo Wibowo: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China
Zhicheng Huang: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China
Fan Yu: Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Liuhe Road 288#, HangZhou 310023, China

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: Organic carbon (C) and oxygen (O) contained in sewage sludge strongly impact its thermal behavior during pyrolysis treatment. This study was aimed at getting an insight into the decomposition mechanism of organic compounds containing C and O during sludge pyrolysis using thermo-gravimetric Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and helpfully improving energy conversion of sewage sludge. The temperature domains of transformation were determined and indications of the main compounds produced during each stage were obtained. Results showed that the volatile compounds that evolved after sludge pyrolysis were mainly distributed into six groups: alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, phenols and carboxylic acids. Comparison in thermal behavior and composition of the evolved volatile compounds were observed. In the low temperature stage (<350 °C), compounds containing O–C=O accounted for the highest proportion in the evolved gas (55%). Over 350 °C, the production of C=C, –OH, and –C6H5 compounds gradually increased; but little was found of compounds containing O–C=O. Above 550 °C, as thermal chemical reaction involving oxygen-containing groups enhanced, compounds containing O–C=O and –OH tended to disappear, and an increasing amount of macromolecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon was formed. Finally, the thermal transformation pathways of the oxygen and carbon-containing compounds were proposed.

Keywords: sewage sludge; pyrolysis; oxygen and carbon-containing groups; TG-FTIR; Py-GC/MS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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