Feasibility of Thermal Utilization of Primary and Secondary Sludge from a Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kaliningrad City

Yuliya Kulikova, Olga Babich, Anna Tsybina, Stanislav Sukhikh, Ivan Mokrushin, Svetlana Noskova and Nikolaj Orlov
Additional contact information
Yuliya Kulikova: Institute of Living Systems, Immanuel Kant BFU, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
Olga Babich: Institute of Living Systems, Immanuel Kant BFU, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
Anna Tsybina: Environmental Protection Department, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, 614000 Perm, Russia
Stanislav Sukhikh: Institute of Living Systems, Immanuel Kant BFU, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
Ivan Mokrushin: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Technology and Technosphere Safety of Perm State National Research University, 614990 Perm, Russia
Svetlana Noskova: Institute of Living Systems, Immanuel Kant BFU, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
Nikolaj Orlov: Institute of Living Systems, Immanuel Kant BFU, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-14

Abstract: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sewage sludge is considered in the article as an analogue of the natural processes of oil formation (catagenesis). A comparison of the physicochemical composition of primary and secondary sludge with type II kerogen (natural precursor of oil) showed their similarity. Both types of sludge have a slightly higher level of oxygen and nitrogen. The study tested the hypothesis that the elements included in the inorganic part of the oil source rocks can have a catalytic effect on the oil formation processes. For the conducted studies of sludge HTL, the catalysts containing cations and substances found in oil source rocks were chosen: as homogeneous catalysts (KOH, NaOH, NH 4 Fe(SO 4 ) 2 , CoCl 6 , NiSO 4 , CuSO 4 , ZnSO 4 , MoO 3 ) and as heterogeneous catalysts (MgO, Zeolite, Al 2 O 3 ). The effectiveness of catalysts containing metal ions, zeolite and aluminum oxide has been proven. The highest biocrude yield was achieved in a process with NiSO 4 as the catalyst in a dose 2 g per 10 g of sludge: oil yield increased by 34.9% and 63.4% in the processing of primary and secondary sludge, respectively. The use of catalysts provided an increase in fuel HHV by 10.8–12.5%, which is associated with a decrease in oxygen content (by 10.8–43.2%) with a simultaneous increase in carbon (by 7.9–10.9%) and hydrogen (by 6.5–18.7%) content.

Keywords: secondary sludge; primary sludge; hydrothermal liquefaction: catalyst; carbonization; biocrude; catagenesis (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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