IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v271y2020ics0306261920307248.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Post-pyrolysis treatments of biochars from sewage sludge and A. mearnsii for ammonia (NH4-n) recovery

Author

Listed:
  • Beckinghausen, Aubrey
  • Reynders, Jonathan
  • Merckel, Ryan
  • Wu, Yun Wen
  • Marais, Heidi
  • Schwede, Sebastian

Abstract

NH4-N-loaded biochars are suitable candidates for soil amendment and fertilization. Sewage sludge-based biochar and biochar from the invasive species black wattle were used as sorbents for the adsorption of ammonia from a concentrated solution to mimic the wastewater treatment plant reject water stream. To increase ammonium recovery efficiency, two post-pyrolysis activation techniques were compared: steam activation and hydrogen peroxide treatment. It was found that the success of the treatment options was material dependent; therefore, post-pyrolysis treatments will require optimization for different applications based on feedstock. A simplified version of an adsorption process simulated in Aspen Tech predicts that NH4-N may be recovered at an energy cost lower than that of the Haber-Bosch process for black wattle biochar yields of below 19.5%. The biooil and syngas produced during pyrolysis can be used to lessen the energy requirements of the process, so that the solid portion may be utilized as an adsorbent and soil fertilizer. The energy-based sustainability of this technology warrants a more in-depth investigation for evaluation of the techno-economic feasibility for this class of loaded sorbents, and whether this method of nitrogen capture from wastewater is a suitable replacement of the costly Haber-Bosch process.

Suggested Citation

  • Beckinghausen, Aubrey & Reynders, Jonathan & Merckel, Ryan & Wu, Yun Wen & Marais, Heidi & Schwede, Sebastian, 2020. "Post-pyrolysis treatments of biochars from sewage sludge and A. mearnsii for ammonia (NH4-n) recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:271:y:2020:i:c:s0306261920307248
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115212
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261920307248
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115212?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beckinghausen, Aubrey & Odlare, Monica & Thorin, Eva & Schwede, Sebastian, 2020. "From removal to recovery: An evaluation of nitrogen recovery techniques from wastewater," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    2. Cao, Yucheng & Pawłowski, Artur, 2012. "Sewage sludge-to-energy approaches based on anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis: Brief overview and energy efficiency assessment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 1657-1665.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jayne Lois San Juan & Carlo James Caligan & Maria Mikayla Garcia & Jericho Mitra & Andres Philip Mayol & Charlle Sy & Aristotle Ubando & Alvin Culaba, 2020. "Multi-Objective Optimization of an Integrated Algal and Sludge-Based Bioenergy Park and Wastewater Treatment System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Shahbeig, Hossein & Nosrati, Mohsen, 2020. "Pyrolysis of municipal sewage sludge for bioenergy production: Thermo-kinetic studies, evolved gas analysis, and techno-socio-economic assessment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Fabio Merzari & Jillian Goldfarb & Gianni Andreottola & Tanja Mimmo & Maurizio Volpe & Luca Fiori, 2020. "Hydrothermal Carbonization as a Strategy for Sewage Sludge Management: Influence of Process Withdrawal Point on Hydrochar Properties," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, June.
    4. Farhad Beik & Leon Williams & Tim Brown & Stuart T. Wagland, 2021. "Managing Non-Sewered Human Waste Using Thermochemical Waste Treatment Technologies: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Katinas, Vladislovas & Marčiukaitis, Mantas & Perednis, Eugenijus & Dzenajavičienė, Eugenija Farida, 2019. "Analysis of biodegradable waste use for energy generation in Lithuania," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 559-567.
    6. Abdel daiem, Mahmoud M. & Hatata, Ahmed & Galal, Osama H. & Said, Noha & Ahmed, Dalia, 2021. "Prediction of biogas production from anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and wheat straw using two-dimensional mathematical models and an artificial neural network," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 226-240.
    7. Syed-Hassan, Syed Shatir A. & Wang, Yi & Hu, Song & Su, Sheng & Xiang, Jun, 2017. "Thermochemical processing of sewage sludge to energy and fuel: Fundamentals, challenges and considerations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 888-913.
    8. Luo, Juan & Ma, Rui & Lin, Junhao & Sun, Shichang & Gong, Guojin & Sun, Jiaman & Chen, Yi & Ma, Ning, 2023. "Review of microwave pyrolysis of sludge to produce high quality biogas: Multi-perspectives process optimization and critical issues proposal," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Ghasimi, Dara S.M. & de Kreuk, Merle & Maeng, Sung Kyu & Zandvoort, Marcel H. & van Lier, Jules B., 2016. "High-rate thermophilic bio-methanation of the fine sieved fraction from Dutch municipal raw sewage: Cost-effective potentials for on-site energy recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 569-582.
    10. Takata, Miki & Fukushima, Kazuyo & Kawai, Minako & Nagao, Norio & Niwa, Chiaki & Yoshida, Teruaki & Toda, Tatsuki, 2013. "The choice of biological waste treatment method for urban areas in Japan—An environmental perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 557-567.
    11. Chen, Renjie & Yu, Xiaoqing & Dong, Bin & Dai, Xiaohu, 2020. "Sludge-to-energy approaches based on pathways that couple pyrolysis with anaerobic digestion (thermal hydrolysis pre/post-treatment): Energy efficiency assessment and pyrolysis kinetics analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    12. Cooper, Bethany & Okello, Walter O., 2021. "An economic lens to understanding antimicrobial resistance: disruptive cases to livestock and wastewater management in Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 65(04), January.
    13. Ju-Hyoung Park & Min-Ho Jin & Young-Joo Lee & Gyu-Seob Song & Jong Won Choi & Dong-Wook Lee & Young-Chan Choi & Se-Joon Park & Kwang Ho Song & Joeng-Geun Kim, 2019. "Two-in-One Fuel Synthetic Bioethanol-Lignin from Lignocellulose with Sewage Sludge and Its Air Pollutants Reduction Effects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Qiu, L. & Deng, Y.F. & Wang, F. & Davaritouchaee, M. & Yao, Y.Q., 2019. "A review on biochar-mediated anaerobic digestion with enhanced methane recovery," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Shahbeik, Hossein & Rafiee, Shahin & Shafizadeh, Alireza & Jeddi, Dorsa & Jafary, Tahereh & Lam, Su Shiung & Pan, Junting & Tabatabaei, Meisam & Aghbashlo, Mortaza, 2022. "Characterizing sludge pyrolysis by machine learning: Towards sustainable bioenergy production from wastes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1078-1092.
    16. Havukainen, J. & Uusitalo, V. & Niskanen, A. & Kapustina, V. & Horttanainen, M., 2014. "Evaluation of methods for estimating energy performance of biogas production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 232-240.
    17. Ouping Deng & Sitong Wang & Jiangyou Ran & Shuai Huang & Xiuming Zhang & Jiakun Duan & Lin Zhang & Yongqiu Xia & Stefan Reis & Jiayu Xu & Jianming Xu & Wim Vries & Mark A. Sutton & Baojing Gu, 2024. "Managing urban development could halve nitrogen pollution in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    18. Yang, Yadong & Shahbeik, Hossein & Shafizadeh, Alireza & Masoudnia, Nima & Rafiee, Shahin & Zhang, Yijia & Pan, Junting & Tabatabaei, Meisam & Aghbashlo, Mortaza, 2022. "Biomass microwave pyrolysis characterization by machine learning for sustainable rural biorefineries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P2), pages 70-86.
    19. Nicola Di Costanzo & Alessandra Cesaro & Francesco Di Capua & Giovanni Esposito, 2021. "Exploiting the Nutrient Potential of Anaerobically Digested Sewage Sludge: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-25, December.
    20. Golzar, Farzin & Silveira, Semida, 2021. "Impact of wastewater heat recovery in buildings on the performance of centralized energy recovery – A case study of Stockholm," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:271:y:2020:i:c:s0306261920307248. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.