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

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  • 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
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. 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).
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