Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process
Peat is the main type of peloid used in Polish cosmetic/healing spa facilities. Depending on treatment and origin, peat waste can be contaminated microbiologically, and as a result, it must be incinerated in medical waste incineration plants without energy recovery (local law). Such a situation lead...
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6053 |
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| author | Kacper Świechowski Małgorzata Leśniak Andrzej Białowiec |
| author_facet | Kacper Świechowski Małgorzata Leśniak Andrzej Białowiec |
| author_sort | Kacper Świechowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Peat is the main type of peloid used in Polish cosmetic/healing spa facilities. Depending on treatment and origin, peat waste can be contaminated microbiologically, and as a result, it must be incinerated in medical waste incineration plants without energy recovery (local law). Such a situation leads to peat waste management costs increase. Therefore, in this work, we checked the possibility of peat waste upcycling to carbonized solid fuel (CSF) using torrefaction. Torrefaction is a thermal treatment process that removes microbiological contamination and improves the fuel properties of peat waste. In this work, the torrefaction conditions (temperature and time) on CSF quality were tested. Parallelly, peat decomposition kinetics using TGA and torrefaction kinetics with lifetime prediction using macro-TGA were determined. Furthermore, torrefaction theoretical mass and energy balance were determined. The results were compared with reference material (wood), and as a result, obtained data can be used to adjust currently used wood torrefaction technologies for peat torrefaction. The results show that torrefaction improves the high heating value of peat waste from 19.0 to 21.3 MJ × kg<sup>−1</sup>, peat main decomposition takes place at 200–550 °C following second reaction order (<i>n</i> = 2), with an activation energy of 33.34 kJ × mol<sup>−1</sup>, and pre-exponential factor of 4.40 × 10<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that peat torrefaction required slightly more energy than wood torrefaction, and macro-TGA showed that peat torrefaction has lower torrefaction constant reaction rates (k) than wood 1.05 × 10<sup>−5</sup>–3.15 × 10<sup>−5</sup> vs. 1.43 × 10<sup>−5</sup>–7.25 × 10<sup>−5</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:03:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e5f2d6e3d694f4790c285ff62017073 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:03:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e5f2d6e3d694f4790c285ff620170732023-11-22T15:58:32ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-09-011419605310.3390/en14196053Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction ProcessKacper Świechowski0Małgorzata Leśniak1Andrzej Białowiec2Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, PolandPeat is the main type of peloid used in Polish cosmetic/healing spa facilities. Depending on treatment and origin, peat waste can be contaminated microbiologically, and as a result, it must be incinerated in medical waste incineration plants without energy recovery (local law). Such a situation leads to peat waste management costs increase. Therefore, in this work, we checked the possibility of peat waste upcycling to carbonized solid fuel (CSF) using torrefaction. Torrefaction is a thermal treatment process that removes microbiological contamination and improves the fuel properties of peat waste. In this work, the torrefaction conditions (temperature and time) on CSF quality were tested. Parallelly, peat decomposition kinetics using TGA and torrefaction kinetics with lifetime prediction using macro-TGA were determined. Furthermore, torrefaction theoretical mass and energy balance were determined. The results were compared with reference material (wood), and as a result, obtained data can be used to adjust currently used wood torrefaction technologies for peat torrefaction. The results show that torrefaction improves the high heating value of peat waste from 19.0 to 21.3 MJ × kg<sup>−1</sup>, peat main decomposition takes place at 200–550 °C following second reaction order (<i>n</i> = 2), with an activation energy of 33.34 kJ × mol<sup>−1</sup>, and pre-exponential factor of 4.40 × 10<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that peat torrefaction required slightly more energy than wood torrefaction, and macro-TGA showed that peat torrefaction has lower torrefaction constant reaction rates (k) than wood 1.05 × 10<sup>−5</sup>–3.15 × 10<sup>−5</sup> vs. 1.43 × 10<sup>−5</sup>–7.25 × 10<sup>−5</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6053peloidswaste to energywaste to carboncircular economytorrefied biomasskinetics lifetime prediction |
| spellingShingle | Kacper Świechowski Małgorzata Leśniak Andrzej Białowiec Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process Energies peloids waste to energy waste to carbon circular economy torrefied biomass kinetics lifetime prediction |
| title | Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process |
| title_full | Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process |
| title_fullStr | Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process |
| title_short | Medical Peat Waste Upcycling to Carbonized Solid Fuel in the Torrefaction Process |
| title_sort | medical peat waste upcycling to carbonized solid fuel in the torrefaction process |
| topic | peloids waste to energy waste to carbon circular economy torrefied biomass kinetics lifetime prediction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6053 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kacperswiechowski medicalpeatwasteupcyclingtocarbonizedsolidfuelinthetorrefactionprocess AT małgorzatalesniak medicalpeatwasteupcyclingtocarbonizedsolidfuelinthetorrefactionprocess AT andrzejbiałowiec medicalpeatwasteupcyclingtocarbonizedsolidfuelinthetorrefactionprocess |