Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor
In this work, dewatered waste activated sludge (DWAS) was subjected to hydrothermal carbonization to obtain hydrochars that can be used as renewable solid fuels or activated carbon precursors. A central composite rotatable design was used to analyze the effect of temperature (140–220 °C) and reactio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/15/3534 |
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| author | J. A. Villamil E. Diaz M. A. de la Rubia A. F. Mohedano |
| author_facet | J. A. Villamil E. Diaz M. A. de la Rubia A. F. Mohedano |
| author_sort | J. A. Villamil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this work, dewatered waste activated sludge (DWAS) was subjected to hydrothermal carbonization to obtain hydrochars that can be used as renewable solid fuels or activated carbon precursors. A central composite rotatable design was used to analyze the effect of temperature (140–220 °C) and reaction time (0.5–4 h) on the physicochemical properties of the products. The hydrochars exhibited increased heating values (up to 22.3 MJ/kg) and their air-activation provided carbons with a low BET area (100 m<sup>2</sup>/g). By contrast, chemical activation with K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, KOH, FeCl<sub>3</sub> and ZnCl<sub>2</sub> gave carbons with a well-developed porous network (BET areas of 410–1030 m<sup>2</sup>/g) and substantial contents in mesopores (0.079–0.271 cm<sup>3</sup>/g) and micropores (0.136–0.398 cm<sup>3</sup>/g). The chemically activated carbons had a fairly good potential to adsorb emerging pollutants such as sulfamethoxazole, antipyrine and desipramine from the liquid phase. This was especially the case with KOH-activated hydrochars, which exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 412, 198 and 146 mg/g, respectively, for the previous pollutants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:01:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3622ab874a84ceaa91ce7d755d9e456 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:01:28Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3622ab874a84ceaa91ce7d755d9e4562023-11-20T08:50:56ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492020-08-012515353410.3390/molecules25153534Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon PrecursorJ. A. Villamil0E. Diaz1M. A. de la Rubia2A. F. Mohedano3Departamento de Tecnología Química y Ambiental, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles (Madrid), SpainDepartamento de Ingenieria Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Ingenieria Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Ingenieria Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, SpainIn this work, dewatered waste activated sludge (DWAS) was subjected to hydrothermal carbonization to obtain hydrochars that can be used as renewable solid fuels or activated carbon precursors. A central composite rotatable design was used to analyze the effect of temperature (140–220 °C) and reaction time (0.5–4 h) on the physicochemical properties of the products. The hydrochars exhibited increased heating values (up to 22.3 MJ/kg) and their air-activation provided carbons with a low BET area (100 m<sup>2</sup>/g). By contrast, chemical activation with K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, KOH, FeCl<sub>3</sub> and ZnCl<sub>2</sub> gave carbons with a well-developed porous network (BET areas of 410–1030 m<sup>2</sup>/g) and substantial contents in mesopores (0.079–0.271 cm<sup>3</sup>/g) and micropores (0.136–0.398 cm<sup>3</sup>/g). The chemically activated carbons had a fairly good potential to adsorb emerging pollutants such as sulfamethoxazole, antipyrine and desipramine from the liquid phase. This was especially the case with KOH-activated hydrochars, which exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 412, 198 and 146 mg/g, respectively, for the previous pollutants.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/15/3534activated carbonadsorptionchemical activationhydrothermal carbonizationhydrocharlow-cost adsorbent |
| spellingShingle | J. A. Villamil E. Diaz M. A. de la Rubia A. F. Mohedano Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor Molecules activated carbon adsorption chemical activation hydrothermal carbonization hydrochar low-cost adsorbent |
| title | Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor |
| title_full | Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor |
| title_fullStr | Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor |
| title_short | Potential Use of Waste Activated Sludge Hydrothermally Treated as a Renewable Fuel or Activated Carbon Precursor |
| title_sort | potential use of waste activated sludge hydrothermally treated as a renewable fuel or activated carbon precursor |
| topic | activated carbon adsorption chemical activation hydrothermal carbonization hydrochar low-cost adsorbent |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/15/3534 |
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