Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is the decomposition of organic matter at elevated temperatures (300 and 1300 °C) in the absence of oxygen at atmospheric pressures. The useful products generated are a charcoal-like biochar solid product, a bio-oil formed from ‘condensable’ volatile substances and ‘non-condensable’ gases which may include both carbon dioxide and methane.

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Sludge thermochemical treatment

An introduction to sludge thermochemical treatment methods

Hierarchy of thermochemical methods for sludge treatment, showing the oxidative processes of incineration, wet (or wet air) oxidation and supercritical water oxidation along with the non-oxidative processes of pyrolysis, gasification and hydrothermal treatment.

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Sludge thermochemical treatment − an overview

Thermochemical methods are used for either degrading the sludge solids or pre-treating sludge upstream of anaerobic digestion

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Sludge thermochemical reactor design configurations

Various reactor configurations exist for sludge thermochemical treatment which vary in design, operation and application

Hydrothermal processes and approximate regions of operation with reference to the pressure:temperature water phase diagram.
(HTC: Hydrothermal carbonisation, HTL: Hydrothermal liquefaction, HTG/SCWG: Hydrothermal gasification/supercritical water gasification.)

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Non-oxidative thermochemical treatment

An introduction to non-oxidative sludge thermochemical treatment methods

Thin cylinders of sludge (pelleted, pyrolysed sewage sludge)

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Sludge treatment − pyrolysis

Pyrolysis refers to the decomposition of organic matter at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen and water

Pyrolysis related videos

Example of biomass pyrolysis treatment scheme (Jin Wang and Peter He, Biofuels Edu) Source: Biofuels Edu: Biomass pyrolysis treatment scheme by kind permission of Jin Wang and Peter He, Biofuels Edu https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmml0VBAF9O15sx2JbEAdTA, funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture / YouTube

Example of biomass pyrolysis treatment scheme (Jin Wang and Peter He, Biofuels Edu)

An animation demonstrating 'fast pyrolysis' producing bio-oil as the final product. This video is made available as part of the biofuels education projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Pyrolysis features and blogs

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Co-processing of sewage digestate by hydrothermal carbonisation

Hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) can be used to co-process anaerobic digestion (AD) digestate and lignocellulosic (or plant-based) feedstocks to improve the the hydrochar product quality. This AD waste co-processing route has been studied at bench scale. Read article