Effect of Hydrothermal Carbonization on the Fuel Properties of Chicken Manure Hydrochar

Abstract

Recently, the use of chicken manure (CM) for energy has drawn particular attention as a solution for the proper management of this waste. This study aims to determine the impact of hydrothermal carbonization on hydrochar's fuel properties. The statistical study revealed that temperature was the key factor that most strongly influenced variations in the higher heating value (HHV) and mass yield. The residence time (30-120 min) had a greater impact at lower temperatures (180 °C) than at higher temperatures. The hydrochar with the best balance between mass yield (50.13%) and HHV (19.37 MJ/kg) was produced at 180 °C for 120 minutes. Characterization findings showed that hydrochar could lead to reduced H/C and O/C ratios, resulting in an HHV in the sub-bituminous coal region. According to its HHV, fuel ratio, and energy densification ratio, CM's HTC is a promising method to produce solid fuel and is a waste-to-energy opportunity for energy recovery.