Wet Oxidation of Process Waters from the Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge

Weiner, Barbara; Breulmann, Marc; Wedwitschka, Harald; Fühner, Christoph; Kopinke, Frank‐Dieter

doi:10.1002/cite.201700050

Cited by 27 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Wet oxidation (WO) is a physicochemical technology primarily used to treat industrial wastewater [87][88][89]. The process can be performed with air or molecular oxygen.…”

Section: Wet Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Process Waters from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Waste Biomasses like Sewage Sludge: Challenges, Legal Aspects, and Opportunities in EU and Germany

Ender,

Ekanthalu,

Jalalipour

et al. 2024

Water

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Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has developed considerably over the last 15 years and offers a viable alternative for the utilization of municipal and industrial organic waste such as sewage sludge. However, the technology has yet to establish itself as a valorization process for waste biomasses (2024) and is not yet a recognized state of the art. Nevertheless, the HTC technology could gain greater relevance in the future, especially as an alternative valorization pathway for sewage sludge. During HTC, significant amounts of HTC process water (PW) are produced as a byproduct. The process water is inorganically and organically polluted and has to be treated, as it would be a burden on water bodies and thus on the environment if left untreated. In the EU and specifically Germany, industrial wastewater producers like HTC-plant operators are obliged to treat their industrial wastewater before discharging it into the environment. In addition to a large amount of PW and its treatment to the required limits, the organic load and possible persistent and toxic substances pose major challenges for plant operators. Many proven processes from industrial wastewater treatment were transferred for the treatment of PW. Treatment of the PW in a manner that is industrially viable, economically viable, and efficient is crucial for the effective commercialization of HTC technology. In this, the challenges and opportunities of PW composition, management, and treatment, including legal aspects, are mainly discussed. Therefore, the legal framework in the European Union and specifically for Germany will be elaborated. Furthermore, different treatment pathways are also highlighted.

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“…Wet oxidation (WO) is a physicochemical technology primarily used to treat industrial wastewater [87][88][89]. The process can be performed with air or molecular oxygen.…”

Section: Wet Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Process Waters from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Waste Biomasses like Sewage Sludge: Challenges, Legal Aspects, and Opportunities in EU and Germany

Ender,

Ekanthalu,

Jalalipour

et al. 2024

Water

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“…Furthermore, the effects of wet oxidation on HTC products have not been sufficiently studied yet. Only a few works analyzed the effects of wet oxidation process on HTC products, stating the possibility of oxidizing the dissolved organic matter of process water and hydrochars [31][32][33]. Further studies could confirm the final properties of the oxidized hydrochar with regards to the circular economy perspective.…”

Section: Htc Process Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sewage Sludge Management at District Level: Reduction and Nutrients Recovery via Hydrothermal Carbonization

Scrinzi

Ferrentino

Baù

et al. 2022

Waste Biomass Valor

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In this study, two scenarios of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) are presented, which include the integration of the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process into the sludge line as a post-treatment of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The objective of the simulation is to investigate the performances of AD + HTC treatment to reduce sludge production and improve nutrient and energy recovery. For this purpose, the scheme of an under-construction WWTP was considered, named Trento 3 (Trento, Italy) and with a treatment capacity of 300,000 PE. In the first scenario, the HTC process was fed with thickened sludge from the Trento 3 WWTP, while in the second scenario, dewatered sludge from other local WWTPs was also used as feedstock for the HTC process. Both scenarios allowed to obtain a considerable sludge reduction ranging from 70 to 75% with a notably increase in the biogas production up to 47%, due to the recycling of HTC liquor (HTCL) to the anaerobic digester. Considering nutrients recovery, all the phosphorus and nitrogen present in the HTCL could be used for struvite precipitation with an average yearly gain of 1 million euros. Moreover, the introduction of HTC in the Trento 3 WWTP could allow a reduction in the sludge management costs of up to 2 M€/year. Graphical Abstract

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“…However, in recent years, PW has been considered by some researchers as an interesting byproduct rather than a problem. Several potential solutions have been proposed, such as anaerobic digestion, 24,66 nutrient recovery, 58,67 PW recirculation to the HTC, 32,59 wet oxidation, 68,69 liquid fertilizer, 70,71 and chemical recovery. 72,73 The literature has also reported a small fraction of oil molecules generated in the HTC.…”

Section: Hydrothermal Carbonizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in recent years, PW has been considered by some researchers as an interesting byproduct rather than a problem. Several potential solutions have been proposed, such as anaerobic digestion, , nutrient recovery, , PW recirculation to the HTC, , wet oxidation, , liquid fertilizer, , and chemical recovery. , The literature has also reported a small fraction of oil molecules generated in the HTC . Bio-oil species were obtained in the HTC from biomass rich in fatty acids (such as oleaginous plants), sewage sludge, and animal manure, , although at fairly low yields.…”

Section: Hydrothermal Carbonizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonization and Anaerobic Digestion for Energy Recovery of Biomass Waste: An Overview

et al. 2021

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Hydrothermal carbonization is emerging as a promising eco-friendly technology for the management of wet biomass wastes through energy recovery. It avoids drying of the feedstock and operates at a much lower temperature than conventional thermal conversion technologies, giving rise to a carbonaceous solid, hydrochar, of improved fuel quality with respect to the starting biomass. However, the aqueous fraction resulting from this process, the so-called process water, represents a troublesome secondary waste requiring effective treatment because of the high chemical oxygen demand and the presence of varying amounts of nutrients. Anaerobic digestion appears as a potential solution allowing significant reduction of the organic load while producing methane-rich biogas, thus contributing to energy recovery. Integrating hydrothermal carbonization and anaerobic digestion is gaining interest in the literature. This review compiles the reported studies on the application of hydrothermal carbonization coupled with anaerobic digestion for energy recovery of different biomass wastes, analyzing the energy balances. The main characteristics of the resulting HC and the methanogenic potential of the process waters are reviewed in connection with the operating conditions, as well as the possibility of nutrient recovery. Life cycle assessment and economic studies are included.

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Wet Oxidation of Process Waters from the Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sewage Sludge

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Process Waters from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Waste Biomasses like Sewage Sludge: Challenges, Legal Aspects, and Opportunities in EU and Germany

Process Waters from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Waste Biomasses like Sewage Sludge: Challenges, Legal Aspects, and Opportunities in EU and Germany

Sewage Sludge Management at District Level: Reduction and Nutrients Recovery via Hydrothermal Carbonization

Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonization and Anaerobic Digestion for Energy Recovery of Biomass Waste: An Overview

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