The purpose of this work was to study the potential to enhance biogas production from pulp and paper mill sludge by the use of thermal pre-treatment in combination with chemical pre-treatment. Biogas from waste is a r...The purpose of this work was to study the potential to enhance biogas production from pulp and paper mill sludge by the use of thermal pre-treatment in combination with chemical pre-treatment. Biogas from waste is a renewable fuel with very low emissions during combustion. To further reduce the use of fossil fuels, more biogas substrates are necessary. Pulp and paper mill sludge is a large untapped reservoir of potential biogas. Pulp and paper mill sludge was collected from a mill that produces both pulp and paper and has a modified waste activated sludge system as part of its wastewater treatment. Pre-treatments were chosen heat （70 ~C or 140℃） combined with either acid （pH 2 or pH 4） or base （pH 9 or pH 11, obtained with Ca（OH）2 or NaOH）. Biogas potential was tested by anaerobic digestion batch assays under mesophilic conditions. All pre-treatments were tested in six replicates. Biogas volume was measured with a gas-tight syringe and methane concentration was measured with a gas chromatograph. The methane yield from sludge subjected to thermal pre-treatment at 70℃ did not differ from the untreated sludge, but thermal pre-treatment at 140℃ had a positive effect. Within the 70℃ thermal pre-treatment group, the pH 2 acid was the most successful chemical pre-treatment, and Ca（OH）2 pH 9 had the least effect with no measurable improvement in methane yield. For the 140 ℃ thermal pre-treatment group, acid and NaOH impacted methane production negatively, while the Ca（OH）2-treated sludge did not differ from sludge with no chemical pre-treatment. In conclusion, thermal pre-treatment at 70℃ showed no effect, whereas, pre-treatment at 140℃ improved methane yield with 170%, and for this sludge additional, chemical pre-treatments are unnecessary.展开更多
文摘The purpose of this work was to study the potential to enhance biogas production from pulp and paper mill sludge by the use of thermal pre-treatment in combination with chemical pre-treatment. Biogas from waste is a renewable fuel with very low emissions during combustion. To further reduce the use of fossil fuels, more biogas substrates are necessary. Pulp and paper mill sludge is a large untapped reservoir of potential biogas. Pulp and paper mill sludge was collected from a mill that produces both pulp and paper and has a modified waste activated sludge system as part of its wastewater treatment. Pre-treatments were chosen heat （70 ~C or 140℃） combined with either acid （pH 2 or pH 4） or base （pH 9 or pH 11, obtained with Ca（OH）2 or NaOH）. Biogas potential was tested by anaerobic digestion batch assays under mesophilic conditions. All pre-treatments were tested in six replicates. Biogas volume was measured with a gas-tight syringe and methane concentration was measured with a gas chromatograph. The methane yield from sludge subjected to thermal pre-treatment at 70℃ did not differ from the untreated sludge, but thermal pre-treatment at 140℃ had a positive effect. Within the 70℃ thermal pre-treatment group, the pH 2 acid was the most successful chemical pre-treatment, and Ca（OH）2 pH 9 had the least effect with no measurable improvement in methane yield. For the 140 ℃ thermal pre-treatment group, acid and NaOH impacted methane production negatively, while the Ca（OH）2-treated sludge did not differ from sludge with no chemical pre-treatment. In conclusion, thermal pre-treatment at 70℃ showed no effect, whereas, pre-treatment at 140℃ improved methane yield with 170%, and for this sludge additional, chemical pre-treatments are unnecessary.
