Syngas production and heavy metal dynamics during supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge

doi:10.1007/s11783-024-1909-z

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (12) : 149 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1909-z

Syngas production and heavy metal dynamics during supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge

Mi Yan¹, Shuai Liu¹, Haihua Zhang², Rendong Zheng³, Jintao Cui¹, Dan Wang¹, Dicka Ar Rahim^1,⁴, Ekkachai Kanchanatip⁵(

)

¹. Institute of Energy and Power Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
². China Hangzhou Energy Group Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310013, China
³. Hangzhou Linjiang Environmental Energy Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310013, China
⁴. Department of Chemical Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
⁵. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47000, Thailand

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Abstract

● The highest syngas yield of 10.9 mol/kg with 44.7% H₂ concentration was achieved.

● The distribution of heavy metals with/without alkaline additives was investigated.

● Risk Assessment Code of heavy metals after SCWG reduced to less than 1%.

● Possible reaction pathways of heavy metals during SCWG of sludge were proposed.

The rising production of sewage sludge, characterized by high organic content and excessive heavy metals, necessitates an effective treatment method. This study investigated the production of syngas and the migration and transformation behavior of heavy metals such as Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, and As during supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of sewage sludge. The experiments were conducted without or with alkaline additives at temperatures between 380 to 420 °C and retention time from 15 to 60 min. The results revealed that the highest syngas yield reached 10.9 mol/kg with an H₂ concentration of 44.7% at 420 °C and 60 min. In this process, heavy metals were effectively immobilized and converted into a more stable form, whereas higher temperatures and longer retention time enhanced this effect. The introduction of alkaline additives (NaOH, KOH, Ca(OH)₂, Na₂CO₃, and K₂CO₃) led to the redistribution of heavy metals, further promoting the stabilization of Zn, Cr, and Cu. An environmental risk assessment showed that SCWG could significantly lower the risk associated with heavy metals to a low or negligible level.

Keywords Sludge Heavy metal Immobilization Supercritical water gasification Environmental risk assessment

Corresponding Author(s): Ekkachai Kanchanatip

Issue Date: 08 October 2024

Cite this article:

Mi Yan,Shuai Liu,Haihua Zhang, et al. Syngas production and heavy metal dynamics during supercritical water gasification of sewage sludge[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(12): 149.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-024-1909-z
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2024/V18/I12/149

Tab.1 Proximate and ultimate analysis of sludge sample

Tab.2 Heavy metals in the raw sewage sludge (dry basis)

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the SCWG system.

Tab.3 Details of the experimental conditions

Fig.2 Effect of reaction temperature (380–420 °C) and retention time (15–60 min) on (a) HE, CE, syngas yield and (b) syngas composition.

Fig.3 Mass balance of heavy metals during SCWG of sludge at different conditions. (a) Zn, (b) Ni, (c) Cr, (d) Cu, (e) As.

Fig.4 Heavy metals speciation distribution during SCWG of sludge under different conditions. (a) Zn, (b) Ni, (c) Cr, (d) Cu, and (e) As.

Fig.5 Effect of alkaline additives on the speciation distribution of heavy metals, (a) Zn; (b) Ni; (c) Cr; (d) Cu; (e) As.

Fig.6 RAC assessment of heavy metals. (a) RAC indices of raw sludge and solid residues after SCWG, (b) RAC indices with the addition of alkaline metals (400 °C, 60 min).

Fig.7 Transformation pathways of heavy metals (X = Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, and As, and n represents the valence state of the heavy metals element).

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