RESEARCH ON THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SEWAGE TREATMENT SLUDGE BIOCHAR AND ITS PREPARATION FOR WASTEWATER

Abstract

Treatment and recycling of sludge waste have developed into a research focus in recent years. Today, nutrient recovery from wastewater and sludge has received much attention from regulators, academia, industry, and the general public. Institutions and governments around the globe are now seeking innovation to implement a “circular economy” for sewage sludge usage. The development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly disposal processes is necessary to meet political demands. In developing countries, common approaches to the treatment such as incineration and landfilling, cause unwanted secondary pollution. The study aims to determine sewage sludge biochar’s physical and chemical properties and its preparation for wastewater treatment. The chosen chemical properties of sewage sludge biochar were electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (%) content, physical properties were volatile solids, ash content, and also conducted phosphorus leaching experiment. It was determined that by increasing the pyrolysis temperature, the electrical conductivity (from 665 µS/cm to 277 µS/cm) and total organic carbon (from 29.03% to 17.25%) measurements decreased. By increasing the pyrolysis temperature, the ash content (from 50.07% to 69.45%), and volatile solids (from 53.61% to 74.55%) measurements increased.