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Valorization of deinking sludges from wastepaper recycling: Biogas production and calcium carbonate recovery
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.9454
Publikationstyp
Doctoral Thesis
Date Issued
2024
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Ogun, Moses Kolade
Advisor
Referee
Title Granting Institution
Technische Universität Hamburg
Place of Title Granting Institution
Hamburg
Examination Date
2023-04-26
Citation
Technische Universität Hamburg (2024)
Deinking sludges are residues generated from deinking operation during wastepaper recycling. The common treatment option in Europe includes dewatering steps followed by incineration. Incineration of deinking sludge is capital intensive and not sustainable hence it was investigated if it can be valorized energetically by anaerobic digestion and materially by calcium carbonate recovery. Investigations were carried out by characterisation of substrates and execution of experiments.
The dry matter of deinking sludges depends on the dewatering stage in treatment plant and is in the range of 2 to 40% fresh mass. The pre-dewatered deinking sludge has a dry matter content of 5 - 16% fresh mass. The organic dry matter of deinking sludges is in the range of 29 to 33% DM. Calcium carbonate and ash contents have the highest fraction of dry matter in deinking sludges and are 47 - 52% DM and 67 - 71% DM respectively. Deinking sludges showed good digestibility with common inocula and their biogas yield was observed to be about half of that of cellulose under similar anaerobic conditions. Pre-dewatered deinking sludge from the mixture of high and medium wastepaper grades showed the highest specific biogas yield (417 ± 0 NL/kg·oDM) followed by those with a mixture of medium wastepaper grades (275 ± 14 NL /kg·oDM) and lastly those from ordinary wastepaper grades (250 ± 21 NL /kg·oDM). A carbon to nitrogen ratio in the range of 29 and 34 is recommended to improve the efficiency of a semi-continuously operated anaerobic digestion of deinking sludge.
Within the scope of this study, a hydraulic retention time of 19 days which corresponds to an organic loading rate of 1.6 ± 0.42 kg oDM/m3·d was observed as optimal for anaerobic digestion of deinking sludge using a semi-continuous system. Deinking sludge settles quickly in bioreactors, hence an efficient mixing mechanism during semi-continuous process is recommended. The two-step first order kinetics showed the best fitting for the anaerobic digestion of raw and pre-dewatered deinking sludges from ordinary wastepaper grades. The modified Gompertz model showed the best fit for pre-dewatered deinking sludges from high and medium wastepaper grades. The ashes of deinking sludges and its digestates are rich in calcium carbonate and contain some elements found in portland cement but in different proportion. The ashes contribute to flexural and compressive strength which make them suitable as supplementary building materials. Results obtained from the study show that biogas production from deinking sludges combined with calcium carbonate recovery is a sustainable approach.
The dry matter of deinking sludges depends on the dewatering stage in treatment plant and is in the range of 2 to 40% fresh mass. The pre-dewatered deinking sludge has a dry matter content of 5 - 16% fresh mass. The organic dry matter of deinking sludges is in the range of 29 to 33% DM. Calcium carbonate and ash contents have the highest fraction of dry matter in deinking sludges and are 47 - 52% DM and 67 - 71% DM respectively. Deinking sludges showed good digestibility with common inocula and their biogas yield was observed to be about half of that of cellulose under similar anaerobic conditions. Pre-dewatered deinking sludge from the mixture of high and medium wastepaper grades showed the highest specific biogas yield (417 ± 0 NL/kg·oDM) followed by those with a mixture of medium wastepaper grades (275 ± 14 NL /kg·oDM) and lastly those from ordinary wastepaper grades (250 ± 21 NL /kg·oDM). A carbon to nitrogen ratio in the range of 29 and 34 is recommended to improve the efficiency of a semi-continuously operated anaerobic digestion of deinking sludge.
Within the scope of this study, a hydraulic retention time of 19 days which corresponds to an organic loading rate of 1.6 ± 0.42 kg oDM/m3·d was observed as optimal for anaerobic digestion of deinking sludge using a semi-continuous system. Deinking sludge settles quickly in bioreactors, hence an efficient mixing mechanism during semi-continuous process is recommended. The two-step first order kinetics showed the best fitting for the anaerobic digestion of raw and pre-dewatered deinking sludges from ordinary wastepaper grades. The modified Gompertz model showed the best fit for pre-dewatered deinking sludges from high and medium wastepaper grades. The ashes of deinking sludges and its digestates are rich in calcium carbonate and contain some elements found in portland cement but in different proportion. The ashes contribute to flexural and compressive strength which make them suitable as supplementary building materials. Results obtained from the study show that biogas production from deinking sludges combined with calcium carbonate recovery is a sustainable approach.
Subjects
wastepaper
recycling
deinking sludge
biogas
digestate
calcium carbonate
DDC Class
620: Engineering
Funding Organisations
Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM)
Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
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Ogun_Moses_Kolade_ Valorization of deinking sludges from wastepaper recycling-Biogas production and calcium carbonate recovery.pdf
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