Study of the pyrolysis liquids obtained from different sewage sludge

Pyrolysis of sewage sludge in fluidized bed to produce bio-oil is under study as a useful way to valorise this waste. Sewage sludge is the waste produced in the wastewater treatment plants. Its composition may change due to the origin and to the non-standardized treatments in the wastewater treatment plants. The pyrolysis of three samples of anaerobically digested sewage sludge obtained from three different urban wastewater treatment plants was studied in this work. The organic and inorganic matter composition, and the volatile and ash content of these sewage sludge samples were different. The influence of these parameters on the pyrolysis product distribution and on some characteristics of these products was studied. It was determined that the ash content of the raw material had an enormous influence on the sewage sludge pyrolysis. An increase in the ash content of the sewage sludge caused an increase in the gas yield and a decrease in the liquid and the solid yield with the operational conditions studied. The increase of the volatile content of the sewage sludge samples caused an increase in the liquid yield. The H₂ proportion was the most influenced non-condensable gas. It increased significantly with the ash content. The viscosity of the pyrolysis oils decreased when the ash content augmented. On the other hand, the water content depended on the organic composition of the sewage sludge samples. The chemical composition of the pyrolysis oils was also affected by the sewage sludge ash content above all the proportion of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds. These compound groups increased with the augment of the sewage sludge ash content. The oxygen-containing aliphatic compounds and the steroids decreased with the ash content, although its proportion in the sewage sludge liquid was also influenced by the organic matter composition of the sewage sludge samples.