Comprehensive kinetic modeling and product distribution for pyrolysis of pulp and paper mill sludge
Journal article, 2024

Pyrolysis holds immense potential for clean treatment of pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS), enabling efficient energy and chemical recovery. However, current understanding of PPMS pyrolysis kinetics and product characteristics remains incomplete. This study conducted detailed modeling of pyrolysis kinetics for two typical PPMSs from a wastepaper pulp and paper mill, namely, deinking sludge (PPMS-DS) and sewage sludge (PPMS-SS), and analyzed comprehensively pyrolysis products. The results show that apparent activation energy of PPMS-DS (169.25–226.82 kJ/mol) and PPMS-SS (189.29–411.21 kJ/mol) pyrolysis undergoes significant change, with numerous parallel reactions present. A distributed activation energy model with dual logistic distributions proves to be suitable for modeling thermal decomposition kinetics of both PPMS-DS and PPMS-SS, with coefficient of determination >0.999 and relative root mean square error <1.99 %. High temperature promotes decomposition of solid organic materials in PPMS, and maximum tar yield for both PPMS-DS (53.90 wt%, daf) and PPMS-SS (56.48 wt%, daf) is achieved at around 500 °C. Higher levels of styrene (24.45 % for PPMS-DS and 14.71 % for PPMS-SS) and ethylbenzene (8.61 % for PPMS-DS and 8.33 % for PPMS-SS) are detected in tar and could be used as chemicals. This work shows great potential to propel development of PPMS pyrolysis technology, enabling green and sustainable production in pulp and paper industry.

Product characterization

Pyrolysis

Pulp and paper mill sludge

Fixed bed

Kinetic modeling

Distributed activation energy model

Author

Fangjun Chen

South China University of Technology

Lei Ding

South China University of Technology

Yongfeng Zhu

South China University of Technology

Guanlong Ren

South China University of Technology

Yi Man

South China University of Technology

Kun Hong

Huaiyin Institute of Technology

Lin Lang

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Henrik Ström

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Qingang Xiong

South China University of Technology

Science of the Total Environment

00489697 (ISSN) 18791026 (eISSN)

Vol. 924 171665

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Subject Categories

Energy Engineering

Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology

Chemical Engineering

Other Chemical Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171665

PubMed

38490406

More information

Latest update

5/30/2024