Pyrolysis of plant, animal and human waste: physical and chemical characterization of the pyrolytic products

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 241 - 247
• Main Authors: Shinogi, Yoshiyuki, Kanri, Yutaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon - analysis; Carbon products; Carbonization recycling technology; Cellulose - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Incineration; Japan; Nitrogen - analysis; Oryza sativa; Sewage - analysis; Temperature; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Waste Management; Japan; Carbonization recycling technology; Carbon products; Carbonization; Human; Pyrolysis; Recycling; Carbon; Animal waste; Vegetal waste
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(03)00147-0

Pyrolysis (carbonization) has been proposed as one of several optional technologies for disposing and recycling waste products in Japan. Plant wastes (sugarcane bagasse and rice husks), animal waste (cow biosolids) and human waste (treated municipal sludge) were pyrolyzed at temperatures from 250–800 °C in closed containers. The carbonized materials were evaluated for specific physical properties (yield, surface area, density) and specific chemical properties (total carbon, total nitrogen, pH, fixed carbon, ash content, volatility) in order to compare differences in properties among the four waste products. The results indicated that (1) surface area, total carbon, ash content and pH increased as the carbonization temperature increased, while carbonization yield decreased with increasing temperature, (2) product density however was not affected by temperature and (3) correlation coefficients were determined among the physical and chemical properties and several significant correlations were observed. The data indicate that source material had considerable influence on the physical and chemical properties of the carbonized products.