Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the usage of waste from Absorbent Hygienic Products (AHP) as a fuel for gasification or pyrolysis, two attractive routes to obtain valuable products and dispose of this kind of waste. The study experimentally investigated the devolatilization of coarsely shredded materials from diapers, in a laboratory-scale bubbling fluidized bed made of sand, as a representative preparatory step of the above-mentioned thermochemical conversions. Two versions of shredded materials were considered: as-manufactured diapers (AHPam, as a reference), and the cellulosic fraction of sterilized used diapers (AHPus). Results were presented, obtained from physical-chemical characterization of AHPam and AHPus (TGA, CHNS/O, proximate and ultimate analyses, XRF, ICP-AES, SEM-EDS), as well as from their devolatilizations at 500–600–700–800 °C under two different atmospheres (air plus nitrogen, or pure nitrogen as a reference). Generally, temperature influenced syngas composition the most, with better performances under pure nitrogen. At 700–800 °C under pure nitrogen, the highest syngas quality and yield were obtained. For AHPam and AHPus, respectively: (i) H2 equaled 29.5 vol% and 23.7 vol%, while hydrocarbons equaled 14.8 vol% and 7.4 vol% on dry, dilution-free basis; (ii) 53.7 Nl and 46.0 Nl of syngas were produced, per 100 g of fuel. Overall, AHP emerged as an interesting fuel for thermochemical conversions.
Highlights
Since recent years, research efforts regarding renewable and sustainable energy sources have been more and more intensified because of the complexity of current global energy issues and the urgency of global warming containment [1].The world population is expected to increase up to more than 11 billion people by the end of the 21st century, geographically concentrated in the currently least developed regions of the world [2]
Devolatilizations of samples from those Absorbent Hygienic Products (AHP) wastes were performed in a laboratory-scale bubbling fluidized bed made of sand, as a representative preparatory step of pyrolysis or gasification, respectively, intended as thermochemical conversions in the absence of oxidants or in the presence of sub-stoichiometric oxidants [30]
Bothmicroscopy microscopytechniques techniqueswere wereexploited exploitedtotostudy studypossible possibleagglomageration or sintering phenomena in the bed,bed, which cancan interfere with thethe fluidiglomeration or sintering phenomena in fluidized the fluidized which interfere with fluidization quality by increasing average diameter bedparticles, particles, affecting affecting the zation quality by increasing the the average diameter ofof bed the performance of thermochemical conversion[39]
Summary
Research efforts regarding renewable and sustainable energy sources have been more and more intensified because of the complexity of current global energy issues and the urgency of global warming containment [1].The world population is expected to increase up to more than 11 billion people by the end of the 21st century, geographically concentrated in the currently least developed regions of the world [2]. Humankind in 2018 (7.6 billion people) produced two billion tonnes of waste per year; the expected world population growth should be compensated by avoiding the current gross mismanagement of waste [3]. In this framework, the European Union (EU) has promoted thematic strategies regarding waste prevention and recycling, as well as regulations concerning the transition towards a circular and sustainable economy [5]. The European Union (EU) has promoted thematic strategies regarding waste prevention and recycling, as well as regulations concerning the transition towards a circular and sustainable economy [5] In this scenario, several governmental programs have sustained actions to contrast climate change, as recently required by the
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