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Wet route pellets production using primary sludge from kraft pulp mill

  • Bruna Virgínia Cunha Rodrigues ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro , Claudio Mudadu Silva , Caio Moreira Miquelino Eleto Torres and Mateus Alves de Magalhães
Published/Copyright: April 2, 2021
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Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal
From the journal Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal Volume 36 Issue 2

Abstract

The substantial expansion of the Brazilian pulp and paper industry in the last years resulted in a significant increase in the solid waste generation. This paper investigates the production of pellets using primary sludge from the effluent treatment plant of a kraft pulp mill, as a fuel for producing energy, using a novel wet route process. The pellet samples were produced in a laboratory pelletizing press, which has a horizontal circular matrix. The samples were characterized by moisture content, high heating value, ash content, dimensions (diameter and length), mechanical durability and fines content. The net heating value and energetic density were also measured. The pellets manufactured with primary sludge were compared to the European standard for non-woody pellets. Pelletization caused a reduction of the moisture content by 37.8 %, and increased the net heating value by 41 % and bulk density by approximately 39 %, which resulted in a 263 % increase in the material´s energetic density. Pellet production using a wet route process was appropriate for the primary sludge, and produced pellets with a high mechanical durability (99.3 %) and low fines content (0.062 %), indicating the potential of thermal valorization for incineration in the biomass boiler to produce high-quality steam.

Keywords: bioeconomy; circular economy; energy; pulp mill sludge; recycling

Funding source: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Award Identifier / Grant number: 830235/1999-0

Funding source: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Award Identifier / Grant number: 1840925

Funding source: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais

Award Identifier / Grant number: 503

Funding statement: We also acknowledge the Conselho Nacional de Tecnologia e Desenvolvimento Científico (CNPq – 830235/1999-0), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES – 1840925) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG – 503) for the support provided for this investigation.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the dedication of all employees and students of the Pulp and Paper Laboratory and the Laboratory of Wood Panels and Energy of the Universidade Federal de Vicosa.

  1. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Received: 2020-11-28
Accepted: 2021-03-19
Published Online: 2021-04-02
Published in Print: 2021-06-25

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Review
  3. Aspects on bond strength in sheet structures from TMP and CTMP – a review
  4. Chemical pulping
  5. The impact of using different wood qualities and wood species on chips produced using a novel type of pilot drum chipper
  6. Temperature and effective alkali effect on brown pulp kraft cooking
  7. Mechanical pulping
  8. On the modeling of pulp properties in CTMP processes
  9. Paper technology
  10. Pulp pumping efficiency I – A critical review on loss and its estimation
  11. Pulp pumping efficiency II – Designing of a pulp pump
  12. Three-dimensional scanning electron microscopy used as a profilometer for the surface characterization of polyethylene-coated paperboard
  13. Paper chemistry
  14. Ageing mechanisms of the papers with zeolite and PCC fillers
  15. Synthesis of macro-RAFT agent containing M13-10 and its application in surface sizing agent
  16. Coating
  17. The role of MFC and hydrophobically modified ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose in film formation and the barrier properties of methyl nanocellulose film
  18. Printing
  19. Fabrication of rosemary essential oil microcapsules and using in active packaging
  20. Packaging
  21. Development of a nonwetting coating for packaging substrate surfaces using a novel and easy to implement method
  22. Recycling
  23. Wet route pellets production using primary sludge from kraft pulp mill
  24. Chemical technology/modifications
  25. Modification of cellulosic filler with diisocyanates – volatile organic compounds emission assessment and stability of chemical structure over time
  26. Characterization and application of wood-ZrO2 sorbent for simultaneous removal of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) from binary mixture
https://doi.org/10.1515/npprj-2020-0105
Keywords for this article
bioeconomy; circular economy; energy; pulp mill sludge; recycling

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Review
  3. Aspects on bond strength in sheet structures from TMP and CTMP – a review
  4. Chemical pulping
  5. The impact of using different wood qualities and wood species on chips produced using a novel type of pilot drum chipper
  6. Temperature and effective alkali effect on brown pulp kraft cooking
  7. Mechanical pulping
  8. On the modeling of pulp properties in CTMP processes
  9. Paper technology
  10. Pulp pumping efficiency I – A critical review on loss and its estimation
  11. Pulp pumping efficiency II – Designing of a pulp pump
  12. Three-dimensional scanning electron microscopy used as a profilometer for the surface characterization of polyethylene-coated paperboard
  13. Paper chemistry
  14. Ageing mechanisms of the papers with zeolite and PCC fillers
  15. Synthesis of macro-RAFT agent containing M13-10 and its application in surface sizing agent
  16. Coating
  17. The role of MFC and hydrophobically modified ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose in film formation and the barrier properties of methyl nanocellulose film
  18. Printing
  19. Fabrication of rosemary essential oil microcapsules and using in active packaging
  20. Packaging
  21. Development of a nonwetting coating for packaging substrate surfaces using a novel and easy to implement method
  22. Recycling
  23. Wet route pellets production using primary sludge from kraft pulp mill
  24. Chemical technology/modifications
  25. Modification of cellulosic filler with diisocyanates – volatile organic compounds emission assessment and stability of chemical structure over time
  26. Characterization and application of wood-ZrO2 sorbent for simultaneous removal of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) from binary mixture
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