Effect of Thermal Pre-treatment and Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Sludge and Waste on Physical Characteristics and Total Organic Carbon Removal

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

1 Associated Professor, Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Egypt

2 Professor, Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Egypt

3 Assistant Lecturer, Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Egypt.

4 Associated Professor, Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt.

Abstract

A biogas potential test was used to study the physical characteristics and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal 
ratio caused by the anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of thermally pre-treated waste and sludge. Waste was mixed 
with sludge by a ratio of 1:2 (VS based) and the total solids was 11.20%. A fresh inoculum was mixed with the 
waste and sludge mixture by a ratio of 1:1 (based on volume). The waste and sludge were heated at 100, 120, 
140, 160, and 180℃. Several mixing conditions were used 1) pretreated waste with untreated sludge, 2) untreated 
waste with pretreated sludge, 3) pretreated waste with pretreated sludge. These cases are replicated for all 
temperatures and compared with the blank reactor. The results indicated that the viscosity of the mixture was 
reduced with pretreatment and the optimal removal ratio was obtained in the second case at 140℃. The TOC 
removal ratio was 53.902% higher than the blank reactor which was 34.91%.

Keywords