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Biochar Prepared by Microwave-Assisted Co-Pyrolysis of Sewage Sludge and Cotton Stalk: A Potential Soil Conditioner

Author

Listed:
  • Junshen Qu

    (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Daiying Wang

    (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Zeyu Deng

    (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Hejie Yu

    (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Jianjun Dai

    (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Xiaotao Bi

    (Clean Energy Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada)

Abstract

The reduction and safe disposal of sewage sludge remains an urgent problem worldwide. In this work, biochar prepared from co−pyrolysis of sewage sludge and cotton stalk at different mix ratios and different pyrolysis temperatures was prepared using a novel microwave-assisted auger reactor. The obtained biochar samples were mixed with selected soil samples at different mix ratios for a short−term plant−growing test to examine their abilities as a soil conditioner on nitrogen fixation and retention. The addition of biochar could increase the total nitrogen in the soil to 0.3951% compared to 0.0403% in the untreated soil, while the concentration of available nitrogen could be increased to 114.45 mg·kg −1 compared to 47.95 mg·kg −1 in the untreated soil. Moreover, the introduction of biochar to the soil also contributed to the growth of corn seedlings, which grew at a rate of 3.41 cm·d −1 compared to 3.03 cm·d −1 in untreated soil. The results show that the addition of biochar can enrich total soil nitrogen before and after incubation and promote the growth of corn seedlings, providing a potential route for the safe disposal and resource recovery of sewage sludge.

Suggested Citation

  • Junshen Qu & Daiying Wang & Zeyu Deng & Hejie Yu & Jianjun Dai & Xiaotao Bi, 2023. "Biochar Prepared by Microwave-Assisted Co-Pyrolysis of Sewage Sludge and Cotton Stalk: A Potential Soil Conditioner," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7265-:d:1134127
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Motasemi, F. & Afzal, Muhammad T., 2013. "A review on the microwave-assisted pyrolysis technique," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 317-330.
    2. Mushtaq, Faisal & Mat, Ramli & Ani, Farid Nasir, 2014. "A review on microwave assisted pyrolysis of coal and biomass for fuel production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 555-574.
    3. Fytili, D. & Zabaniotou, A., 2008. "Utilization of sewage sludge in EU application of old and new methods--A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 116-140, January.
    4. Ren, Xueyong & Shanb Ghazani, Mohammad & Zhu, Hui & Ao, Wenya & Zhang, Han & Moreside, Emma & Zhu, Jinjiao & Yang, Pu & Zhong, Na & Bi, Xiaotao, 2022. "Challenges and opportunities in microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of biomass: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
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