Hydrothermal carbonization reaction severity as an indicator of human-excreta-derived hydrochar properties and it's combustion

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an emerging technology that may potentially address sanitation problems and energy scarcity. However, the significance of the parameters that govern HTC (e.g., temperature and time) is not fully understood, in particular for human excreta. A simplified coalification model was used to describe the 'strength' of thermal reactions by combining temperature and time into a single parameter, the severity factor. This study is the first to assess the extent to which a severity coalification model can predict the properties of human-excreta-derived hydrochar for a given severity with different combinations of reaction time and temperature. HTC experiments with raw human excreta were undertaken with 50 mL batch reactors at five different severities. Severity was established with different combinations of temperature (180 degrees C, 210 degrees C, and 240 degrees C) and reaction time based on the severityfactor equation. The resulting hydrochars were tested for combustion properties, and the respective gas emission as well as, physicochemical and surface area parameters. Significant correlations were found between severity and yield (R2 = 0.88), carbon content (R2 = 0.85), and calorific value (R2 = 0.90), with the properties being similar for a given severity but varying with different severities. Hydrochar's contact angle increased from 53.1 degrees to 81.3 degrees with increasing SF, while surface area remained low, ranging from <1 to 5.1 m2g-1, with no definite correlation to SF. Combustion profiles for a given severity were generally similar, but the ignition, peak, and burnout temperatures differed between severities. Gram-Schmidt curves indicated that gas emission profiles are similar for a given severity but vary with different severities. The main gases emitted in combustion were virtually identical in all treatments, and included CO2, alkenes (C9, C10), CH4, and H2O. It is concluded that many properties of hydrochar can be inferred from the severity factor.

Automated summary

This study examines the application of a severity coalification model to predict the properties of hydrochar derived from human excreta. The severity factor was used as a parameter to describe the 'strength' of thermal reactions. The results show that many properties of hydrochar can be determined based on the severity factor.