Challenge of biodiesel production from sewage sludge catalyzed by KOH,KOH/activated carbon,and KOH/CaO

The considerable compounds content, abundance, and low costs involved has led to the proposal to use sewage sludge as raw material for biodiesel production. The transesterification reaction is catalyzed using an acid catalyst instead of base catalysts because of the high free fatty acid concentration. However, the use of a base catalyst, particularly a solid base catalyst, has certain advantages, including faster reaction speed and easier separation. In this study, we utilize in situ transesterification by base catalyst (KOH, KOH/activated carbon (AC) and KOH/CaO) with sewage sludge as raw material. Many conditions have been tested to increase biodiesel yield through single-factor tests, including mass fraction and catalyst dosage. Preliminary experiments have optimized reaction time and temperature. However, the three catalysts did not work better than H₂SO₄, which had a maximum yield of 4.6% (dry sewage sludge base) considering the purity by KOH, KOH/CaO, and KOH/AC. The features of the catalyst were analyzed using XRD, BETand SEM. As to BETof KOH/AC and the good spiculate formation of KOH crystal appears to be essential to its function. As for KOH/CaO, the formation of K₂O and absorption points is likely essential.

Open image in new window

     

Insight into selective removal of copper from high-concentration nickel solutions with XPS and DFT: New technique to prepare 5N-nickel with chelating resin

An efficient and profitable separation process was proposed to prepare 5N(the purity of the metal solution reaches 99.999%) high-purity nickel from 3N nickel-solutions using Purolite S984. The adsorption performance of this superior resin, especially its selectivity for metal ions,was explored quantitatively. The maximum adsorption capacity for copper was 2.286 mmol/g calculated by the Langmuir model, which was twice as large as that for nickel. In the binary systems, the adsorption capacity for nickel was decreased by 45%, indicating direct competition for the active sites. The infinite separation factor for copper versus nickel exceeded 300, revealing the feasibility of preparing5N-level high-purity nickel solutions, which was further verified using the 800 BV(bed volume) effluent in the column dynamic process.According to the cost–benefit analysis, purification contributed to a profit of approximately 60,000 USD per cycle, and the investment return period was less than 1/3 years. Density functional theory analysis confirmed that four nitrogen atoms would be involved in the coordination complex and thus a structure involving two five-membered rings could be achieved. The X-ray photoelectron spectra confirmed the involvement of nitrogen atoms,implying a coordination ratio of approximately 1:1.