RT Journal Article
T1 Direct pyrolysis of catalysed raw sewage sludge unlocks superior energy recovery: a kinetic evidence
T2 La pirólisis directa de lodos de depuradora crudos catalizados para una recuperación energética superior: una evidencia cinética
A1 Palma López, Alberto
A1 Lozano Calvo, Susana
A1 Ruiz Montoya, Mercedes
A1 Díaz Blanco, Manuel Jesús
K1 Sewage sludge
K1 Kinetic
K1 Pyrolysis
K1 Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method
AB The present study investigates the pyrolysis kinetics of raw (undigested) sewage sludge and evaluates the effect of three low-cost catalysts (CaO, MgO, and Al2O3). The activation energies (Ea) were determined by means of the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method. The raw sludge displayed a three-phase Ea profile, which suggests sequential decomposition of heterogeneous biopolymers. Among the catalysts, CaO exhibited the most significant reduction in Ea within the medium conversion range (α ~ 0.4–0.7). The effect of MgO was found to be reaction stage-dependent, while Al2O3 was observed to increase Ea in the initial stages, thus potentially promoting condensation reactions. The findings provide a robust foundation for the direct pyrolysis of raw sludge with low-cost catalysts, a process that has been demonstrated to enhance energy recovery in a single step, thereby circumventing the losses that are typically associated with prior anaerobic digestion.
PB Springer Nature
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28031
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28031
LA eng
NO Palma López, A., Lozano Calvo, S., Ruiz-Montoya, M. et al. Direct pyrolysis of catalysed raw sewage sludge unlocks superior energy recovery: a kinetic evidence. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-026-37547-9
NO Universidad de Huelva/CBUA
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 30 may 2026