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Published on: May 6, 2010
Carbon dioxide assisted thermal decomposition of cattle excreta
Sang-Ryong Lee1, Jechan Lee2, Taewoo Lee2
1Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea; Animal Environment Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Jeollabuk-do 55365, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
To develop the environmentally benign thermo-chemical process, this study placed great emphasis on the influence of CO2 on pyrolysis of cattle excreta for energy recovery. To this end, this study evaluates the possible enhanced energy recovery from cattle excreta using CO2 as reaction medium/feedstock in the thermal degradation of cattle excreta. The enhanced generation of CO in the presence of CO2 reached up to 15.15mol% (reference value: 0.369mol%) at 690°C, which was equivalent to ~4000 times more generation of CO. In addition to the enhanced generation of CO, the enhanced generation of H2 and CH4 in the thermal degradation of cattle excreta in CO2. Thus, the findings of this study revealed two genuine roles of CO2: 1) enhanced thermal cracking of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evolved from the thermal degradation of cattle excreta and 2) direct reaction between VOCs and CO2 via gas phase reaction.
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