Yang Dong1, Rongzhen Yu1, Tinggui Yan1, Xiaojiao Zhao1, Wei Zhang2. 1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China. 2. Research Center of Karst Ecological Civilization, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China.
Abstract
Phosphorus is a depletable resource, and the consumption of phosphorus fertilizer increases with the growing population size. Phosphorus recycled from incinerated sludge ash can be a complement to phosphatic fertilizers in districts suffering from phosphorus resource shortages (e.g., Germany, Japan, and Sweden). The apatite inorganic phosphorus (AP) content in incinerated sludge ash is a key factor influencing the recoverability and bioavailability. Biomass straw is rich in calcium and magnesium minerals and can be used as an additive to be blended with sludge to increase the AP content. However, most of the current studies added excessive amounts of calcium-based or biomass additives, and the bioavailability of various Ca-Mg-P minerals generated after the addition of biomass has not been systematically discussed. In this study, the changes of the phosphorus form in the mixed sludge and biomass with Ca/P in the range of 1.0-2.5 are studied, and the influence of temperature and additives on the phosphorus form and the bioavailability of phosphorus in the ash samples are discussed by combining X-ray diffraction and citric acid (CA) leaching experiments. The AP content is very low in the residue of the sludge or corn straw (CS) that has been burned individually. The sludge and the blended sludge and CS were incinerated at various temperatures. As the incineration temperature increased, the conversion of non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) to AP was promoted, but the bioavailability did not change until 1050 °C for samples with a Ca/P of 2.5. In the range from 750 to 950 °C, higher temperature promotes the formation of Ca2P2O7 and CaP2O6. CaP2O6 is insoluble in CA; thus, the bioavailability changes little from 750 to 950 °C, although the AP content increases. With the increase of Ca/P, the conversion of NAIP to AP and the bioavailability of phosphorus were promoted. For the blended sludge and CS ash, Ca7Mg2P6O24 appears at 950 and 1050 °C and the bioavailability also increases.
Phosphorus is a depletable resource, and the consumption of phosphorus fertilizer increases with the growing population size. Phosphorus recycled from incinerated sludge ash can be a complement to phosphatic fertilizers in districts suffering from phosphorus resource shortages (e.g., Germany, Japan, and Sweden). The apatite inorganic phosphorus (AP) content in incinerated sludge ash is a key factor influencing the recoverability and bioavailability. Biomass straw is rich in calcium and magnesium minerals and can be used as an additive to be blended with sludge to increase the AP content. However, most of the current studies added excessive amounts of calcium-based or biomass additives, and the bioavailability of various Ca-Mg-P minerals generated after the addition of biomass has not been systematically discussed. In this study, the changes of the phosphorus form in the mixed sludge and biomass with Ca/P in the range of 1.0-2.5 are studied, and the influence of temperature and additives on the phosphorus form and the bioavailability of phosphorus in the ash samples are discussed by combining X-ray diffraction and citric acid (CA) leaching experiments. The AP content is very low in the residue of the sludge or corn straw (CS) that has been burned individually. The sludge and the blended sludge and CS were incinerated at various temperatures. As the incineration temperature increased, the conversion of non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) to AP was promoted, but the bioavailability did not change until 1050 °C for samples with a Ca/P of 2.5. In the range from 750 to 950 °C, higher temperature promotes the formation of Ca2P2O7 and CaP2O6. CaP2O6 is insoluble in CA; thus, the bioavailability changes little from 750 to 950 °C, although the AP content increases. With the increase of Ca/P, the conversion of NAIP to AP and the bioavailability of phosphorus were promoted. For the blended sludge and CS ash, Ca7Mg2P6O24 appears at 950 and 1050 °C and the bioavailability also increases.
Phosphorus is one of the
essential elements in the cell structure
and metabolism of plants and animals. In the terrestrial circulation
system, as part of the phosphorus that is washed and transported by
water precipitates into the bottom mud of rivers, lakes, and seas,
phosphorus resources are less available on the land.[1] Phosphorus is a nonrenewable resource, but human demand
for phosphorus resources increases with a larger population.[2] It is predicted that the global consumption of
phosphate fertilizer will increase to 200 million tons per year in
2030,[3] and geological phosphate rock, the
main raw material for phosphate fertilizer production, will be exhausted
in 90–130 years.[4−6] China is rich in phosphate rock resources, but high-grade
phosphate rock resources only account for 10% of the total reserves,
while the phosphorus content in sewage sludge (SS) is close to the
poor phosphate rock (10–20 wt % of P2O5), and the annual SS discharge is as high as 50 million tons.[7] We can calculate that if the phosphorus in the
sludge can be reused, it is equivalent to supplementing 10% of China’s
annual phosphate fertilizer demand.[8] Germany,
Sweden, and Japan began the industrialization practice of phosphorus
resource recovery from sludge as early as 2010.[9,10] The
phosphorus in the incinerated sludge ash can be leached and crystallized
into struvite or calcium hydroxyapatite to recover phosphorus, or
the sludge ash after incineration can be directly used as citric fertilizer.[11,12] Incineration of sludge has significant advantages such as the complete
destruction of organic pollutants, volume reduction, and heat recovery.[13−16] The form of phosphorus in the incinerated sludge ash is a key factor
that affects the recovery and reuse of phosphorus and determines the
recyclable percentage and bioavailability of phosphorus.[17] In sludge ash, only apatite inorganic phosphorus
(mainly calcium magnesium phosphate) can be directly absorbed by plants,[18] so how to increase the apatite inorganic phosphorus
content in the incineration sludge ash is one of the keys to realizing
the efficient utilization of phosphorus resources in sludge.In order to facilitate and unify the procedure to measure the bioavailability/mobility
of phosphorus in sludge, the Commission of the European Communities
has formulated a standard measurement protocol [standards, measurements,
and testing (SMT)] that is easy to implement under routine experimental
conditions and separately stipulates determination procedures for
total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), and organic phosphorus
(OP), where TP = IP + OP. IP is divided into apatite inorganic phosphorus
(AP, Ca/Mg–P) and non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP, Fe/Al/Mn–P).[19−21] One of the drawbacks of the method is that the differentiation between
the apatite and non-apatite fractions is not so accurate due to the
reagents employed that determine the releasing mechanism from the
sludge. Despite the limitations inherent to the method, the SMT protocol
is a good approach for phosphorus fractionation in sludge.[20] Fe/Al/Mn–phosphate exhibits low bioavailability
and cannot be used by plants directly. Ca/Mg–phosphate could
be utilized as a slow-release P fertilizer in the long term. Many
of the research focuses on how to promote the conversion of NAIP to
AP in order to improve the bioavailability of the phosphorus in sludge
ash.[18,22−24] The bioavailability
is usually evaluated by the soluble phosphorus content in the citric
acid (CA) solution. However, the AP content is not equal to the content
of biologically available phosphorus. The comparison of the AP content
and the soluble phosphorus content in some research shows that the
soluble phosphorus content in the CA solution is less than the AP
content.[25,26]Factors affecting the phosphorus form
in sludge ash include reaction
time, atmosphere, temperature, and additives. Li et al. found that
iron–phosphorus compounds, aluminum–phosphorus compounds,
and amorphous calcium–phosphorus compounds in sludge would
be converted to AP during incineration at 750–950 °C.[27] Qian et al.’s research shows that low-temperature
combustion (below 600 °C) is conducive to the conversion of phosphorus
to an alkali-soluble state, and high temperatures (600–800
°C) are conducive to the conversion of phosphorus to an acid-soluble
state with high bioavailability, such as calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite.[28] Additives containing Ca or Mg were introduced
to promote the formation of apatite inorganic phosphorus. Li et al.
added CaO to the sludge to react with AlPO4 to form Ca2P2O7 and Ca3(PO4)2.[27] Xu et al. found that
the concentration of IP and AP in the sludge hydrothermal carbonization
product reaches the maximum at the same time when 20 wt % CaCl2 was added.[29] The equation Ca10–(PO4)6–(HPO4)(OH)2– → (1 – x)Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 + 3xCa3(PO4)2 in Joris and
Amberg’s research shows that Ca/P of 1.67–1.5 is beneficial
to the formation of apatite inorganic phosphorus theoretically.[30] However, most of the research studies have added
far more additives than the value according to this ratio, which is
not economic if the method is conducted in industrial practice. The
biomass straw was also blended with sludge to act as additives as
the calcium and magnesium content of the ash is high. Zhao et al.
compared the effects of corn, wheat, cotton straws, and wood chips
and found that cotton straws were the most effective in promoting
the conversion of NAIP to AP.[31] Ca and
Mg compounds provide chemical reaction sites for phosphorus, forming
new phosphate mineral phases such as Ca18Mg2H2(PO4)14, Ca2P2O7, and so forth.[31,32] Ren et al. found that
Ca9MgK(PO4)7 and KAlSi3O8 in the mixed ash of wheat straw and sludge inhibit
the reaction of alkaline compounds with silica, and the reaction of
alkali metals with phosphorus-containing compounds promotes the formation
of K–Ca–P compounds.[33] However,
the bioavailability of these compounds was not discussed.In
summary, biomass straws can be blended with sludge as an additive
to promote the conversion of NAIP to AP as the abundant calcium and
magnesium minerals in biomass straws. However, the AP content is not
equal to the content of biologically available phosphorus. AP refers
to many kinds of calcium or magnesium phosphates, of which the bioavailability
is different. Most of the current studies add excessive amounts of
calcium-based or biomass additives, and the bioavailability of various
Ca–Mg–P minerals generated has not been discussed. This
study aims to explore the changes of the phosphorus species in the
sludge and blended corn straws (CSs) and sludge within the range of
Ca/P of 1.0–2.5. The relationship between phosphorus species
and the bioavailability of the mixed ash is discussed by combining
with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and CA leaching testing results.
Experimental Procedures
Materials
The
SS in this experiment
is from a water purification plant in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
The SS (moisture 80%) was dried for 48 h under natural ventilation,
and then crushed to below 2 mm. The crushed SS powder sample was dried
at 105 °C for 48 h to remove the external moisture. The dried
SS was milled to less than 0.15 mm using a planetary mill, and the
obtained SS was stored in a dryer.The CS used in this study
is from the Guanshan Lake District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province,
China. The collected CS was naturally air dried and chopped to less
than 20 mm, then it was dried at 105 °C for 48 h and crushed
to a powder that was less than 0.425 mm using a multifunctional crusher
and stored in a dryer storage.The SS ash and CS ash were prepared
according to the procedures
in the proximate analysis of coal (GB/T212-2001,China) and proximate
analysis of solid biofuels (GB/T28731-2012,China). About 5 g of the
SS powder in a crucible was burned in a temperature-controlled muffle
furnace. During the process, the furnace temperature was first raised
to 500 °C and then kept constant for 1 h. The temperature was
raised to 815 °C and held for 2 h subsequently. The residua were
burned for 30 min again after the mass of the residua was determined.
Repeat burning for 30 min and determine the mass of sample until the
difference in the mass value two times is less than 0.2 mg. For the
CS, a similar operation was conducted to prepare the corn ash, but
the final temperature of the procedure was 550 °C.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Raw Materials
With
reference to the proximate analysis of coal (GB/T 212-2001)
and ultimate analysis of coal (GB/T 476residua2001), proximate analysis
and elemental analysis of the samples were carried out. The results
are listed in Table . SS has a higher ash content, while CS has a higher volatile content,
an extremely low ash content, and a higher fixed carbon content. The
chemical composition of SS ash and CS ash was analyzed by PANalytical
Axios X-ray fluorescence, and the corresponding results are listed
in Table .
Table 1
Proximate and Ultimate Analysis of
Raw Materials
proximate analysis/%
ultimate analysis/%
sample
M
V
A
FC
C
H
O
N
S
SS
5.80
31.76
62.22
0.22
12.68
3.37
49.78
1.97
0.44
CS
10.34
69.16
4.67
15.83
42.93
5.80
46.00
0.60
Table 2
Chemical Composition of Raw Ash
SiO2
Al2O3
Fe2O3
P2O5
CaO
SO3
K2O
MgO
TiO2
Na2O
Cl
SS
27.54
23.69
19.51
10.00
8.67
1.84
2.38
3.02
0.79
0.20
0.07
CS
43.74
0.43
0.30
2.29
10.29
2.68
27.72
11.67
0.03
0.14
0.56
Incineration Experiments
The molar
ratio of calcium to phosphorus (Ca/P) of the original SS ash is about
1:1, and the Ca/P of CS ash is 6:1. CS was added to the sludge to
increase the overall calcium to phosphorus ratio. According to the
equation mentioned in Joris and Amberg’s research,[30] Ca10–(PO4)6–(HPO4)(OH)2– → (1 – x)Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 + 3xCa3(PO4)2, a Ca/P of 1.67–1.5 is beneficial
to the formation of apatite inorganic phosphorus. The calcium–phosphorus
molar ratios of this experimental sample are in the range from 1.0
to 2.5 in order to cover this ideal range of the Ca/P. The corresponding
range of (Ca + Mg)/P is 1.64–6.53. The SS and CS were blended
according to the abovementioned calcium–phosphorus ratio and
pulverized in a ball mill for 10 min to mix well. About 5 g of the
sample in a crucible was placed in the constant temperature zone of
a tubular furnace. The sample was heated to the target temperatures
(750, 850, 950, or 1050 °C) at 10 °C/min and held for 1
h. Air at a rate of 100 mL·min–1 was injected
during the heating process. The obtained ash sample was marked as
SC based on
its Ca/P and incinerated temperature, where x represents
the ratio of Ca/P in the blended sample and y represents
the temperature. For example, the ash sample with a Ca/P of 1.5, incinerated
at 750 °C, is denoted as SC1.5–750.
Standards, Measurements, and Testing (SMT)
Different
forms of phosphorus in ash samples were separated by
the SMT method. The detailed analysis and extraction process are shown
in Figure . According
to SMT protocols, different forms of phosphorus were extracted from
samples, including TP, IP, OP, NAIP (Al/Fe/Mg–P), and apatite
inorganic phosphate (AP, Ca/Mg–P).[19−21]
Figure 1
SMT method for the fractional
extraction of various forms of phosphorus
in sludge ash.
SMT method for the fractional
extraction of various forms of phosphorus
in sludge ash.
Molybdenum
Blue Spectrophotometry
The supernatant obtained in the SMT
extraction process was filtrated
and then diluted to an appropriate concentration to facilitate detection.
The phosphorus concentration of the diluent was measured by molybdenum
blue colorimetry. The standard curve of phosphorus concentration–absorbance
established according to the molybdenum blue colorimetric method is
shown in Figure .
It can be found from Figure that the standard curve determined by the molybdenum blue
colorimetric method has good regression and the phosphorus concentration
has a significant positive correlation with the absorbance (R2 = 0.9999), which can be used for the detection
of the phosphorus content in sludge ash. According to the absorbance
of the diluted solution, the measured phosphorus concentration of
the diluted solution was obtained from the standard curve shown in Figure , and the phosphorus
content Pi (mg/g) of various forms in
the sludge ash was calculated by the following formula.Pi—the phosphorus
content of different forms in the sample, the subscript i stands for
TP, IP, OP, NAIP, and AP, mg/g; v—the diluent volume in a colorimetric
tube with a plug, mL; c—the phosphorus concentration in a diluent,
μg/mL; β—dilution times; and m—sample mass,
g
Figure 2
Standard
working curve of phosphorus.
Standard
working curve of phosphorus.Generally, the dry weight of the sample to be tested is 0.2 g.
In order to ensure the reliability of the results, three parallel
tests were carried out during the experiment, and the results listed
in the article were average values.
X-Ray
Diffraction
The incinerated
ash sample was tested in XRD analysis using the X’Pert PRO
MPD X-ray diffractometer from PANalytical Company. The residual ash
samples after incineration were milled to less than 0.0075 mm using
an agate mortar for powder tablet pressing. The scanning angle was
5–80° and the scanning speed was 5°/min. The radiation
was Cu Kα (1.5406 nm) under the conditions of 40 kV and 40 mA.
Phosphorus Bioavailability Test
The
solubility of phosphorus-containing compounds in a 2% CA solution
is an important indicator to measure the biological effectiveness
of phosphorus in the compound.[23] About
0.2 g of the sample was leached by 20 mL of a 2% CA solution at room
temperature for 16 h. The lixivium was separated by centrifugal filtration.
The total amount of soluble phosphorus in the lixivium was measured
by molybdenum blue spectrophotometry as mentioned in Section .
Results and Discussion
Distribution of Phosphorus
Forms in Sludge
and CS Ashes
The phosphorus speciation in dry sludge, sludge
ash, and CS ash is shown in Figure . The TP and IP contents in the dry sludge are 27.95
and 23.74 mg/g, respectively, and the OP content is relatively high.
The TP content in the SS ash is 37.59 mg/g, and the OP content is
only 0.79 mg/g. The proportion of OP decreases, which may be attributed
to the decomposition of organic matter during combustion, causing
phosphorus in the organics to be released and further react with other
minerals in sludge.[34] The content of AP
in dry sludge is 9.9 mg/g, which is lower than the content of NAIP.
The proportion of AP in the sludge ash is still less than 50%. The
AP content in CS ash is much lower than that of NAIP. This result
indicates that the proportion of AP is relatively low in the residual
ash of SS or CS incinerated individually.
Figure 3
Phosphorus content of
different forms in the dry sludge and the
samples burned separately at 750 °C (a) dry sludge, (b) sludge
ash, and (c) CS ash.
Phosphorus content of
different forms in the dry sludge and the
samples burned separately at 750 °C (a) dry sludge, (b) sludge
ash, and (c) CS ash.
Influence
of Temperature on Phosphorus Specification
in Incinerated Ash
Figure shows the effect of temperature on phosphorus speciation
in the sludge ash and the mixed sludge and CS ash. The Ca/P of the
original sludge ash is about 1:1, and the TP content in the sludge
ash decreases from 37.59 mg/g at 750 °C to 27.96 mg/g at 1050
°C. At higher temperatures, the phosphorus transfer into the
fly ash is more and the measured phosphorus in the residual ash is
less.[31,35] With the increase in temperature, the content
of NAIP gradually decreases and the content of AP increases, indicating
that the increase in temperature is conducive to the conversion of
phosphorus in the sludge into AP. Figure b–d shows the phosphorus speciation
in mixed sludge and CS samples with a Ca/P of 1.5–2.5. As the
temperature increases, the NAIP content decreases and AP content increases
gradually. We can conclude that for samples with different Ca/P, the
increase in temperature is conducive to the conversion of NAIP to
AP. In addition, the TP content in the mixed sludge and CS samples
changed slightly with the increase in temperature, which indicates
that the addition of CS is beneficial to the fixation of phosphorus.
Figure 4
Distribution
of various phosphorus forms in combustion ash at different
temperatures, (a) Ca/P 1.0, (b) Ca/P 1.5, (c) Ca/P 2.0, and (d) Ca/P
2.5.
Distribution
of various phosphorus forms in combustion ash at different
temperatures, (a) Ca/P 1.0, (b) Ca/P 1.5, (c) Ca/P 2.0, and (d) Ca/P
2.5.Figure shows the
crystal diffraction pattern of sludge ash burned at 750 and 1050 °C.
The main diffraction peaks detected in the sludge at 750 °C are
FePO4, AlPO4, and SiO2. It is consistent
with the high proportion of NAIP in Figure . Ca2P2O7 and Mg3(PO4)2 are also detected,
but the peaks are weak. From the XRD pattern of ash prepared at 1050
°C, the diffraction peaks of Ca7Mg2P6O24, CaP2O6, Fe2O3, and Al2O3 appeared in the diffraction
pattern of sludge ash. Meanwhile, the intensity of the diffraction
peaks of FePO4 and AlPO4 decreased, and the
intensity of the diffraction peaks of Ca2P2O7 increased. As the (Ca + Mg)/P in Ca7Mg2P6O24 is 1.5 and the content of P2O5, CaO, and MgO in the sludge ash is 10.00, 8.67, and
3.02, respectively, meaning a (Ca + Mg)/P of 1.62 in the sludge ash,
the content of Ca and Mg mineral is enough for the formation of Ca–P
or Ca–Mg–P. However, the AP content in sludge ash at
1050 °C indicates that the conversion is not complete under the
conditions. The comparison of crystal components in ash that was prepared
at 750 and 1050 °C shows that the phosphates that originally
existed mainly as Fe– and Al–phosphate can react with
the inner Ca- and Mg-containing minerals in sludge ash to generate
Ca- and Ca/Mg-containing phosphate at higher temperatures, which agrees
with the upward trend of the AP content with temperatures in sludge
ash.
Figure 5
XRD pattern of sludge ash after incineration at 750 and 1050 °C.
XRD pattern of sludge ash after incineration at 750 and 1050 °C.Figure shows the
crystal diffraction pattern of ash samples with a Ca/P of 2.5 at 750–1050
°C. The diffraction peaks of Mg3(PO4)2, Ca2P2O7, AlPO4, Fe2O3, and Al2O3 exist
in SC2.5-750. The diffraction peaks of Mg3(PO4)2, Fe2O3, and Ca2P2O7 increased at 850 °C. In SC2.5–950, the diffraction peaks of Ca7Mg2P6O24 and CaP2O6 appeared, and in SC2.5–1050. The intensity of
peaks of Al2O3 and Fe2O3 gradually increase with temperature, which can be attributed to
the transformation of Fe–P and Al–P to Ca–P as
shown in the eqs and 2.[27] The diffraction peaks
of Ca7Mg2P6O24 did not
exist in SC2.5–850 and increase significantly at
1050 °C. Ca7Mg2P6O24 was reported to utilize as a fertilizer.[36] As the intensity of diffraction peaks of Ca7Mg2P6O24 and Ca2P2O7 increases with temperature, it can be speculated that both
Ca7Mg2P6O24 and Ca2P2O7 both have contributed to the increase
of the AP content measured in the SMT result.
Figure 6
XRD pattern
of burning ash at a Ca/P of 2.5.
XRD pattern
of burning ash at a Ca/P of 2.5.However, the AP content in SMT is not always equal to the biologically
available phosphorus.[25,26] The bioavailability of samples
was tested by the leaching experiment of CA, and the results are shown
in Figure . For the
individual sludge ash, the content of dissolved phosphorus in 2% CA
is 20.37 mg/g at 1050 °C and 23.55 mg/g at 750 °C, which
is inconsistent with the change of the AP content in the two samples.
This phenomenon illustrates that the mineral type of AP is also important.
For the mixed samples, the content of dissolved phosphorus in 2% CA
remains unchanged from 750 to 950 °C and increases to 25.34 mg/g
at 1050 °C. It is worth noting that the intensity of the diffraction
peak of Ca7Mg2P6O24 also
becomes stronger, and CaP2O6 disappears in the
process of rising from 950 to 1050 °C. Ca2P2O7, CaP2O6, and Ca7Mg2P6O24 are all present as AP in SMT,
but CaP2O6 is insoluble in the CA.[37] Ca7Mg2P6O24 appears above 850 °C and only abounds in the ash samples
that burned at a higher temperature (1050 °C in this study).
Ca7Mg2P6O24 may play the
most important role in raising the bioavailability of phosphorus in
sludge ash.
Figure 7
Phosphorus content dissolved in 2% CA of ash with a Ca/P of 2.5
prepared at different temperatures.
Phosphorus content dissolved in 2% CA of ash with a Ca/P of 2.5
prepared at different temperatures.
Effect of Ca/P on the Phosphorus Specification
in Ash Samples
Figure shows the distribution of NAIP, AP, and OP in the combustion
ash with a Ca/P of 1.0–2.5. At 750 °C, the proportion
of NAIP dropped from 50 to 28%, while the proportion of AP rose from
48 to 70% with the increase of Ca/P. The comparison of the AP content
in samples with a Ca/P of 1.0 and 1.5 shows that the change from individual
sludge to blended ash of CS and sludge is substantial. It implies
that the external calcium resource from CS can react with the phosphorus
in sludge at 750 °C. For samples at higher temperature, the AP
content increases with the Ca/P and NAIP content decreases, which
is similar to the trend of samples prepared at 750 °C. For samples
prepared at 1050 °C, the AP proportion did not change much with
Ca/P as Ca/P is higher than 1.5, but NAIP still exist even in the
sample with Ca/P of 2.5. In the SC2.5–1050, the
AP content reaches 95% and NAIP is 3%. It can be concluded that for
samples incinerated at different temperatures, the increase of Ca/P
can promote the conversion of NAIP to AP, but the conversion of NAIP
to AP is still not complete in SC2.5–1050. The Ca/P
of 2.5 may be a proper ratio with regard to providing enough calcium
or magnesium resources for the reaction that forms AP mineral.
Figure 8
Distribution
of NAIP, AP, and OP in different Ca/P combustion ash,
(a) 750, (b) 850, (c) 950, and (d) 1050 °C.
Distribution
of NAIP, AP, and OP in different Ca/P combustion ash,
(a) 750, (b) 850, (c) 950, and (d) 1050 °C.Figure shows the
XRD pattern of the combustion ash with a Ca/P ratio of 1.0–2.5
at 1050 °C. The diffraction peaks of Ca2P2O7, SiO2, Fe2O3, CaP2O6, Ca7Mg2P6O24, AlPO4, and Mg3(PO4)2 exist in SC1.0–1050. The intensity of the
diffraction peaks of Ca2P2O7 is weaker
and the intensity of the diffraction peaks of Ca7Mg2P6O24 becomes stronger as Ca/P increase.
The diffraction peak of CaP2O6 disappeared in
SC2.0–1050. The Ca/P in CaP2O6 and Ca2P2O7 is 0.5 and 1.0, respectively.
Enough calcium resources are conducive for the formation of Ca2P2O7, which has a better bioavailability
than CaP2O6 although they are both Ca-containing
phosphate. The diffraction peak of Ca7Mg2P6O24 is more prominent in SC2.0–1050 and SC2.5–1050. It is speculated that the change
of species is related to Ca/P, but the AP (mainly refers to Ca–P
and Mg–P) content did not change much as they are all Ca-containing
phosphates. However, the AP species are different in their solubility
in CA. The effect of Ca/P on the AP content at 1050 °C is weak,
but the AP species still change with Ca/P.
Figure 9
XRD pattern of ash with
different Ca/P prepared at 1050 °C.
XRD pattern of ash with
different Ca/P prepared at 1050 °C.Figure shows
the dissolved phosphorus content in 2% CA for samples prepared at
1050 °C with Ca/P from 1.0 to 2.5. As Ca/P increased from 1.0
to 2.5, the bioavailability of phosphorus increased, and the dissolved
phosphorus content in 2% CA rose from 20.37 to 25.34 mg/g. The AP
content in the samples burned at 1050 °C did not change much
with Ca/P, but the variation of AP species results in the dissolved
content of phosphorus. Higher Ca/P ratios in the blended ash are conducive
for the formation of Ca7Mg2P6O24, which may have better bioavailability than Ca2P2O7.
Figure 10
Phosphorus content dissolved in 2% CA of samples
prepared at 1050
°C.
Phosphorus content dissolved in 2% CA of samples
prepared at 1050
°C.
Conclusions
In this study, the changes of phosphorus species in the sludge
and the blended samples with Ca/P in the range of 1.0–2.5 were
studied, and the influence of temperature and additives on the phosphorus
form and bioavailability of the sludge ash and the blended sludge
and CS was discussed by combining XRD and CA leaching experiments.The apatite inorganic phosphorus content is low in the residual
ash of the sludge or CSs that were burned individually. The results
of phosphorus species in samples incinerated at different temperatures
show that the conversion of NAIP to AP was promoted as the incineration
temperature increased. Higher temperatures promote the production
of Ca2P2O7 and CaP2O6, but the bioavailability changes little. Because CaP2O6 is insoluble in CA, the bioavailability changes
little with temperatures, although the AP content increases. The increase
in Ca/P promotes the conversion of NAIP to AP and also the bioavailability
of phosphorus in the mixed ash samples. For the blended sludge and
CS, Ca7Mg2P6O24 appear
at 950 °C and 1050 °C and the bioavailability also increases.
Ca7Mg2P6O24 is easier
to form at high temperatures (>950 °C) with enough calcium
and
magnesium resources.
Authors: Cédric Tarayre; Lies De Clercq; Raphaëlle Charlier; Evi Michels; Erik Meers; Miller Camargo-Valero; Frank Delvigne Journal: Bioresour Technol Date: 2016-02-04 Impact factor: 9.642
Authors: Nancy Y Acelas; Diana P López; D W F Wim Brilman; Sascha R A Kersten; A Maarten J Kootstra Journal: Bioresour Technol Date: 2014-10-08 Impact factor: 9.642