Abstract:
Hydrochar is a solid product of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of
organic materials. HTC is suitable for converting wet feedstock. Water hyacinth (WH), the
aquatic and hence wet plant, is becoming overwhelming in Ethiopia, especially on Lake
Tana. The other feedstock, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets waste, is useless and
abundant in plastic factories but its higher heating value is better than WH’s, so it is a
novel opportunity to use this polymer with the dangerous weed. Therefore, this study
focuses on the production of hydrochar from those wastes using a simple and
environmentally friendly experimental setup. To elucidate the effects of raw materials
ratio, reaction temperature, residence time on the physicochemical properties and
combustion behavior of hydrochar, experiments were performed at 140, 210 and 280ºC;
for 0.5, 1, and 1.5h with a WH to PET pellets ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 followed by
product characterization. Results found that an hour treatment at 210 ºC when the WH
amount is twice of pellets’ was the optimum condition to enhance the fuel properties of
hydrochar in terms of mass yield, higher heating value, fixed carbon percentage, energy
density and energy yield. At this condition, the maximum mass loss rate, ignition index,
combustion index, burnout index, combustion stability index and combustibility index of
the hydrochar were: 39.61wt%/min, 103.04(wt.%/min
−3)
*10
−3
, 0.8835°C*10
3
,
32.956(wt%/min
−4
)*10
−5
, 13.283(min
−1
*°C
−2
)*10
−5
and 9.17(wt. % / (min
−2
*°C
−3
))*10
−7
,
respectively. Therefore, the co-HTC of WH and PET pellets can be a promising source of
solid fuel.
Keywords: Hydrochar, polyethylene terephthalate, water hyacinth, Lake Tana