Carbon dioxide assisted thermal decomposition of cattle excreta

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 15.15 mol% (reference value: 0.369 mol%) at 690 degrees C, which was equivalent to similar to 4000 times more generation of CO. In addition to the enhanced generation of CO, the enhanced generation of H-2 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.