Decomposition products of wet oxidized black liquor

Abstract

Depleting resources have shifted the focus onto biofuels. Pulp and Paper industries are considered as a potential source for the production of biofuels. Black liquor obtained during pulping contains more than 50% of organic matter present in the wood used for pulping. The rich organic content of black liquor makes it an attractive option for the production of bio-based fuels. The purpose of this thesis is to study the possible ways of converting Wet Oxidized black liquor into fuel products.

The thesis explores a number of options available in the literature to accomplish the goals of producing fuels. Experimental work is conducted on enhancing the concentration of dissolved solids and finally decomposing them under varied conditions. The experimental results have been supported by Aspen simulation results. The major products formed after thermal decomposition experiment was analysed to be methane and synthesis gas. This result was further authenticated by simulation results. The experimental work has been further used to predict an industrial design for thermal decomposition of wheat straw black liquor. A feasibility study for the predicted industrial process is studied to estimate the production cost and understand the profitability of the process on an industrial scale. The production cost of methane is calculated to be 1.47k Euros/t. The FCI is 53407 KEuros when assumed extension to existing plant.