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Scientific Article details

Title Comprehensive characterization of an oily sludge from a petrol refinery: A step forward for its valorization within the circular economy strategy
ID_Doc 16381
Authors Jerez, S; Ventura, M; Molina, R; Pariente, MI; Martínez, F; Melero, JA
Title Comprehensive characterization of an oily sludge from a petrol refinery: A step forward for its valorization within the circular economy strategy
Year 2021
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112124
Abstract Refinery treatment plants produce large quantities of oily sludge during the petroleum refining processes. The hazardousness associated with the disposal of these wastes, make necessary the development of innovative technologies to handle it adequately, linked to the concepts of circular economy and environmental sustainability. This work provides for the first time a methodology for the deep characterization of this kind of wastes and consequently new insights regarding its valorization. A review of works dealing with the characterization of this type of wastes has been addressed evidencing the complexity and variability of these effluents. The oily sludge under study contains a high concentration of Chemical Oxygen Demand of 196 g COD/L, a Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen of 2.8 g TKN/kg, a phosphorous content as PO43- of 7 g/kg, as well as a great presence of heavy metals in a different range of concentrations. This sludge is composed of three different phases: oily, aqueous and solid. The oily and the solid phases present high percentages of carbon content (84 and 26%, respectively), related to the presence of alkanes ranged from n-C-9 to n-C-44. Therefore, it could be possible their valorization by the synthesis of catalyst and/or adsorbents. A dark fermentation process could be also proposed for the oily phase to obtain H-2 as an alternative energy source. Finally, the aqueous phase contains low carbon and nutrients concentration. A previous thermal pre-treatment applied to the oily sludge might increase nutrient and organic loading in the aqueous phase due to solid destruction, making this aqueous effluent suitable for a further conventional biological treatment.
Author Keywords Oily sludge; Valorization; Physicochemical characteristics; Fractional characterization
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000632615300001
WoS Category Environmental Sciences
Research Area Environmental Sciences & Ecology
PDF https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112124
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