Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Energy Conversion and Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman

Influences of different fractions of extracellular polymeric substances on

the co-slurrying properties of sewage sludge with coal and petroleum
coke
Ruikun Wang a,⇑, Zhenghui Zhao a, Qianqian Yin a, Zhiyong Wang b
a
Department of Power Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Baoding 071003, Hebei Province, China
b
Zhejiang Hengli Electrical Installation Co., Ltd, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Coal–sludge–slurry (CSS) and petroleum coke–sludge–slurry (PCSS) can be used as liquid fuel or gasifica-
Received 8 May 2017 tion material, thus providing a new approach for recycling sewage sludge without pre-drying. Given that
Received in revised form 12 June 2017 slurrying properties directly influence the industrial application of CSS and PCSS, this study investigated
Accepted 12 June 2017
the influences of different fractions of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) on the slurrying viscosity
Available online 20 June 2017
(g100, average viscosity at a shear rate of 100 s
1), maximum solid concentration (SCmax), and rheological
behaviors of CSS and PCSS. Sodium methylene bis-naphthalene sulfonate (NNO) and sodium lignosul-
Keywords:
fonate (SLS) were used as the dispersants during CSS and PCSS preparation. At the two dispersants con-
Sewage sludge
EPS
ditions, when raw sludge was mixed with coal slurry at a sludge-to-coal ratio of 17:100, SCmax decreased
Coal slurry from 52.40% (coal slurry without sludge) to 42.99% and 42.32%, respectively. Similarly, when raw sludge
Petroleum coke slurry was mixed with petroleum coke slurry with NNO and SLS as the dispersants, SCmax decreased from
Rheological behavior 72.25% to 61.59% and 61.28%, respectively. The high amounts of trapped water in the sludge and the
strong linkage between sludge flocs decreased the SCmax of the slurry. After loosely and tightly bound
EPS (LB-EPS and TB-EPS, respectively) were removed, the SCmax of CSS and PCSS increased again because
dead water, which increased the water content of the slurry system but did not act as a lubricant or buf-
fer, was removed with the removal of EPS. LB-EPS had more influence on SCmax than TB-EPS because LB-
EPS trapped more water than TB-EPS. Thus, more trapped water was removed with the removal of LB-
EPS. Shear stress versus shear rate curves were fitted using the Herschel–Bulkley model. The rheological
parameters of CSS and PCSS with a g100 of 1000 mPa s were obtained by linear interpolation method. The
rheological behaviors of CSS negligibly changed after the removal of EPS. The yield stress and pseudoplas-
ticity of PCSS, however, increased and decreased, respectively. The rheological behaviors of PCSS likely
changed after the removal of EPS because sludge particles could no longer link easily to form a spatial
structure. Moreover, hydrophobic agglomerations between petroleum coke particles increased in the
PCSS system.
Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction taneously controlling sludge pollution and recycling sludge, is the

Sewage sludge is composed of solid particles, microbes, and
organic matter. These components flocculate and settle down dur-
ing municipal wastewater treatment. Sludge is potentially harmful
because in addition to its high content of water, organic matrices,
and microorganisms, it also contains pathogens, heavy metals,
salts, and organic toxins. Hence, sludge must be properly handled
to avoid secondary environmental pollution. Energy recovery,
which converts energy-containing sludge substances while simul-
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: rkwang@ncepu.edu.cn, ruikun_wang@163.com (R. Wang).
most popular method for sludge disposal. The main methods for
energy recovery from sludge include thermal utilization (combus-
tion [1], gasification [2], and pyrolysis [3]), digestion for biogas
[4,5], carbonization for solid fuel [6,7], and utilization as coal–slu
dge–slurry (CSS) [8,9].
In CSS technology, sludge is mixed into coal water slurry (CWS),
which can be used as liquid fuel to replace oil or as gasification feed
material, i.e., sludge is simultaneously disposed and recycled in the
form of slurry fuel. CSS technology has a distinct advantage over
other methods: the moisture content of sludge does not require
strict control. Therefore, sludge does not require drying and deep
dewatering prior to its preparation into CSS, thus decreasing the

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.06.035
0196-8904/Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679
cost of sludge treatment. In addition, when CSS is used in combus-
tion or gasification, some synergistic effects occur between the
sludge and coal. In the mono-combustion of coal, the addition of
sludge to coal enhances fuel combustion by decreasing fuel igni-
tion time, reducing the ignition temperature of the fuel [10,11],
and increasing the conversion rate of the combustible materials
in the fuel [12]. Sludge can partly replace coal during combustion
with a remarkable energy-saving cost [13,14]. The co-gasification
of sludge with coal may be energetically advantageous because
the tar yield decreases and H2 and CO yields increase in the gas
[15]. Zhao et al. [16] investigated gaseous pollutant emissions from
the combustion of CSS with different sludge ratios in a commercial
circulating fluidized bed incinerator. When the sludge ratio was
less than 30%, the emitted flue gases contained nitrogen oxide
(NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx), PAHs, PCBs, and PCDD/Fs at levels that
meet local and EU standards. Liu et al. [17] showed the good oper-
ating characteristic of oil sludge co-fired with CWS in an industrial
internal circulating fluidized bed boiler. The combustion efficiency
of the boiler was 92.6% and boiler efficiency was 82.2%. Meanwhile,
all SOx, NOx, carbon monoxide (CO), and heavy metal emission
levels met the local current environmental requirements. There-
fore, CSS is a technically feasible, energy-saving, and environmen-
tally friendly method for sludge recycling.
Slurrying properties are highly crucial during the preparation,
pumping, atomization, and storage of coal slurry [18]. Wang
et al. [8] and Li et al. [19] studied the solid loading, apparent viscos-
ity, stability, and rheological and thixotropic behaviors of CSS. They
found that CSS exhibits pseudoplastic behavior, thixotropic hys-
teresis, and good stability. These characteristics guarantee that
solid–liquid separation does not occur easily during the storage
of the two-phase slurry. However, CSS has high slurrying viscosity
when directly prepared with untreated raw sludge and coal, hin-
dering its disposal in a large volume. Wang et al. [8] added sludge
(moisture content of 75%) to CWS at a sludge-to-coal ratio of
15:100. They reported that the maximum solid concentration
(SCmax) of the slurry decreased by 9.5–12.5%. Similarly, Li et al.
[19] reported that SCmax decreased from 73% to 59% when sludge
(moisture content of 82%) was added to CWS at a sludge-to-
coal ratio of 16.6:100. Wang et al. [20,21], Liu et al. [22], and Ma
et al. [23] found that after the addition of sludge, petroleum
coke–water slurry (PCWS) exhibited enhanced pseudoplastic and
thixotropic behaviors and significantly improved stability. The
apparent viscosity of PCWS, however, greatly increased whereas
its slurrying ability decreased.
Previous studies have indicated that sludge flocs are the main
factors that increase the viscosity and decrease the solid concen-
trations of CSS or petroleum coke–sludge–slurry (PCSS). To
improve the slurrying ability of CSS, Wang et al. [24–26] and Liu
et al. [27,28] pretreated sludge via ultrasonic, alkaline, thermal,
and mechanical grinding methods to disrupt sludge flocs and
decrease floc size, and then decreased the apparent viscosity of
CSS. However, the action mechanisms of sludge flocs on the slurry-
ing properties of CSS were not clearly revealed.
A sludge floc is composed of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), tightly
bound EPS (TB-EPS), and core pellet fractions from the outer to the
inner layers of the floc matrix [29,30]. These three components
have drastically different morphology, volume, density, porosity,
hydrophilicity, and water retention capacity [31–33]; therefore,
they exert different influences on the co-slurrying properties of
sludge with coal and petroleum coke. Information on the influ-
ences of the three fractions on the slurrying properties of CSS or
PCSS, however, is limited. In the present study, the three sludge
floc fractions were gradually removed, the slurrying performances
of CSS and PCSS prepared with EPS-removed sludge were deter-
mined, and then the influences of different fractions of EPS on
the slurrying properties of CSS and PCSS were evaluated. The
669
results obtained from this study will contribute to elucidating
the slurrying mechanism of CSS and PCSS.
2. Experiment and methods
2.1. Materials
2.1.1. Sewage sludge, coal, petroleum coke
Dewatered sludge was selected as the sewage sludge sample
and was collected from a municipal wastewater treatment plant
located in Hangzhou, China. This plant treats approximately
500,000 m3/d of industrial and domestic wastewater using anaero
bic–anoxic–oxic technique. The sludge sample was dewatered
using a press filter and had a moisture content of 82.41%. The
sludge sample was then stored at 4 °C before use. Brown coal
mined from Xinjiang District, China, and petroleum coke from
TANECO, Russia, were selected as slurrying components. Prior to
preparation into slurry, coal and petroleum coke were ground
and sieved to a particle size of less than 150 mm.
Proximate analyses were conducted using a drying oven and
muffle furnace in accordance with the national standards of China
(GB/T 212-91). Ultimate analyses were conducted using an ele-
ment analyzer (Vario EL III, Elementar, Germany) in accordance
with the national standards of China (GB/T 476-2001). Calorific
values were determined using an automatic calorimeter (ZDHW-
6G, Hebi Huatai, China) in accordance with the national standards
of China (GB/T 213).
2.1.2. Dispersants
The dispersant is an important component of coal slurry or pet-
roleum coke slurry. By decreasing aggregation forces between solid
particles and increasing surface charges, the dispersant decreases
the viscosity and enhances the stability of slurry. Sodium methy-
lene bis-naphthalene sulfonate (NNO) and sodium lignosulfonate
(SLS), the two most commonly used dispersants for coal and petro-
leum coke slurry preparation, were selected as the dispersants in
this study. The chemical structure of the dispersants is shown in
Fig. 1.
2.2. EPS removal
LB-EPS and TB-EPS were removed from sludge via a modified
heat method [32,33]. An exact amount of 5.68 g sludge (with 1 g
dry matter) was first diluted to a volume of 30 mL using 0.05% NaCl
solution. The mixture was then stirred by an electric agitator (JB90-
SH, Shanghai Biaomo, China) at 300 rpm for 5 min. The sludge mix-
ture was then diluted with NaCl solution, which was pre-heated to
80 °C, to a volume of 100 mL. The sludge suspension was then
immediately sheared by an electric agitator at 600 rpm for 2 min,
and then allowed to stand for 30 min. Then, the upper liquid phase
was cautiously poured out, and the remaining phases were resus-
pended to a volume of 100 mL. The upper liquid phase was again
carefully poured out after 30 min of standing. The remaining
phases were centrifuged at 4000g for 10 min by a centrifuge (H-
1600RW, Shanghai Lixinjian Co., China). TP sludge, which was
obtained after the removal of LB-EPS, remained at the bottom of
the centrifuge tube. TP sludge was composed of TB-EPS and the
core pellet. To further remove TB-EPS, TP sludge was resuspended
to a volume of 100 mL using 0.05% NaCl solution. The sludge sus-
pension was heated to 70 °C in a water bath oscillator at
150 rpm for 30 min. Then, the sludge suspension was allowed to
stand for 30 min at room temperature. The transparent upper liq-
uid phase was cautiously poured out, and the remaining phases
were resuspended to a volume of 100 mL and allowed to stand
for 30 min. The upper liquid phase was again carefully poured
670 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679
(a) NNO
Fig. 1. The chemical structure of the dispersants.
out. The remaining phases were centrifuged at 4000g for 10 min. P
sludge, which was obtained after the removal of LB-EPS and TB-
EPS, was found at the bottom of the centrifuge tube. P sludge
was composed only of the core pellet.
2.3. Determination of the moisture distribution and microstructural
characteristics of sludge
2.3.1. Moisture distribution in sludge
Moisture distribution in sludge was determined via combined
thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC) [34]. A thermal analyzer (TA SDT Q600, USA)
was used to record the thermographs. N2 was used as the carrier
gas at a flow rate of 120 mLmin
1. TGA and DSC were simultane-
ously conducted. Approximately 40 mg of sludge sample was used.
The cell temperature of the analyzer was heated from 20 °C to
80 °C with a heating rate of 20 °Cmin
1 and maintained at 80 °C
for 40 min. Then, the temperature was increased to 105 °C at a
heating rate of 20 °Cmin
1 and maintained 105 °C for 25 min.The
energy flow rate into a sample cell (Qc, kJ s
1) can be estimated
from the DSC curve. The derivative TGA curve, which represents
_ kg s
1), can be estimated based
the sample weight change rate (m,
on the TGA curve. The specific enthalpy for moisture evaporation
_ kJ kg
1). The bond strength
can be calculated by division (H = Qc/m,

1
HB (kJ kg ) between the moisture and solid phase can be calcu-
lated with Eq. (1) [35]:
_ s
H0 ;
H B ¼ Q c =m
where m _ s is the weight change rate of the sludge sample (kg s
1)
and H0 is the specific enthalpy for bulk water evaporation at 80 °C
(kJ kg
1).
2.3.2. Microstructure of sludge flocs
Microscopic images of the sludge were recorded with a micro-
scopy imaging system (XSP-8CE, Cany Precision Instruments Co.,
Ltd., Shanghai, China) at a magnification of 250.
2.4. Preparation and measurement of CSS and PCSS
2.4.1. Preparation of CSS and PCSS
The slurrying materials, which included coal (or petroleum
coke) powder, sludge (before and after EPS removal), deionized
water, and a dispersant, were first weighed and then mixed. The
total weight of the slurry was approximately 100 g. The sludge
mixing ratio, which was defined as the mass ratio of raw sludge
(moisture content of 82.41%) to coal (or petroleum coke), was
17:100. Dispersant dosage was fixed at 0.8 wt.% based on the
weight of dry coal (or petroleum coke). The weighed dispersant
was then thoroughly dissolved in deionized water. Sludge and coal
(or petroleum coke) powder were poured into the dispersant solu-
tion during stirring by an electric agitator at 200 rpm. Finally, the
mixtures were mixed for 20 min at 1000 rpm.
(b) SLS
2.4.2. Measurement of the apparent viscosity and rheological behavior
of CSS and PCSS
The apparent viscosity and rheological behavior of CSS and PCSS
samples were measured using a rotational viscometer (HAA-
KEVT550, Thermo, USA).
The slurry sample in the viscometer underwent three stages
during measurement: (1) increasing shear rate stage, in which
the shear rate increased slightly from 0 s
1 to 100 s
1; (2) constant
shear rate stage, in which the shear rate was held constant at
100 s
1 for 5 min; and (3) decreasing shear rate stage, in which
the shear rate decreased slightly from 100 s
1 to 0 s
1. Throughout
measurement, the surrounding temperature was maintained at
20 °C by a circulating constant temperature water bath.
Slurrying viscosity, which was denoted as g100, is the average
viscosity at 100 s
1. Slurrying viscosity was calculated and
recorded online with a computer. A low g100 value indicates good
slurryability at a fixed solid concentration (SC).
A high g100 (at 20 °C) limit of 1000 mPa s is used in the coal
slurry industry. In this study, SCmax was defined as the SC of the
slurry sample when its g100 (at 20 °C) is 1000 mPa s [8,20]. SCmax
was used to evaluate the slurryability of the slurrying materials
and its corresponding slurry. A high SCmax indicated that the slurry
can be prepared at a high concentration when its g100 is fixed at
1000 mPa s, i.e., a high SCmax indicates good slurryability. SCmax
can be obtained by the linear interpolation method based on g100
versus SC curves.
The rheological behavior of slurry refers to the dependence of
ð1Þ shear stress on shear rate during the decreasing shear rate stage.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Characteristics of sewage sludge, coal, and petroleum coke
The results of the proximate and ultimate analyses of sewage
sludge, coal, and petroleum coke are shown in Table 1. Sludge
had a dry-basis ash content of 62.46%, which was considerably
higher than those of coal and petroleum coke, and a high volatile
content of 33.44%. Given their low reaction activation activity,
volatiles are quickly released and involved in reactions, such as
combustion and gasification; moreover, increasing the reaction
temperature promotes combustion and gasification [12]. Sludge
had a low calorific value because of its high ash content and low
combustible component (carbon) content. The higher calorific
value of sludge was approximately one-third to half of that of coal
and a quarter of that of petroleum coke.
3.2. Moisture distribution and microstructural characteristics of sludge
3.2.1. Moisture distribution in sludge
The TG–DSC method can be used to determine the continuous
distribution of solid–liquid binding energy (HB), which reflects
the energy required to remove water. A high HB implies that a high
level of energy is required to remove the water fraction.
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679 671

Table 1
Proximate and ultimate analyses of coal, petroleum coke, and sludge.

Sample Proximate analysis (%) Ultimate analysis (%) HCV

Mar Ad Vd FCd Cd Hd Nd St,d Od (MJ kg
1)
Coal 11.30 21.32 32.58 46.10 60.99 2.96 1.11 0.47 13.15 22.08
Petroleum coke 0.95 0.91 10.99 88.10 88.79 3.69 1.87 4.42 0.32 35.05
Sewage sludge 82.41 62.46 33.44 4.10 20.95 3.25 2.97 0.63 9.74 8.25

Mar refers to the moisture content on an as-received basis; Ad, Vd, and FCd respectively refer to the yield of ash, volatile, and fixed carbon on a dry basis; ultimate analysis is
conducted on a dry basis; HCV refers to the higher calorific value.

Fig. 2 shows the HB distribution of raw, TP, and P sludges. The sludge decreased from 3.94 kg/kg to 2.77 kg/kg dry sludge (DS).
moisture content (Ww) of the sludge decreased as drying pro- When TB-EPS was also removed, the Wtr of the sludge further
gressed. HB = 0 indicates that the water has the same specific decreased to 1.80 kg/kg DS. The considerable decrease in trapped
enthalpy of evaporation as bulk water; thus, water is defined as water in the sludge benefits the slurryability of sludge.
free water when its HB equals zero. Free water is the first to be
removed given its low specific enthalpy of evaporation. Then, HB
3.2.2. Microstructure of sludge flocs before and after EPS removal
is higher than zero. Water with HB > 0 is considered as trapped
The microscopic images of sludge before and after EPS removal
water, which includes interstitial and bound water. At the high-
are shown in Fig. 4. Prior to removal, the EPS of raw sludge linked
moisture content region, HB is low and slowly increases as Ww
and agglomerated with each other to form a flocculent structure
decreases. This behavior characterizes interstitial water. When
that is characterized by large size, high void ratio, and the extre-
Ww decreases to a low value, HB increases sharply. This behavior
mely uneven distribution of matter and density. Lacunaris flocs
characterizes bound water. In the present study, HB showed a very
trap large amounts of water; this characteristic is the primary rea-
slight increasing trend within the HB range of 0–40 kJ kg
1 and a
son for the high trapped water content of raw sludge. After the
high increasing trend in the range of HB > 400 kJ kg
1 with decreas-
removal of LB-EPS, sludge particle size considerably decreased.
ing Ww. In the range of HB > 1000 kJ kg
1, however, HB increased
LB-EPS are crucial in connecting sludge flocs. Therefore, the
sharply with decreasing Ww and showed great uncertainty and
removal of LB-EPS eventually dispersed sludge flocs. The destruc-
error. A straight regression line was drawn at each of the slowly
tion and dispersion of sludge flocs freed the water trapped by voids
(0 < HB < 40 kJ kg
1) and highly (400 < HB < 1000 kJkg
1) increas-
in the LB-EPS of sludge. After LB-EPS removal, sludge flocs
ing regions. Then, the corresponding Ww of the intersection of
remained linked with each other and clustered through the con-
the two straight lines could be taken as the critical bound water
nection of TB-EPS. A large volume of spaces in these clusters
content Wcr. For the total trapped water, the section below Wcr
resulted from particle packing. After the removal of TB-EPS, the
was regarded as bound water, and the section above Wcr was
external coating of sludge flocs on the core pellet was further
regarded as interstitial water. The Wcr of sludge before and after
removed, causing the sludge clusters to disintegrate. The linkage
EPS removal is shown in Fig. 3.
between particles decreased significantly and the particle packing
The trapped water distributions of raw, TP, and P sludges are
spaces opened. In addition, the fine inorganic particles and cells
shown in Table 2. The total trapped water content Wtr was
wrapped in the sludge flocs were gradually exposed. Therefore,
obtained from the point where HB is no longer equal to zero, and
the amount of trapped water decreased. Thus, P sludge had the
the bound water content Wb was obtained from the point of Wcr
lowest trapped water content. When P sludge was used to prepare
(the value of Wb equaled to that of Wcr). Then, the interstitial water
CSS and PCSS, the proportion of dead water in the slurry decreased
content Wi was obtained from the difference between Wtr and Wb,
and the proportion of free water increased accordingly. Free water
i.e., Wi = Wtr
Wb.
acts as a lubricant and buffer that reduces friction and collision
Interstitial water contributed a dominant proportion (approxi-
among solid particles, consequently decreasing the viscosity of
mate 90%) of the total trapped water. As EPS was removed, total
the slurry.
trapped water, which includes interstitial and bound water,
Although LB-EPS and TB-EPS could be removed by the two-step
decreased. Specifically, when LB-EPS was removed, the Wtr of the
heat extraction method, EPS still remained. Some LB-EPS remained
and connected sludge particles in TP sludge (Fig. 4b). Similarly,
some amounts of EPS fragments remained in P sludge (Fig. 4c).
1000
900 (1) Raw Sludge
3.3. Co-slurrying properties of sludge with coal and petroleum coke
(2) TP sludge
800
(3) P sludge
700 3.3.1. Slurrying properties of CWS and PCWS
Fig. 5 shows the relationship between the g100 and SC of CWS
HB (kJ/kg)

600
and PCWS. g100 increased with increasing SC because friction and
500 collision between solid particles increased as the numbers of solid
(1)
400 particles increased. In addition, more particles agglomerated as a
result of the highly hydrophobic interactions among coal and pet-
300
roleum coke particles, thus causing the poor dispersion state of the
(2)
200 slurry system. In addition, free water, which lubricates and buffers
(3)
100 solid particles, decreased, thus increasing friction and collision
0 among particles.
0 1 2 3 4 5 The SCmax of PCWS was considerably higher than that of CWS.
Ww (kg/kg DS) Specifically, when NNO and SLS were used as dispersants, the
SCmax values of CWS were 52.40% and 47.22%, respectively, and
Fig. 2. HB distribution of raw, TP, and P sludge. those of PCWS were 72.25% and 69.56%, respectively. The low
672 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679

1000 1000
Raw sludge TP sludge
800 800

HB (kJ/kg)
HB (kJ/kg)
600 600

400 400

200 200

0 0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 0.0 Wcr 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Wcr
Ww (kg/kg DS) Ww (kg/kg DS)
(a) raw sludge (b) TP sludge

1000
P sludge
800
HB (kJ/kg)

600

400

200

0
0.0 Wcr 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Ww (kg/kg DS)

(c) P sludge
Fig. 3. The regression straight lines drawn at the slowly (0 < HB < 40 kJ kg
1) and highly (400 < HB < 1000 kJ kg
1) increasing regions of HB and their intersection (namely, the
critical bound water content Wcr).

Table 2 proportion in the slurry system. Therefore, CWS was more likely
The distribution of trapped water. to exhibit high viscosity than PCWS at equivalent SC values.
Sludge sample Wtr Wi Wb NNO is a better dispersant than SLS, as evidenced the high SC
Raw sludge 3.94 3.48 0.46
values of the slurry samples (including CWS and PCWS) prepared
TP sludge 2.77 2.53 0.24 with NNO. SLS molecules extensively bond in slurry systems given
P sludge 1.80 1.62 0.18 their long side chains. Thus, solid particles strongly linked with
Wtr, Wi, and Wb (kg/kg DS) are respectively the contents of total trapped water,
each other when SLS was used as a dispersant. Therefore, the slurry
interstitial water, and bound water on a dry sludge basis. with SLS as a dispersant was highly viscous and had a low SCmax.

3.3.2. Effects of different fractions of EPS on the slurrying properties of

SCmax of CWS resulted from the high water retention capacity of
coal conferred by its abundant hydrophilic groups (including car-
boxyl and hydroxyl) and internal pores [36–38]. More free water
was adsorbed onto the coal surface and was trapped by internal
pores. The adsorbed and trapped water then became dead water,
which could not lubricate solid particles but increased the water
CSS and PCSS
Raw or EPS-removed sludge was co-slurried with coal and pet-
roleum coke, and then prepared into CSS and PCSS. The g100 and SC
of the prepared slurries were determined, and the g100 versus SC
curves were plotted, as shown in Fig. 6. As the SC values of CSS
and PCSS increased, g100 showed an increasing trend similar to

Fig. 4. Microscopic images of sludge before and after removal of EPS. (a) raw sludge (before removal of EPS); (b) TP sludge (after removal of LB-EPS); (c) P sludge (after
removal of LB-EPS and TB-EPS).
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679 673

1200 NNO
1400 NNO
SLS
SLS
1000
1200
(mPa s)

(mPa s)
800
1000
600
100

100
800
400

600 200

44 46 48 50 52 54 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74
SC (%) SC (%)

(a) CWS (b) PCWS

Fig. 5. The g100 versus SC curves of CWS and PCWS.

2000
Raw sludge 1400 Raw sludge
1800 TP sludge TP sludge
P sludge P sludge
1600 1200
1400 (mPa s)
(mPa s)

1000
1200
100
100

1000 800

800
600
600

400 400
42 43 44 45 46 40.5 41.0 41.5 42.0 42.5 43.0 43.5 44.0 44.5
SC (%) SC (%)
(a) (b)
1600
Raw sludge 1600 Raw sludge
1400 TP sludge TP sludge
P sludge P sludge
1400
1200
(mPa s)

(mPa s)

1200
1000
100

100

800 1000

600 800

400 600
61.5 62.0 62.5 63.0 63.5 64.0 60.5 61.0 61.5 62.0 62.5
SC (%) SC (%)
(c) (d)
Fig. 6. The relationship between g100 and SC of CSS and PCSS using different dispersants: (a) CSS–NNO (CSS using NNO as the dispersant, hereinafter inclusive); (b) CSS–SLS;
(c) PCSS–NNO; (d) PCSS–SLS.

those of CWS and PCWS. When prepared with TP and P sludge, the
g100 versus SC curves of CSS and PCSS shifted to the right, indicat-
ing that the slurryability of CSS and PCSS improved after the
removal of sludge EPS. The SCmax values of CSS and PCSS prepared
with raw sludge or EPS-removed sludge are shown in Fig. 7.
SCmax considerably decreased when CSS and PCSS were pre-
pared by mixing raw sludge with CWS and PCWS. With NNO or
SLS as the dispersant, the SCmax values of CSS decreased to
42.99% and 42.32%, respectively, compared with those of CWS.
With NNO or SLS as the dispersant, the SCmax values of the PCSS
decreased to 61.59% and 61.28%, respectively, compared with
those of PCWS. When prepared with TP sludge and with NNO or
SLS as the dispersant, the SCmax of CSS increased again to 44.50%
and 43.02%, respectively, and those of PCSS increased again to
62.70% and 61.61%, respectively. When prepared with P sludge
and with NNO or SLS as the dispersant, the SCmax values of CSS
increased to 44.97% and 43.56%, respectively, and those of PCSS
increased again to 63.73% and 62.42%, respectively. These results
indicated that EPS has a considerable effect on the slurryability
of CSS and PCSS. EPS affected the slurryability of CSS and PCSS
674 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679
46
Raw sludge
TP sludge
45
P sludge
44
SCmax (%)
43
42
41
40
NNO as the dispersant SLS as the dispersant
(a) CSS
Fig. 7. The SCmax of CSS and PCSS prepared by sludge before and after removal of EPS.
because of the following reasons: EPSs are the main components of
sludge flocs, are highly hydrophilic, and contain abundant internal
voids. These characteristics provide sludge with strong water
retention capacity, thus trapping more water in sludge flocs. Sim-
ilar to dead water, trapped water cannot flow freely or lubricate
and buffer solid particles. Trapped water, however, could increase
the proportion of water in the slurry system. Trapped water could
be removed along with EPS. Consequently, the proportion of the
solid phase in the slurry system increased, i.e., the slurry could
be prepared with high solid concentrations.
As shown by the above experimental results, the SCmax of slur-
ries increased more drastically when prepared with TP sludge than
when prepared with P sludge, indicating that LB-EPS is a more
influential factor than TB-EPS. LB-EPS exerted a greater effect than
TB-EPS because it trapped more water than TB-EPS (see Table 2);
thus, more trapped water was removed with LB-EPS than with
TB-EPS. The decrease in trapped water increased the proportions
of the solid phase in the slurry system.
3.3.3. Internal microstructure of CSSs
Fig. 8 shows the microscopy images of CSSs prepared with raw
or EPS-removed sludge. In the CSS prepared with raw sludge
(Fig. 8a), sludge flocs linked with each other through LB-EPS and
formed a network structure for the attachment of coal particles.
CSS exhibited high viscosity and high anti-shearing strength
because of this network structure. When LB-EPS was removed from
sludge, the sludge flocs could no longer form a well-linked network
structure in the CSS system. Nevertheless, some coal particles
attached to sludge flocs through TB-EPS, thus forming coal–sludge
clusters. When TB-EPS was further removed from sludge, the con-
nections between sludge flocs significantly decreased, solid parti-
Fig. 8. Microscopic images of CSSs prepared by raw sludge (a), TP sludge (b), P sludge (c). ① is the coal particles; ② is the sludge flocs.
65
Raw sludge
TP sludge
64 P sludge
SCmax (%)
63
62
61
60
NNO as the dispersant SLS as the dispersant
(b) PCSS
cles were dispersed, and only some EPS fragments and microbial
cells existed in CSS. Therefore, the structural strength of CSSs pre-
pared with EPS-removed sludge decreased, consequently decreas-
ing viscosity, i.e., the slurryability of CSS prepared by EPS-removed
sludge was improved.
3.4. Rheological properties of CSS and PCSS
3.4.1. Rheological properties of CWS and PCWS
The rheological curves of CWS and PCWS are shown in Fig. 9.
The apparent viscosity of CWS decreased with increasing shear
rate, indicating that CWS exhibited a shear-thinning pseudoplastic
flow behavior. By contrast, PCWS exhibited a shear-thinning pseu-
doplastic flow behavior under high SC conditions and a shear-
thickening dilatant flow behavior (the apparent viscosity increased
with increasing shear rate) under low SC conditions. These behav-
iors resulted from the different hydrophobicity and dispersant–ad-
sorption capacity of coal and petroleum coke. Coal is more
hydrophilic than petroleum coke; thus, coal particles in CWS were
more likely to link with each other through hydration and hydro-
gen bonding and to build a strong spatial structure when CWS
was stagnant, resulting in the high apparent viscosity of CWS.
When CWS was sheared, the spatial structure was broken up and
the steric hindrance of the slurry decreased. Moreover, the effec-
tive adsorption of the dispersant by coal facilitated the coverage
of hydration shells on the coal particles, preventing agglomeration
between coal particles when they flowed with the slurry. There-
fore, the apparent viscosity of CWS decreased with increasing
shear rate. Specifically, CWS showed a shear-thinning pseudoplas-
tic flow behavior. Given that petroleum coke is highly hydrophobic,
petroleum coke particles were more likely to agglomerate and
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679 675

3500
3000 SC=52.70% SC=47.85%

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)
SC=52.02% 3000 SC=47.43%
2500 SC=51.05% SC=46.25%
2500
2000
2000
1500
1500

1000 1000

500 500

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(a) (b)
3000 4000
SC=72.42% SC=70.00%
Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

SC=71.39% 3500
2500 SC=69.01%
SC=70.12% SC=67.86%
3000
SC=67.58% SC=62.55%
2000
2500
1500 2000

1500
1000
1000
500
500

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(c) (d)
Fig. 9. The rheological curves of CWS and PCWS using different dispersant. (a) CWS–NNO; (b) CWS–SLS; (c) PCWS–NNO; (d) PCWS–SLS.

form compact clusters and aggregations. In highly concentrated
PCWS, petroleum coke clusters and aggregations exhibited strong
cohesion forces and high anti-shearing ability; thus, PCWS showed
a very high apparent viscosity when sheared. PCWS began to flow
as shearing function increased; then, the compact clusters and
aggregations of petroleum coke were gradually broken up. The free
water permeated into and filled petroleum coke particles, acting as
a lubricant and decreasing the apparent viscosity of PCWS. Thus,
PCWS with high SC exhibited a shear-thinning flow behavior.
By contrast, free water content was relatively high in low-
concentration PCWS. More free water filled petroleum coke parti-
cles; thus, their cohesion forces decreased, particle agglomerations
were greatly weakened, and PCWS showed a low apparent viscos-
ity. When PCWS was sheared, the probability of collision among
petroleum coke particles significantly increased. The particles then
combined under high hydrophobic forces and more particle inter-
actions must be overcome to maintain slurry flow. Therefore, the
apparent viscosity of PCWS with low SC was likely to increase with
increasing shear rate.
When prepared with NNO as the dispersant, PCWS was more
likely to exhibit shear-thickening dilatant behavior because the
SLS molecule has long side chains and high adsorption amount
on petroleum coke particles. These characteristics result in thicker
hydration shells that covered the exterior of petroleum coke parti-
cles, thus decreasing the tendency for hydrophobic cohesion
among petroleum coke particles and minimizing particle agglom-
eration. Specifically, the thicker hydration shell decreased the pos-
sibility of shear-thickening flow behavior.
Previous studies [20,21,28] have shown that the flow behavior
of CWS and PCWS fits the Herschel–Bulkley model (Eq. (2)):
s ¼ sy þ K  c_ n ;
where s is the shear force (Pa), sy is the yield stress (Pa), K is the
consistency coefficient (Pa sn), c_ represents the shear rate (s
1),
and n is the rheological index. n = 1 for Newtonian fluids, n > 1 for
dilatant fluids, and n < 1 for pseudoplastic fluids.Fig. 10 shows the
fitting of the c_
s curves of CWSs and PCWSs by the Herschel–
Bulkley model. The model parameters of flow behavior are listed
in Table 3. n values were less than 1 for all CWS samples, indicating
that CWS exhibited pseudoplastic behavior. Moreover, CWS with a
higher SC had a lower value of n, suggesting a high level of pseudo-
plastic behavior. This result agreed with the phenomenon reflected
in Fig. 9a and b and resulted from the strong interactions among
numerous coal particles when CWS was highly concentrated. Thus,
CWS was highly viscous. When CWS was sheared, bonds between
coal particles were broken up, and the steric hindrance of CWS
decreased. Meanwhile, free water filled coal particles, effectively
decreasing the strength of interaction between coal particles. There-
fore, the viscosity of CWS greatly decreased. High-SC CWS would
exhibit more evident viscosity-reducing behavior during shearing,
i.e., the shear-thinning pseudoplastic behavior was more evident.
High-SC CWS also presented high sy values because a high resis-
tance had to be overcome before CWS with high SC began to flow.
This result was caused by the strong interactions between coal par-
ticles in the highly concentrated slurry system.
For PCWS, the value of n was less than 1 under high SC condi-
tion, and higher than 1 under low SC condition, suggesting that
PCWS showed pseudoplastic behavior under high SC condition
and dilatant behavior under low SC condition. This result agreed
with the phenomenon reflected in Fig. 9c and d. As shown in
Table 3, high-SC PCWS exhibited a very high sy value because the
petroleum coke particles in high-SC PCWS were likely to agglomer-
ate under hydrophobic conditions. Thus, high shear force was
ð2Þ
required to overcome cohesion among petroleum coke particles
676 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679

120 SC=52.70% 120 SC=47.85%

SC=52.02% SC=47.43%
100 SC=51.05% SC=46.25%
Shear stress (Pa) 100

Shear stress (Pa)

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(a) (b)

100 100
SC=72.42% SC=70.00%
SC=71.39% SC=69.01%
80 SC=70.12% 80 SC=67.86%
Shear stress (Pa)

Shear stress (Pa)

SC=67.58% SC=62.55%
60 60

40 40

20 20

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(c) (d)
Fig. 10. Fitting the c_
s curves by Herschel–Bulkley model. (a) CWS–NNO; (b) CWS–SLS; (c) PCWS–NNO; (d) PCWS–SLS.

Table 3
Herschel–Bulkley rheological parameters of CWS and PCWS.

Slurry type Dispersant SC (%) sy (Pa) K (Pa sn) n R2

CWS NNO 52.70 9.13 5.15 0.66 0.9994
52.02 7.70 2.35 0.73 0.9993
51.05 7.06 1.59 0.76 0.9980
SLS 47.85 9.56 5.49 0.66 0.9996
47.43 8.63 4.40 0.67 0.9989
46.25 7.07 1.98 0.72 0.9985
PCWS NNO 72.42 21.50 1.11 0.91 0.9986
71.39 3.92 0.22 1.23 0.9992
70.12 2.34 0.12 1.31 0.9972
67.58 1.28 0.04 1.39 0.9979
SLS 70.00 39.00 0.88 0.89 0.9941
69.01 15.61 0.89 0.95 0.9997
67.86 7.52 0.66 0.96 0.9975
62.55 0.14 0.04 1.25 0.9737

in agglomerates. The free-water proportion was relatively high in
low-SC PCWS. In addition, free water filled petroleum coke parti-
cles and acted as a lubricant and buffer. Given that the petroleum
coke particles showed a low degree of agglomeration, a low resis-
tance should be overcome to maintain the flow of PCWS. Therefore,
low-SC PCWS had a low sy value.
3.4.2. Influences of different EPS fractions on the rheological properties
of CSS and PCSS
3.4.2.1. Rheological properties of CSS. Raw, TP, and P sludge were
separately co-slurried with pulverized coal. The rheological prop-
erties of the prepared CSSs were determined and are shown in
Fig. 11. Similar to CWS, all CSSs exhibited shear-thinning behavior.
Their c_
s curves were fitted by the Herschel–Bulkley model
(shown in Fig. S1 in Supplementary material), and their rheological
parameters were obtained (shown in Table S1 in Supplementary
material). The rheological parameters of CSS with a g100 of
1000 mPa s were obtained from the measured rheological parame-
ters using the linear interpolation method and are shown in
Table 4. The table shows that the rheological parameters of CSSs
prepared with raw sludge and EPS-removed sludge were similar.
Specifically, CSSs showed similar rheological behavior, indicating
that LB-EPS and TB-EPS had limited influence on the rheological
behavior of CSS because of the lower amount of sludge than that
of coal particles, as well as the lower strength of EPS than those
of coal particle friction and collision.
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679 677

3000 4500

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

3000 SC=43.70% SC=44.93% SC=45.97%

SC=42.40% SC=44.45% 4000 SC=44.88%
SC=42.06% 2500 SC=43.85% SC=43.70%
2500 3500

2000 3000
2000
2500

1500 1500 2000

1500
1000 1000
1000

500 500 500

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1
Shear rate (s ) -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(a) (b) (c)

3000 3500
Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

3500 SC=42.76% Apparent viscosity (mPa s) SC=43.20% SC=43.90%
SC=42.09% SC=42.97% 3000 SC=43.20%
3000 SC=41.12% 2500
SC=42.17% SC=42.31%
2500
2500
2000 2000
2000
1500 1500
1500
1000
1000 1000
500
500
500 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(d) (e) (f)
Fig. 11. The rheological curves of CSSs, which were prepared using (a) raw sludge–NNO; (b) TP sludge–NNO; (c) P sludge–NNO; (d) raw sludge–SLS; (e) TP sludge–SLS; and (f)
P sludge–SLS.

Table 4
Herschel–Bulkley rheological parameters of CSS with a g100 of 1000 mPa s.

Dispersant Sludge type sy (Pa) K (Pa sn) n R2

NNO Raw sludge 8.71 3.96 0.68 0.9984
TP sludge 8.77 3.59 0.70 0.9986
P sludge 8.98 3.67 0.70 0.9980
SLS Raw sludge 9.22 4.30 0.66 0.9984
TP sludge 8.13 3.97 0.68 0.9989
P sludge 9.90 3.66 0.70 0.9992

3.4.2.2. The rheological properties of PCSS. Fig. 12 shows the rheolog- were considerably reduced. However, after EPSs were removed,
ical properties of PCSSs prepared with raw, TP, and P sludges. As the above effect was greatly weakened, and then the petroleum
shown in the figure, PCSSs showed shear-thinning behaviors under coke particles were more likely to agglomerate upon contact dur-
low or high SC conditions and regardless of whether EPSs were ing PCSS flowing. As a result, PCSS remained highly viscous during
removed. This result was different from that of PCWS, which flowing, i.e., shear-thinning flow behavior was limited.
showed shear-thickening behavior under low SC conditions (see PCSS prepared with EPS-removed sludge showed an increasing
Fig. 9c and d) because of the following reasons: when sludge was sy value, suggesting that high static resistance should be overcome
co-slurried with petroleum coke, sludge flocs linked with each before the slurry would begin to flow. PCSS prepared with EPS-
other and formed a spatially linked structure in the PCSS system, removed sludge had the same value of g100 (g100 = 1000 mPa s)
thus enhancing the structural strength of PCSS. When PCSS was but not of SC. As for PCSS with the same SC, the linkage between
sheared, sludge flocs were broken up, the linked structure in PCSS sludge flocs decreased with the removal of sludge EPSs, which con-
was destroyed, and the viscosity of PCSS decreased. In addition, nect sludge flocs with each other [21,31]. The structural strength of
sludge flocs filled petroleum coke particles, effectively decreasing PCSS decreased; thus, PCSS prepared with EPS-removed sludge
the degree of agglomeration among petroleum coke particles. showed a low sy value when SC was maintained at the same value.
The rheological parameters of PCSS with a g100 of 1000 mPa s When g100 was maintained at 1000 mPas, PCSS prepared with EPS-
(obtained basing on the Fig. S2 and Table S2 in the Supplementary removed sludge showed an increasing sy value given its improved
material) are shown in Table 5. As shown in the table, PCSS pre- slurryability. Thus, PCSS could be prepared at a high concentration
pared with EPS-removed sludge showed an increasing n value (see Fig. 7). Specifically, PCSS prepared with EPS-removed sludge
and a low level of pseudoplastic behavior because of the following had a high SC and its high content of petroleum coke particles then
reasons: EPSs are highly viscoelastic and occupy a large volume of tended to agglomerate given the limited effect of EPS removal on
sludge flocs. When they filled petroleum coke particles, the the prevention of agglomeration. Thus, PCSS showed a high sy
hydrophobic agglomerations between petroleum coke particles value.
678 Apparent viscosity (mPa s) R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

4500 3500

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

SC=62.15% 3500 SC=62.85% SC=63.87%
4000 SC=61.88% SC=62.35% 3000 SC=63.58%
SC=61.50% 3000 SC=62.00% SC=62.47%
3500
2500
3000 2500
2000
2500
2000
2000 1500
1500
1500 1000
1000 1000
500
500 500
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(a) (b) (c)
Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

Apparent viscosity (mPa s)

7000 5000
Apparent viscosity (mPa s)
SC=62.32% 4000 SC=62.62%
SC=62.13% 4500
6000 SC=61.80% SC=62.14%
SC=61.45% 3500
4000 SC=61.04% SC=61.82%
SC=60.82%
5000 3500 3000

3000 2500
4000
2500 2000
3000 2000
1500
2000 1500
1000
1000
1000 500
500
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
-1 -1 -1
Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s ) Shear rate (s )
(d) (e) (f)
Fig. 12. The rheological curves of PCSSs, which were prepared using (a) raw sludge–NNO; (b) TP sludge–NNO; (c) P sludge–NNO; (d) raw sludge–SLS; (e) TP sludge–SLS; and
(f) P sludge–SLS.

Table 5
Herschel–Bulkley rheological parameters of PCSS with a g100 of 1000 mPa s.

Dispersant Sludge type sy (Pa) K (Pa sn) n R2

NNO Raw sludge 12.72 1.95 0.83 0.9993
TP sludge 21.73 1.79 0.83 0.9982
P sludge 22.02 1.47 0.87 0.9988
SLS Raw sludge 23.91 2.24 0.78 0.9983
TP sludge 29.63 1.66 0.82 0.9488
P sludge 27.06 1.44 0.86 0.9973

4. Conclusion solid concentrations of CSS and PCSS and with EPS-removed

sludge, yield stress decreased given the decrease in trapped water
CSS and PCSS are prepared by mixing sewage sludge into CWS and linkage between sludge flocs.
and PCWS. These slurries can be used as liquid fuel or gasification
material and provide a novel approach to recycle sewage sludge Acknowledgments
without pre-drying. Slurrying properties directly influence the
industrial applications of CSS and PCSS. Therefore, the present This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foun-
study investigated the influences of different EPS fractions on dation of China – China [grant number 51606067], Beijing Natural
g100, SCmax, and the rheological behaviors of CSS and PCSS. Science Foundation – China [grant number 3174056], and Natural
When raw sludge was mixed into CWS or PCWS, the slurryabil- Science Foundation of Hebei Province – China [grant number
ity of the slurry decreased, as indicated by the considerable E2017502004, E2016502058].
decrease in SCmax. This behavior resulted from the high amounts
of trapped water and the strong linkage between sludge flocs. After
LB-EPS and TB-EPS were removed from sludge, SCmax increased Appendix A. Supplementary material
again. Moreover, the SCmax values of slurries increased more when
prepared with TP sludge than with P sludge. Therefore, LB-EPS Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in
exerted more influence on the slurrying properties of CSS and PCSS the online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.
than TB-EPS. 06.035.
When prepared with EPS-removed sludge and when the viscos-
ity of the slurry samples was maintained at the same value (such as References
g100 = 1000 mPa s), the rheological behavior of CSS negligibly chan-
[1] Murakami T, Suzuki Y, Nagasawa H, Yamamoto T, Koseki T, Hirose H, et al.
ged, whereas the yield stress of PCSS increased and its pseudoplas-
Combustion characteristics of sewage sludge in an incineration plant for
ticity decreased. By contrast, when prepared at the same constant energy recovery. Fuel Process Technol 2009;90:778–83.
 R. Wang et al. / Energy Conversion and Management 148 (2017) 668–679
[2] Chiang KY, Lu CH, Liao CK, Ger RHR. Characteristics of hydrogen energy yield
by co-gasified of sewage sludge and paper-mill sludge in a commercial scale
plant. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2016;41:21641–8.
[3] Ridout AJ, Carrier M, Collard FX, Görgens J. Energy conversion assessment of
vacuum, slow and fast pyrolysis processes for low and high ash paper waste
sludge. Energy Convers Manage 2016;111:103–14.
[4] Grosser A, Neczaj E. Enhancement of biogas production from sewage sludge by
addition of grease trap sludge. Energy Convers Manage 2016;125:301–8.
[5] Caporgno MP, Trobajo R, Caiola N, Ibáñez C, Fabregat A, Bengoa C. Biogas
production from sewage sludge and microalgae co-digestion under mesophilic
and thermophilic conditions. Renew Energy 2015;75:374–80.
[6] Zhao PT, Shen YF, Ge SF, Yoshikawa K. Energy recycling from sewage sludge by
producing solid biofuel with hydrothermal carbonization. Energy Convers
Manage 2014;78:815–21.
[7] He C, Giannis A, Wang JY. Conversion of sewage sludge to clean solid fuel using
hydrothermal carbonization: hydrochar fuel characteristics and combustion
behavior. Appl Energy 2013;111:257–66.
[8] Wang RK, Liu JZ, Yu YJ, Hu YX, Zhou JH, Cen KF. The slurrying properties of coal
water slurries containing raw sewage sludge. Energy Fuel 2011;25:747–52.
[9] He QH, Xie D, Xu RF, Wang TW, Hu BX. The utilization of sewage sludge by
blending with coal water slurry. Fuel 2015;159:40–4.
[10] Kijo-Kleczkowska A, Środa K, Kosowska-Golachowska M, Musiał T, Wolski K.
Experimental research of sewage sludge with coal and biomass co-
combustion, in pellet form. Waste Manage 2016;53:165–81.
[11] Liao YF, Ma XQ. Thermogravimetric analysis of the co-combustion of coal and
paper mill sludge. Appl Energy 2010;87:3526–32.
[12] Wang RK, Zhao ZH, Qiu LC, Liu JZ. Experimental investigation of synergistic
behaviors of lignite and wasted activated sludge during their co-combustion.
Fuel Process Technol 2017;156:271–9.
[13] Tan P, Ma L, Xia J, Fang QY, Zhang C, Chen G. Co-firing sludge in a pulverized
coal-fired utility boiler: combustion characteristics and economic impacts.
Energy 2017;119:392–9.
[14] Hong JM, Xu CQ, Hong JL, Tan XF, Chen W. Life cycle assessment of sewage
sludge co-incineration in a coal-based power station. Waste Manage
2013;33:1843–52.
[15] García G, Arauzo J, Gonzalo A, Sánchez JL, Ábrego J. Influence of feedstock
composition in fluidised bed co-gasification of mixtures of lignite, bituminous
coal and sewage sludge. Chem Eng J 2013;222:345–52.
[16] Zhao XL, Zhu W, Huang JY, Li M, Gong M. Emission characteristics of PCDD/Fs,
PAHs and PCBs during the combustion of sludge-coal water slurry. J Energy
Inst 2015;88:105–11.
[17] Liu JG, Jiang XM, Zhou LS, Wang H, Han XX. Co-firing of oil sludge with coal-
water slurry in an industrial internal circulating fluidized bed boiler. J Hazard
Mater 2009;167:817–23.
[18] Cen KF, Yao Q, Cao XY, Zhao X, Huang ZY, Zhou JH, et al. Theory and application
of combustion, flow, heat transfer, gasification of coal
slurry. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press; 1997 [In Chinese].
[19] Li WD, Li WF, Liu HF, Yu ZH. Influence of sewage sludge on slurryability of
coal-water slurry. Fuel 2009;88:2241–6.
[20] Wang RK, Liu JZ, Gao FY, Zhou JH, Cen KF. The slurrying properties of slurry
fuels made of petroleum coke and petrochemical sludge. Fuel Process Technol
2012;104:57–66.
679
[21] Wang RK, Zhao ZH, Liu JZ, Lv YK, Ye XM. Enhancing the storage stability of
petroleum coke slurry by producing biogas from sludge fermentation. Energy
2016;113:319–27.
[22] Liu M, Duan YF, Li HF. Effect of modified sludge on the rheological properties
and co-slurry mechanism of petroleum coke–sludge slurry. Powder Technol
2013;243:18–26.
[23] Ma XY, Duan YF, Liu M. Effects of petrochemical sludge on the slurry-ability of
coke water slurry. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2013;48:238–44.
[24] Wang RK, Liu JZ, Lv YK, Ye XM. Sewage sludge disruption through sonication to
improve the co-preparation of coal-sludge slurry fuel: the effects of sonic
frequency. Appl Therm Eng 2016;99:645–51.
[25] Wang RK, Liu JZ, Yu YJ, Zhou JH, Cen KF. Effects of calcium oxide on the surface
properties of municipal wastewater sludge and its co-slurrying ability with
coal. Sci Total Environ 2013;456–457:9–16.
[26] Wang RK, Zhao ZH, Yin QQ, Liu JZ. Effects of low-temperature thermal and
alkaline methods on the structural strength of sludge flocs and the co-
slurrying ability of sludge and coal. Energ Fuel 2016;30:5419–24.
[27] Liu JZ, Wang RK, Hu YR, Zhou JH, Cen KF. Improving the properties of slurry
fuel preparation to recycle municipal sewage sludge by alkaline pretreatment.
Energ Fuel 2013;27:2883–9.
[28] Liu JZ, Wang RK, Gao FY, Zhou JH, Cen KF. Rheology and thixotropic properties
of slurry fuel prepared using municipal wastewater sludge and coal. Chem Eng
Sci 2012;76:1–8.
[29] Han XM, Wang ZW, Zhu CW, Wu ZC. Effect of ultrasonic power density on
extracting loosely bound and tightly bound extracellular polymeric
substances. Desalination 2013;329:35–40.
[30] Yu GH, He PJ, Shao LM, He PP. Stratification structure of sludge flocs with
implication to dewaterability. Environ Sci Technol 2008;42:7944–9.
[31] Laspidou CS, Rittmann BE. A unified theory for extracellular polymeric
substances, soluble microbial products, and active and inert biomass. Water
Res 2002;36:2711–20.
[32] Li XY, Yang SF. Influence of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances
(EPS) on the flocculation, sedimentation and dewaterability of activated
sludge. Water Res 2007;41:1022–30.
[33] Morgan JW, Forster CF, Evison L. A comparative study of the nature of
biopolymers extracted from anaerobic and activated sludges. Water Res
1990;24:743–50.
[34] Chen GW, Hung WT, Chang IL, Lee SF, Lee DJ. Continuous classification of
moisture content in waste activated sludges. J Environ Eng
ASCE
1997;123:253–8.
[35] Deng WY, Li XD, Yan JH, Wang F, Chi Y, Cen KF. Moisture distribution in
sludges based on different testing methods. J Environ Sci 2011;23:875–80.
[36] Zhou MS, Yang DJ, Qiu XQ. Influence of dispersant on bound water content in
coal–water slurry and its quantitative determination. Energy Convers Manage
2008;48:3063–8.
[37] Liu JZ, Wu JH, Zhu JF, Wang ZH, Zhou JH, Cen KF. Removal of oxygen functional
groups in lignite by hydrothermal dewatering: an experimental and DFT
study. Fuel 2016;178:85–92.
[38] Zhu JF, Liu JZ, Yang YM, Cheng J, Zhou JH, Cen KF. Fractal characteristics of pore
structures in 13 coal specimens: relationship among fractal dimension, pore
structure parameter, and slurry ability of coal. Fuel Process Technol
2016;149:256–67.