Pyrolysis behaviors of antibiotic fermentation residue and wastewater sludge from penicillin production: Kinetics, gaseous products distribution, and nitrogen transformation

Abstract Antibiotic fermentation residue (AFR) and wastewater sludge (AFS) were dangerous wastes from penicillin fermentation, and pyrolysis kinetics, gaseous products distribution, and nitrogen transformation of the two were investigated. The content of C/H/N/O/S in AFR was 93.52 %, with good pyrolysis performance and an average activation energy of 230.13 kJ/mol; the content of Fe/O in AFS reached 67.64 %, with poor pyrolysis performance and a high activation energy of 323.77 kJ/mol in the first stage. Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogenous organics were main gaseous products of AFR pyrolysis, while monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alcohols were main gaseous products of AFS pyrolysis. Pyridine- and pyrrole-nitrogen predominated in the biochar produced by AFR and AFS pyrolysis when the temperature was above 600 °C. The reactions of nitrogen migration and transformation during pyrolysis were summarized. This work provides insights for the pyrolysis potential and the highly concerned nitrogen conversion in AFR and AFS during pyrolysis.