Characteristics of lipid fractions recovered from municipal wastewater as a raw material for the production of bio-polyols

IF 7.9 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Process Safety and Environmental Protection Pub Date : 2026-07-15 Epub Date: 2026-06-15 DOI:10.1016/j.psep.2026.109152

Patrycja Zakrzewska, Beata Zygmunt-Kowalska, Monika Kuźnia, Artur Bukowczan, Paulina Zając, Krzysztof Pielichowski, Tomasz Szewczyk, Agnė Kairytė, Tadeusz Telejko

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The presence of fats in municipal wastewater is a significant problem, primarily due to their propensity to cause clogging of installations and failure of treatment systems. However, these fats also can serve as a valuable raw material for the production of bio-polyols that can be further used in e.g. polymer technology. This paper presents a novel approach for the separation of fats from wastewater, and evaluates their potential for use in the production of bio-polyols. The study included a comprehensive characterization of the fat fraction, including infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, an examination of fat content, an elemental analysis of fats, and an assessment of the calorific value of fats through determination of calorific value and heat of combustion. Moreover, thermal analysis investigations have been performed using TG and DSC methods, as well as decomposition behaviour using pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) has been studied. The results show that the recovered fat fraction contains up to 60% fats. The results further indicate that fats from sewage sludge contain a mixture of fatty acids, esters and hydrocarbons, which are key components for the synthesis of bio-polyols. The use of fat fraction from wastewater can significantly contribute to the reduction of waste and the development of sustainable technologies in the chemical industry. Furthermore, fats can serve as an alternative feedstock for the production of bio-polyols, thereby replacing conventional vegetable oils. This approach facilitates the more sustainable and value-added utilisation of lipid-based raw materials.

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从城市污水中回收的油脂馏分生产生物多元醇的特性

城市污水中脂肪的存在是一个重大问题，主要是因为它们容易造成装置堵塞和处理系统故障。然而，这些脂肪也可以作为生产生物多元醇的有价值的原料，这些多元醇可以进一步用于例如聚合物技术。本文介绍了一种从废水中分离油脂的新方法，并评价了其在生物多元醇生产中的应用潜力。该研究包括对脂肪部分的全面表征，包括红外光谱（FTIR）分析、脂肪含量检查、脂肪元素分析，以及通过测定发热量和燃烧热来评估脂肪的热值。此外，使用热重分析和DSC方法进行了热分析研究，并使用热解和气相色谱-质谱（Py-GC/MS）结合进行了分解行为研究。结果表明，回收的脂肪组分中脂肪含量高达60%。结果进一步表明，污水污泥中的脂肪含有脂肪酸、酯类和碳氢化合物的混合物，是合成生物多元醇的关键成分。利用废水中的脂肪馏分可以大大有助于减少废物和发展化学工业中的可持续技术。此外，脂肪可以作为生产生物多元醇的替代原料，从而取代传统的植物油。这种方法促进了基于脂质的原材料的更可持续和增值利用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Process Safety and Environmental Protection 环境科学-工程：化工

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

15.40%

发文量

929

审稿时长

8.0 months

期刊介绍： The Process Safety and Environmental Protection (PSEP) journal is a leading international publication that focuses on the publication of high-quality, original research papers in the field of engineering, specifically those related to the safety of industrial processes and environmental protection. The journal encourages submissions that present new developments in safety and environmental aspects, particularly those that show how research findings can be applied in process engineering design and practice. PSEP is particularly interested in research that brings fresh perspectives to established engineering principles, identifies unsolved problems, or suggests directions for future research. The journal also values contributions that push the boundaries of traditional engineering and welcomes multidisciplinary papers. PSEP's articles are abstracted and indexed by a range of databases and services, which helps to ensure that the journal's research is accessible and recognized in the academic and professional communities. These databases include ANTE, Chemical Abstracts, Chemical Hazards in Industry, Current Contents, Elsevier Engineering Information database, Pascal Francis, Web of Science, Scopus, Engineering Information Database EnCompass LIT (Elsevier), and INSPEC. This wide coverage facilitates the dissemination of the journal's content to a global audience interested in process safety and environmental engineering.