Potential Bio-Fuel from Refinery Waste through Anaerobic Digestion

Abstract

In this study we report biofuel potential in waste cake obtained from oil refinery. The sample was analyzed for its calorific value using auto bomb calorimeter (LECO AC-500), proximate analysis using Thermogravimetric analyzer (LECO 701) and elemental analysis using CHNS analyzer (LECO Tru-Spec). The elemental analysis of dry waste cake vs wet cake depicted the percentage composition of carbon (49.8%, 40.8%), hydrogen (7.9%, 6.0%), nitrogen (2.8%, 1.9%), Sulphur (1.9%, 0.5%) and oxygen content (37.6%, 40.4%). As for as the thermal degradation behavior of dry and wet cake in TGA is concerned, higher moisture contents (68.50%) found in wet cake and lower in dry cake (40.1%). Whereas the volatile matter in dry cake (30.9%) and low volatile in wet cake (14.3%). Similarly, %age of ash become high in dry cake (17.3%) and low in wet cake (5.11%). The results reflected that higher heating value of dry waste cake is higher (22.5 MJ/kg) than wet waste cake (20.5 MJ/kg) and commonly used sugarcane bagasse (17.88 MJ/kg).