Review on Feasibility Study on Co-pyrolyzation of Microplastic in Conventional Sewage Sludge for the Cementitious Application

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have recently been classified as one of the emerging pollutants that need to be removed. MPs will only continue to be problematic to human and ecosystem health due to continues usage of plastics grow worldwide. Usually, MPs will be end up in the sewage sludge from the wastewater treatment plant and it will become waste if not turning into something valuable such as biochar since it is not easily degraded. Although there were several studies on the use of biochar as a construction material but deposition of MPs in sludge to biochar was never done before. Thus, turning MPs in sewage sludge to biochar for brick application by co-pyrolysis process is one of the possible useful methods. However, certain characteristic of biochar needs to be achieved so that it can be used as brick or other cementitious application. This can be done through investigation on its chemical composition, thermal properties, and surface morphology to meet its suitable construction material. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of MPs in sewage sludge as a cementitious material by evaluating its characteristics. Hence, the best process condition (temperature) during co-pyrolysis need to be measured. The study was done through collecting the MPs sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plant and their physical properties will be determined. Then, it will be dry before transferred into muffle furnace for co-pyrolysis at different temperature condition which is 400ºC, 500ºC and 600ºC. Characteristics of biochar produced will then analyzed using TGA, DSC and BET. The properties of MPs biochar produce from co-pyrolysis is expected to be classifies in its suitable construction application.