Abstract:

Waste with a high water content is particularly difficult to reprocess. Drying, required before the final burning process, consumes large amounts of energy and it is quite expensive. The paper provides an overview of the processing methods of waste generated in both the paper and related industries using supercritical water. The process is technologically advanced and requires a special design approach. The fundamentals, assumptions and conditions of the recycling process are presented. The requirements for waste feedstock and potential environmental benefits are described. This work also presents the results of tests performed on a laboratory scale using various samples from industry, and discusses the design and operation of a prototype waste utilisation line of 200 kg/h capacity. Based on the results obtained, areas of potential application for this method of waste processing in the industry are also described. Plans for the development and implementation of the process on an industrial scale are outlined.