• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2023

This study applied a hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) method to carbonize sewage sludge in order to satisfy the criteria of the Waste Management Act for recycled products and to explore the possibility of recycling sludge into modification blocks. Cement was mixed with carbonized sludge generated at the optimal temperature and reaction time during HTC. After that, the compressive strengths of the modification blocks were measured by conducting both a performance and leaching test. The results of the leaching test showed that heavy metals were not detected, and the specific gravity and absorption rates were less than 1.7 and 10%, respectively, indicating that all species satisfied the criteria. The results of the compressive strength test showed that a mixing ratio of 5% and 7% with cement cured for 28 days satisfied the criteria of A, B, and C type blocks but a mixing ratio of 3% with cement did not satisfy the criteria of A type blocks after 28 days. However, after additional curing for 42 days, the mixing ratio of 3% also satisfied the A type block criteria. Therefore, the optimal mixing ratio of carbonized sludge and cement was considered to be between 3% and 5% and confirmed that the modified blocks could be utilized as aggregates.