Hydrochar-nanocomposite membrane combined hydrothermal pretreatment for nutrient upcycling from anaerobic digestate

Abstract

Efficient resource recovery is crucial for sustaining food production and alleviating stress on ecosystems. This study combines hydrothermal pretreatment with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-hydrochar nanocomposite membranes for near-complete resource recovery in kitchen waste treatment. The dual-functionalized pretreatment, which combines targeted conversion/enrichment with adsorption/filtration, effectively addresses the limitations of existing membrane separation technologies, including low nutrient recovery selectivity, low flux, and high costs. Within a wide pH range (3–11), the optimized lanthanum-doped hydrochar demonstrated over 99% phosphorus recovery, alongside exceptional nutrient recovery potential (over 289.71 mg P/g). The innovative composite membrane design successfully processed over 1,000 bed volumes of biogas slurry containing high phosphorus levels across three in-situ rejuvenation cycles, achieving nearly a 30-fold increase in membrane utilization compared to pristine PVDF membranes (36 bed volumes). The durability and fouling resistance of the composite membranes were enhanced through a synergistic mechanism that included ligand exchange and retention, as well as improved membrane surface properties. This facilitated the selective and efficient recovery of nutrients (99.33% P and 50.81% N) and enabled a profitable turnaround for anaerobic by-product upcycling ($28.51/ton). This study offers novel solutions to address the phosphorus scarcity crisis and promotes the integration of organic waste management with low carbon value addition.