Evaluation of the chemical composition and rheological properties of bio-asphalt from different biomass sources

Wood waste generated during the tree felling and processing is a rich, green, and renewable lignocellulosic biomass. However, an effective method to apply wood waste in anaerobic digestion is lacking. The high carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio and rich lignin content of wood waste are the major limiting factors for high biogas production. NaOH pre-treatment for lignocellulosic biomass is a promising approach to weaken the adverse effect of complex crystalline cellulosic structure on biogas production in anaerobic digestion, and the synergistic integration of lignocellulosic biomass with low C/N ratio biomass in anaerobic digestion is a logical option to balance the excessive C/N ratio. Here, we assessed the improvement of methane production of wood waste in anaerobic digestion by NaOH pretreatment, co-digestion technique, and their combination. The results showed that the methane yield of the single digestion of wood waste was increased by 38.5% after NaOH pretreatment compared with the untreated wood waste. The methane production of the co-digestion of wood waste and pig manure was higher than that of the single digestion of wood waste and had nonsignificant difference with the single-digestion of pig manure. The methane yield of the co-digestion of wood waste pretreated with NaOH and pig manure was increased by 75.8% than that of the untreated wood waste. The findings indicated that wood waste as a sustainable biomass source has considerable potential to achieve high biogas production in anaerobic digestion.

Climate change and the potential depletion of fossil fuels have increased international demand for alternative and renewable energy sources. In terms of the energy sector, for example, most of the South-East Asian countries (SACs) have a large number of biomass sources due to their vast forest resources and agriculture-based economies. Thus, the critical review was aimed at highlighting the overview of biomass energy in South-East Asia as a dynamically developing region, in order to obtain economic and environmental benefits from the existing sources of biomass in the world. The current review analyzed the sources of biomass, as well as their energy potential, use, and management, based on reports from different countries, published studies, and scientific articles. In SAC, the main sources of biomass were found to be coconut residues, oil palm residues, sugar cane residues, rice straw, rice husks, wood waste, and firewood. The combined annual biomass potentials in the forestry and agricultural sectors in South-East Asia were approximately over 500 million tons per year and more than 8 gigajoule of total energy potentials. The study identified the challenges and barriers to using biomass in these countries to achieve sustainable use of biomass sources and recommended sustainable approaches to using biomass energy by comparing traditional uses of biomass. Smart grid technologies have ways for solutions for better electric power production and efficient ways for distribution and transmission of electricity. Smart grids require less space and can be more easily installed when compared to traditional grids because of their versatilities. Upcoming challenges include technology optimization for the following uses of biomass energy: direct combustion of woody biomass; pyrolysis and gasification of biomass; anaerobic digestion of organic waste to produce biogas; landfill gas production direct incineration of organic waste. The barriers in this technology are emissions of carbon and nitrogen oxides, unpleasant odors, as well as the uncontrolled harvesting of biomass, which can harm nature.

The aviation industry has set ambitious goals for reducing carbon emissions, with the International Civil Aviation Organization targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Bio-jet fuel is expected to play a crucial role in achieving this target, and the demand for bio-jet fuel is projected to rapidly increase. Bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of lignin, such as waste wood, is considered a promising alternative for production of bio-jet fuel through processes such as hydrodeoxygenation. In this study, the physical properties and compositions of bio-jet fuel produced from wood-derived pyrolysis bio-oil blended with petroleum-based jet fuel as well as their changes during 16 weeks storage were investigated. Consistently, 0%, 10%, 50%, and 100% blended bio-jet fuels were prepared. After 16 weeks of aging, the total acid number of the all-blended bio-jet fuel showed a sharp increase from 12 weeks, reaching over 0.1 mg KOH/g. Additionally, kinematic viscosity showed a steady increase over 16 weeks whereas oxidative stability decreased by approximately 20% at 16 weeks for the 100% bio-jet fuel alone. The final boiling point increased by up to 20% in higher blends of bio-jet fuel and the average molecular weight increased. Bio-jet fuel has a high olefin content, which can further increase during storage, leading to a decrease in the combustion characteristics. This study suggests that using up to 10% the bio-jet fuel in aircraft is safe considering storage stability, but further research is required to confirm this finding.

A 2009 study published by the Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research (RCEPR) sparked significant debate within the Hungarian forestry and wood industry sectors. The study suggested a substantial shortfall in the balance of solid bioenergy biomass usage and sources, which it attributed to large-scale illegal logging. The Bio Screen CCE Project updated this analysis and quantified a 37.2 PJ (43%) deficit in the solid bioenergy biomass balance for 2019. This study investigates the extent to which household wood waste burning could account for this shortfall. Using the Forest Industry Carbon Model (FICM) HWP submodel, the authors estimate that over 1.2 million m³ of wood waste may be burned annually in households. The heating value of this burned wood waste for 2019 is estimated at 14 PJ, explaining 39% of the shortfall identified in the Bio Screen CCE Project’s 2021 report.

Energy recovery of glued wood waste – A review

1. Growth of Ultralong ZnO Nanowires on Silicon Substrates by Vapor Transport and Their Use as Recyclable Photocatalysts We synthesized the growth of ultralong ZnO nanowires on silicon (100) substrates via the gold-catalyzed vapor transport approach. Ample supply of zinc vapor generated through carbothermal reduction of ZnO powder at 917 °C and a suitable amount of oxygen facilitate the rapid growth of nanowires. These ZnO nanowires are extremely long with lengths of 85–100 microns, and exhibit a vertical orientation. The nanowires have largely diameters of 250–400 nm. Crystal structure analysis indicates typical ZnO nanowire growth along the [0001] direction. The band gap of these nanowires was determined to be 3.22 eV. These nanowires show a relatively weak near-band-edge emission peak at 390 nm, and a significant oxygen vacancy-related emission band at 495 nm. Good photocatalytic activity of these nanowires on substrates toward the photodegradation of rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol was demonstrated. Furthermore, we showed that these nanowires on substrates can serve as effective and convenient recyclable photocatalysts. Only a slight decrease in the photodecomposition rate was observed after 10 cycles of the photocatalysis experiment. The photocatalysts also work well under natural sunlight. 2. Gold-Catalyzed Low-Temperature Growth of Cadmium Oxide Nanowires by Vapor Transport Uniform and ultralong cadmium oxide nanowires were synthesized in high yield on gold-coated silicon substrates using a vapor transport process. Cadmium vapor generated by the carbothermal reduction of CdO powder in a tube furnace heated to 500 °C was carried to the substrate zone by an argon flow with a trace amount of oxygen. The CdO nanowires grew via a vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. The diameters of the nanowires are 80 nm, and can reach lengths of 40 microns. Because the nanowire formation was gold particle-catalyzed, patterned nanowire growth on substrates can be achieved. These nanowires grew along the [111] direction and have slight rough surfaces due to the presence of crystalline CdO shells formed via a vapor-solid deposition process. Interesting CdO nanowires with a necklace-like morphology were also observed in a small region of the substrate, where the oxygen supply may be ample to facilitate the lateral growth of rhombohedral crystals over the pre-formed central wires. Electron diffraction and high-resolution TEM results suggest that the rhombohedral crystals should grow epitaxially from the wire stem. The band gap of the CdO nanowires was determined to be ~2.53 eV. These nanowires exhibit a relatively weak emission band centered at ~550 nm. 3. Synthesis of Self-Templated Core-Shell Ga-GaN Nanostructures and GaN Hollow Spheres via Conventional Reflux Method Core-shell Ga-GaN nanostructures were synthesized via a simple reflux method. Gallium chloride was reacted with lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide in trioctylamine at 380 □C for 24 hours. The core-shell nanostructures are ~500 nm in diameter with a rough surface. After removal of the gallium core by acid, GaN hollow spheres can be obtained. The GaN hollow spheres are composed by GaN nanoparticles with the shell thickness ~25 nm. PXRD and ED pattern show the GaN hollow spheres are zinc blende structure with hexagonal structure less than 10%. By XPS and IR analysis, the GaN nanoparticles are binding by silica to maintain the hollow structure. The growth of Ga-GaN nanostructures were monitored during the increase of temperature and reaction time. Gallium was generated first at lower reaction temperature and followed by GaN deposited on the metal surface. The size and shell thickness of Ga-GaN nanostructures can be varied by changing the amount of lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and reaction temperatures. Furthermore, In-InN nanocomposites also can be synthesized using the same reflux method with a lower reaction temperature and longer reaction time. The InN nanoparticles are wedge-shaped or triangular with a single crystallinity.

Preparation process of bio-oil and bio-asphalt, their performance, and the application of bio-asphalt: A comprehensive review

Secondary sources of biomass (forest residue, crop residue, MSW and waste wood) will play an important role in improving the negative emissions potential of BECCS by reducing carbon emissions along the biomass supply chain.

Well-to-Wheels analysis of hydrogen production from bio-oil reforming for use in internal combustion engines

Biomass yield potential of short-rotation hardwoods in the great plains

A light scattering investigation of actin and actomyosin gives the following information. The weight average molecular weight of 80,000 is found for G‐actin. The average molecular weight and length of F‐actin decrease upon increasing concentration of electrolyte, the effect being especially pronounced in the case of KI. The average molecular weight and length of F‐actin decrease with increasing of pH of polymerization. The average length and molecular weight of F‐actomyosin increase with decreasing ionic strength. The average length and molecular weight of F‐actomyosin decrease with decreasing size of the F‐actin component.

Crystalloid versus colloid versus colloid: all colloids are not created equal.

Rotational tunneling and spin conversion in methane monolayers adsorbed on the surface of graphite

Pectinolytic enzymes of Streptomyces lydicus MTCC 7505 origin was immobilized on wood wastes and utilized for banana pulp hydrolysis. Various parameters like operational stability, amount of enzyme preparation, incubation- time, temperature, storage stability and scale up were studied. Maximum juice could be extracted at 23°C with overnight incubation. Higher temperature has spoilt the flavor of juice. The preparations were found to be stable even after 70 days, if kept under refrigeration. Storage half life was calculated to be more than 100 days. Addition of sodium meta-bisulphite seems to be useful for preservation of juice under refrigerated conditions

The co-combustion of hard coal with raw and torrefied biomasses (willow (Salix viminalis), olive oil residue and waste wood from furniture manufacturing)