Alternative Biomass Research Articles

Optimization of Hydrocarbon Production in Catalytic Pyrolysis of Macaúba Epicarp and Macaúba and Baru Endocarps

The objective of this study was to examine the catalytic pyrolysis process of three distinct types of biomasses: baru endocarp (ENB), macaúba endocarp (ENM), and macaúba epicarp (EPM). This was performed with the aim of optimizing the production of hydrocarbons and other volatile compounds of interest through the use of different catalysts. The catalysts utilized in this study were calcium oxide (CaO), phosphate mining waste (PO), niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), and Ni/Nb2O5. The methodology entailed pyrolyzing the biomass at temperatures spanning from 508 °C to 791 °C, utilizing a micropyrolyzer in conjunction with a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for product analysis. An experimental design was implemented to assess the impact of catalyst concentration and temperature on the yield and composition of the volatile products. The findings demonstrated that CaO was efficacious in deoxygenating the compounds, particularly at elevated temperatures, thereby promoting the generation of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. In contrast, Nb2O5 was effective in the formation of oxygenated compounds, particularly carboxylic acids and phenols. Ni/Nb2O5 has been shown to be effective in the production of cyclic, aromatic, alkadienes, and alkenes hydrocarbons. Phosphate mining waste exhibited moderate performance, with potential for specific applications at high temperatures, with important production of cyclic, aromatic, and alkane hydrocarbons. Among the biomasses, EPM demonstrated the greatest potential for hydrocarbon production, indicating its suitability for the development of advanced biofuels. This study advances our understanding of the catalytic pyrolysis of alternative biomasses and underscores the pivotal role of catalysts in optimizing the process, offering invaluable insights for the sustainable production of biofuels and interest in renewable chemicals.

PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOBRIQUETTE FROM BIOMASS OF MANGO LEAF, SAW DUST AND RICE HUSK AS EFFICIENT ENERGY SOURCES FOR COOKING

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven interest in alternative biomass sources for energy production. This study investigates the production and characterization of bio briquettes made from different biomass of mango leaves, sawdust, and rice huskusing limestone as binder. The objective is to evaluate the potential of these biomass materials as efficient energy sources for cooking. The bio briquettes were produced using a standard briquetting process, involving mixing, compaction, and drying. Various parameters including ultimate and proximate composition, calorific value, bulk density, hardness and durability as well as mechanical and combustion properties were analyzed to assess their performance. The results demonstrated that the bio briquettes exhibited high calorific values between 20753 to 20506 KJ/kg and high percentage of fixed carbon between 4.18 to 5.58 % which generally indicates good fuel performance.The results also indicated that the bio briquettes has low Sulphur content and high volatile matter content between 50.53 to 62.84 % an indication that they are ecofriendly and can easily burn to yield energy. The bio briquettes of mango leaves, sawdust, and rice husk not only leverages agricultural waste but also contributes to reducing dependency on non-renewable energy sources. This research underscores the potential of utilizing locally available biomass for sustainable energy solutions and offers insights into improving the efficiency of bio briquette production.

Technical Analysis Using 100 Percent Palm Kernel Shell as Fuel in Circulation Fluidized Bed Boiler Type

Energy is a basic human need that has increased in use. Given the limited energy resources, it is necessary to manage energy appropriately and efficiently. Energy efficiency not only has an impact on reducing production costs, but also on reducing emissions. As a concrete step to support the government's net zero emission program by 2060, the company is trying to use alternative biomass fuels, namely: palm kernel shell. The purpose of this study is to conduct a technical and economic analysis of the use of 100 percent palm kernel shells as fuel in a circulation fluidized bed boiler type power plant. This research was conducted at power plant unit 2 of PT XYZ, located in Cilegon, Banten Province. The parameters measured are limited to boiler efficiency, thermal efficiency, and heat rate. The results showed that when using palm kernel shells, boiler efficiency decreased 0.47 percent, thermal efficiency decreased 0.24 percent, and heat rate increased 22 kcal/kWh or 0.76 percent. By considering of three operational parameters (boiler efficiency, thermal efficiency, and heat rate) it can be concluded that technically the use of 100 percent palm kernel shells as fuel in the plant is feasible. There is no major impact on boiler performance regarding the transition of coal to palm kernel shells. The impact of long-term use of palm kernel shells on equipment is beyond the scope of this research.

Bamboo-Based Biochar: A Still Too Little-Studied Black Gold and Its Current Applications.

Biochar (BC), also referred to as "black gold", is a carbon heterogeneous material rich in aromatic systems and minerals, preparable by the thermal decomposition of vegetable and animal biomasses in controlled conditions and with clean technology. Due to its adsorption ability and presence of persistent free radicals (PFRs), BC has demonstrated, among other uses, great potential in the removal of environmental organic and inorganic xenobiotics. Bamboo is an evergreen perennial flowering plant characterized by a short five-year growth period, fast harvesting, and large production in many tropical and subtropical countries worldwide, thus representing an attractive, low-cost, eco-friendly, and renewable bioresource for producing BC. Due to their large surface area and increased porosity, the pyrolyzed derivatives of bamboo, including bamboo biochar (BBC) or activated BBC (ABBC), are considered great bio-adsorbent materials for removing heavy metals, as well as organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater and soil, thus improving plant growth and production yield. Nowadays, the increasing technological applications of BBC and ABBC also include their employment as energy sources, to catalyze chemical reactions, to develop thermoelectrical devices, as 3D solar vapor-generation devices for water desalination, and as efficient photothermal-conversion devices. Anyway, although it has great potential as an alternative biomass to wood to produce BC, thus paving the way for new bio- and circular economy solutions, the study of bamboo-derived biomasses is still in its infancy. In this context, the main scope of this review was to support an increasing production of BBC and ABBC and to stimulate further studies about their possible applications, thus enlarging the current knowledge about these materials and allowing their more rational, safer, and optimized application. To this end, after having provided background concerning BC, its production methods, and its main applications, we have reviewed and discussed the main studies on BBC and ABBC and their applications reported in recent years.

Bio-composite of chitosan and polyethylene for the biosorption of dye in wastewater

This study investigated the potential of a biocomposite adsorbent made of low-density polyethylene-chitosan nanoparticles (LDPE/CHNP) for removing Congo red and Crystal violet dyes from wastewater. Batch experiments were conducted at room temperature to study the effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, and temperature on the adsorption process. The results showed that the maximum sorption of Congo red and Crystal violet occurred at pH 8. The adsorption process was rapid in the first 30 minutes of contact, with more than 90% uptake, and equilibrium was achieved with 150 rpm agitation. The biosorption of Congo red and Crystal violet dyes was described using Langmuir, Freundlich, and isotherm models. The Langmuir model was found to fit the equilibrium data better, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and a maximal adsorption capacity of 27.1 mg/g. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the biocomposite adsorbent made of low density polyethylene-chitosan nanoparticles (LDPE/CHNP) has the potential to be an effective and abundant alternative biomass for removing these dyes from wastewater. The LDPE/CHNP biocomposite adsorbent could be applied as a remediation method for color contamination in wastewater.

Evaluation of Agricultural Waste-Based Briquettes as an Alternative Biomass Fuel for Cooking in Uganda

Wood fuel has been adopted as a feasible alternative to cooking energy sources in efforts to replace fossil fuels. However, the exorbitant use of wood fuel has raised concern as it is the major cause of forest cover loss in Uganda. Briquettes have been recommended as sources of cooking energy with potential to substitute wood fuel. Unfortunately, sawdust, a product of deforestation, is the primary material used in making briquettes in Uganda. This instead augments the problem of fuel-induced deforestation. Agricultural wastes could potentially be converted into briquetting materials for generation of cooking energy, although these are less studied in Uganda. Thus, this study established the potential of agricultural wastes as alternative briquetting materials for use in cooking. Four fuel types: charcoal from Mangifera indica, firewood of Eucalyptus grandis, carbonized and non-carbonized briquettes from agricultural wastes, all from within Mukono District were used for the study. Laboratory based experiments were used to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the fuels. Data were analysed using R software, Ver. 4.2.3. Carbonised briquettes’ mean performance measures were higher than conventional fuels (p≤0.05) and non-carbonised briquettes. The amount of energy required to attain experimental boiling point of water was higher (p≤0.05) in conventional fuels and non-carbonised briquettes than in carbonised briquettes. Duration to boil 5 litres of water was least with the conventional fuel sources. All the fuel sources’ emissions exceeded the maximum range recommended for indoor carbon monoxide levels. However, the particulate matter emission was lower in carbonised briquettes and charcoal than the other fuel sources. Agricultural waste-based carbonised briquettes could effectively be used as an alternative cooking energy source in Uganda. The study recommends conducting cost-benefit analyses on the use of agricultural waste-based briquettes as cooking energy sources

Energy and exergy diagnostics of an industrial annular shaft limekiln working with producer gas as renewable biofuel

Quicklime, a globally significant commodity used in various industrial applications, is produced in limekilns requiring substantial energy, traditionally, from fossil fuels. However, due to escalating emission constraints and depletion of fossil fuel deposits, the quicklime industry explores alternative fuels, like biomass. The literature lacks feasibility diagnostic studies on limekilns using alternative biomass fuels. Thus, this article aims to conduct energy and exergy diagnostics on an industrial limekiln using producer gas derived from eucalyptus wood as renewable biofuel. Employing industrial data and thermodynamics principles, the equipment was characterized, and results were compared with literature findings for similar limekilns using fossil fuels. The Specific Energy Consumption (??????) for the producer gas-operated limekiln was 4.8 GJ/tquicklime, with energy (??????) and exergy (??????) efficiencies of 54.6% and 42.2%. Overall energy (?????????????????????) and exergy (?????????????????????) efficiencies were 42.0% and 23.6%, respectively, lower than literature values. ???????????????????? was 7.6 GJ/tquicklime, higher than literature results. Identified enhancements for both renewable and fossil fuel-powered limekilns involve recovering energy and exergy, including heat recovery from exhaust gases, minimizing thermal losses, and optimizing operational variables. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers exploring renewable biofuel adoption, like producer gas derived from eucalyptus wood, as alternatives to conventional fossil fuels in limekilns.

Process Design of Multifeed and Multiproduct Sugar Factories

Indonesia’s journey toward food self-sufficiency faces challenges with declining sugar production from seasonal sugarcane harvesting. To overcome this, alternative year-round and abundant sources like coconut sap and sorghum offer potential solutions. This study tackles the decreasing trend in sugar production through the optimization of a miniplant utilizing multifeed sources sugarcane, coconut sap, and sorghum to produce white crystal, brown sugar, and syrup. The objective is to ensure yearround plant operation. The process design focuses on maximizing profits, considering total sales and operational costs related to raw materials, water, and steam. Constraints are implemented to production capacities for sugarcane (15,000 kg/day), coconut sap (6,000 kg/day), and sorghum (9,000 kg/day). Maximizing the potential of alternative biomass materials involves a combined feed of coconut sap and sorghum raw material. The design process flow involves sugar production using only sugarcane feed for the first 4 months and, for the subsequent 8 months, transitioning to a combined feed of coconut sap and sorghum to create multiproduct sugar. From the design process achieved maximum profit of Rp7,096,618,000.00. This research provides valuable insights into diversifying sugar production, promoting sustainability and economic viability in Indonesian sugar industry.

Valorization of pure poultry manure for biomass applications: Drying and energy potential characteristics

Poultry manure has gained attention as an alternative biomass. This study evaluated pure poultry manure (without adsorbent materials) by immediate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal degradation (TG), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The drying characteristics were analyzed by operating conditions effects, and energy quality by measuring calorific value. In nature pure poultry manure has a pasty aspect and high humidity (>75 % w w−1) and dry manure, interesting energetic physicochemical characteristics, such as 65 % w w−1 volatile matter, 5 % w w−1 fixed carbon content, and a 11 MJ kg−1 calorific value. Furthermore, pure poultry manure showed characteristics also resemble those of lignocellulosic biomass materials. Samples were dried in a convective dryer with varying temperatures (60, 70, and 80 °C) and air velocity values (1.0, 1.2, and 1.8 m s−1). The drying experimental data by a convection–diffusion model to obtain the effective diffusivity and activation energy of the manure. Greater temperatures reduced resistance to moisture diffusion and influence of drying air velocity was observed from model data. Dry poultry manure enables easy transportation and shows adequate energy characteristics for use as a thermal energy source to heat poultry farms and supply some of producers’ electrical consumption.

Can switches in disturbance type improve habitat for grassland birds in semi‐arid grasslands of South‐Eastern Australia?

AbstractGrasslands are one of the most endangered and degraded ecosystems globally. Switches in disturbance type can restore grassland function and improve conservation outcomes for fauna, but land‐use legacies can limit the capacity of biota to respond positively to shifts in disturbance type, making it difficult to predict ecological outcomes. In semi‐arid grasslands of South‐Eastern Australia, habitat for grassland birds is managed using livestock grazing, a practice that has continued for >150 years. It is unknown if outcomes for birds can be improved by a switch in disturbance type as alternatives to livestock grazing have not been explored. We compare the effects of status‐quo livestock grazing with alternative biomass management tools (no management, ‘crash’ grazing, planned fire) on birds, vegetation structure, and food resources using a BACI design across 3 years (2017–2019). We found crash grazing and fire produced more open, shorter grassy swards, with less exotic grass cover, compared to status‐quo grazing or disturbance exclusion. Preferred habitat structure for the critically endangered plains‐wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) was maximized by status‐quo grazing. Grassland birds responded in opposing ways to a disturbance switch. Brown songlarks (Megalurus cruralis) and Horsfield's bushlarks (Mirafra javanica) responded positively to disturbance exclusion, while stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) responded negatively to crash grazing. Australasian pipits (Anthus novaeseelandiae) were more frequent in response to status‐quo grazing. Our findings suggest that multiple disturbance types should be used if the aim is to promote the spectrum of vegetation structures and food sources required to support a diverse grassland bird community in semi‐arid grasslands of Australia.

The Effect of Dual Fuel Producer Gases with Y-Shaped Mixing Chamber on Single Cylinder Spark Ignition Engine Operation

In the operation of SI engines, alternative biomass fuels such as rice husk can be utilized. This will contribute limit the consumption of fossil fuels. The dual-fuel approach can also be employed on SI engines. One of the solutions that can be employed in dual-fuel SI engines with gasoline is producer gas, a flammable gas created by biomass gasification. However, the numerous methods of incorporating gases into SI engines necessitate substantial investigation. In this study, producer gas and gasoline are combined and fed into an SI engine. The dual fuel is used to power the single-cylinder SI engine. The most optimal operation of the Y-shaped mixing chamber is investigated. Experiments were conducted to determine the optimal air-producer gas ratio values based on the SI engine's ability to operate in time at idle. Two variables were chosen as inputs: air producer gas ratio and fuel mixture percentage. According to the study's findings, an air-producer-gas ratio of 1.5:1 with 50% gasoline results in better mixing. The single-cylinder SI engine has been running smoothly and longer than other parameters without knocking.

Application of brewers’ spent grains as an alternative biomass for renewable energy generation in a boiler combustion process

In most industries that generate consumer products the main source of electrical energy comes from burning wood or fossil fuels in boilers. However, the use of these non-renewable fuels poses a huge problem for the current energy matrix and for the environment, which makes new alternatives necessary for a more environmentally friendly scenario. In view of this, our study evaluated the application of brewers’ spent grains (BSG) as an alternative biomass for energy generation in an industrial cogeneration system. For this, different blends of BSG and eucalyptus wood chips were used for steam generation. In addition, the effect of two different dehydration conditions on the drying kinetics of BSG were evaluated. The BSG presented an initial moisture content of 77.68%, 0.52% ash, mean particle size of 0.28 mm, density of 113 kg m–3, and lower calorific value of 17.84 MJ kg–1, making it suitable for energy recovery in a cogeneration system. Outdoor drying under external conditions can be applied to remove the moisture content from BSG, which is a low-cost strategy for further application in the drying process. From the biomass blends, the use of 80% BSG and 20% wood chips promoted better characteristics for application as fuel in a cogeneration system. The use of BSG promoted a reduction in the use of wood chips as fuel and generated a savings of approximately 9 thousand USD annually for the simulated system (80% BSG and 20% wood chips), a reduction of 82% of the cost, when comparing with a system using only wood chips. Therefore, the biomass by-product generated from beer production can be used to produce renewable energy in a cogeneration system, replacing the use of wood chips. The waste-to-energy strategy evaluated in this study can be a promising alternative for a circular economy transition, reducing the waste generated in breweries and promoting the recovery of renewable energy that can be applied in situ, making the entire industrial system become a biorefinery, using its main waste as biofuel to generate clean energy, promoting an energy transition to an increasingly cleaner energetical matrix.

Microalgae as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production in the Philippines: A review

Organic sources of biodiesel, such as microalgae are considered nowadays as potential renewable energy resource. In contrast to higher plants, microalgae have fast growth rate, high photosynthetic efficiency, high biomass productivities, as well as high O2 production and CO2 fixation rate. These organisms can be cultivated using accelerated technologies like open pond and photobioreactors. Extraction of oil and its conversion to methyl esters is of primary importance in biofuel industry. Three well known methods of oil extraction for algal lipids are expellers/press, solvent extraction method and supercritical fluid extraction. These methods are influenced by several operational factors that may have considerable impact on the extraction rate and efficiency. In the Philippines, the current scenario for biodiesel consumption is still expected to increase in the future due to the proposed increase of biodiesel blending as mandated by the Philippine Biofuels Law. Massive research efforts were conducted in search for alternative feedstocks in the Philippines. This led to several studies using third generation feedstock (such as microalgae) for biodiesel production. Based on previous studies, microalgae can be cultivated to engineered systems and is more sustainable (as compared to plants and other microorganisms) since it occupies less land area compared to other feedstocks and it is not consumed as food. Hence, microalgae have the potential as alternative biomass feedstock for a sustainable production of biodiesel in the Philippines with superior quality fuel characteristics.

Non-Catalytic and Catalytic Conversion of Fruit Waste to Synthetic Liquid Fuel via Pyrolysis

Plum stone stands out as an alternative biomass source in terms of obtaining fuel and chemicals with or without catalysts under different conditions. Under variable heating rates (10, 50, and 100 °C min−1) and pyrolysis temperatures (400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C), plum stone was pyrolyzed at a constant rate in a constant sweep gas flow (100 cm3 min−1) in a tubular fixed-bed reactor. According to the results, an oil yield reaching a maximum of 45% was obtained at a heating rate of 100 °C min−1 and pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C in the non-catalytic procedure. The catalytic pyrolysis was carried out with two selected commercial catalysts, namely ZSM-5 and PURMOL-CTX and clinoptilolite (natural zeolite, NZ) under optimum conditions with a catalyst ratio of 10% of the raw material. With the addition of catalyst, the quantity and quality of bio-oil increased, including calorific capacity, the removal of oxygenated groups, and hydrocarbon distribution. In the presence of catalysts, an increase was observed in terms of desirable products such as phenol, alkene, and alkane, and a decrease in terms of undesirable products such as acids. Considering and evaluating all the results, the use of zeolite materials as catalysts in pyrolysis is a recommended option for obtaining enhanced chemicals and fuels.

Life Cycle Assessment of PLA Products: A Systematic Literature Review

The rising concerns about environmental harm and pollution create a setting for the search for better materials to produce more sustainable products. Plastic plays a crucial role in modern life and most of the commonly used are of fossil origin. Polylactic Acid (PLA) has been appointed as a more sustainable alternative, due to its origins in biodegradable raw materials. This paper aims to review scientific research, where Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is performed on this material, in order to further understand the environmental impacts and to assess whether it is a more viable option when compared to the most commonly used plastics. A systematic literature review of 81 LCA studies focused on the LCA of PLA products was conducted. An assessment of key aspects, including the system boundaries, raw materials origin, and quantitative analysis of five environmental impact categories was performed. In this comparative analysis, in addition to presenting the results for PLA products, they are also compared with other fossil-based plastics. This leads to the conclusion that PLA has higher environmental impacts on Marine Eutrophication, Freshwater Eutrophication, and Human Toxicity, which are mainly related to the agricultural phase of growing the raw materials for PLA production. For Climate Change, Polystyrene (PS) presents the higher Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and for the Ozone Layer Depletion category, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) presents the higher impact. PLA is a solution to replace fossil plastics. However, the use of alternative biomass sources without competition with the feed and food sector could be a key option for biobased materials production, with lower environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This will be a pathway to reduce environmental impacts in categories such as climate change, marine eutrophication, and freshwater eutrophication.

Methodology for strengthening energy resilience with SMART solution approach of rural areas: Local production of alternative biomass fuel within renewable energy community

The article presents a proposal for a comprehensive methodology for the design of the process of local production of alternative energy fuel. The goal of the methodology is to ensure a local source of renewable fuel (biomass) for the needs of covering the supply of thermal energy to citizens in rural areas. In the first part, the methodology deals with the issue of sustainable cultivation of energy crops, namely short rotation coppice and its appropriate placement on soil blocks which are threatened by erosion or degraded by intensive agriculture. Subsequently, the local energy community independently produces alternative pellet biofuel, from the initial cultivation of young woody plants to the final production of ecological wood-based fuel with a calorific value of 16 MJ/ kg. The proposed innovative method of heat production leads to environmental benefits, energy savings, reduced payments for energy supply, and overall modernization of the technologies used.

Management of invasive shrubs to mitigate wildfire through fuel pellet production in central Chile

The use of pellets as a replacement for firewood has been promoted in Chile to mitigate atmospheric pollution. However, their high demand has generated stock shortages, which has motivated the search for alternative sources of feedstock. Furthermore, invasive shrubs are a highly available biomass source for bioenergy production in central-southern Chile and may be a significant factor contributing to the spread and increasing virulence observed in wildfires across the region. This study aimed to determine the change in wildfire indicators related to the removal of invasive shrubs in selected zones in the Biobío region and to assess the physicochemical properties of the extracted biomass to develop a pellet formulation to produce a material conforming to ISO standards. The biomass management of Teline monspessulana, Ulex europaeus, and Rubus ulmifolius was evaluated using a fire simulation tool in three areas with contrasting physio-climatic conditions. Our simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of shrub management on three critical wildfire indicators. Namely, significant decreases were observed in fireline intensity (kW/m) 58–75%, flame length (m) 0–40%, and heat per unit area (kW/m2) 86%. Furthermore, a biomass quality index (BQI) was developed based on the physicochemical parameters of the three shrubs assessed. Based on this BQI, T. monspessulana was selected as the most promising shrub biomass and was consequently used in a pilot shrub-pinewood blending to produce pellets. A blending of 20:80%m/m exhibited properties close to the ISO standard. Our results show that the management of invasive shrubs has the potential to minimize the virulence of wildfires, while the physicochemical characteristics and availability of one of the shrubs analyzed (T. monspessulana) make it a viable alternative biomass source for pellet production in the region.

Coordination-Promoted Bio-Catechol Electro-Reforming toward Sustainable Polymer Production.

Sustainable polymer production is essential for a carbon-neutral society. cis,cis-Muconic acid is attracting growing interest as a biomass-derived platform molecule with direct access to adipic acid and terephthalic acid, prominent monomers of commercial polymers. Here, a sustainable route of electro-reforming biorenewable catechol to cis,cis-muconic acid with concurrent H2 production has been proposed. By using a CuO foam electrode, a high cis,cis-muconate yield of 90% and a high faradaic efficiency of 87% can be achieved under ambient conditions without external oxidant. Zn2+ coordination with the catechol is central to the yield and selectivity. In a combinatory analysis via steady-state electrochemical kinetics, in situ spectroscopy, and theoretical calculation, we revealed that the reaction ensemble of catechol electrooxidation involves three major processes of polymerization, ring cleavage, and depolymerization, in which Zn2+ coordination is highly effective in delaying polymerization and promoting ring cleavage toward cis,cis-muconate. The catecholate coordinated to the Zn2+ cations reallocated its electron density with partial structural deformation to accelerate the electron transfer and facilitate the OH- nucleophilic attack. A practical two-electrode system was eventually demonstrated to efficiently and stably electro-reform catechol into isolable cis,cis-muconic acid and hydrogen, providing solutions for polymer sustainability via utilizing alternative biomass resources and electrified processes.

Insight into the thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of Tamarindus indica shell using thermogravimetric analysis

ABSTRACT The shells of Tamarindus indica could serve as a primary source of energy generation from biomass. This paper deals with non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments conducted at heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20°C/min with temperatures ranging between 25°C and 700°C to evaluate the kinetic behavior and the thermodynamic properties of Tamarindus indica shell pyrolysis. Three iso-conversational models, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Starink, and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), were used to identify the activation energy (Ea), Enthalpy (ΔH), Entropy (ΔS), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of the Tamarindus indica shell biomass. The average activation energy when estimated using KAS, Starink, and FWO models was found to be 209.1, 209.3, and 207.5 kJ/mol with R2 values of 0.91, 0.91, and 0.92, respectively. The average ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG values using the KAS method were found to be 204.4 kJ/mol, 82.2 J/mol K, and 155.2 kJ/mol, respectively. The values of kinetic and thermodynamic triplets indicate that the reaction is non-spontaneous. The findings of this present study reveal that there is an opportunity for Tamarindus indica shells to be used as an alternative biomass fuel due to their eco-friendly nature and ideal properties.

More Trees and More Biomass Energy Options for Increased Energy Security within Households in Navakholo Sub-County, Kenya

To date, most rural households in the Navakholo constituency rely on wood fuel for domestic energy requirements, especially cooking. The increasing population is putting a lot of pressure on tree cover, its role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation notwithstanding. Switching to energy alternatives within the biomass domain presents a policy option to increase access to household energy. This paper reports on the emerging trends in this regard. Spatial survey was used to track land use and tree cover changes from 1990-2022. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from a sample size of 395 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A majority (78.9%) of the respondents indicated having adequate (covering over 10% of the land) tree cover, with woodlots accounting for 39.8% and trees planted along fences at 37.3%. Nevertheless, 43.4% of the households indicated that the fuelwood supply was not able to meet household energy demand. Chi-square analysis indicated that there was a significant relationship between household biomass usage, tree density and adequacy of fuel wood in the area (p = .004 and p = .004), indicating that firewood remains the choice energy source despite the apparent diminishing tree cover. This paper calls for the need to increase tree cover and access to alternative biomass options.