Conversion Of Waste Biomass Research Articles

Value-added hydrodeoxygenation conversion of biomass

Biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion is an important technology for converting biomass waste into high-value-added chemicals and fuels. In this paper, the research progress of biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion is reviewed, and the related catalysts and reactions are discussed. First, the background and significance of biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion are introduced. Subsequently, the application of different catalysts in biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion was discussed for different biomass feedstocks, such as phenols, ethers, acids, and furans. Finally, the challenges and future development directions of biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion are proposed, such as improving the stability and selectivity of catalysts, optimizing reaction conditions and improving conversion efficiency, etc. This article aims to provide reference and guidance for further research on biomass hydrodeoxygenation conversion.

Carbon-neutral synfuel production via continuous solar H2O and CO2 gasification of oil palm empty fruit bunch

Solar gasification offers a promising carbon-neutral pathway to thermochemically convert waste biomass and solar energy into synfuel. In this study, a thermodynamic analysis of solar gasification of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) with H2O and CO2 gasifying agents was first performed to predict equilibrium product distribution. Subsequently, on-sun continuous solar gasification of EFB was experimentally carried out in a solar particle-fed gasifier to evaluate the influence of gasifying agent types (H2O and CO2), gasifying agent/EFB molar ratios (1.8–3.4), temperatures (1050–1350 °C), and to assess overall process feasibility and reliability. As a result, solar EFB gasification performed efficiently with both H2O and CO2 gasifying agents under continuous on-sun operation. Syngas product composition and gasification reaction rate strongly depended on gasifying agent type. Increasing temperature enhanced syngas yield and quality, and changed the CO/H2 mole ratio, especially in EFB + CO2 gasification. A gasifying agent/EFB molar ratio of 2.6 (slight excess of gasifying agents) and a temperature of 1300 °C were shown to be optimal for continuous solar EFB gasification. The maximum total syngas yield above 76 mmol/gdry_EFB, syngas lower heating value above 22 kJ/gdry_EFB, and energy upgrade factor above 1.37 were achieved from both EFB + H2O and EFB + CO2 gasification, which closely approached their theoretical equilibrium values. The maximum carbon conversion exceeding 93% and solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency up to 19.3% were achieved, demonstrating efficient EFB-to-synfuel conversion performance. Continuous solar EFB gasification with both H2O and CO2 was thus established to be a reliable process for EFB waste biomass valorization into high-quality and carbon-neutral synfuel.

Assessment of Bioenergy Potential of Waste Biomass Through Stoichiometry Analysis in Pakistan

Pakistan is an emerging country facing energy crises due to its swiftly growing population. The energy sector is dominated by costly fossil fuels, which are quickly depleting, and threatening the environment. This study accentuates Pakistan’s current energy situation and future assessment of bioenergy potential through a comprehensive stoichiometry analysis. The paper access the tremendous potential to efficiently convert waste biomass into bioenergy as the most sustainable alternative to meet its energy demand. The results reveal that the total bioenergy potential of waste biomass has been determined as 44, 530 megawatt/1000 tonnes yearly contributed by municipal solid waste (17.21%), tree waste (22.95%), agriculture residues (18.85%), animal manure (19.67%) and other biomasses (21.32%). The conclusion shows bioenergy by 2030 prospects of 1.1–9% every year in the energy mix of Pakistan. Waste biomass will replace imported energy by reducing the burden in the range of 12–19%, 19–31%, 10–17%, and 1–2% on coal, oil, natural gas, electricity, and low-pressure gas (L.P.G.) in future by drafting the bioenergy policy framework for effective employment of renewable energy (biomass-based) production in Pakistan.

Recent Advances in Synthesis of Graphite from Agricultural Bio-Waste Material: A Review.

Graphitic carbon is a valuable material that can be utilized in many fields, such as electronics, energy storage and wastewater filtration. Due to the high demand for commercial graphite, an alternative raw material with lower costs that is environmentally friendly has been explored. Amongst these, an agricultural bio-waste material has become an option due to its highly bioactive properties, such as bioavailability, antioxidant, antimicrobial, in vitro and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, biomass wastes usually have high organic carbon content, which has been discovered by many researchers as an alternative carbon material to produce graphite. However, there are several challenges associated with the graphite production process from biomass waste materials, such as impurities, the processing conditions and production costs. Agricultural bio-waste materials typically contain many volatiles and impurities, which can interfere with the synthesis process and reduce the quality of the graphitic carbon produced. Moreover, the processing conditions required for the synthesis of graphitic carbon from agricultural biomass waste materials are quite challenging to optimize. The temperature, pressure, catalyst used and other parameters must be carefully controlled to ensure that the desired product is obtained. Nevertheless, the use of agricultural biomass waste materials as a raw material for graphitic carbon synthesis can reduce the production costs. Improving the overall cost-effectiveness of this approach depends on many factors, including the availability and cost of the feedstock, the processing costs and the market demand for the final product. Therefore, in this review, the importance of biomass waste utilization is discussed. Various methods of synthesizing graphitic carbon are also reviewed. The discussion ranges from the conversion of biomass waste into carbon-rich feedstocks with different recent advances to the method of synthesis of graphitic carbon. The importance of utilizing agricultural biomass waste and the types of potential biomass waste carbon precursors and their pre-treatment methods are also reviewed. Finally, the gaps found in the previous research are proposed as a future research suggestion. Overall, the synthesis of graphite from agricultural bio-waste materials is a promising area of research, but more work is needed to address the challenges associated with this process and to demonstrate its viability at scale.

Acid assisted-hydrothermal carbonization of solid waste from essential oils industry: Optimization using I-optimal experimental design and removal dye application

Solid waste (SW) generated from extracting of essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is an abundant and renewable resource, but proper recycling is necessary to prevent negative environmental impacts from improper disposal. This study focused on converting SW from essential oil (EO) extraction industry by citric acid-catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization (c-HTC) coupled with chemical activation into a carbonaceous material to remove organic pollutants. For this purpose, an I-optimal design coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to investigate the relationship between the severity factor (SF) of the c-HTC process and citric acid dose (HTCcat) on carbon retention rate (CRR) and hydrochar mass yield (MY). Under optimal conditions (5.32 and 2 g for SF and HTCcat, respectively), an optimized hydrochar (HCop) was characterized by a CRR and MY of 71.02% and 56.14%, respectively. HCop was chemically activated by KOH solution (AHCop) and characterized by a specific surface area of 989.81 m2.g−1, a pore volume of 0.583 cm3.g−1, a higher heating value (HHV) of 37.3 MJ/Kg, oxygenated surface functions such as –OH, –COOH, C-O and a methylene blue (MB) removal rate of 90.71%. In addition, modelling of the adsorption isotherms found that the Freundlich isotherm better describes the experimental data, and the second-order model regulates the adsorption kinetics well. Furthermore, The maximum adsorption capacity of AHCop was 588.24 mg.g−1, with a separation factor of 0.625 under the operating conditions (t = 6 h, T = 25 °C, m(AHCop) = 0.2 g, [MB]0 = 300 mg.L-1, and pH = 7), indicating its potential for effectively removing organic pollutants. Together, these results provide crucial information on using c-HTC to convert waste biomass into functional carbon materials to remove organic pollutants efficiently. Therefore, several studies must be conducted out to discover other application fields of this material.

Multiple Biogenic Waste Valorization via Pyrolysis Technologies in Palm Oil Industry: Economic and Environmental Multi-objective Optimization for Sustainable Energy System

Agricultural biomass is one of the major wastes in the world. Most of these wastes end up in landfills and incineration, causing significant environmental problems that are detrimental to human health and other species on the Earth. Thermochemical conversion can solve this issue by utilizing the energy embedded inside the biomass, mainly organic matter, into high-grade fuels and chemicals. Fast pyrolysis is one of the technologies that can convert biomass waste to a high yield of bio-oil, which can then be used as biofuels in vehicles. In this study, palm oil biomass wastes are valorized to generate bio-oil sustainably via several pyrolysis technologies such as conventional pyrolysis, microwave pyrolysis, and thermo-catalytic pyrolysis in a multi-objective optimization framework. The formulated multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming problems are solved using the ɛ-constraint method. The Pareto-optimal solutions have illustrated a clear trade-off between two conflicting objectives: total annualized profit and the global warming potential. The most profitable solution economically has an annualized profit of $237 per ton of biomass with an emission of 628 kg CO2 equivalent per ton of biomass. On the other hand, the most environmentally sustainable solution, while still generating positive income, has an annualized profit of $122 per ton of biomass with an emission of 132 kg CO2 equivalent per ton of biomass. A second scenario with a case study presented on the palm oil industry in Malaysia has also demonstrated the selection of biomass during feedstock blending when a constraint on biomass feedstock availability is pre-defined. The proposed model is robust for planning bioenergy complex, especially those involving multiple biomass feedstocks. In fact, this study has addressed the research gap in comparison of multiple distinctive pyrolysis processes with respect to multiple palm biomass feedstocks.

Removal of Dye from Aqueous Solution Using Ectodermis of Prickly Pear Fruits-Based Bioadsorbent

Billions of grams of ectodermic fruits, such as prickly pear fruits, are removed and thrown as waste worldwide. In this study, an inexpensive approach was used to successfully transform the agricultural waste prickly pear fruit peels (PPFP) into a new adsorbent used to remove dye (PTZIDM). The adsorbent PPFP revealed a porous structure and a fair surface area. It was characterized and evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and surface area measurements (BET). The effectiveness of the PPFP’s adsorption was assessed in relation to pH, PPFP dose, contact time, and initial dye concentration. The kinetics and isotherm characteristics were investigated. More than 95% removal efficiency was obtained within 60 min at the adsorbent dose of 0.1 g for an initial dye concentration of 1 × 10−5 M at pH 3. The pseudo-second-order models and the Langmuir isotherm are excellent at explaining the characteristic of dye adsorption. This work offers a rapid and simple method for efficiently converting biomass waste and using it to remove pollutants.

From Waste Biomass to Hard Carbon Anodes: Predicting the Relationship between Biomass Processing Parameters and Performance of Hard Carbons in Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) serve as the most promising next-generation commercial batteries besides lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Hard carbon (HC) from renewable biomass resources is the most commonly used anode material in SIBs. In this contribution, we present a review of the latest progress in the conversion of waste biomass to HC materials, and highlight their application in SIBs. Specifically, the following topics are discussed in the review: (1) the mechanism of sodium-ion storage in HC, (2) the HC precursor’s sources, (3) the processing methods and conditions of the HCs production, (4) the impact of the biomass types and carbonization temperature on the carbon structure, and (5) the effect of various carbon structures on electrochemical performance. Data from various publications have been analyzed to uncover the relationship between the processing conditions of biomass and the resulting structure of the final HC product, as well as its electrochemical performance. Our results indicate the existence of an ideal temperature range (around 1200 to 1400 °C) that enhances the formation of graphitic domains in the final HC anode and reduces the formation of open pores from the biomass precursor. This results in HC anodes with high storage capacity (>300 mAh/g) and high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) (>80%).

Socialization and training on production of bio-charcoal made from biomass waste using a double-tube reactor

Proper handling of biomass waste can turn waste into something beneficial for society. One way that can be done is to convert biomass waste into quality biochar for energy needs and agriculture as a planting medium. This partnership program is intended to provide education and practical knowledge to the community regarding utilizing biomass waste for biochar production using a double tube reactor. The activities consisted of socialization of the impact of the abandonment of biomass and the benefits of biomass for household energy needs, as well as practical experience of carbonizing biomass by directly involving partner communities. This activity was carried out at Pambulaan Jaya Village Hall attended by 32 community partners and 9 teams from Halu Oleo University. This partnership activity is very relevant for people in the village where most of the population lives as rice and field farmers. The practical knowledge on carbonizing biomass waste was conducted in two days for the two types of biomasses, namely wood chips and coconut shells. The community was very enthusiastic about continuing the carbonization process after they learned about the great benefits of this biochar product for household energy needs, growing media for plantations, and increasing their income.

One-pot aqueous-phase conversion of biomass into furfural catalyzed by supported heteropolyacids with the addition of LiBr

Catalytic conversion of waste biomass to furfural (FF) is an important valorization of lignocellulose. Heteropolyacid catalysts were designed for efficient aqueous-phase dehydration of saccharides by supporting phosphotungstic acid (H3PW12O40, abbreviated as PW12) on H-ZSM-5 zeolite at different loadings (xPW12/ZSM-5, x = 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%). The PW12/ZSM-5 was used in the one-pot conversion of biomass (xylose, xylan, and corn stover) to FF in LiBr aqueous solution. The low PW12 loading catalyst (10%PW12/ZSM-5) could efficiently convert biomass to FF with the yields of 73.3% (xylose) and 75.1% (xylan) at moderate temperature (130 °C), respectively. The PW12 loading and acid sites distribution were crucial to the catalytic performance. Moreover, LiBr enhanced the yield of FF because of its Lewis acidity. The PW12/ZSM-5 based solid polyacid was a promising catalyst for the efficient FF production from biomass with high yield and easy separation.

Lignin-derived dual-doped carbon nanocomposites as low-cost electrocatalysts

Converting waste biomass into functional materials is promising to achieve the high-value utilization of low-cost and sustainable resources. Here we demonstrate a facile surface/interfacial approach to transforming biomass waste lignin to heteroatom-doped carbon-based catalysts for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline media. The formation of dual-heteroatom incorporated carbon nanocomposites is attributed to the strong interfacial complexation in the lignin-based precursor. Compared to commercial catalyst standards, the dual-doped carbon nanocomposites show promising catalytic activities and superior long-term durability, especially for oxygen evolution reactions. The catalytic mechanisms for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reactions are attributed to nitrogen-coordinated phosphorous and pyridinic nitrogen, respectively. The developed method is believed to facilitate the massive production of non-metal electrocatalysts from the abundant, inexpensive, and environmentally benign lignin, offering attractive renewable energy solutions.

Bioethanol Production from Waste and Nonsalable Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Fruits: Potentials and Challenges

Balancing the needs of current and future generations stimulates investment for sustainable development such as converting waste biomass into biorenewables. Sugar-based ethanol production is a well-investigated and established process, and researchers are now focusing on the transformation of cellulosic biomass to sugar and the application of non-conventional methods for ethanol production. The State of Qatar generates date palm fruit waste of approximately 4505 tons annually, excluding ornamental palms and palms outside the farms that bear nonmarketable date fruits. Date fruit molasses contains fermentable sugars, representing 75% of the total fruit mass, which can offer a good source for bioethanol production through anaerobic fermentation and distillation. On this basis, the valorization of waste date fruits can be an effective zero-waste strategy via biotransformation into bio-renewable materials, hence, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. This paper reviews the potentials and challenges for the utilization of waste date fruits as a bioethanol source and assesses the abundance of waste date fruits as raw material for the conventional bioethanol conversion process. The review also identified conventional and nonconventional processes for bioethanol production and their applicability to Qatar. Finally, this confirmed ample demand for bioethanol ranging from fuel and industrial chemicals to pharmaceutical alcohol.

Insect biorefinery: A circular economy concept for biowaste conversion to value-added products

With rapid growing world population and increasing demand for natural resources, the production of sufficient food, feed for protein and fat sources and sustainable energy presents a food insecurity challenge globally. Insect biorefinery is a concept of using insect as a tool to convert biomass waste into energy and other beneficial products with concomitant remediation of the organic components. The exploitation of insects and its bioproducts have becoming more popular in recent years. This review article presents a summary of the current trend of insect-based industry and the potential organic wastes for insect bioconversion and biorefinery. Numerous biotechnological products obtained from insect biorefinery such as biofertilizer, animal feeds, edible foods, biopolymer, bioenzymes and biodiesel are discussed in the subsequent sections. Insect biorefinery serves as a promising sustainable approach for waste management while producing valuable bioproducts feasible to achieve circular bioeconomy.

Biomass valorisation of marula nutshell waste into nitrogen-doped activated carbon for use in high performance supercapacitors

This study reports on the valorisation of marula nutshell waste into a valuable electrode material for supercapacitors. Marula nutshell waste, a brown hard residue from marula fruits was valorised into a nitrogen-doped activated carbon (N-ACs) by KOH treatment and using melamine as a nitrogen source. The microporous and mesoporous nature of N-ACs exhibited a high surface area of 1427 m² g−1 and pore volume of 0.31 cm3 g−1. Three electrode measurements were done in 6 M KOH and 2.5 M KNO3 aqueous electrolytes, to examine the materials in alkaline and neutral medium. The N-ACs exhibited a capacitance of 350 F g−1 in 6 M KOH and 248 F g−1 in 2.5 M KNO3 electrolyte. Due to low toxicity and wider operating voltage (∼1.8 V) of 2.5 KNO3, the material was further analysed in a symmetric device. The high surface area, the defects, and the high content of nitrogen (5.1%) revealed that the material produced an outstanding energy density of 17.2 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 448.7 W kg−1 in 2.5 M KNO3 electrolyte. The conversion of marula nuts waste into N-ACs thus provide a means of converting biomass waste into a useful energy storage material for supercapacitors.

Power of recycling waste cooking oil into biodiesel via green CaO-based eggshells/Ag heterogeneous nanocatalyst

The depletion of crude oil sources and a growing understanding of the adverse environmental effects of using fossil fuels promoted the development of alternative techniques to convert waste biomass into biofuels. Considering ecological safety and economic challenges, this work investigates the catalytic transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) for biodiesel production as a substitute for fossil fuels. Chicken eggshells were calcined at 900 °C to form CaO nanoparticles (NPs) and impregnated with Ag NPs solution prepared from fresh fenugreek leaf extract. Several characterization methods characterized the catalyst: FTIR, TEM, SEM, XRD, and zeta-potential/particle sizer, confirming the composite's spherical shape and mesoporous structure. The optimal transesterification conditions were achieved by performing batch reaction experiments. The biodiesel product was analyzed, and its fuel features (density and acid number, kinematic viscosity, cloud, and flash points) were determined and compared to standards. Confirmatory techniques (GC-FID, FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR) were also used to confirm the conversion of WCO into biodiesel. This study revealed the transformation of WCO into biodiesel with acceptable fuel features depending on the CaO/Ag catalyst's effectiveness as an excellent, safe commercial catalyst by its three times reusability with 90% biodiesel yield, ease of recovery, and cheap cost fabrication.

A Life Cycle Assessment of the Combined Utilization of Biomass Waste-Derived Hydrochar as a Carbon Source and Soil Remediation

The conversion of waste biomass to hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonation (HTC) treatment is a promising technology for waste management, and the thorough utilization of hydrochar can reduce the environmental load. Herein, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to evaluate hydrochar as a carbon source in wastewater plants (WWTPs) and subsequently soil remediation. The simulated combined utilization of hydrochar showed that Bacillus subtilis may utilize the dissolved organic matter (DOM) of hydrochar that contains many aliphatic organic substances, and the microbially treated hydrochar retains most of the nutrients for crop growth. LCA shows that hydrochar could avoid 28% of the environmental load of WWTPs in terms of global warming (GWP100) and 47% of the environmental load of freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity and could reduce 54% of the environmental impact of soil fertilization in terms of eutrophication and 34% of GWP100 in soil remediation. Furthermore, LCA results indicate that hydrochar derived at 160 °C has the lowest environmental load in the combined utilization. This study proposes an optimized utilization of biomass wastes and extends the life cycle of derived hydrochar by experimental determination and the LCA method.

Waste cotton fiber-based graphitized carbon/Fe7S8 composites derived from sulfurization of pyrolyzate Fe-Fe3C intermediates as anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

Converting waste biomass resources into electrochemical energy storage materials has been regarded as a valuable contribution to implementing sustainable energy. Herein, waste cotton fiber-based graphitized carbon/Fe7S8 (CFGC/Fe7S8) composites were successfully synthesized from sulfurization of Fe-Fe3C intermediates, produced by simple pyrolysis of waste cotton fabric and low-cost iron compound. The as-prepared CFGC/Fe7S8 composites were composed of partly graphitized carbon fiber embedded with well-dispersed Fe7S8 nanoparticles. This structure offers excellent performance for electrochemical sodium storage. Acting as an anode in sodium-ion battery, CFGC/Fe7S8 composites deliver a high discharge specific capacity of 661 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 and an initial Coulombic efficiency of 85.8% and achieve a discharge specific capacity of 328 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles even at a high current density of 2 A g−1. These results demonstrate that Fe-Fe3C intermediate derived-Fe7S8 nanoparticles combined with cotton fiber-based graphitic carbon plays a significant role in the electrochemical performance of sodium ion storage. These findings present a novel strategy for transferring waste textile into high-performance sodium storage materials.

Lignin-Derived Carbon Dot/Cellulose Nanofiber Films for Real-Time Food Freshness Monitoring

Herein, a facile, environmental-friendly, and sustainable strategy for efficient separation, conversion, and utilization of lignocellulose components was developed. Lignocellulose components were separated by green deep eutectic solvent (DES). The extracted lignin had potential for downstream production of aromatic chemicals and was used to synthesize lignin-doped carbon dots (CDs) in a ratiometric fluorescent probe for detecting biogenic amines (BAs) that were generated from food spoilage. The preparation of CDs provided an efficient strategy to convert biomass waste into carbon-based nanomaterials. This probe exhibited a sensitive, rapid, and linear response to BAs with a low detection limit of 0.045 μM. The retained cellulose with the crystal I structure was used to prepare cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) via oxidation and mechanical treatment. Furthermore, the CNFs were used as a matrix to fabricate CDs/CNFs films for real-time and visual food freshness monitoring. From biomass waste to rational applications, this study not only expanded the comprehensive utilization of lignocellulose in a green and environment-friendly manner but also demonstrated the prospects of CDs-based composite films in on-site monitoring of food quality and safety.

The Conversion of Waste Biomass into Carbon-Supported Iron Catalyst for Syngas to Clean Liquid Fuel Production

Syngas has been utilized in the production of chemicals and fuels, as well as in the creation of electricity. Feedstock impurities, such as nitrogen, sulfur, chlorine, and ash, in syngas have a negative impact on downstream processes. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is a process that relies heavily on temperature to increase the production of liquid fuels (FTS). In this study, waste biomass converted into activated carbon and then a carbon-supported iron-based catalyst was prepared. The catalyst at 200 °C and 350 °C was used to investigate the influence of temperature on the subsequent application of syngas to liquid fuels. Potassium (K) was used as a structural promoter in the Fe-C catalyst to boost catalyst activity and structural stability (Fe-C-K). Low temperatures (200 °C) cause 60% and 80% of diesel generation, respectively, without and with potassium promoter. At high temperatures (350 °C), the amount of gasoline produced is 36% without potassium promoter, and 72% with promoter. Iron carbon-supported catalysts with potassium promoter increase gasoline conversion from 36.4% (Fe-C) to 72.5% (Fe-C-K), and diesel conversion from 60.8% (Fe-C) to 80.0% (Fe-C-K). As seen by SEM pictures, iron particles with potassium promoter were found to be equally distributed on the surface of activated carbon.

Organic Acid Pretreatments and Optimization Techniques for Mixed Vegetable Waste Biomass Conversion into Biofuel Production

Organic Acid Pretreatments and Optimization Techniques for Mixed Vegetable Waste Biomass Conversion into Biofuel Production