Forest Waste Research Articles

Long-term application of animal and forest waste on a vineyard and its effect on yield and soil health

Long-term application of animal and forest waste on a vineyard and its effect on yield and soil health

Multi-Objective Optimization and Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Coir Fiber from Coconut Forest Waste

As a type of natural fiber with excellent elongation, coir fiber has been applied in a wide range of fields. To ensure superb performance, coir fiber is usually treated with alkali before being applied. Previous studies paid little attention to the multiple alkali treatment of coir fiber; however, this study focuses on its influence on the mechanical properties of coir fiber and conducts multi-objective optimization and analysis of the tensile strength, elastic modulus and elongation of coir fiber. Our objective is the comprehensive enhancement of the mechanical properties of coir fiber. In this study, the experimental design is based on the Box-Behnken design method, and three treatment parameters were selected for the study, namely NaOH concentration, treatment time and treatment temperature. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to analyze the experimental data, and response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate how the treatment factors interact with each other and affect the responses values. To improve the tensile strength, elastic modulus and elongation of coir fiber simultaneously, the experimental parameters were optimized. The results showed that the optimal values of NaOH concentration, treatment time and treatment temperature were 4.12%, 15.08 h and 34.21 °C, respectively. Under these conditions, the tensile strength of coir fiber was 97.14 MPa, the elastic modulus was 2.98 GPa and the elongation was 29.35%, which were 38.28%, 39.91% and 25.59% higher than that of untreated coir fiber, respectively. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTG), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the changes in surface, weight loss, composition and crystallinity of coir fiber treated with alkali under optimum conditions compared with untreated coir fiber to obtain a deeper insight into the influential mechanisms of alkali treatment.

Interaction investigation of three forest waste biochars and CaO in the process of Ca-L/CARBONOx

Ca-L/CARBONOx technology has realized the simultaneous removal of CO2 and NO in the flue gas from coal-fired power plants. Forest wastes are characterized by wide sources, low cost, high lignin content, and high chemical activity. In this study, three forest waste biochars including elm biochar (YB), fir biochar (SB) and bamboo biochar (ZB) were blended with CaO, and their simultaneous CO2/NO removal characteristics were compared. The interaction mechanism between CaO and biochar (BC) in the Ca-L/CARBONOx process was also discussed. Results show that the addition of biochar inhibits the pore structure collapse of CaO at higher cyclic numbers. CaO can also improves the NO removal efficiency for three biochars by catalyzing and providing active adsorption sites. The removal efficiency of NO by three biochars added with CaO are greater than 97% at 650 ℃ in the chemical control stage of CO2 adsorption. SB showed the best NO removal performance and reaction selectivity among the three biochars. Under the presence of CaO, CaO/YB and CaO/ZB have similar CO2 capture performance, while CaO/SB and CaO/ZB have the highest NO removal performance and the best NO reaction selectivity, respectively.

Quercus robur Older Bark—A Source of Polyphenolic Extracts with Biological Activities

Processing wood leads to the accumulation of considerable amounts of forest waste, such as branches, leaves and especially bark. These byproducts can be exploited for their high content of biomolecules. Our aim was to histo-anatomically and phytochemically characterize the older oak bark and evaluate the potential biological activities. After the histo-anatomical characterization and processing the plant material, the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts were obtained using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). After the quantification of the total polyphenol content (TPC) and the total tannins content (TTC), the bark extracts were evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activity. In the transverse section, the rhytidome (the succession of periderms) and the dead secondary phloem can be observed. The results of the polyphenol content of the oak bark extracts show that the hydroethanolic oak bark obtained using MAE has the highest absolute value of the TPC (347.74 mg/g). In comparison with the extracts obtained using UAE, the bark extracts obtained using MAE showed a significantly higher TPC. The greatest antioxidant and antibacterial activity were also recorded for the tested extracts. For gram-positive bacteria, the MBC values ranged from 0.3 (S. aureus) to 5 mg/mL and the oak bark extract obtained using MAE showed good activity against C. krusei (MIC—2.5 mg/mL). Among the assayed enzyme inhibitory activities, the extracts showed a significant antidiabetic effect in vitro with the highest activity corresponding to an IC50 of 3.88 µg/mL. The older oak bark represents a potential source of compounds with antibacterial, antioxidant or antidiabetic activity, which can be exploited through the biorefining processes.

Integration of biocoal in distributed energy systems: A potential case study in the Spanish coal-mining regions

Energy has an essential role in socio-economic development, particularly in European coal-mining regions undergoing a transition process which implies searching for alternative fuels to coal. Forestry wastes provide a large amount of biomass that has the potential to be transformed into biocoal to produce solid biofuels. The present work aims to analyse the feasibility of integrating biocoals as a renewable solid fuel, produced by torrefaction and further mechanical densification, in the currently existing coal-consuming facilities. The methodology proposed evaluates existing forest waste resources and their potential conversion into biocoal pellets for use in thermal and electrical energy production. An analysis of the results indicates a potential overall production of 280 kt/year of torrefied pellets in the seven coal-mining regions in Spain evaluated in the study, with the potential to produce 78 MWe or 470 MWth, respectively, and avoid 582 kt/year of CO2 emissions. The average cost for torrefied pellets production would be 148 €/t and require an emission cost of approximately above 45 €/tCO2 to be cost-competitive with coal for direct use in currently existing energy systems. The use of biocoal is shown from resource to energy management for energy conversion systems in the pathway of the energy transition.

Experimental Investigation of Biomass Briquettes from Agri waste and Forest Waste

Experimental Investigation of Biomass Briquettes from Agri waste and Forest Waste

Adsorption property and mechanism of forest wastes based naturel adsorbent for removal of dye from aqueous media

Adsorption property and mechanism of forest wastes based naturel adsorbent for removal of dye from aqueous media

The possibility of aquatic weeds serving as a source of feedstock for bioethanol production: a review

Anaerobic digestion is recognized as an attractive option for the effective management and treatment of lignocellulosic biomass as well as waste recovery of resources for bioethanol production. Long enough testing has been done on bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass. This helps to reduce stress and global energy problems. Global wide has a variety of environmental impacts due to its use of fossil fuels. Bioethanol might be produced in Asian locations from many types of biomasses, including agricultural waste, forest waste, and wood biomass. This would be an environmentally friendly process. Unfortunately, there is very little research into the production of ethanol from rice field weeds. This makes it difficult to develop bioethanol production. This review is aimed at developing bioethanol production and the trend towards organic products that began nowadays. Unwanted weed growth is a major problem in rice cultivation. This review demonstrated the waste-to-energy aspect of the bioethanol production process using two weeds, gooseweed (Sphenoclea Zeylanica), and small-flowered nutsedge (Cyperus difformis). 

Co-fermentation of forest pine needle waste biomass hydrolysate into bioethanol

Co-fermentation of forest pine needle waste biomass hydrolysate into bioethanol

Prospecting Pine Needles to Develop Smart Materials for Specialty Applications

The use of the modified lignocellulosic materials in frontline technologies is an area of current and future interest. It is both a challenge and opportunity for researchers and technologists to transform the huge renewable green wealth into alternate materials through value addition. The present paper reports synthesis of new whole biomass-based hydrogels derived from a huge renewable forest waste - fallen and dry pine needles of the Himalayas. The synthesized materials have been evaluated as soil binders. This is the first-ever such report in the literature

Copaiba oil and vegetal tannin as functionalizing agents for açai nanofibril films: valorization of forest wastes from Amazonia.

The applicability of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) has received attention due to their attractive properties. This study proposes the functionalization of açai CNFs with copaiba oil and vegetal tannins to produce films with potential for packaging. Bio-based films were evaluated by vapor permeability, colorimetry, and mechanical strength. CNFs were produced by mechanical fibrillation, from suspensions of bleached açai fibers and commercial eucalipytus pulp. Moreover, copaiba oil and vegetal tannin were added to the CNFs to produce films/nanopapers by casting from both suspensions with concentrations of 1% (based on CNF dry mass). The bulk densities of the eucalyptus CNF films were higher (1.126-1.171 g cm-3) compared to the açai CNF ones. Films from eucalyptus and açai pulps containing copaiba oil and tannins presented higher Tonset and Tmax, respectively (312 and 370 °C). Films with açaí CNFs functionalized with copaiba oil and tannin showed the lowest permeability value (370 g day-1 m-2). Films produced with eucalyptus pulp, and eucalyptus pulp functionalized with copaiba oil highlighted by superior mechanical strength, achieving 133.8 and 121.4 MPa, respectively. The evaluation of colorimetry showed a greater tendency to yellowing for açai films, especially those functionalized with vegetal tannins. Besides the low cost, functionalized vegetal-based nanomaterials could have attractive properties, with potential for application as some kind of packaging, for transporting basic products, such as breads, flours, or products with low moisture content, enabling efficient utilization of forest wastes.

Application of pine nut needles and shells in the feeding of farm animals and poultry (review)

Forests cover one-third of the planet’s land surface. Forests are essential for maintaining a clean environment, food security and biodiversity. Forests are also a source of food for animals. In the processing of forest resources, the forest industry accumulates various forest biomass wastes containing valuable and nutritious biologically active substances. The article provides an overview of the current state of the art in applying forest industry waste to feed farm animals and poultry. The authors presented the characteristics of biological properties of plant forestry raw materials and described the mechanism of their action on the animal organism. The authors analysed the results of studies of domestic and foreign scientists on feeding animals and poultry with feed additives containing pine needles and pine nutshells. The authors also characterised the possible advantages and disadvantages of using feed additives. The analysis of Russian and foreign scientific literature in the area under study has shown that forest industry waste in feed production and animal feeding is relevant as the available fodder base does not always allow to satisfy the need of animals for nutrients and biologically active substances. It has been noted that pine needles are used worldwide as a feed additive, but in the countries with the most significant areas of forests and developed forest industry, their use is the most common and effective. The use of cedar nut shells in the feeding of farm animals and poultry is most produced in Russia, while this area is underdeveloped in the world. The literature review has confirmed that using forest industry wastes such as pine nut needles and shells in animal feed production is promising livestock production.

Hydrothermal carbonization of forest waste into solid fuel: Mechanism and combustion behavior

The structural characteristics and fuel performance of hydrochars prepared by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of forestry waste (FW) were studied. Proximate analysis and ultimate analysis were used to characterize the chemical composition of the samples, scanning electron microscopy and specific surface area analysis were used to characterize the microscopic results of the samples, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the microcrystalline structure, and non-isothermal thermogravimetry was used to characterize the combustion properties of the HTC products. The results show that with the increase of the HTC temperature, the mass yield of hydrochar decreases, and the content of gas products and liquid products increases. With the increase of HTC temperature, the volatile content of hydrochar gradually decreases, and the fixed carbon content gradually increases. The high heating value (HHV) of FW-280 sample is 1.46 times that of the FW. The porosity and specific surface area increase first and then decrease with the increase of the HTC temperature, and reach the maximum value at 240 °C. With the increase of HTC temperature, the IG/IAll value of the sample increased from 0.282 to 0.346, and the order degree of the carbonaceous structure gradually increased. The combustion process of hydrochars can be divided into two stages: volatile matter removal and carbon combustion. FW-280 has better combustion performance due to its higher carbon content and Rmax2 value of 0.002616. Therefore, the comprehensive research on the physicochemical properties and combustion performance of FW hydrochar will facilitate the expansion of the application of FW resources.

The Social Construction of Pine Forest Wastes in Southwestern France During the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Abstract Forest wastes trace a frontier between what remains a passive part of landscape and a potentially useful resource. As a consequence, the history of forest waste gives us numerous insights into the evolution of the perception of a forest as an economic unit. Pine forests and their products are particularly telling in this regard. Rosin, pine stumps, undergrowth, sawdust, cones, needles and tall-oil are some of the pine forest products that were considered wastes at some point in history, but the perception of which shifted following the development of socio-economic context, forest industry policies or scientific knowledge. In spite of their diversity, there are recurring patterns in the way these various forest wastes became objects of interest to the industry. The identification of these patterns allows us to tell in a more accurate way the complex story of the relationship between the wood industry and the natural environment.

Experimental studies of a granulator with a cooling system using a standard matrix for the development of waste-free industries

The use of renewable resources and the development of waste-free industries are becoming more and more urgent as the environmental crisis is growing and energy resources are decreasing. Wood processing is one of these areas. Dumps of forest waste can cause fires. The use of wood processing waste as a fuel is impractical due to their low calorific heat value. Therefore, such waste is first subjected to special treatment to obtain fuel briquettes or pellets using special lines, the basis of which is a granulator. However, the granulation process takes place within a strictly defined temperature range. Therefore, one of the main problems to be solved is the stabilization of the heating of the granulator matrix. To solve this problem, we have developed a scheme of a cooled matrix granulator. We carried out a series of experiments in order to determine the efficiency of the proposed granulator. The aim of the first stage of our research was to study the working process of a granulator with a cooling system using a standard matrix. We have come to the conclusion that granules of the required quality in a granulator with a standard matrix are not obtained in all operating modes.

Bioenergy potential analysis of Brazil nut biomass residues through pyrolysis: Gas emission, kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters

The kinetics of the pyrolysis of Brazil nut residues (Bertholletia excelsa), in this case, shells (BNS) and husks (BNH), were investigated via a thermogravimetric analysis in an inert atmosphere. The Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Starink and Vyazovkin isoconversional models were used to estimate kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. The mean activation energy values ranged from 135.59 to 138.51 kJ/mol for the shells and from 151.94 to 153.92 kJ/mol for the husks in the active pyrolysis region. High values of the pre-exponential factor (>108 s−1) indicated the presence of complex reactions for both samples, which was confirmed in the analysis of the reaction mechanism using the master-plot method, through the multiple types of behavior during the variation of the conversion levels. Thermodynamic parameters, such as the enthalpy change, Gibbs free energy change and entropy change, characterized a nonspontaneous endothermic process, with little energy required. TG-MS analyses revealed less harmful gas emission behavior for the environment compared to fossil fuels. The results of the study, with an emphasis on its satisfactory higher heating value (13.8 and 14.6 MJ/kg), showed that Brazil nut residues, an Amazon Forest waste, have great potential in pyrolysis applications for the generation of renewable energy, which can contribute to forest preservation through the development of the circular bioeconomy.

Adsorption of a Cationic Dye Crystal Violet onto a Binary Mixture of Forest Waste Biopolymer: Advanced Statistical Physics Studies

An eco-friendly and low cost modified mixture of both Wild Carob and Cupressus sempervirens with H3PO4 (Cupcar-H3PO4) was prepared to extract a cationic dye (Crystal Violet) from an aqueous solution in a batch reactor at the laboratory of chemical engineering, Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Farhat Abbas Setif University-1. The pH effect, contact time, initial concentration of dye, ionic strength and temperature were investigated in this study. The Maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 117.26 mg/g at 25°C for a natural pH (ph =6.22). The active functional groups of Cupcar-H3PO4. These peak shifts indicated that especially the bonded –OH groups, C–O stretching of ether groups, and C=C group played a major role in CV adsorption onto Cupcar-H3PO4. The new bands of low intensity which appeared at 890 cm−1 and 813 cm-1 after CV adsorption and which could be attributed to a υ (CV-biosorbent) constituted the most striking result. Kinetics of biosorption of crystal violet (CV) was analyzed and the results showed that both pseudo order (PSO) and the pseud nth-order model (PNO) models gave most accurate fit than the pseudo-first-order model (PFO). Isotherm data were analyzed by four classical models, Langmuir and Freundlich with two parameters, Sips and Redlich-Peterson with three parameters. And for more information on the mechanism of CV uptake on the Cupcar-H3PO4 material, three advanced models are applied to isothermal data, Monolayer with one energy (M1), Monolayer with two energies (M2), and Double layer with one energy (M3). For the classical models and in the case of the two parameters models the Langmuir one gives a better fit for the data isotherm according to the R2. In the case of three parameters models, both Sips and Redlich-Peterson accurately described experimental data. Monolayer with two energy sites model (M2) was shown to be the most appropriate advanced statistical physics model for fitting CV biosorption onto the Cupcar-H3PO4 biosorbent, this model suggested that the CV pollutant was adsorbed at two different Cupcar-H3PO4 biosorbent sites, and that a variable number of CV molecules could be adsorbed at each site; from this, the CV dye was adsorbed with 2 different adsorption energies. The changes in the enthalpy, the standard free energy and the entropy were also evaluated and the reaction was found to be spontaneous, endothermic and physical in nature.

Pyrolysis reaction mechanism of typical Chinese agriculture and forest waste pellets at high heating rates based on the photo-thermal TGA

To investigate gas generation characteristics and the kinetics mechanism of biomass pyrolysis process at fast heating rates, a concentrated Photo-thermal TGA reactor (Pt-TGA) was set up. The reactor was reliable for the study of thermochemical kinetics because the average difference between the commercial TGA and Pt-TGA curves for the cellulose pyrolysis process was only 2.1%. Four kinds of typical Chinese forest and agriculture wastes were selected to study the pyrolysis process in Pt-TGA. At higher heating rates, the volatiles from pyrolysis eventually formed more non-condensable gases because of inner-particle secondary reactions. In the range of 450–850 °C, with the temperature rising, the production of H2 increased, and the highest H2 yield reached 279 mL/g. Combined with kinetic analysis, with the increase of heating rate, heat and mass transfer had a more prominent effect on the pyrolysis of biomass particles, and the reactions were controlled by three-dimensional diffusion model.

An Assessment of the Potential Use of Forest Residues for the Production of Bio-Oils in the Urban-Rural Interface of Louisiana

Louisiana is endowed with forest resources. Forest wastes generated after thinning, land clearing, and logging operations, such as wood debris, tree trimmings, barks, sawdust, wood chips, and black liquor, among others, can serve as potential fuels for energy production in Louisiana. This paper aims to evaluate the potential annual volumes of forest wastes established on detailed and existing data on the forest structure in the rural-urban interface of Louisiana. It also demonstrates the state’s prospects of utilizing forest wastes to produce bio-oils. The data specific to the study was deduced from secondary data sources to obtain the annual average total residue production in Louisiana and estimate the number of logging residues available for procurement for bioenergy production. The total biomass production per year was modeled versus years by polynomial regression curve fitting using Microsoft Excel. Results of the model show that the cumulative annual total biomass production for 2025 and 2030 in Louisiana is projected to be 80000000 Bone Dry Ton (BDT) and 16000000 (BDT) respectively. The findings of the study depict that Louisiana has a massive biomass supply from forest wastes for bioenergy production. Thus, the potential for Louisiana to become an influential player in the production of bio-based products from forest residues is evident. The author recommends that future research can use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to create maps displaying the potential locations and utilization centers of forest wastes for bioenergy production in the state.

Analysis of Forest Waste Management and Recycling Potential in Nigeria

Forest wastes are renewable resources that can serve as sources of energy for heat and electricity generation. How these materials are managed in order to reduce their contribution to the release of greenhouse gases, reduce subsequent climate change challenges and their potential use in bio-energy production has remained a myth in Nigeria. In this paper, extensive review of the literature was carried out to arrive at the findings. More than 93% of all wood processing industries in Nigeria are sawmills. In addition to sawmills there are the plywood mills, furniture processing industries, and particleboard mills. Sawdust is the major waste generated from wood processing in the various processing units. Currently, the most popular waste management practice in Nigeria is burning. Dumping in open spaces, riverbanks, and water bodies is also obtainable. There is no record of wood waste recycling for bio-fuel production at the moment. Wood wastes are reused for agricultural production (mulching, manure) and as firewood. These actions contribute to the release of greenhouse gases and subsequently contribute to global warming. There are policies and agencies put in place to address this menace but implementation is a problem. An increase in proper waste management education and awareness, and aid from developed countries in terms of providing the technology needed for recycling and incineration, will go a long way in ensuring the safety (from climate change and consequences) of the local people, the environment, and the world at large.