Forestry Waste Research Articles

Short‐Term Effects of Diverse Compost Products on Soil Quality in Potato Production

Core Ideas Compost application increased soil organic matter content and improved soil quality. Compost products with greater C concentrations resulted in greater soil improvements. Particulate organic matter C was the index most responsive to compost addition. Mature composts with greater C concentrations and dry matter were most suitable. Soil quality has declined with intensive potato production practices in New Brunswick, Canada. Compost application may rapidly increase soil organic matter (SOM) and reverse declining productivity. This study assessed five diverse compost products for their short‐term effects on soil quality, and in particular SOM. Selected compost products derived from a range of forestry, marine, and municipal waste materials were compared with a non‐amended control. Treatments were applied to field plots at 45 Mg ha–1 dry weight in October of 2014 and 2015. Biological, chemical and physical soil properties under potato production in 2015 and 2016 (after one and after two consecutive applications) were used to evaluate soil quality. Compost application increased soil pH and concentrations of Mehlich‐3 extractable nutrients (K, Ca, Mg, and S). Compost reduced bulk density in the potato hill by 8% in both years. Particulate organic matter (POM) was the most sensitive indicator to compost‐application with twofold increases in POM‐C. Compost application increased soil organic carbon by 24% in 2016 and also increased permanganate oxidizable carbon, and soil respiration. Several soil properties were strongly correlated with compost composition, with better quality composts (i.e., more mature; greater in C, N, and other plant‐available nutrient concentrations) producing the greatest soil quality response. Overall, mature composts with greater C concentrations (i.e., low ash) and greater dry matter were most suitable for enhancing soil quality in New Brunswick potato production systems.

A facile approach to prepare biomass-derived activated carbon hollow fibers from wood waste as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

In this paper, several activated carbon hollow fibers (ACHF) with high surface area of ~ 1873 m2 g−1 were prepared from wood waste by liquefaction, half-curing and one-step activation methods. Scanning electron microscopy, Nitrogen gas adsorption–desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to characterize the morphology, the structure and the composition of ACHF. Results show added wood charcoal had a noticeable influence on the pore structure and electrochemical performance of ACHF. Electrochemical investigation measurements show that ACHF exhibit an outstanding specific capacitance (295 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), excellent rate performance (73.8% capacitance retention at 20 A g−1), high energy density (7.8 W h kg−1) and high capacitance retention of 99.5% over 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. Moreover, the multiple heteroatoms (N, P) from wood liquefaction have a synergistic effect on electrochemical properties of ACHF. These results indicate the present method is promising for the preparation of biomass-derived activated carbon hollow fibers from agricultural and forestry waste in the application of supercapacitors.

Pyrolysis and Char Oxidation of Biomass and Coal Blends: Kinetic Study Using Thermogravimetric Analysis

Vietnam as an agricultural country has a high potential in biomass, especially agricultural and forestry wastes. This resource offers a promising way to develop co – combustion technology of biomass and coal in Vietnam and thus tackle the environmental issues. A fundamental research was established to study combustion of Vietnamese rice straw and coal. Blends was made by mixing manually 50% wt. of rice straw and 50% wt. of coal. Pyrolysis in inert gas, char oxidation in oxidizing gases (10 % O2 in N2) and combustion process in oxidizing gases (10 % O2 in N2) were implemented. A particular attention was paid to the behaviour of rice straw/coal blends during thermochemical transformation. Concerning pyrolysis process, the char yield of the mixture is equivalent to weighted sum of the char yield of two solid fuels. During the combustion of the blends, we observed a coupling between pyrolysis and char oxidation. The exothermic oxidation reactions could overheat the sample itself and accelerate the pyrolysis and char oxidation kinetics.

CHEMICAL AND FUEL PROPERTIES OF FORESTRY WASTES FROM PINE PLANTATIONS

ABSTRACT Power plants have been using forestry biomasses to produce thermal and electrical energies. However, these industries lack of reliable parameters about their raw material in order to consolidate their position in this market. The present study aimed to characterize forestry wastes from pine (Pinus elliottii) plantations leftover of wood logs processing units. Wood, bark and a mixture of both of them were characterized by prompt (total moisture, hygroscopic moisture, ashes, volatile matter and fixed carbon contents), elementary (S, C, H, N and [O + Halogens] contents), and via wet (holocellulose, lignin and extractives contents) chemical analyses. Indeed, basic density and fuel properties (gross and net calorific values) were also determined. Compared to the wood, the bark presented higher extractives content, which affected the ashes content. Regarding the energetic properties, the bark showed the highest properties, but a detrimental character from an environmental standpoint. The wood-bark mixture presented intermediate properties between these two forestry wastes, but with more approximation to the wood.

Study on the Characteristics of Walnut Shell/Co-PES/Co-PA Powder Produced by Selective Laser Sintering.

Agricultural and forestry wastes are used as materials for selective laser sintering (SLS) to alleviate resource shortage, reduce the pollution of the environment, lower the cost of materials, and improve the accuracy of parts produced by SLS. However, the mechanical properties of wood–plastic parts are poor, and thus they cannot be applied widely. In order to improve the mechanical properties of wood–plastic parts, a new type of walnut shell polymer composite (WSPC) was prepared by a polymer mixing method and was used to produce parts via SLS. Additionally, the dimensional accuracy, morphologies, density, and mechanical properties of the WSPC parts were studied. The results showed that the addition of a small amount of copolyamide (Co-PA) powder could effectively improve the mechanical properties and decrease the density of the WSPC parts. By increasing the amount of Co-PA powder and decreasing that of copolyester (Co-PES) powder, the mechanical properties first increased, then decreased, and finally increased again; in addition, the density first decreased then increased. By increasing the preheating temperature, the mechanical properties and density of the WSPC parts were enhanced.

Engineering Ligninolytic Consortium for Bioconversion of Lignocelluloses to Ethanol and Chemicals.

Rising environmental concerns and recent global scenario of cleaner production and consumption are leading to the design of green industrial processes to produce alternative fuels and chemicals. Although bioethanol is one of the most promising and eco-friendly alternatives to fossil fuels yet its production from food and feed has received much negative criticism. The main objective of this study was to present the noteworthy potentialities of lignocellulosic biomass as an enormous and renewable biological resource. The particular focus was also given on engineering ligninolytic consortium for bioconversion of lignocelluloses to ethanol and chemicals on sustainable and environmentally basis. Herein, an effort has been made to extensively review, analyze and compile salient information related to the topic of interest. Several authentic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Springer, Bentham Science and other scientific databases were searched with utmost care, and inclusion/ exclusion criterion was adopted to appraise the quality of retrieved peer-reviewed research literature. Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass can largely satisfy the possible inconsistency of first-generation ethanol since it utilizes inedible lignocellulosic feedstocks, primarily sourced from agriculture and forestry wastes. Two major polysaccharides in lignocellulosic biomass namely, cellulose and hemicellulose constitute a complex lignocellulosic network by connecting with lignin, which is highly recalcitrant to depolymerization. Several attempts have been made to reduce the cost involved in the process through improving the pretreatment process. While, the ligninolytic enzymes of white rot fungi (WRF) including laccase, lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP) have appeared as versatile biocatalysts for delignification of several lignocellulosic residues. The first part of the review is mainly focused on engineering ligninolytic consortium. In the second part, WRF and its unique ligninolytic enzyme-based bio-delignification of lignocellulosic biomass, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation of hydrolyzed feedstock are discussed. The metabolic engineering, enzymatic engineering, synthetic biology aspects for ethanol production and platform chemicals production are comprehensively reviewed in the third part. Towards the end information is also given on futuristic viewpoints. In conclusion, given the present unpredicted scenario of energy and fuel crisis accompanied by global warming, lignocellulosic bioethanol holds great promise as an alternative to petroleum. Apart from bioethanol, the simultaneous production of other value-added products may improve the economics of lignocellulosic bioethanol bioconversion process.

Availability of lignocellulose from forestry waste for use as a biofuel in China.

Biomass is a very important renewable energy and plays an important role in the energy structure of China. Here, the role of forestry waste in producing energy in China was analyzed and the availability of forestry waste for biofuel production, theoretically collectable amounts of forest biomass, and density of forestry waste were assessed. Agricultural and forestry waste are important biomass resources. The potential for using forestry waste as a low cost substrate for producing fuel ethanol using existing forestry resources and techniques was analyzed, and the feasibility of producing fuel ethanol in different Chinese provinces was assessed using the specific situation for each province. The results showed that 1081.73 × 106t of forestry waste could be produced in China, and 270.43 × 106t (25% of the amount that could be collected) could be used to produce fuel ethanol. Assuming 10t of sawdust could be converted into 1t of ethanol, 27 × 106t of ethanol could be produced from forestry waste. Different provinces have different potentials for producing ethanol from forestry waste, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province, Sichuan Province, and Yunnan Province having higher potentials than the other provinces. It was predicted that 4478 × 106t of fuel ethanol could be produced from woodcraft waste by 2020, and the provinces with the most potential were found to be Fujian Province, Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, Shanxi Province, Sichuan Province, Xinjiang Province, and Yunnan Province. Using forestry waste to produce ethanol could alleviate the energy shortage in China.

Carboxyl functionalized Cinnamomum camphora for removal of heavy metals from synthetic wastewater-contribution to sustainability in agroforestry

Abstract Biosorption of heavy metals (HMs) using agricultural and forestry wastes (AFWs) attracts much attention due to numerous advantages, but more studies are necessary to develop effective biosorbent using locally available AFWs. Cinnamomum camphora leaves were used for HMs removal from synthetic wastewater. Carboxyl functionalized camphor leaf (CFCL) was prepared by a two-step modification including alkalization and carboxylation. Sorption of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) was evaluated at different CFCL dose, pH, contact time and initial concentration of HMs. Experimental data were examined by sorption isotherms, kinetic models and thermodynamics equations. XPS, FTIR, XRD and SEM verify the introduction of carboxyl groups on CFCL and reveal sorption mechanism. CFCL is effective for fast removing metal ions with low concentration. The removal rate reaches 99%, and the maximum sorption capacity is 62.42 mg g−1 Cd(II), 49.96 mg g−1 Cu(II), and 26.42 mg g−1 Ni(II), respectively. Sorption of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) onto CFCL is spontaneous and follows pseudo-second order and Langmuir model. CFCL also shows a good regeneration and cycling performance. This work suggests that the modified camphor leaf has remarkable potential as biosorbent for fast removal of HMs. Conversion of camphor leaf into value-added biosorbent reduces its negative effects and HMs pollution, providing a sustainable way to utilize agricultural and forestry wastes.

Research on Producing Pure Hydrogen by Chemical Chain Reaction Using Pyrolysis Gas from Agricultural Waste Based on NiO/NiAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Oxygen Carrier

China produces a large number of agricultural wastes annually, most of which are treated by incineration, and the utilization rate is very low. This paper had constructed a hydrogen production system for chemical chain of agricultural and forestry waste, focusing on the effects of loading capacity, promoter and baking temperature on the oxidation and catalytic performance of NiO/NiAl2O4 oxygen carrier and the characteristics of its reduction and physical properties. The results showed this oxygen carrier had good circulation ability. After many redox reactions, the output of H2 had no obvious attenuation, and NiO could be attached to the surface of NiAl2O4 effectively. Therefore, NiO/NiAl2O4 oxygen carrier had certain mechanical properties, not only the pore was fine, but also the gas flew through the chain cycle reaction completely. The research of this paper has important significance for high-grade utilization of agricultural and forestry waste, environmental protection, energy saving and emission reduction.

Complete lignocellulose conversion with integrated catalyst recycling yielding valuable aromatics and fuels

Lignocellulose, the main component of agricultural and forestry waste, harbours tremendous potential as a renewable starting material for future biorefinery practices. However, this potential remains largely unexploited due to the lack of strategies that derive substantial value from its main constituents. Here, we present a catalytic strategy that is able to transform lignocellulose to a range of attractive products. At the centre of our approach is the flexible use of a non-precious metal catalyst in two distinct stages of a lignocellulose conversion process that enables integrated catalyst recycling through full conversion of all process residues. From the lignin, pharmaceutical and polymer building blocks are obtained. Notably, among these pathways are systematic chemo-catalytic methodologies to yield amines from lignin. The (hemi)cellulose-derived aliphatic alcohols are transformed to alkanes, achieving excellent total carbon utilization. This work will inspire the development of fully sustainable and economically viable biorefineries.

Identification of Ethanologenic Yeast Strains from Wild Habitats

Bioethanol generated from household, agricultural or forestry waste is currently being pursued as the second generation biofuel with wheat straw being highlighted as a promising lignocellulosic residue feedstock in the UK. Natural fermentative ecosystems such as agricultural manure and forest floors containing decomposing wood and leaf litter are potential sources of yeast strains with suitable phenotypic characteristics for improved production of bioethanol. Identifying yeast with innate fermentation capabilities could potentially contain a pool of genes that confer resistance to the chemical constituents of lignocellulosic biomass. Wild yeasts were analysed using a phenotypic microarray for utilization of xylose and tolerance to pre-treatment inhibitors. Assays identified yeast which had stress tolerant phenotypes and yeast with xylose utilization capabilities. Performance fermentations confirmed desirable phenotypes such as conversion of xylose into ethanol and inhibitor tolerance, making these yeasts of interest for further industrial exploration and exploitation.

A Potent Staphylococcus Aureus Growth Inhibitor Of A Dried Flower Extract Of Pinus Merkusii Jungh & De Vriese And Copper Nanoparticle

The paper report antibacterial activity of flower extract from Pinus merkusii Jungh Et De Vriese and its mixture with copper nanoparticle on Staphylococcus aureus. This finding revealed the potency of pine forestry waste to overcome a bacterial-resistance problem on some commercially antibiotics. The extract was prepared by hot water extraction of a dried powder of pine flower. Copper nanoparticle was synthesized following “green synthesis technique” using phenolic-rich extract of pine’s flower as a reduction and capping agent. In short, a mixture of pine’s flower extract and copper nanoparticle importantly was able to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus four times higher than that using water extract.

Production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from starch-rich food waste catalyzed by sulfonated biochar

Sulfonated biochar derived from forestry wood waste was employed for the catalytic conversion of starch-rich food waste (e.g., bread) into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Chemical and physical properties of catalyst were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, and elemental analysis. The conversion of HMF was investigated via controlling the reaction parameters such as catalyst loading, temperature, and reaction time. Under the optimum reaction conditions the HMF yield of 30.4 Cmol% (i.e., 22 wt% of bread waste) was achieved in the mixture of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/deionized-water (DIW) at 180 °C in 20 min. The effectiveness of sulfonated biochar catalyst was positively correlated to the density of strong/weak Brønsted acidity (SO3H, COOH, and OH groups) and inversely correlated to humins content on the surface. With regeneration process, sulfonated biochar catalyst displayed excellent recyclability for comparable HMF yield from bread waste over five cycles.

Study on the Ingredient Proportions and After-Treatment of Laser Sintering Walnut Shell Composites.

To alleviate resource shortage, reduce the cost of materials consumption and the pollution of agricultural and forestry waste, walnut shell composites (WSPC) consisting of walnut shell as additive and copolyester hot melt adhesive (Co-PES) as binder was developed as the feedstock of selective laser sintering (SLS). WSPC parts with different ingredient proportions were fabricated by SLS and processed through after-treatment technology. The density, mechanical properties and surface quality of WSPC parts before and after post processing were analyzed via formula method, mechanical test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Results show that, when the volume fraction of the walnut shell powder in the WSPC reaches the maximum (40%), sintered WSPC parts have the smallest warping deformation and the highest dimension precision, although the surface quality, density, and mechanical properties are low. However, performing permeating resin as the after-treatment technology could considerably increase the tensile, bending and impact strength by 496%, 464%, and 516%, respectively.

Effect of Binder on Combustion Quality on EFB Bio-briquettes

Energy demand in various sectors in Indonesia has increased in line with the rate of population growth and the national economy. Fulfillment of energy needs can be obtained from various energy sources such as fuel oil, solar, biomass, wind, water and others. So far, energy sources used in Indonesia are still using many non-renewable energy sources, such as fuel oil. The utilization of waste from empty palm oil bunches into bio-briquettes has helped the government in overcoming the problem of EFB waste. The availability of biomass has prompted researchers to utilize biomass waste that includes Agricultural and Forestry waste, to be processed into briquettes as an alternative energy substitute for fuel oil. This research aims to improve the utilization of waste of Palm Oil Bunches through the manufacture of bio-briquette as alternative fuel and determine the appropriate binder material for briquette making so as to produce optimal combustion value. The binders used for the manufacture of briquettes are pine sap and starch flour. The test result showed that the highest value of calorific was found in the mixture of 50% EFB composition with fibre size ± 1-5 mm with 50% pine resin which is 6331,7 cal/g. Meanwhile, lowest value on EFB ± with fibre size 5-10 mm composition EFB 60% and 40% starch flour binder that is 2295,7 cal/g. The results of a flame test study of several points that are known to turn on until it emits a flame for ± 30 seconds, it takes 22,2 minutes for the burnt-out briquette (to ashes). Based on visual observations that the fire colour of bio-briquette with finer fibre on the EFB composition 50% pine gum binder produces a bluish red fire colour. It is generally assumed that pine resin glues produce better fuel value compared to starch binder. Besides that, fibre particles size also affects the combustion quality produced.

Investigation of forestry wastes: Torrefaction and their thermal properties for use in energy recovery schemes

ABSTRACTThree biomasses like Eucalyptus, Azadirachata, and Ficus religiosa were torrefied to investigate the effect of temperature and residence time was investigated on torrefied biomasses for yield, volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash, and Gross calorific value (GCV). Thermogravimetric analysis and Hardgrove grindability index (HGI) of three torrefied samples were studied at optimum conditions of temperature and residence time. According to the results, an optimum temperature was found to be 260°C at 45 min residence time. A maximum GCV of torrefied biomasses of Eucalyptus, Azadirachata, and F. religiosa were found to be 4,301, 3,190, and 3,278 kcal/kg, respectively. According to thermogravimetric analyzer results, the Azadirachata has shown higher weight loss compared to Eucalyptus and F. religiosa during thermogravimetirc study. The weight loss rate for Azadirachata was maximum to nearly 12.8%/min compared to 6.11 and 5.12%/min for Eucalyptus and F. religiosa, respectively. The order of reactivity based on mean reactivity and combustion characterization factor was found to be Azadirachata indica > Eucalyptus > F. religiosa. According to HGI results, Eucalyptus, Azadirachata, and F. religiosa have shown HGI values of 71, 60.7, and 81.7, respectively. The results of this study could be useful for the energy recovery schemes in the country.

Blend design tools for Medium Combustion Plants (MCP) firing biomass wastes

A feasible alternative for agricultural or forestry waste management is the operation of a distributed network of sustainable Medium Combustion Plants (MCPs). However, one of the main factors that hinder its development is the propensity to operational problems derived from corrosion, slagging and fouling characteristics of both bottom and fly ashes. Therefore, a cost-effective approach for these multi-product MCP could be based on predictive tools for an optimal formulation of a fuel blend. This work focuses on the assessment of the ability of these methods to provide guidance for preventing ash-related operational problems and to provide fuel-blending rules.The more widespread tools pertain to two types: compositional classification based on chemical analysis of laboratory ashes, and thermodynamic prediction of the most likely species and phases. Both criterion numbers and compositional maps are ranking methods based on the chemical analysis at a given ashing temperature. Thermodynamic equilibrium modeling is not constrained by any difference in the physical conditions of the MCP compared to those in the laboratory.Both kind of prediction tools have been validated in an MCP firing olive tree pruning residues as well as its typical blends in order to mimic a plausible pattern of fuels along a full year operating campaign. An intensive experimental campaign encompasses plant monitoring and off-line analysis of the ashes along the process line.Interpretation of compositional plots has revealed to be potentially sensitive to ashing temperature. Here are presented examples showing how this variable could lead to either insignificant differences or to a substantial disparity in the a priori fuel diagnosis.Some inconsistencies have been observed between the predictions based on criterion numbers, even for the same fuel and for ranking rules specifically formulated for biomasses. Moreover, it does not match consistently with the information obtained from phase diagrams. Therefore, their use should be limited to the case of a well-established selection of a fuel index for a well-defined fuel provided empirical evidence of an enough good description of the ash behavior, which is not the most frequent case.Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations allow a more precise prediction of the main species in the condensed phase, without the constraint of the ashing temperature. Elemental closure of main ash-forming elements with the chemical analysis of the process ashes presents small differences, and their proximity localization on the phase diagrams denote similar prediction between predicted and process ashes.

Valorization of spruce needle waste via supercritical extraction of waxes and facile isolation of nonacosan-10-ol

Supercritical carbon dioxide was utilized as a sustainable alternative to solvent extraction of waxes from the waste needles of two spruce species, namely Norwegian and Sitka spruce. These extracts were rich in nonacosan-10-ol, an organic compound with hydrophobic properties that lends its use in the preparation of superhydrophobic coatings. The highest crude yields were 1.7% w/w of needles obtained at 400 bar and 60 °C, while nonacosan-10-ol was selectively extracted at 200 bar and 60 °C (8070 ± 91.1 μg/g of needles). Purification of nonacosan-10-ol from the wax extracts was conducted using a simple rapid green recrystallization technique. This yielded a recovery of 44.6% ± 2% and 48.4% ± 2% of the total nonacosan-10-ol from the original crude Sitka (3600 μg/g of needles) and Norwegian wax (1920 μg/g of needles) respectively. Application of nonacosan-10-ol to a filter paper led to the formation of highly hydrophobic surfaces, with preliminary contact angles of up to 149°. This sustainable production method may develop opportunities to valorize forestry waste within a holistic biorefinery.

Forest‐based resources as fillers in biobased polyurethane foams

ABSTRACTSix fillers from forestry wastes (wood, bark, cones and needles from young pine trees, kraft lignin, and recycled paper sludge from industry wastes) were incorporated into polyurethane (PU)‐based foams prepared via free‐rise pouring method. Variable filler contents (1, 5, and 10 wt %) and NCO/OH ratios (0.6, 0.9, and 1.2) were investigated. A simple mixture (1:3) of castor oil and crude glycerin (byproduct from biodiesel production) was used as biobased polyol. The foam composites were investigated through spectroscopy, morphological, mechanical, and hygroscopic analyses. The addition of fillers decreased water uptake and yielded rigid PU systems with more homogenous cell structure. The 1% and 5% reinforcement wood were the most effective among the studied compositions, with better mechanical and hygroscopic performance, probably due the higher compatibility of the wood with the PU system, which promote urethanic bonds between filler and isocyanate, as indicated by wet chemical results and micrographs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45684.

Enhanced Hydrogen Production from Sewage Sludge by Co-fermentation with Forestry Wastes

Dark fermentation of sewage sludge (i.e., the byproduct of biological sewage treatment process) is a promising way for renewable hydrogen production. However, low carbohydrate content and low C/N ratio essentially limited hydrogen production efficiency from sewage sludge. In this study, three raw forestry wastes with higher biodegradable carbohydrate content (fallen poplar leaves, flower waste, and sheared ryegrass) were added into a batch sludge fermentation system, aiming to explore an effective and practically feasible method to enhance hydrogen production from sludge. The results showed that the hydrogen yield from sole sewage sludge increased from 11.2 to 20.8, 32, and 51.7 mL/g-volatile solids (VS)added with the addition of poplar leaves, flower waste, and ryegrass as co-substrates, respectively, with relevant increase ratios of 0.85, 1.85, and 3.60 times, respectively. Model simulation results indicated that the lag time of sludge fermentation was also shortened through the addition of the above th...