Groundnut Shell Research Articles

Mechanical properties optimization and cost analysis of agricultural waste as an alternative in brick production

In recent years, building materials made from agricultural waste have become popular due to their lower cost and environmental impact. The Bio-Brick is mixed with Cement-Fly Ash and Hydrated Lime and a fine aggregate of groundnut shell in percentages (20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%). The optimum mix proportions of Bio-Brick and hydrated lime mortar were found from the compressive strength and were further continued to study the dry density, water absorption, and efflorescence. Machine Learning techniques are used to optimize and predict the properties of Bio-Bricks and mortars. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are employed to forecast properties such as compressive strength, dry density, and water absorption with exceptional accuracy. The results from RSM models exhibit high degrees of accuracy, with R-squared values exceeding 0.88 for compressive strength, dry density, and water absorption. ANN models further enhance this predictive power, with R-squared values exceeding 0.99 in predicting these critical properties.

Repurposing Industrial and Agricultural Wastes as Sustainable Alternatives in Photovoltaic Cells and Dye Degradation

AbstractCombustion of coal at thermal power plants generates enormous amounts of coal fly ash (CFA). Proper disposal of CFA is an important issue today because environmental problems are considered a burning issue worldwide. On the other hand, groundnut shells (GNS), regarded as agricultural waste in general, litter landfills everywhere and create soil degradation. Since both CFA and GNS contain abundant silica, this work focuses on extracting amorphous silica from these materials through a total dissolution–precipitation process. The silica was extracted from it and used to prepare titanium oxide (TiO₂) hybrids. The GNSS were extracted from GNS, and the CFAS was extracted from the CFA. The methods used were based on sol–gel. These hybrids were further tested for the performance of their solar cells in dissolving dyes. The overall results of the obtained physical properties of CFAS and GNSS are similar to those of conventional silica. More importantly, TiO₂/GNSS and TiO₂/CFAS hybrids showed enhanced photocatalytic efficiency compared to the pure TiO₂. Therefore, it is evidence of repurposing CFA and GNS, which have high potential for use as sustainable applications in renewable energy and environmental remediation.

Laboratory assessment of the effect of rice husk, groundnut shells and RHA on the shear, permeability and consolidation of clayey sands

Utilizing waste materials to improve soil properties can result in cost savings and environmental benefits. This study aims to determine the effect of adding agricultural wastes like rice husk ash (RHA), rice husk (RH), and groundnut shells (GS) to clayey sands from Mysore district, India. The study focused on the undrained strength, permeability and volume change behaviour of soils mixed with RHA, RH and GS. The soil samples were mixed with varying amounts of RHA (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and RH-GS (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%) and cured for 1, 7, 14 and 21 days. These blended specimens were then used to determine the maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS). The soil mixture containing 5% RHA and 4% (RH + GS) yielded optimal results in the UCS test. Further tests, including unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial, permeability and consolidation tests, were conducted on the parent soil and the soil composite with 5% RHA and 4% (RH + GS). From the undrained test, the strength increased for the soil admixture, with a reduction in the cohesion and an increment in the friction angle, compared to that of the parent soil. The experimental results also showed improvement in the permeability and consolidation characteristics of the blended soil. As RH, GS, and RHA are abundant and considered to be agricultural waste products, using them represents an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solution with promising potential for soil improvement.

Comprehensive thermal properties, kinetic, and thermodynamic analyses of biomass wastes pyrolysis via TGA and Coats-Redfern methodologies

This study comprehensively analyzes the thermal decomposition characteristics as well as the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of five biomass wastes, including coffee husk, groundnut shell, macadamia nutshell, rice husk, and tea waste, using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and the Coats-Redfern method. The TGA experiments were conducted on a PerkinElmer STA 6000 instrument under an inert N2 atmosphere with a heating rate of 20 °C/min, spanning a temperature range from 25 °C to 950 °C. The results identified three distinct pyrolysis stages: drying, devolatilization, and char formation, with macadamia nutshell demonstrating the highest thermal reactivity and efficient devolatilization characteristics, reflected by its lowest initial devolatilization temperature (175 °C) and highest peak temperature (380 °C). Kinetic analysis revealed that coffee husk had the highest overall activation energy (Ea) of 60.59 kJ/mol, indicating complex thermal degradation behavior. The thermodynamic evaluation showed that coffee husk also exhibited the highest enthalpy change (ΔH=55.46 kJ/mol) but the lowest Gibbs free energy change (ΔG=148.34 kJ/mol), suggesting high energy requirements for decomposition but relatively more spontaneous reactions compared to other biomass types. Macadamia nutshell demonstrated high ΔG (163.24 kJ/mol) and moderate ΔH (32.44 kJ/mol), reflecting greater resistance to spontaneous decomposition. The comprehensive pyrolysis index (CPI) and devolatilization index (Ddev) confirmed macadamia nutshell as the most reactive biomass, while rice husk exhibited the lowest reactivity. The findings highlight the importance of multi-step kinetic analysis for accurately understanding pyrolysis processes, providing critical insights for optimizing biomass conversion for energy production. Future research should explore co-pyrolysis with varied biomass mixtures and advanced kinetic modeling to enhance energy yields.

Groundnut shell carbon quantum dot magnetic iron oxide nanocomposite (GSCQD-FeFe2O4) for lead removal from water

Groundnut shell carbon quantum dot magnetic iron oxide nanocomposite (GSCQD-FeFe2O4) for lead removal from water

Bioethanol production from groundnut shell using microorganisms derived from sugarcane root soil

Bioethanol is a form of renewable energy that can be produced from fuel or energy crops. Ethanol is produced by the fermentation of sugars present in agricultural feed stocks and crop residues. This study investigates the use of agro wastes like groundnut shells for ethanol production. Initially, the groundnut shells were washed, dried and grinded into powder. Then it was subjected to ethanol production using yeast. After 20 days of incubation the ethanol was estimated using potassium dichromate method. The maximum ethanol yield (1.55%) was obtained when 1% yeast was used. To increase the efficiency of ethanol production, the cellulolytic bacteria was isolated from the cow dung dumped soil site. The 10 bacterial isolates were screened for cellulase enzyme production. Among them one bacterium showed maximum decolourization of congored which was subjected for enzyme production in nutrient broth. The organism showed maximum enzyme activity of 558.12 U/ml. The isolated cellulolytic bacteria were identified as Bacillus anthracis using 16s rDNA sequencing. Ethanol production from the groundnut shells was again carried out with various concentration of crude cellulase enzyme isolated from the bacteria. The estimation result showed 3.8% of ethanol as maximum. Then the ethanol was condensed using a rotary evaporator and when again estimated, showed 7.3% of ethanol. Finally, the presence of ethanol was confirmed by iodoform test. Thus, groundnut shells can efficiently be used for the production of ethanol, which can be used as a high potential fuel source for transportation in the future.

Comparative Studies of Diclofenac Sodium (NSAID) Adsorption on Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Bran and Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) Shell Powder using Vertical and Sequential Bed Column

Wheat bran and groundnut shell powder have been used to study the mechanism of diclofenac sodium adsorption from aqueous solution using batch as well as column modes and maximum uptake is 84.3% for wheat bran and 82.4% for groundnut shell powder at pH 6, drug concentration 1 mg/L at 298 K for 30min. Isotherm and error analysis reveals that Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms fitted well. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption process follows second-order kinetics and thermodynamic study shows endothermic adsorption process. Column adsorption study is important for industrial scale adsorption and column studies have been carried out using vertical bed and sequential bed adsorption columns at pH 6 which is the optimum pH for maximum adsorption for batch experiments. Vertical and sequential bed columns setup is simple and economical which provides flow under gravity. The effect of varying inlet feed concentration and flow rate on the breakthrough and exhaustion time of columns has been studied to determine the bed capacities of both columns. Thomas model and Yoon-Nelson models fitted well with experimental data for continuous flow column studies.

Physico-Chemical and Microstructural Analysis of Al-Mg-Si Alloy Matrix Composites Reinforced Groundnut Shell ash Particulates

Metal matrix composites are an appealing alternative to monolithic metals for a variety of technical applications due to their superior mechanical and physical properties throughout a broad range of operating conditions. In the current study, different weight percentages of 150 µm groundnut shell ash (GNSA) particles (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17.5%, 20%, 25% and 30%) were used to reinforce Al-Mg-Si alloy. Stir-casting was used to prepare the composite in a permanent mild steel mould. A number of the composites' physical, chemical, and microstructural characteristics (density, percentage porosity, XRF and SEM-EDS) were assessed, compared, and analysed with those of the matrix alloy. Oxides that could enhance the composites' mechanical, physical, and structural qualities were found during the structural assessment evaluation of the reinforcement. The microstructural analysis demonstrated that the GNSA reinforcements' secondary phase was uniformly distributed throughout the primary phase of the Al-Mg-Si alloy matrix. The added GNSA particles decreased the produced composite's density below that of the base alloy, and the percentage porosity of the composites rose as the groundnut shell ash content increased and remained within the upper limit allowed for cast aluminium metal matrix composites. The composites that were created showed evidence of intermetallic compound formation.

Impact of carbonization reactor compartment size on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) shell biochar properties

Abstract This study investigates the impact of low-temperature top-lit updraft reactor chamber size on GNSBC yield and properties. For this study, the volumes of carbonization chamber (2,364, 2,013, 1,468, and 970 cm3) in a biomass-fueled TLUD biomass gasifier were varied, and the resulting biochar was analyzed using SEM, EDX, and FTIR. The novelty of this work lies in its investigation of the unexplored impact of carbonization reactor compartment size on groundnut shell biochar properties and yield, driven by the need to optimize biochar production efficiency and support sustainable waste management practices. The results showed that carbonization chamber size variation significantly affected GNSBC yield, with an initial increase followed by diminishing returns. An increase in the carbonization compartment size led to decreased carbonization duration, increased carbonization temperature, increased porosity, and decreased oxygen content. SEM analysis revealed consistent amorphous and multi-layered morphological features across BC samples, while EDX analysis confirmed high carbon content in the samples. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of oxygenated functional groups suitable for pollutant adsorption, supporting GNSBC’s role in environmental remediation and industrial processes. This research contributes to optimizing biochar production efficiency, advancing circular economy goals, and sustainable waste management practices.

Efficient dark-fermentation biohydrogen production by Shigella flexneri SPD1 from biowaste-derived sugars through green solvents approach

This study evaluated the dark-fermentative hydrogen (H2) production potential of isolated and identified Shigella flexneri SPD1 from various pure (glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, and galactose) and biowastes (coconut coir, cotton fiber, groundnut shells, rice-, and wheat-straws)-derived sugars. Among sugars, S. flexneri SPD1 exhibited high H2 production of up to 3.20 mol/mole of hexose using glucose (5.0 g/L). The pre-treatment of various biowastes using green solvents (choline chloride and lactic acid mixture) and enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in the generation of up to 36.0 g/L of sugars. The maximum H2 production is achieved up to 2.92 mol/mol of hexose using cotton-hydrolysate. Further, the upscaling of bioprocess up to 5 L of capacity resulted in a maximum yield of up to 3.06 mol/mol of hexose. These findings suggested that S. flexneri SPD1, a novel H2-producer, can be employed to develop a circular economy-based approach to produce clean energy.

Effectiveness of Agricultural Waste Ashes in Controlling Sitophilus oryzae Infestation in Stored Rice Grains

In this study, the insecticidal effectiveness of agricultural waste ashes of sawdust, rice husk, groundnut shell, maize cob, and wheat straw against Sitophilus oryzae in stored rice grains was investigated. The research, conducted to assess grain damage, weight loss, and weevil perforation index caused by S. oryzae over intervals of 30, 60 and 90 days. The ashes were applied at a rate of 2 gm per 100 gm of grains. Over a 90-day period the untreated control exhibited the highest grain damage (33.80%) and weight loss (14.23%). Among ash treatments, sawdust ash resulted in the highest grain damage (18.40%) and weight loss (12.47%), whereas groundnut shell ash was the most effective, showing the lowest grain damage (12.87%) and weight loss (8.53%). The chemical insecticide Chlorpyrifos 48EC maintained complete protection with 0% grain damage and weight loss. The Weevil Perforation Index (WPI) was significantly lower in groundnut shell ash (9.27) compared to other ash treatments, emphasizing its effectiveness in preserving rice quality.

Performance Evaluation of Different Clustering Techniques and Parameters of Hybrid PSO- and GA-ANFIS on Optimization and Prediction of Biomethane Yield of Alkali-Pretreated Groundnut Shells

AbstractThe study focuses on optimizing biomethane yield in the anaerobic digestion of alkali-pretreated groundnut shells, involving varied input parameters. Biomethane optimization will improve the economy of the technology, which will assist in managing the environmental challenges of fossil fuel combustion. Traditional methods prove challenging, inaccurate, and uneconomical, necessitating efficient optimization models. This research hybridizes particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithms (GA) with adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models, assessing input parameters’ influence on biomethane yield through renowned performance metrics. Comparing the best model in the hybrid analysis, encompassing pretreatments A-E, the PSO-ANFIS (RMSE = 1.1719, MADE = 0.6525, MAE = 0.9314, Theil’s U = 0.1844, and SD = 0.7737) outperformed the GA-ANFIS (RMSE = 1.9338, MADE = 0.9318, MAE = 1.6557, Theil’s U = 0.2734, SD = 1.0598), using the same cluster radius of 0.50. Furthermore, compared to the GA-ANFIS model, the PSO-ANFIS model demonstrated significant improvements across various metrics: RMSE by 39.40%, MADE by 29.97%, MAE by 43.75%, Theil’s U by 32.56%, and SD by 27.00%. Results indicate that the PSO-ANFIS model outperforms the GA-ANFIS model, emphasizing the importance of suitable clustering algorithms and precise parameter adjustment for optimal performance in predicting biomethane yield from pretreated lignocellulose feedstocks. Graphical Abstract

Characterisation of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) shell waste as a potential biomass for different bio-based products.

Efforts are ongoing to utilise agricultural waste to achieve a full resource use approach. Bambara groundnut is an important crop widely grown in the sub-Saharan Africa with potential future importance because of its resilience to thrive under heightened weather uncertainty and widespread droughts that have challenged food security. After harvesting, the edible nuts are separated from the shells which are discarded as waste. Therefore, this research is aimed at characterising the chemical composition and the structural properties of Bambara groundnut shells (BGS) in view of their potential application as a biomass for different bio-products. The chemical composition of BGS was found to be 42.4% cellulose, 27.8% hemicellulose, 13% lignin and 16.8% extractives. Proximate analysis showed a high amount of volatile matter (69.1%) and low moisture (4.4%). XRD analysis confirmed crystallinity of cellulose I polymer and FTIR analysis observed functional groups of lignocellulosic compounds. Thermal stability, maximum degradation temperature and activation energy were found to be 178.5°C, 305.7°C and 49.4kJ/mol, respectively. Compared to other nutshells, BGS were found to have a relatively high amount of cellulose and crystallinity that may result in biocomposites with improved mechanical properties.

PERFORMANCE OF SOKOTO RED GOAT FED UREA TREATED GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA) SHELL

The study that assessed the impact of treatment of groundnut shell on performance, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen utilization by Sokoto red goats was carried out at Professor Lawal Abdu Saulawa Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University Dustin-Ma, Katsina State. Fifteen growing male goats used for the experiment were allotted to three treatments at five for each treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with each one serving as a replicate. The experiment comprised of three treatments namely T1, T2 and T3 at inclusion levels of urea treated GNS at 0%, 10% and 20% respectively. The feeding trial was carried out for 84 days. Growth, digestibility, and nitrogen utilization parameters were measured. The proximate analysis revealed slight increase in crude protein while crude fibre decreased with increased level of inclusion of GNS. Lignin composition also slightly reduced from 11.90% in T1 to 10.90% (T3). There were significant differences (P<0.05) in weight gain per day, daily feed intake and feed efficiency. Average daily weight gain (75g/day) and feed efficiency (0.15) were higher in treatment T3 than those of other treatments but with lower average dry matter intake (490.83g/day). The nitrogen intake, faecal nitrogen, urine nitrogen, nitrogen absorbed, nitrogen balance, and nitrogen retained were significantly different (P<0.05) across the treatments. Treatment T3 which contained 20% inclusion level of UGNS was the best among all the diets because it contained 86.90% CPD, 95.66% EED, 92.76%, CFD 17.45%, 14.27 g/day nitrogen balance and 81.82% nitrogen retention. The feed cost per kg liveweight gain was significantly less (P<0.05) in treatment T3. The conclusion of the study was that treatment T3, which contained 20% urea treated GNS performed better than others.

Calcined biomass-bentonite composites as eco-friendly adsorbents for the treatment of toxic anionic and cationic dye wastewater

Adsorption is a suitable technique for decontamination of organic dye wastewaters. Herein, we comparatively investigated the adsorption performance of bentonite (BEN) and its modification with groundnut shell (BGS) and palm kernel shell (BPS) for methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR) dyes removal from aqueous solution. BGS and BPS were prepared by calcination at 300 °C for 6 h and were characterized using BET, SEM, EDS and FTIR to determine their textural properties, morphologies, elemental compositions, and functional groups. The BET surface examination revealed that the surface area of BEN was enhanced from 78 m2/g to 195 m2/g and 141 m2/g after modification with groundnut shell (BGS) and palm kernel shell (BPS), respectively. The adsorption process in a batch system was subjected to comprehensive experimentation to investigate the effect of adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, initial concentration, and pH. The adsorption was fitted to adsorption isotherm and kinetic models and the results revealed that the adsorption process of BEN, BGS, and BPS towards MB and CR adsorption can be best described by Temkin, Freundlich and pseudo-second order kinetic models. The adsorption capacities (qmax) for uptake of MB by BEN, BGS and BPS are 10.61, 10.85 and 10.93 mg, while CR exhibited 8.83, 6.87 and 5.86 mg/g, respectively. The thermodynamics study revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous, feasible, endothermic in nature. The adsorption process is governed by electrostatic attraction with the involvement of physical and chemical adsorption. This study suggests that biomass-modified bentonite is a sustainable, cost-effective, non-toxic, and greener approach for eliminating MB and CR from aqueous solution. Furthermore, the modification method does not only achieve substantial removal of MB and CR dyes, but also offers considerable energy savings and operational cost reductions in real-time based on water quality data. This study does present a novel, sustainable approach to improve natural water treatment efficiency and compliance.

Alkali-activated limestone powder and groundnut shell ash based geopolymer for stabilizing earth blocks

Alkali-activated limestone powder and groundnut shell ash based geopolymer for stabilizing earth blocks

Investigating the efficacy of biochar produced from agro-waste for basic fuchsin dye removal: Kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies

The present article investigates the efficacy of biochar (BC) derived from agricultural waste for treating cationic dyes. Various biomass, including sycamore leaf (SL), cotton waste (CW), groundnut shell (GS), rice husk (RH), coconut shell (CS), banana pith (BP), and coconut husk (CH) were used to prepare biochar at 400, 600, and 800 °C. The highest removal of basic fuchsin (BF) dye was observed onto the BC prepared at 800 °C, with the removal efficiency as follows: cotton waste biochar (CWB) 88.12 %, groundnut shell biochar (GSB) 88.73 %, rice husk biochar (RHB) 89.37 %, coconut shell biochar (CSB) 90.4 %, coconut husk biochar (CHB) 91.24 %, banana pith biochar (BPB) 96.7 %, and sycamore leaf biochar (SLB) 100 %, respectively. The dye concentration, BC dose, reaction time, temperature, and pH were optimized. Optimal conditions for higher BF dye sorption (174.5 mg g−1) were found at the dye concentration of 3500 mg L−1, SLB dose of 0.2 g, time 45 min, temperature 40 ± 2 °C, and pH 9 ± 0.2. The sorption kinetic data best fit a pseudo-second-order model, while isotherm data followed the Freundlich model, suggesting chemisorption with a multilayer sorption process. Thermodynamic data implied that the sorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The present research revealed the hidden potential of widely and easily available waste biomass to competently remove the cationic dye.

Evaluation of groundnut shell for enhancing geotechnical performance of weak soil

Evaluation of groundnut shell for enhancing geotechnical performance of weak soil

Influence of varying aluminum-based combustion compartment sizes on groundnut shell biochar properties

The process variables during biochar production play a crucial role in determining its properties. Factors like temperature, heating rate, reactor configuration, and residence time can significantly impact biochar quality. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of reactor configuration on the yield and properties of groundnut shell biochar. For this investigation, the volumes of aluminum-based combustion compartments in a biomass-fueled TLUD biomass gasifier were varied, and the resulting biochar was analyzed using SEM, EDX, and FTIR. It was observed that the increase in the combustion chamber of the gasifier led to an increase in the amount of biomass fuel utilized in the system, which led to an increased reactor’s temperature and varied carbonization duration and yield. Elemental composition showed that an increase in reactor volume led to an increase in biochar carbon content and reduced silica content. The SEM analysis confirmed that decreasing the combustion compartment sizes increased porosity and roughness, as well as visible fissures and crevices on the biochar surface. FTIR analysis revealed similarities in functional groups, with many peaks appearing at higher wavenumbers as the combustion compartment sizes decreased. This study innovatively examines how varying aluminum-based combustion compartment sizes and biofuel mass affect groundnut shell biochar properties using a TLUD gasifier, emphasizing its significance for optimizing biochar production and advancing sustainable practices.

Characterization of groundnut shell biochar produced with different stainless steel combustion compartment volumes

AbstractBiochar, a solid material derived from a thermochemical process, has received significant attention due to its usefulness in various sectors. Previous studies have been conducted to improve the properties and quality of this material by altering the thermochemical processes, treating the feedstock, hybridizing the feedstock, and so forth, but little has been done on the effect of varying the reactor's configuration. This research aims to study the effect of varying the stainless‐steel‐based combustion compartment volume of a biomass‐fueled top‐lit updraft gasifier on the groundnut shell biochar. The biochar yields for reactors ranged from 34.9% to 51.2%. The sample produced in the smallest combustion compartment volume showed the highest carbon content, according to energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Potassium, another major element, decreased as the combustion compartment was reduced. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the biochar samples produced had an irregular shape and rough surfaces, and reducing the combustion compartment volume resulted in larger particles on the surface. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis showed similarities and differences in peaks observed for all the samples. The biochar samples produced can find applications in wastewater treatment, energy conversion and storage, and soil amendment, and the findings contribute to the design and optimization of biomass‐based gasifiers.