Industrial Residues Research Articles

Evaluating the effect of fly ash on soil properties and germination of rice (Oryza sativa): A study on the utilization of thermal power plant residue

India has a power capacity of 4,02,817 MW, with over half coming from coal-based thermal power plants like the Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant (KTPP), West Bengal, India. These plants produce harmful fly ash, requiring safe disposal. KTPP alone generated 0.5921 million tons of fly ash in 2020-21, managed using ash ponds. Concerns have arisen regarding contamination of nearby agricultural fields, impacting rice cultivation. The objective of the study was to understand how fly ash affects soil and seed germination and emphasizes the importance of making careful decisions when using industrial residues in agriculture to ensure sustainable and responsible practices that prioritize environmental health and plant well-being.Samples were collected from areas near KTPP, and plant growth substrates were prepared by mixing control soil with varying fly ash concentrations. The study was conducted between 15 February and 19 May 2023 in PnaskuraBanamali College (Autonomous), Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. The physical and chemical properties of these substrates were analyzed, and rice seed germination studies were carried out over 30 days. The subsequent transplantation and growth assessments included measuring shoots and roots, analyzing leaf chlorophyll and carotenoids, and conducting statistical evaluations. The experiments were triplicated, and statistical analyses using SPSS 16 indicated statistical significance at p less than 0.05.The study helps to understand how fly ash affects soil and seed germination, revealing both positive and negative effects on soil properties and plant growth. It emphasizes the need for careful decision-making when using industrial residues in agriculture to ensure sustainable and responsible practices that prioritize both environmental health and plant well-being.

Valorization of winemaking residues as biochar for removing Ni(II) from real industrial painting process effluent in a fixed-bed column.

In this work, the adsorption of nickel ions from a real effluent from a metal-mechanic industry was investigated in a fixed-bed column using biochar. Biochar was prepared from winemaking residues originating from the Beifiur® composting process. The use of wine industry residues as precursor materials for biochar production is established in biomass residue valorization using the existing logistics and the lowest possible number of manipulations and pre-treatments. The results found in the work showed that the optimal conditions for nickel adsorption in fixed-bed columns were bed height (Z) of 7 cm, initial nickel concentration (C0) of 1.5 mg L-1, and flow rate (Q) of 18 mL min-1. In this condition, the maximum adsorption capacity of the column was 0.452 mg g-1, the mass transfer zone (Zm) was 3.3 cm, the treated effluent volume (Veff) was 9.72 L, and the nickel removal (R) was 92.71%. The Yoon-Nelson and BDST dynamic models were suitable to represent the breakthrough curves of nickel adsorption. Finally, the fixed-bed column adsorption using biochar from winemaking residues proved to be a promising alternative for nickel removal from real industrial effluents.

Production and characterization of protein-rich extracts from the red macroalga Gelidium corneum and its industrial agar extraction residues

The red macroalga Gelidium corneum is a species commercially exploited for agar extraction, though with enormous potential for other industrial applications. This work aimed to produce protein-rich extracts from the crude alga and from residues of the industrial agar extraction process by applying different extraction and recovery procedures, and to characterize the obtained protein extracts.The sequential implementation of two water extractions followed by two alkaline extractions resulted in the recovery of 12.0 ± 1.2 % and 15.4 ± 0.9 % of the total protein contents of the crude alga and industrial residues, respectively. Two sequential water extractions assisted by Celluclast® and Alcalase® enzymes followed by two alkaline extractions recovered 52.1 ± 1.7 % and 36.5 ± 1.3 % of the protein contents of the crude alga and industrial residues, respectively. Extracts produced by these processes were characterized focusing on proximal composition, protein accessibility, nutrition and antioxidant potential, showing value as aquaculture feed ingredients.As all protein products revealed high carbohydrate contents and, aiming at enriching protein content, different protein precipitation methods were assessed, namely through ammonium sulfate precipitation and pH-shift protocols. The pH-shift method in sequential mode proved to be simple and fast with low reagent consumption. The purification of extracts by this precipitation mode allowed precipitating up to 72 % of the extracted protein.The results obtained suggest that protein concentrates extracted from Gelidium corneum appear to be promising sustainable sources for fish feed production, owing to their essential amino acid content, protein bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties.

Preparation of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from industrial lignin residue and polyethylene co-pyrolysis by microwave-assisted in fluidized bed based on bimetal-loaded HZSM-5/MCM-41 core-shell catalyst

Enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL), lignosulfonate (LS), alkali lignin (AL), and hydrolysis lignin (HL) residues are mostly burned for heating in industrial production, which greatly wastes resources and pollutes the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of different temperatures and catalyst-to-biomass mass (C/B) ratios on the relative content of hydrocarbons in the products by microwave-assisted pyrolysis in a fluidized bed. Co and Ni bimetal-loaded molecular sieve with core-shell structure (Co-Ni@H/M) was used as the catalyst. The main component of waste plastic, polyethylene (PE), was pyrolyzed with these four lignin residues to prepare monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), and the mechanism of synergistic interaction in co-pyrolysis was investigated. It was shown that the maximum liquid phase yield and hydrocarbons relative content were obtained at 550 °C when lignin residues were pyrolyzed alone. Compared with the pyrolysis of lignin residues alone, the liquid phase and gas phase yields of co-pyrolysis were improved, while the solid phase yield decreased. Moreover, the temperature for maximum liquid phase yield and hydrocarbons relative content were reduced to 500 °C. Further exploration of the liquid phase products revealed that the relative contents of hydrocarbons in the four lignin residues and PE (EHL-PE, LS-PE, AL-PE, and HL-PE) co-pyrolysis products at 500 °C were 49.6 %, 33.1 %, 37.7 %, and 43.2 %, respectively, with MAHs as the main components. The results of the effect of different C/B ratios on the distribution of pyrolysis products showed that Co-Ni@H/M promoted the deoxygenation of oxygenated compounds, especially phenolic compounds, and the conversion of aliphatic hydrocarbons into MAHs by cyclization and aromatization.

Sustainable production and evaluation of bio-based flame-retardant PU foam via liquefaction of industrial biomass residues

The utilization of low-cost renewable feedstock, such as furfural residue and crude glycerol, presents great potential for advancing the bio-based polymer industry. Firstly, this study explored the feasibility of using furfural residue liquefaction in the presence of crude glycerol to synthesize biopolyols. The optimal conditions for liquefaction were determined to be 220 ℃, 3 h, with a 7% sodium hydroxide loading and 9% biomass loading. The hydroxyl and acid numbers of prepared biopolyols were found to be comparable to those of commercial polyols, which were 460 mg KOH/g and 2.25 mg KOH/g, respectively. Subsequently, newly bio-based flame-retardant polyurethane (PU) foam was produced using obtained biopolyols, isocyanate, and flame retardants. The foam demonstrated a compressive strength of 286 kPa and a density of 0.050 g·cm−3, with its thermal conductivity measured at 0.032 W·m−1·K−1. To enhance the flame retardant and insulation properties of the PU foam, 2% of modified hollow silica (Kh-SiO2) was incorporated. PU foams produced under optimal conditions exhibited a limiting oxygen index of 27.25%, demonstrating exceptional fire-retardant characteristics. Cone calorimetry tests revealed that the PU composites had a 45.7% lower peak heat release rate and a 35.7% lower smoke release rate than neat PU foam. Additionally, the synchronous thermal analyzer (STA) revealed that the PU foam exhibited potential thermal insulation performance. This study provides a technically feasible and sustainable approach to valorize furfural residue and crude glycerol for producing biopolyols and flame-retardant insulation PU foam.

Thermochemical Co-Liquefaction of Fruit Pomace’s Blends in a Binary Solvent System Toward Value-Added Bioproducts

Abstract Poland belongs to the most meaningful producers of fresh food products in the European Union, e.g., apples, cherries, carrots, as well as currants. A significant part of these products are subjected to further processing, which results in the generation of an abundant amount of wet residues, such as pomace. The present paper aims to investigate the possibility of co-processing various industrial residues in the form of fruit pomaces through thermochemical liquefaction toward high-energy-density biocrude and biochar. More specifically, industrial wastes received from commercial juice production, i.e., blackcurrant, apple, and cherry pomaces, were converted under subcritical conditions of the water-isopropyl alcohol solvent system at fixed conditions. Particular focus was put on testing binary and ternary mixture feedstock systems and the possibility of predicting the bioproduct yield. Furthermore, the quality of the resultant biocrudes was analyzed by means of FTIR, GC-MS, and elemental analysis. For all separately studied raw materials and their binary and ternary mixtures, the dominant group fraction was biocrude with its yield ranging between 45.8 and 54.5 wt%. Produced liquids exhibit high energy density (HHV between 30.1 and 32.4 MJ/kg); thus, all of them pose perspective alternative fuels for generating heat and electricity. Also, the solid biochars presented a high energy density (HHV around 24–26 MJ/kg) and can be considered as an alternative energy carrier. The postulated approach aims to increase the flexibility and profitability of future technology of processing useless waste toward value-added bioproducts for the chemical and energy sectors.

Sugar Cane Vinasse as a Renewable and Sustainable Feedstock for Lipid Production from Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus flavus

Background and Aims: In the search for sustainability and the use of renewable energies, biodiesel has stood out as a notable alternative to the growing energy demand of modern society. Microbial fat synthesis for lipids has been a possibility to produce this biofuel. In this context, the research work aimed to cultivate Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus fungi in commercial and homemade broth, plus variable concentrations of sugarcane vinasse as a substrate to extract lipids produced using different extraction techniques and solvents.
 Methodology: The fungi were grown in a commercial medium and a homemade one made with potato extract. After cultivation, they were submitted to two pre-treatments: the Bead Mill technique and the Ultrasound technique. The extraction of lipids produced in a commercial medium was performed via Soxhlet with a mixture of solvents. Therefore, the lipids produced in a homemade medium were extracted with the adapted Bligh-Dyer method.
 Results: The species grew to the different culture media submitted, but the home culture medium increased the reproductive. The industrial residue proves to be a good alternative as a supplement to the culture medium, helping to reduce costs and preserve the environment. The extraction by Soxhlet showed satisfactory results when the fungi were grown in a commercial medium, with Aspergillus niger being extracted from the ethyl acetate solvent, obtaining a yield of 18.78%, and for A. flavus extracted with dichloromethane/methanol (9:1) and chloroform, bringing yield of 32.98% and 32%, respectively. Although extraction by Soxhlet showed some excellent results, extraction with the Bligh-Dyer method demonstrated better lipid fractions ranging from 25% to 67% and reduced energy expenditure, indicating a promising use, cost, and benefit.
 Conclusion: Filamentous fungi of the genus Aspergillus can be used to produce biodiesel as they proliferate and can produce the same amount of lipids as a vegetable, which requires a much larger area of soil, for example.

SAMSax—An Innovative Living Lab for the Advancement of a Circular Economy through Additive Manufacturing Technologies

The sustainable development of products is of great interest to both industry and consumers due to various factors, such as anthropogenic climate change and the scarcity of resources and materials. In response to this, the simul+ Living Lab Sustainable Additive Manufacturing in Saxony (SAMSax) has been established as a physical experimental space aimed at improving the sustainability of products. This includes selecting resource-efficient manufacturing processes, using renewable materials, reducing energy consumption during use, and designing for recyclability. The innovative approach of the lab also integrates an open innovation process, involving present and potential stakeholders. Collaborating closely with stakeholders from industry, academia, and government fosters idea generation, provides solution approaches, and enhances acceptance and practical implementation. Methodologically, SAMSax focuses on upcycling organic and inorganic residues as well as by-products from industry and agriculture, reintegrating them as innovative components in industrial production using additive manufacturing (“3D printing”). The Living Lab provides a space for networking and active knowledge transfer through digital technologies, analyses, and collaborative developments, enabling the testing and evaluation of innovations in a real-world environment. Several potential waste materials suitable for additive manufacturing and new products have already been identified. In addition to industrial residues, materials, such as paper and wood dust; industrial by-products, such as sand; and agricultural residues, like harvest residues, are being analyzed, processed, and tested using additive manufacturing in the laboratory. In this way, SAMSax can contribute to an integrated and consistent circular economy. The research aims to demonstrate that the SAMSax Living Lab is a crucial driver of innovation in the field of additive manufacturing. Furthermore, this study contributes by presenting the Living Lab as an application-oriented research environment, focusing on innovative implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Tuning Reactive Crystallization Pathways for Integrated CO2 Capture, Conversion, and Storage via Mineralization.

ConspectusAchieving carbon neutrality requires realizing scalable advances in energy- and material-efficient pathways to capture, convert, store, and remove anthropogenic CO2 emission in air and flue gas while cogenerating multiple high-value products. To this end, earth-abundant Ca- and Mg-bearing alkaline resources can be harnessed to cogenerate Ca- and Mg-hydroxide, silica, H2, O2, and a leachate bearing high-value metals in an electrochemical approach with the in situ generation of a pH gradient, which is a significant departure from existing pH-swing-based approaches. To accelerate CO2 capture and mineralization, CO2 in dilute sources is captured using solvents to produce CO2-loaded solvents. CO2-loaded solvents are reacted Ca- and Mg-bearing hydroxides to produce Ca- and Mg-carbonates while regenerating the solvents. These carbonates can be used as a temporary or permanent store of CO2 emissions. When carbonates are used as a temporary store of CO2 emissions, electrochemical sorbent regeneration pathways can be harnessed to produce high-purity CO2 while regenerating Ca- and Mg-hydroxide and coproducing H2 and O2. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of this integrated approach.Tuning the molecular-scale and nanoscale interactions underlying these reactive crystallization mechanisms for carbon transformations is crucial for achieving kinetic, chemical, and morphological controls over these pathways. To this end, the feasibility of (i) crystallizing Ca- and Mg-hydroxide during the electrochemical desilication of earth-abundant alkaline industrial residues, (ii) accelerating the conversion of Ca- and Mg-carbonates for temporary or permanent carbon storage by harnessing regenerable solvents, and (iii) regenerating Ca- and Mg-hydroxide while coproducing high-purity CO2, O2, and H2 electrochemically is established.Evidence of the fractionation of heterogeneous slag to coproduce silica, Ca- and Mg-hydroxide, and a leachate bearing metals during electrochemical desilication provides the basis for further tuning the physicochemical parameters to improve the energy and material efficiency of these pathways. To address the slow kinetics of CO2 capture and mineralization starting from ultradilute emissions, reactive capture pathways that harness solvents such as Na-glycinate are shown to be effective. The extents of carbon mineralization of Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2 are 97% and 78% using CO2-loaded Na-glycinate upon reacting for 3 h at 90 °C. During the regeneration of Ca- and Mg-hydroxide and high-purity CO2 from carbonate sources, charge efficiencies of as high as 95% were observed for the dissolution of MgCO3 and CaCO3 while stirring at 100 rpm. Higher yields of Mg(OH)2 are observed compared to that for Ca(OH)2 during sorbent regeneration due to the lower solubility of Mg(OH)2. These findings provide the scientific basis for further tuning these reactive crystallization pathways for closing material and carbon cycles to advance a sustainable climate, energy, and environmental future.

Effect of Fiber Content on Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced CGF All-Solid-Waste Binder-Solidified Soil.

In order to realize the resource utilization of solid waste and improve the tensile strength and toughness of soil, CCR-GGBS-FA all-solid-waste binder (CGF) composed of general industrial solid waste calcium carbide residue (CCR), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA) was used instead of cement and combined with polypropylene fiber to strengthen the silty soil taken from Dongying City, China. An unconfined compressive strength test (UCS test) and a uniaxial tensile test (UT test) were carried out on 10 groups of samples with five different fiber contents to uncover the effect of fiber content on tensile and compressive properties, and the reinforcement mechanism was studied using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The test results show that the unconfined compressive strength, the uniaxial tensile strength, the deformation modulus, the tensile modulus, the fracture energy and the residual strength of fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil are significantly improved compared with nonfiber-solidified soil. The compressive strength and the tensile strength of polypropylene-fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil reach the maximum value when the fiber content is 0.25%, as the unconfined compressive strength and the tensile strength are 3985.7 kPa and 905.9 kPa, respectively, which are 116.60% and 186.16% higher than those of nonfiber-solidified soil, respectively. The macro-micro tests identify that the hydration products generated by CGF improve the compactness through gelling and filling in solidified soil, and the fiber enhances the resistance to deformation by bridging and forming a three-dimensional network structure. The addition of fiber effectively improves the toughness and stiffness of solidified soil and makes the failure mode of CGF-solidified soil transition from typical brittle failure to plastic failure. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the application of fiber-reinforced CGF-solidified soil in practical engineering.

Agricultural waste Ipomoea batatas leaves for low-temperature dyeing and functional finishing of polyester fabrics

The increasing focus on eco-friendly textiles and cleaner production manufacturing techniques have made natural pigments for coloring and enhancing the functionality of textiles become a popular trend. This research aimed to extract plant pigment from bio-waste Ipomoea batatas leaves and utilize it for dyeing and functional decoration of polyester fabric at low temperature. The study optimized the parameters for pigment extraction and fabric dyeing and also investigated the stability of the pigment solution. The finding indicated that strong acids and bases, intense light, high temperatures, and oxidants have a greater impact on pigment stability. Observation and analysis using SEM, bio-optical microscope, FTIR, and UV–vis–NIR absorption spectroscopy revealed that chlorophyll pigment entered into the interior of polyester molecular chains through hydrophobic end intercalation and was retained by the physical forces, enabling low-temperature coloring and functional finishing of polyester fabrics. As a result, the polyester fabrics dyed with natural pigment exhibited excellent resistance to rubbing, washing, saliva, and perspiration (rated at level 4 or higher), except for the average light fastness (only grade 4). Additionally, the dyed polyester fabrics demonstrated outstanding UV resistance (UPF of 33.57 for raw polyester and 120.77 for pre-mordant dyed polyester) and antibacterial properties (raw polyester agar plates showed bacterial growth, while the colored polyester agar plates had almost no bacterial growth). Even after 10 wash cycles, the dyed polyester fabrics maintained their UV protection and antibacterial properties. This research is expected to provide a new approach to the valuable utilization of agricultural residues in the textile industry.

Early mechanical strength, hydration mechanism and leaching behavior of alkali-activated slag/fly ash paste filling materials

The enhancement of the early strength of the filling body is regarded as a critical technology for shortening the mining & filling cycle and achieving efficient production. It is a high-value utilization pathway to entirely replace Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with industrial waste residue. Hence, in this research, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and fly ash (FA) were selected as aluminosilicate precursors. The effects of single-component and binary activation of Na2SiO3, Na2SO4, Na2CO3, NaOH, NaAlO2 and triethanolamine (TEA) on the mechanical strength of backfill were systematically investigated. The microstructural evolution mechanism of hydration products was elucidated using XRD, TG-DTG, SEM and MIP analyses. The leaching characteristics and immobilization mechanism of heavy metals were further revealed. The experimental results indicated that the activator contributed an alkaline environment and active ions to the initial hydrolysis reaction of precursors and the polycondensation reaction of silica tetrahedra and aluminum tetrahedra with Ca2+ drove the hardening and development of the hydration products. Na2SiO3 exhibited the superior activation effect among single-component activators, while the binary activator presented notable “promoting and inhibiting characteristics”. Moreover, the binary activator composed of 4% Na2SiO3 and 4% NaAlO2 conducted the highest compressive strength at 3 d and 7 d. The dominant hydration products of the backfill were ettringite, C-S-H gels, C-A-S-H gels and zeolite-like products. The density of microstructures and the crystallinity of hydration products were significantly enhanced ascribed to the synergistic and complementary effects of Na2SiO3 and NaAlO2. Heavy metals were immobilized by the hydration products through physical encapsulation and chemical bonding, and the leaching concentrations of all heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr(Ⅵ), Zn, Mn, As and Cu, etc.) were lower than the standard limits of Class III in GB/T 14848-2017.

Negative effect of industrial waste residue additives (IWRA) on NOx reduction by selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) in cement plant: A comparison between copper slag and iron-ore slag

The rapid development of cement plants necessitates the involvement of IWRA to improve the production performance of cement, which leads to the suppression of SNCR de-NOx process. However, the specific performance and mechanism of iron-rich waste materials on SNCR remain unclear. This study specifically addresses the effects of iron-ore slag (Fe2O3) and copper slag (Fe3O4) on the SNCR de-NOx process using fixed bed reactor in a simulated precalciner atmosphere ranging from 400 to 1000 °C. The results show that iron-ore slag had a strong inhibitory effect on the SNCR de-NOx process at low-medium temperatures (400 ∼ 800 °C), whereas copper slag could promote the NOx reduction reactions under slightly excessive NH3/NO ratio (NSR) conditions (NSR = 1.3). Both types of slag exhibited a more significant restraining effect on SNCR as ammonia concentration increased. In addition, the influence of trace elements in IWRA is not significant, which proved IWRA has incomparable substitutability and better economy than traditional catalysts. Consequently, these findings offer theoretical guidance for the subsequent implementation of IWRA in actual cement production processes. Additionally, it is advisable to avoid using Fe2O3-containing IWRA and ensure that ammonia injection points are positioned in the high-temperature region (900 ∼ 1000 °C) to achieve higher de-NOx efficiency.

Temporal and spatial mapping of theoretical biomass potential across the European Union

Abstract. With the increasing challenge to shift our economic system from carbon to renewable energy carriers, the demand for biogenic resources is growing. Biogenic municipal waste, agricultural by-products and industrial residues are under-utilised but are increasingly gaining in value. To date, there is no continuous database for these resources in the EU-27 countries. Existing datasets that estimate resource potentials for a single point in time often lack validation. A reliable and continuous database is thus needed to support the growing bioeconomy. Spatial and temporal high-resolution data of biogenic residues serve as an invaluable resource for identifying areas with significant theoretical biomass potential and allows an in-depth understanding of dynamic patterns over time. This study elucidates the theoretical biomass potentials of 13 distinct biomasses from municipal waste, agricultural by-products and industrial residues quantified annually from 2010–2020. The spatial scope of the research covers the EU-27 Member States incorporating all entities represented at various levels within the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) as delineated by Eurostat, where possible. The regionalised data are subsequently validated against regional statistics from different countries. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of creating a time series of theoretical biomass potentials for the 13 selected waste types, by-products, and residues, and underscore the critical role of data validation when regionalising national or sub-national data to smaller NUTS entities. It could be shown that the values of small regions (NUTS 3) correlated well on average. When looking at individual regions in detail, regional characteristics such as the location of cultivation, waste management or reporting methods could lead to over- or underestimates of up to 100 %. Therefore, data at the regional level provide only limited reliability. In the case of industrial residues, regionalisation gave good results localising preference regions of high theoretical biomass potential, but more data on industrial production are needed to also estimate residual quantities at sub-national and local levels. The biomass potentials modelled in this study have been published in an open-access database, which is designed as an extensible tool, enabling the understanding of national and regional trends of theoretical biomass potentials in the European Union and of the reliability of the regionalised data. The estimated theoretical potential dataset can be downloaded free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.48480/g53t-ks72 (Günther et al., 2023).

Gıda atıklarının bakteriyel selüloz üretiminde kullanımı

Cellulose is defined as a polymer that exists in the cell walls of plant tissues and is widely used in many industrial fields. However, the recent threat of deforestation has led researchers to find alternative wood sources for cellulose production. For this reason, literature studies have focused on certain types of bacteria known to be capable of producing cellulose, such as Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Alcaligenes, etc. It is stated that cellulose of plant origin and bacterial origin have a similar structure. Bacterial cellulose possesses a big economic and commercial potential depending on the purpose and the production method and is generally used in food applications as a fat substitute, rheology modifier, immobilization material for probiotics and enzymes, stabilizer of pickering emulsions, component of food coatings and green packaging film. Recently, it has become more prominent to use food waste as production inputs, such as beet and sugar cane molasses, fruit waste, dairy industry waste, etc. So, the utilization of industrial by-products, agro-forestry, and food industry residues as carbon sources has been providing significant advantages, such as increasing yield and reducing cost. The objective of this study was to present a general look related to bacterial cellulose production in combination with the use of food waste and future trends.

Harnessing Renewable Lignocellulosic Potential for Sustainable Wastewater Purification.

Utilizing renewable lignocellulosic resources for wastewater remediation is crucial to achieving sustainable social development. However, the resulting by-products and the synthetic process characterized by complexity, high cost, and environmental pollution limit the further development of lignocellulose-based materials. Here, we developed a sustainable strategy that involved a new functional deep eutectic solvent (DES) to deconstruct industrial xylose residue into cellulose-rich residue with carboxyl groups, lignin with carboxyl and quaternary ammonium salt groups, and DES effluent rich in lignin fragments. Subsequently, these fractions equipped with customized functionality were used to produce efficient wastewater remediation materials in cost-effective and environmentally sound manners, namely, photocatalyst prepared by carboxyl-modified cellulose residue, biochar-based adsorbent originated from modified lignin, and flocculant synthesized by self-catalytic insitu copolymerization of residual DES effluent at room temperature. Under the no-waste principle, this strategy upgraded the whole components of waste lignocellulose into high-value-added wastewater remediation materials with excellent universality. These materials in coordination with each other can stepwise purify high-hazardous mineral processing wastewater into drinkable water, including the removal of 99.81% of suspended solids, almost all various heavy metal ions, and 97.09% chemical oxygen demand, respectively. This work provided promising solutions and blueprints for lignocellulosic resources to alleviate water shortages while also advancing the global goal of carbon neutrality.

Valorisation of the industrial hemp residue from essential oil production by recovery of cannabidiol and chemo-enzymatic conversion to cannabielsoin

A sustainable method to extract and purify cannabidiol (CBD) from soaked biomass waste from the production of essential oil of industrial hemp is disclosed. A simple and scalable lipase-mediated oxidation of CBD to cannabielsoin is also reported.

Enzyme-accelerated CO2 capture and storage (CCS) using paper and pulp residues as co-sequestrating agents.

In the present work, four CaCO3-rich solid residues from the pulp and paper industry (lime mud, green liquor sludge, electrostatic precipitator dust, and lime dregs) were assessed for their potential as co-sequestrating agents in carbon capture. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) was added to promote both CO2 hydration and residue mineral dissolution, offering an enhancement in CO2-capture yield under atmospheric (up to 4-fold) and industrial-gas mimic conditions (up to 2.2-fold). Geological CO2 storage using olivine as a reference material was employed in two stages: one involving mineral dissolution, with leaching of Mg2+ and SiO2 from olivine; and the second involving mineral carbonation, converting Mg2+ and bicarbonate to MgCO3 as a permanent storage form of CO2. The results showed an enhanced carbonation yield up to 6.9%, when CA was added in the prior CO2-capture step. The proposed route underlines the importance of the valorization of industrial residues toward achieving neutral, or even negative emissions in the case of bioenergy-based plants, without the need for energy-intensive compression and long-distance transport of the captured CO2. This is a proof of concept for an integrated strategy in which a biocatalyst is applied as a CO2-capture promoter while CO2 storage can be done near industrial sites with adequate geological characteristics.

Green synthesis of ZnO-NPs using sugarcane bagasse waste: phytochemical assessment of extract and biological study of nanoparticles.

The accumulation of agricultural and industrial residues inevitably contributes to environmental pollution. Thus, several scientific investigations have been conducted to overcome this problem and to add an economic value proposition. Unlike typical sugarcane bagasse applications, this work presents a novel application of sugarcane bagasse waste in a green synthesis approach for forming zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). This work opens the door to studying the potential of sugarcane bagasse in a green synthesis orientation. Phytochemical assessment of the aqueous extract of sugarcane bagasse waste was conducted by studying total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant assays. ZnO-NPs were synthesized using the aqueous sugarcane bagasse extract (ASCBE) with a 96% yield. To obtain 99.7% pure ZnO-NPs, nanoparticles were calcined at 550 °C to remove any remaining plant extract residues. The purity and yield of the produced and modified ZnO-NPs were studied. The initially produced and modified ZnO-NPs were characterized using XRD, FT-IR, UV, TEM, TGA, and PL and to determine the necessity of the calcination step. A detailed proposed mechanism for the formation of ZnO-NPs mediated by ASCBE was introduced. The ZnO-NPs were studied for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. The ZnO-NPs before calcination were found to exhibit more potent antimicrobial activity against both P. aeruginosa and A. niger compared to the calcined ZnO-NPs. In addition, molecular docking analysis revealed that the ZnO-NPs had the strongest binding affinity towards the P. aeruginosa RhlG/NADP active-site complex and the crystal structure of Actibind, a T2 RNase of A. Niger. ZnO-NPs also showed promising binding interactions with viral targets, including the Herpes simplex virus type II protease and Influenza virus NS1 effector domain. Additionally, environmental and economic studies were achieved to relate the scientific study with daily life applications.

Full-scale static behaviour of prestressed geopolymer concrete sleepers reinforced with steel fibres

Profusive cracking leading to the deterioration of prestressed concrete sleepers has retained the sleepers from being exploited to their full extent. In addition, excess utilization of cement in producing the same has paved the way for developing its counterpart, geopolymer concrete (GPC), involving primary industrial residues as their precursors. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the development and performance of high-strength geopolymer concrete sleepers for railway applications. The research focuses on the complete replacement of ordinary Portland cement with Fly ash and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag in the geopolymer concrete mix, for mainline prestressed railway sleepers following Indian Railway Standards (IRS). Notably, the study includes experimental validations of long steel fibers as secondary reinforcement to the primary prestressing strands, aiming to enhance the ductility of the member. Experimental validations were performed on full-scale (1:1) sleeper members under static loading conditions. The main aim of this article was to assess the load carrying capacity at cracking and ultimate limits, rail seat bending moment, ductility indices, failure mechanism, electrical impedance, bond strength, and the eco-efficiency for the proposed prestressed geopolymer concrete sleeper members (with and without steel fibres) with reference to the conventional prestressed cement concrete sleepers. The considered GPC mix was found to achieve higher load and moment carrying capacity by about 8.3% and 8.54% respectively compared to the conventional concrete mix. The addition of steel fibres in the GPC increased the load and moment capacity of sleepers by 23% and 24.21% respectively. Additionally, the steel fibre reinforced GPC showed improved displacement ductility demand over the plain geopolymer concrete averaging 25%, 28.5%, and 3% corresponding to ultimate, failure, and residual ductility index respectively. Though inclusion of steel fibers improves the performance of sleepers in terms of load and ductility, they were found incompatible with regard to the electrical impedance property when used in conjunction with the pre-stressing strands.