Jatropha Curcas Shell Research Articles

Microwave/ultrasonic treatments of Jatropha curcas shell: effect on phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and its incorporation into cookies

Microwave/ultrasonic treatments of Jatropha curcas shell: effect on phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and its incorporation into cookies

Thermal and Thermomechanical Characterization of Polypropylene-Seed Shell Particles Composites

The use of plant waste, such ashusks, fibers, and bagasse, as additives in polymeric matrices generated great interest recently, since they became an option to be used as additives, reinforcers, or only as fillers. The pistachio is a seed for human consumption, while the Jatropha curcas (JC) is a seed from which oils are extracted, and are used to obtain biofuels; however, their shells are not used when discardedbecause no useful application is known.An interesting application for this waste material is to use it as a bioadditive in polymeric matrix. The objective of the present work is to prepare polymer composites with polypropylene (PP) as a matrix and as a bio-additive particle inseed shells, in this case Jatropha curcas shell particles (JA) and pistachio shell particles (PI), in different content from 2 to 10 phr. The composites were characterized by techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate crystallinity; by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the thermal stability was studied, and by using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) the viscoelastic behavior of composites was evaluated. According to DSC, results suggest that a nucleating effect occurs with the addition of the JA and PI, which was reflected in an increase in thepercent of crystallinity of the composites. The TGA results show that thermal stability of the composites was modified with the presence of JA and PI, compared with that PP pristine.In addition, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reported that the viscoelastic behavior was modified, findinga higher capacity to dissipate energy for composites, PI being the one that presented a greater effect on them.

On the environmental and economic issues associated with the Jatropha curcas shell gasification to heat and electricity for biodiesel production

The present work is focused on the use of Jatropha curcas biomass (shell), as feed to gasification systems coupled to a diesel engine for electricity generation. The scope of this research is to analyze the environmental and economic effects of the integration of a gasification system to a biodiesel plant. The environmental impacts are quantified by a Life Cycle Assessment and the economy is assessed based on the Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Investment Recovery Period models and the Levelized cost of electricity. The results demonstrate that a gasification system, using this biomass as a source of electricity generation, is a promising alternative for energy supply, with good economic effect. Estimated efficiencies are: Net Present Value > 0, Internal Rate of Return > 10%/yr and Investment Recovery Period = 2.08 years, representing very good outcomes for this kind of system. Nevertheless, the project exhibits a very low Levelized Cost of Electricity of 0.054 USD/kWh. From the environmental point of view, there is not critical step during the whole life cycle of electricity generation from Jatropha curcas biomass.negative environmental impacts were found for breathing-inorganics and acidification-eutrophication, but both at negligible levels.

Evaluation of Jatropha curcas and Pistachio Shell Particles as Modifier for Asphalt Binder

In recent years, the use of waste materials from agricultural sources has attracted interest as a research field. Several kinds of waste particles have been studied as additives for asphalt modification, and good results in terms of rheological and physical properties have been discussed in recent literature. In the present work, two types of seed shell particles were evaluated as asphalt modifiers. The shells of Jatropha curcas and pistachio are considered waste materials with no further industrial applications; therefore, in this study, they were incorporated into asphalt at different concentrations in order to evaluate their effect on the binder’s properties. Modified asphalt mixtures were prepared through the hot mix method, and the physical, rheological, and thermal properties of the modified samples were measured and compared to those of the unmodified binder. According to the results of softening point, viscosity, and rheological characterization, the particles obtained from Jatropha curcas and pistachio shells can be used as efficient additives for asphalt modification. Pistachio shell particles act as an asphalt modifier, while Jatropha curcas behaves more like a filler agent since using it at high concentrations causes an inverse effect on the modified performance and properties of the asphalt. Finally, the results obtained showed that both shell particles were useful for improving the binder’s resistance to rutting and permanent deformations, compared to the pure asphalt’s original behavior.

A sensitive refining of in vitro and in vivo toxicological behavior of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles from the shells of Jatropha curcas for multifunctional biomaterials development

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) possess a wide range of biological functions in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications due to their excellent antimicrobial, optical and UV protective properties. This study first reports the toxicological assessment of ZnO NPs green synthesized from Jatropha curcas shells for multifunctional biomedical applications. The hot water extract of J.curcas shells is utilized as a chelating agent for the reduction of zinc acetate and then, the prepared ZnO NPs are broadly characterized using X-ray spectroscopic and electron microscopic observations. The prepared ZnO NPs acquire high purity (100%) wurtzite crystal with hexagonal structure with the average particle size of 53 nm. In vitro and in vivo toxicity evaluation against human tumor cell lines and zebrafish embryos have ascertained the purpose of ZnO NPs in clinical research. Toxic effects of ZnO NPs were observed by a dose-dependent reduction of bacterial growth at ≥1 μg ml−1, by teratogenicity and genotoxicity in zebrafish embryos (from 3 to 90 μg ml−1) and by a significant nanoparticle uptake (0.5 ng μl−1) by a fish serum. In contrast, ZnO NPs fail to reduce the proliferation of human bladder tumor cells (UC6) and cell viability of A549 cells in vitro up to 500 μg ml−1. All these observations limit the unobstructed application of ZnO NPs at higher concentrations. Thus, abundantly used metal oxide nanoparticles like ZnO NPs examined in our present study in different animal models under in vitro and in vivo conditions will be the significant screening strategy to determine the nanotoxicity.

Pyrolysis behavior and economics analysis of the biomass pyrolytic polygeneration of forest farming waste

The pyrolysis behavior of Chinese chestnut and Jatropha curcas shells (CNS and JCS, respectively) were investigated to determine the optimum operating temperature for biomass pyrolytic polygeneration systems. At low temperatures (250–450 °C), CO2 was the main component of the pyrolytic gas, and high acidity oil was obtained. When the temperature increased to 550–650 °C, phenol-enriched oil and high LHV biochar (∼26 MJ/kg) were obtained; H2 and CO yields increased. At high temperatures (750–950 °C), heavy-oil and high LHV pyrolytic gas (∼15 MJ/m3) were obtained. Meanwhile, the biochar showed a highly condensed aromatic ring system and low H/C (∼0.1) and O/C (∼0.05) ratios. CNS and JCS biochars showed different tendencies with regard to their structure evolution. An economic analysis was performed, which suggested that the optimum operating temperatures were 450 °C for CNS and 350 °C for JCS.

Study of Jatropha curcas shell bio-oil-diesel blend in VCR CI engine using RSM

Abstract Jatropha curcas shell was slow pyrolyzed in pilot-scale fixed bed reactor at 500 °C. Fuel properties of moisture free bio-oil (MFBO) and diesel were compared, which advocated MFBO's applicability in CI engines. Negligible corrosion effect of MFBO was experienced for SS-316 and anodized Al, whereas significant corrosiveness was observed towards Cu. For all three metals, diesel was found to be less corrosive. MFBO was mixed with diesel in proportions of 4%, 8%, 12% and 16% (% v/v) and operating variables of single cylinder VCR engine were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) with the blends. A central composite design (CCD) was employed to examine the effects of three independent variables - CR, load and blend %, whereas the investigated response variables were brake thermal efficiency (ηBth), brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc), unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC), CO, and CO2. The obtained data were analyzed with the help of Design Expert software. Response prediction was accomplished by following a second-degree polynomial model. The optimum conditions were CR 18.00, load 6.665 kg, and blend 12.22%. Under optimum conditions, the experimental values of response variables were fairly comparable with the model predicted values. The designed model achieved overall desirability of 0.786.

Hydrogen-Rich Syngas from Jatropha curcas Shell Biomass Char in Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator Assembly

Hydrogen-rich syngas was generated from Jatropha curcas (J. curcas) shell biomass char in a Fresnel lens solar concentrator assembly using solar thermal energy. The assembly had two lenses arranged in such a manner that the focal point of both coincided at a glass reactor, having a specially designed water inlet mechanism. A dual axis automatic solar tracking system working in a closed loop was utilized for continuously maintaining the focal point on the reactor so that the desired high temperature could be obtained for the reaction. The maximum temperature of 1087 °C with a geometrical concentration of 215× was reached at the focal plane. The theoretical efficiency of the system was found to be 67.44%. The simulated results of the predicted temperature were first verified experimentally without any reaction mixture, and they differed with an average error of 7.85%. J. curcas shell char was then steam gasified at the focus. A maximum char bed temperature of 736 °C could be achieved during the reaction, an...

Producción de briquetas con residuos de cáscara de piñón manso (Jatropha curcas) y bagazo de caña de azúcar

One of the alternatives to benefit the agroforestry residues is by densification processes. Thus, the goal of this analysis was to evaluate the raw material and briquettes quality produced from the remains of the sugarcane bagasse and Jatropha curcas shell. The biomass was dried and set at 12% of moisture content and, afterwards, had the treatments prepared. T1 – 100 % sugar cane bagasse; T2 – 100 % Jatropha curcas shell; T3 – 75 % sugar cane bagasse + 25 % Jatropha curcas shell; T4 – 75 % Jatropha curcas shell + 25 % sugar cane bagasse; and T5 – 50 % sugar cane bagasse + 50 % Jatropha curcas shell. The briquettes were produced with the assistance of a hydraulic briquette machine at temperature of 80 ± 2 oC and pressure of 140 kgf cm-2, kept for a period of five minutes. The main energy and physic mechanical aspects of the briquettes were bulk density, energy density, volumetric expansion, dynamic resistance and tensile strength by diametric compression. It was confirmed that the briquettes produced from 100 % Jatropha curcas shell showed superior energy density, they were also more resistant to tensile strength by diametric compression and to the dynamic resistance test, they even presented higher volumetric expansion compared to the ones produced from 50 % sugarcane bagasse + 50 % Jatropha curcas shell.

Simulation of Jatropha curcas shell in gasifier for synthesis gas and hydrogen production

This paper examines a simulation of Jatropha curcas shell within an entrained flow gasifier to predict the composition of gaseous product. Since there is no available data of Jatropha shell experiment, we validated the model using other biomass: rice husk and sawdust. The validation results showed that the model agreed with the experimental data of rice husk and sawdust. Furthermore, the same model is applied for Jatropha curcas properties data. From this simulation, we obtained that carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) increased when reactor temperature was raised. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) decreased. Since the simulation is not validated directly with Jatropha shell experimental data, error may come because of this situation. Therefore, we applied the Mean Error Approach (MEA) and produced a range of gas products through Jatropha shell in a simulation. The MEA data shows that methane (CH4) has the highest mean errors with both sawdust and rice husk, at values of 0.8776 and 0.6115, respectively. Carbon monoxide (CO) on the other hand, has the lowest error. When we then apply this MEA to Jatropha shell simulation result, it shows that the range of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by Jatropha shell gasification has a composition ranging from 40.54 to 52.32% at a temperature of 1000 °C. The composition ranges of hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) gases are 27.07–35.91%, 5.43–28.29%, and 0.49–9.96%, respectively.

CO2 Capture Using Amine-impregnated Activated Carbon from Jatropha curcas Shell

CO2 Capture Using Amine-impregnated Activated Carbon from Jatropha curcas Shell

High Energy Density Bio-oil via Slow Pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas Shells

Upgraded bio-oil derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass has the potential to replace liquid fossil fuels. In this work we report the generation of high energy density oil via the slow fixed-bed pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas shells and the subsequent upgradation of the crude bio-oil by means of a simple organic reaction. The optimization for maximum productivity of the bio-oil was carried out at temperatures of 300, 400, 500, and 600 °C. Kinetic study indicated the favorable heating rate to be 5 °C min–1. The maximum bio-oil, with a yield of 31.14%, was obtained at 400 °C with a holding time of 4 h. The bio-oil, containing ca. 40% carbonyl (>C═O) derivatives, was converted into the corresponding methylene (−CH2−) derivative by treatment with hydrazine hydrate/sodium hydroxide. The resultant oil, containing mostly ethylbenzene, had a high calorific value and thus might be suitable to replace fossil diesel or gasoline. The bio-chars obtained at the specific carbonization temperatures were also ...

Combination of water extraction with dilute-sulphuric acid pretreatment for enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis of Jatropha curcas shells

Jatropha curcas shells were extracted with water in a pilot-scale reactor and then pretreated with dilute sulphuric acid. The pretreatment was initially investigated with a Box-Behnken experimental design in the range of 110–180°C, 0.1–1.5% H2SO4 and 20–60min, and then with complementary experiments at 190°C. The glucan recovery was above 87% in all the experimental runs. Xylan solubilisation was 13–20% in the milder pretreatments and up to 45% in the most severe runs. Around 70% cellulose enzymatic conversion, evaluated with commercial cellulases during 72-h hydrolysis, was achieved for the pretreatments at 180°C, and a region with maximal conversion was predicted for around 190°C. For confirming that estimation, a 22-experiment augmented by one central point and parallel pretreatments of pre-extracted and non-extracted shells were performed. The highest cellulose conversion, reached at the central point, was 16.5% higher for the pre-extracted and pretreated material than for the directly pretreated one. The low cellulose crystallinity index (0.79) of the pre-extracted and pretreated shells correlated well with their better enzymatic convertibility.

Comparison of Jatropha curcas shells in natural form and treated by non-thermal plasma as biosorbents for removal of Reactive Red 120 textile dye from aqueous solution

Jatropha curcas shell an abundant residue of the biocombustible industry, was used in its natural form (JN) and treated by non-thermal plasma (JP) as biosorbents for the removal of Reactive Red 120 (RR-120) dye from its aqueous solutions. These biosorbents were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and by nitrogen adsorption/desorption curves. The effects of pH, shaking time and temperature on adsorption capacity were studied. In the acidic pH region (pH 2.0), the adsorption of the dye was favorable using both adsorbents. The contact time to obtain equilibrium isotherms at 298–323K was fixed at 10h for both biosorbents. The general order kinetic model provided the best fit to the experimental data compared with pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic adsorption models. For RR-120 dye, the equilibrium data (298–323K) were best fitted to the Liu isotherm model. The maximum sorption capacity for adsorption of the dye occurred at 323K, attaining values of 40.94 and 65.63mgg−1 for JN and JP, respectively. Simulated dyehouse effluents were used to check the applicability of the proposed biosorbents for effluent treatment (removal of 68.2 and 94.6%, for JN and JP, respectively) in a medium with high saline concentration.

Non-Destructive Harvesting of Biogenic Gold Nanoparticles from Jatropha curcas Seed Meal and Shell Extracts and their Application as Bio-Diagnostic Photothermal Ablaters-Lending Shine to the Biodiesel Byproducts

Non-Destructive Harvesting of Biogenic Gold Nanoparticles from Jatropha curcas Seed Meal and Shell Extracts and their Application as Bio-Diagnostic Photothermal Ablaters-Lending Shine to the Biodiesel Byproducts

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of Jatropha curcas shells: utilization of co-products from the biodiesel production process

Jatropha curcas has great potential as an oil crop for use in biodiesel applications, and the outer shell is rich in lignocellulose that may be converted to ethanol, giving rise to the concept of a biorefinery. In this study, two dilute pretreatments of 0.5% H(2)SO(4) and 1.0% NaOH were performed on Jatropha shells with subsequent simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the pretreated water-insoluble solids (WIS) to evaluate the effect of inhibitors in the pretreatment slurry. A cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g WIS, complimented with an excess of cellobiase (19.25 U/g), was used for SSF of either the washed WIS or the original slurry to determine the effect of inhibitors. Ethanol and glucose were monitored during SSF of 20 g of pretreated biomass. The unwashed slurry showed to have a positive effect on SSF efficiency for the NaOH-pretreated biomass. Maximum efficiencies of glucan conversion to ethanol in the WIS were 40.43% and 41.03% for the H(2)SO(4)- and NaOH-pretreated biomasses, respectively.