Use Of Agricultural Waste Research Articles

THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS BASED ON FLAX STRAW

The development of plant-based materials will help to solve the problems associated with the use of agricultural waste, and at the same time to get inexpensive and effective insulation materials based on environmentally friendly local raw materials. The advantages of such materials are availability, fast recovery, low cost, environmental friendliness and low thermal conductivity. In the work with the use of flax straw at a consumption of Portland cement of 150 kg per 1 m3 of concrete, thermal insulation lightweight concrete with an average density of 350 kg/m3 and a strength of 0.53 MPa was obtained. The article presents the results of research of temperature changes on the surface of external enclosing structures using the developed thermal insulation concrete based on flax straw in combination with a solar energy absorber. It is established that such a structure of an external wall provides thermal inertia of a protection within 7-7.5 hours.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПРЕПАРАТА МЕФОСФОН НА ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ПРОЦЕССА ПОЛУЧЕНИЯ БИОГАЗА И УТИЛИЗАЦИИ УГЛЕРОДСОДЕРЖАЩИХ ОТХОДОВ

This article discusses a new method of utilizing carbon-containing waste into biogas with the addition of a biological active additive Mefosfon to the substrate in order to accelerate the process of obtaining biogas and preserve nutrients in the final product - organic fertilizer. The experiments were carried out in a small-volume biogas plant (MBU) without air access in a heat-insulated reactor filled to 2/3. The results of numerical studies of the conversion products of cattle manure are presented. The manure was kept in the reactor for 7 days. The use of the drug Mefosfon in ultra-low concentrations (10-4) made it possible to obtain a useful product in the form of high-quality organic biofertilizers and biogas. The conducted microbiological analysis of the experiments showed that in the experiment with the use of the drug Mefosfon, the content of enterococci and bacteria of the Escherichia coli group were lower than in the experiment without the drug Mefosfon. Bioconversion of the organic component of the substrate allows the use of waste in agriculture as organic fertilizers. Such processing can significantly reduce the dry weight of the treated organic waste and reduce the content of pathogenic microorganisms Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus spp., bacteriophage FX174, Ascarissuumova.
 Mefosfon reduces the time of maturation and neutralization of carbon-containing agricultural waste, which indicates the prospects of its use. After processing waste in a small-volume biogas plant, there are no pathogenic pathogenic microflora, helminth eggs, weed seeds, nitrites and nitrates. The final nitrogen content of the Mephosphon treated substrate is higher than that of the untreated substrate. The acidity values in the substrate pH 6.7 in the untreated and 7.5 in the treated substrate. Studies have shown that when the drug Mefosfon is added to the substrate, the release of biogas begins on 1-2 days and lasts up to 7 days. In this case, the biogas yield increases up to 25% compared to the use of the control substrate without the use of the Mefosfon preparation. The drug has found application in plant growing, animal husbandry, reclamation of contaminated soils

One-pot conversion of wheat straw into biobased chemicals in methanol/water medium using cheap mixed acid catalyst.

Environmental concerns and the diminishing availability of unrenewable resources have spurred research into the use of agricultural waste as a feedstock for industrial applications. Efficient conversion of wheat straw into biobased chemicals is an important way to realize the potential value of renewable agricultural biomass. This study investigated one-pot conversion of wheat straw into two notable platform chemicals, levulinic acid (LA) and methyl levulinate (ML). A mixed acid catalyst system, including 1% H2 SO4 and 0.015mol L-1 Al2 (SO4 )3 , was an efficient catalyst for the conversion of wheat straw due to the combination of Brønsted acid and Lewis acid. A ratio of wheat straw to methanol of 5g/50 mL was identified as the preferred solid/liquid ratio, and a methanol/H2 O medium with 25% water content aided the simultaneous production of LA and ML from wheat straw. Under optimum conditions, the maximum total yield of LA and ML reached 23.01% at 220 °C and 3h. The kinetics of biobased chemical formation and the reaction pathways in methanol/water were investigated. The presence of water in the methanol/H2 O medium affected the distribution of products and promoted hydrolysis reactions. The methanol/H2 O medium not only inhibited the side reactions but also promoted the degradation of wheat straw and increased the total yield of LA and ML. This study provides a feasible method for the conversion of wheat straw to prepare biobased chemicals. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Circular Economy Business Model in the COVID – 19 Pandemic Era in Local Communities

This study aims to map business opportunities with a circular economy model in Karangwidoro Village during the COVID-19 pandemic era. The methods used include the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Model which emphasizes community participation in all activities starting from planning, implementing and evaluating program activities. Moreover, the Community Development Model, which is an approach that involves the community directly as the subject and object of the implementation of research activities, is also employed. The results of the study show that there is a lack of public awareness of a business opportunity in agriculture, especially in the use of agricultural waste, but with the application of a circular economy business model, these problems can become new opportunities to increase the economic value of the local community.

Self-supporting rGO/BiOBr composite on loofah-sponge as a floating monolithic photocatalyst for efficient microcystis aeruginosa inactivation

• An innovative design of using agricultural waste for algae inactivation is proposed. • High-efficient monolithic photocatalyst supporting on loofah sponge is fabricated. • rGO improves the adhesive of BiOBr on loofah sponge, but also facilitates charge separation. • rGO/BiOBr@LF shows high efficient algae killing activity and long term operation stability. Photocatalysis has long been considered as a promising way for water purification, however the practical application of it has been strictly hindered by the difficulty in photocatalyst recyclability. In this work we report the first use of agricultural waste of loofah sponge as catalyst host to support photocatalyst, forming a floating monolithic-like structure for algae contaminated wastewater treatment. Taking BiOBr as an example, a series of floating monolithic photocatalysts of rGO/BiOBr supporting on loofah sponge (rGO/BiOBr@LF) are fabricated, exhibiting remarkable photocatalytic activities toward microcystis aeruginosa inactivation. Among them, rGO/BiOBr@LF with rGO loading content of 1.5 wt% (rGO/BiOBr@LF-2) shows the highest photocatalytic algae degradation performance, where more than 90% of microcystis aeruginosa can be removed with the TOC removal of algae reaching 74% within 3 h photocatalysis. Furthermore, the as-prepared rGO/BiOBr@LF-2 could be simply recycled by taking the material out of the solution, while without obvious catalytic activity loss. This work offers a new insight in designing recyclable and floating monolithic photocatalyst for high-efficient practical algae wastewater treatment.

Parametric and kinetic study of washing pretreatment for K and Cl removal from rice husk

Rice husk is an abundant agricultural waste that can be used in combustion applications. The use of agricultural waste in combustion applications is hindered by slagging, fouling, and corrosion due to elements such as K, Cl, and Si. With the aim of removing those problematic elements using water washing, lab-scale experiments were conducted to study the effect of washing parameters; temperature, time, and liquid to solid ratio and to recommend suitable washing conditions. The washing temperature of 65 °C and liquid to solid ratio of 100 was selected as the best process conditions. Within 10 min of washing time, 75% of Cl and 50% of K can be removed. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model is suitable to describe the leaching behavior, and the kinetic parameters were obtained for the leaching of K and Cl. In industrial installations, hot condensate from process use of steam can be recommended as a good source of washing medium.

Tribological behavior of HVOF based composite coatings for wear resistance applications

In this research work, the sustainable temperature-dependent coating was developed with the use of agriculture waste with the aid of HVOF technology. The various characterization and testing techniques such as Vickers micro-hardness tester, high-temperature tribometer, and FESEM-EDS are practiced for evaluating and examine the microstructures, surface morphology, wear, corrosion, and mechanical properties. The high-temperature tribometer was employed for evaluating the tribological performance of the developed coating and showed the range of value 0.28–0.43 of COF, whereas wear value was received in the range of 42–145 µm at the followings tested conditions of temperature varies from 5 to 200 °C, load (30–60 N) and sliding velocity (0.1–0.4 m/s) respectively. The result obtained from the tribological test shown increment in micro-hardness i.e. 75%, COF decreases 34.88%, and at a temperature of 200 °C, the value of wear is reduced to 71% during the wear test at a SV of 0.4 m/s and applied load of 60 N.

Spatial‐temporal evolution and influence factors of China’s agricultural non‐point source pollution discharge intensity in recent 40 years

AbstractThe excessive use of agricultural chemicals and the unreasonable use of agricultural wastes are the main problems encountered by China’s agriculture department. However, the comprehensive study on the discharge intensity of China’s agricultural non‐point source pollution (ANPSP) under the long‐term series has not been fully explored. On the basis of our previous research, the spatial‐temporal characteristics and influence factors of ANPSP discharge intensity in China from 1978 to 2017 were analyzed. The results showed that the discharge intensity from 1978 to 2017 was on a declining curve and roughly underwent four stages, including the free development stage, reform promotion stage, market regulation stage, and policy incentive stage. In this process, the discharge intensity of COD, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) was, respectively, declined to 1829.1 tons/108 yuan, 758.3 tons/108 yuan, and 100.1 tons/108 yuan. The regional discharge intensity has varied obviously in space as time goes by, showing the characteristics of spatial agglomeration, agglomeration weakening, spatial differentiation, and differentiation aggravation. The influence factor analysis indicated that under the background of implementing the traditional farming mode, increasing farmers’ incomes, adjusting the plantation structure, and remaining the stable agricultural product prices, China’s ANPSP discharge intensity could be reduced effectively.

Sustainable Design of an Optimal Supply Chain for Furfural Production from Agricultural Wastes

Biochemicals produced from lignocellulosic residues appear to be a feasible solution to replace traditional fossil resources. However, their implementation must overcome some challenges such as biomass seasonality; feedstock selection; harvest selection; potential geographical biorefineries location; and numerous economic, environmental, and social restrictions. This work proposes a multiperiod supply chain model for the use of agricultural wastes toward the production of platform biochemicals, such as furfural. The most abundant of Mexico’s lignocellulosic residues are considered. The demand of furfural was chosen so that it can replace the feedstocks required to produce the terephthalic acid imported to Mexico. Economic, environmental, and social objectives were considered to evaluate the supply chain solution. The economic aspect consists of the maximization of net profit. The environmental impact is the minimization of eco-indicator 99, and the social objective is the maximization of jobs generated. The results show that furfural production for replacing current raw materials in Mexico is feasible. The supply chain solution with the best trade-off consists of a profit of 1 billion USD/year, 19 000 jobs generated/year, and 370 million eco-points/year. Finally, the supply chain model proposed a distributed furfural production scheme, where several small furfural plants are installed and distributed over all of the country.

Effect of Rare-Earth Ions on the Optical and PL Properties of Novel Borosilicate Glass Developed from Agricultural Waste.

There is considerable attention devoted to the use of agricultural waste as a raw material substitute for commercial silica in the development of borosilicate glasses doped with rare earth oxides. Here, we present a novel structure for borosilicate glasses made from rice husk ash with a 25% molar ratio of extracted SiO2 and doped with neodymium (GRN) or dysprosium (GRD). Adding rare earth oxides to borosilicate glasses by the melt quenching method enhanced optical transmission due to the presence of their tetrahedral geometries. GRN samples showed few bands near zero, which constitutes good utility for band rejection filters in image devices, and the samples exhibited energy values ranging from 3.03 to 3.00 eV before and after gamma irradiation. Optical transmissions of GRD samples showed peaks at 25,974, 22,172, 13,333, 11,273, 9302, 7987, and 6042 cm−1. Deterioration in transmittance was observed when the investigated samples were exposed to irradiation doses of 20 and 50 kGy in the wavenumber range of 12,500 to 50,000 cm−1; however, different behaviors after irradiation with 50 kGy caused an increase in transparency in comparison to 20 kGy irradiation, which was pronounced for higher wavenumbers (greater than 12,500 cm−1). Photoluminescence emission and excitation spectra of the glass-doped Nd3+ (GRN) and glass-doped Dy3+ (GRD) samples were determined. GRD exhibited emission in the blue and yellow regions of the visible spectrum, which gave a white flash of light. Chromaticity coordinate (CIE) measurements of GRD samples indicated the origin of its luminous color relative to the standard white light region.

The Use of Agricultural Waste in the Modification of Poly(lactic acid)-Based Composites Intended for 3D Printing Applications. The Use of Toughened Blend Systems to Improve Mechanical Properties

The presented research focused on improving the mechanical properties of PLA-based composites reinforced with buckwheat husks (BH) particles. The research work was carried out in two stages. Firstly, the blend was prepared with the addition of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and thermoplastic starch (TPS), manufactured by injection molding technique, then the selected materials were prepared with the addition of BH filler, and the samples were prepared using the fused deposition modeling method (FDM). All samples were subjected to the assessment of material properties. Thermal and thermomechanical properties were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC) and dynamic thermal mechanical analysis (DMTA). Mechanical characteristic was evaluated using static tensile and flexural measurements and Charpy impact resistance tests. The research was supplemented with scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM). It was found that the addition of PBAT and TPS greatly improves impact strength and elongation, especially with the addition of reactive compatibilizer. As expected, TPS, PBAT, and BH reduced the stiffness of the composites during DMTA testing. The presence of BH particles in the polymer matrix was observed to improve the crystallization behavior of PLA. The optimal content of BH filler in the composite was found to be 10%, which allowed to preserve good mechanical properties.

Distribution of Iodine125 Labeled Parathion and the Protective Effect of Dried Banana Peel in Experimental Mice

AbstractParathion (PA) one of the organophosphorus pesticides, is widespread in agriculture crops. Several studies reported the detection of this pesticide residue in food at high concentrations. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine the accumulation of iodine [125I] labeled parathion ([125I] PA) in mice organs and to study the protecting reflex of dried banana peel. In this study, two groups of mice were used. Iodine [125I] labeled parathion (10 mg/kg body weight) was applied only to one group of mice. Meanwhile, [125I] PA (10 mg/kg body weight) and dried banana peel (20% were added to the diet) were applied to the other group of mice. The mice were injected by [125I] PA through the tail vein and were given the dried banana peel through the mouth. The mice were kept under observation for 180 min. for monitoring. The result of the first group of mice, which was injected with [125I] PA, only indicated that [125I] PA was distributed primarily in the kidneys (18.6%), liver (18.9%), and intestine (6.11%), after 180 min. In the second group of mice which received both [125I] PA, and dried banana peels, [125I] PA accumulated at a lower percentage in the kidneys (10.2%), liver (5.2%), and intestine (4.67%) after 180 min. These results indicated the decrease of [125I] PA in the liver and kidneys could be due to the effect of dried banana peels, and draw attention to the use of agricultural waste to remove pesticide residues contaminating food and feed.

Sustainable approaches for removing Rhodamine B dye using agricultural waste adsorbents: A review

Rhodamine B (RhB) is among the toxic dyes due to the carcinogenic, neurotoxic effects and ability to cause several diseases for humans. The adsorption with agricultural waste adsorbent recorded high performance for the RhB removal. The current review aimed to explore the efficiency of different adsorbents which have been used in the few last years for removing RhB dye from wastewater. The data of adsorption of RhB using agricultural wastes were collected from the Scopus database in the period between 2015 and 2021. The use of agricultural wastes and adsorbents as a replacement for the activated has received high attention among researchers. The RhB removal methods by microbial enzymes and biomass occurred between 76 and 90.1%. In comparison, the adsorption with agricultural wastes such as activated carbon white sugar reached 98% within 12 min. The adsorption process has a wide range of pH (3-10) due to the zwitterionic forms of RhB. Gmelina aborea leaf activated carbon is among the agriculture wastes absorbents that exhibited 1000 mg g−1 of the adsorption capacity. It appeared that the agricultural wastes adsorbents have a high potential for removing RhB from the wastewater.

Application of Taguchi design approach to parametric optimization of adsorption of crystal violet dye by activated carbon from poultry litter

The present study focuses on the use of agricultural waste to achieve a cleaner environment by preparing an activated carbon from poultry litter for the removal of a cationic dye (crystal violet, CV) from an aqueous solution. The prepared poultry litter activated carbon (PLAC) was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Taguchi design approach was applied to establish the optimum condition for the CV dye removal by PLAC. The PLAC with a graphitic carbon structure demonstrated a high specific surface area (148.05 m2/g) to enhance the adsorption of CV. Among the studied process variables, adsorption efficiency was mainly affected by initial concentration, pH and adsorbent dosage. At the optimum initial CV concentration of 50 mg/L, solution pH of 10, adsorbent dosage of 2.5 g/L and contact time of 45 min, the removal efficiency was 92.03%. Based on ANOVA results, pH showed the largest contribution percentage of 76.95%, indicating that it had the most significant effect on removal efficiency. The experimental results were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin models of adsorption. The Freundlich isotherm gave the best fit with the experimental data, indicating a multilayer and heterogeneous adsorption system with a maximum adsorption capacity of 70.32 mg/g. Kinetic data obtained at optimum initial concentration were evaluated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The experimental data fitted very well the pseudo-second-order model, which indicated the dominance of chemisorption mechanism.

Preface

The Conference on innovative technologies for environmental protection in the modern world took place on March 19, 2021, as an online conference hosted in Kazan, Russia. ITEPMW 2021 mainly focused on the issues of disposal of gas emissions, discharge water, and solid waste. Also, innovative technologies aimed at reducing human impact on the environment have been discussed within the Conference framework. The Proceedings of the Conference aim to stimulate other researchers and engineers to work with the mindset for sustainable development.In each section, the Conference was conducted in the form of ZOOM sessions. The speakers had 15 minutes to deliver the report, followed by the Q&A session. Participants could connect from any location. In total, 85 participants delivered presentations, and there was an unlimited number of audience members.We were very glad to have Professor Svetlana Sverguzova (Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov) as an honourary participant of our Conference. Professor Yurii Kazakov of Kazan National Technological University was the first to deliver this report. He spoke about the need to adopt sustainable development philosophy from the individual level to the global level. The next speaker was professor Shaikhiev Ildar of Kazan National Technological University. He presented his latest finding in the area of removing heavy metal ions and oil from water. Professor Svetlana Sverguzova did a report on the use of agricultural waste as adsorption materials. We would especially like to thank all the main reporters for sharing their latest research with the audience.ITEPMW 2021 aims to unite innovators and industry experts in the area of environmental protection. Therefore, this Conference collected the works featuring the latest research on the following topics: waste disposal, purification of discharge water, recovery of gas emissions. All these documents have been carefully reviewed and processed according to the international publication standards.We want to thank everyone who supported ITEPMW 2021. All help from individuals and institutions alike was vital to the success of this Conference. We would especially like to thank the Organizing Committee for their valuable advice on organizing the Conference and expert review of the documentsITEPMW 2021 Organizing CommitteeThe information about the Program and Organizing Committee of the Conference is given in this document.List of titles Organising Committee, Program committee are available in this pdf.

Green Technologies and Environmental Management: a New Understanding and Approach to the Use of Agricultural Waste

The waste from fruit and vegetable processing and also agricultural wastes contain valuable particles (antioxidants, dietary fibers, proteins, natural dyes, aromatics, adsorbent sites for removing toxins and contaminants) and, on the other hand, can be extracted, purified, and valorized in value-added products. This is the basis for regaining the considerable potential of food waste, using it as a source of many green products, and opening up the possibility of their extraction and purification. It turns out that fruits and vegetables and roots and tubers have the highest rate of food waste. The FAO announced that global quantitative loss and waste of root crops, fruit, and vegetables is 40–50% per annum. Disposal of such quantities of waste is not only a challenge for food processors but is also a matter of key importance at the international level due to environmental pollution and economics. This is the right time to invite some disciplines and encourage the various industries to utilize chemistry and chemical engineering in the worldwide demand for environmentally friendly chemical processes by the new approach and insight into food waste. Contrarily food and agriculture biotechnology with a focus on sustainable food production can use living organisms to make useful products, with production carried out using microorganisms and natural substances from organisms. Bio-technologies in food production obligated effectively through application in the reclamation of wasteland by the deployment of microorganisms and plants to degrade toxic compounds; genetic modification in food, non-food crops; weed and pest control methods; minimized the consumption of energy and water in production processes to result in improved value-added activities and thus enhanced productivity.

EFFECT OF CRUSHED DOUM PALM SHELL AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF COARSE AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE

The use of alternative materials in place of natural aggregate in concrete production has been getting attention all around the globe; this makes concrete a sustainable and environmentally friendly construction material. In this study the use of crushed doum palm shell (CDPS) as partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete production was investigated. The concrete grade 30 was used for the research with a water /cement ratio of 0.45. The control sample contained normal concrete ingredient cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate. The CDPS replacement by weight was varied at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% respectively for the test sample. The 28-day compressive strength of the concrete using Doum palm shell aggregate was found to be 28.0 and 20.2 MPa at 5 and 10% replacement under full water curing and it satisfies the requirement for structural lightweight concrete which was more than 17MPa. The study recommended replacement of coarse aggregate up to a maximum of 10 % crushed doum palm shell for structural light weight concrete and it encourage the use of agricultural wastes in construction as an environmental protection and cost reduction measure. However, results from laboratory investigations indicated that crushed doum palm shell (CDPS) has good potential as a coarse aggregate for production of structural lightweight concrete, especially for low-cost housing and also for use in earthquake prone areas.

The Effects of Rice Husk Particles Size as A Reinforcement Component on Resin-Based Brake Pad Performance: From Literature Review on the Use of Agricultural Waste as A Reinforcement Material, Chemical Polymerization Reaction of Epoxy Resin, to Experiments

This study aims to investigate the effect of rice husks’ particle size on resin-based brake pad performance (i.e. compressive strength, puncture strength, mass loss, wear rate, friction coefficient, and heat resistance). Bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin and cycloaliphatic amine were mixed to form resin and used as the brake pad's base material. In the experiment, rice husk with a specific particle size (i.e., 250, 500, dan 1000 μm) was added to the resin. Rice husk has received considerable interest due to its lignin, cellulose, and silica content, making it suitable as friction material due to its ceramic-like behavior. The experimental results showed small rice husk particles improved compressive strength, puncture strength, and bulk density. This can be obtained from the analysis of the maximum compressive strength for brake pad supported by particles with sizes of 250, 500, and 1000 μm having values of 0.238; 0.173; and 0.144 MPa, respectively. In contrast, large particles formed coarse surfaces and pores, decreased mass loss rate, and improve friction properties (i.e. wear rate, friction coefficient). The friction coefficient values of brake pad supported by particles with sizes of 250, 500, and 1000 µm were, respectively, 0.2075; 0.2070; and 0.3379. Particle size affected interpacking, interfacial bonding, pores number and size, thermal softening, mechanical properties, and friction properties of the brake pad. Comparison between the prepared resin-based and commercial brake pad was also done, confirming the utilization of agro-waste as a potential alternative for friction material in the brake pad.

Comprehensive assessment of agricultural waste effect on the thermal bridge phenomenon using ZUB ARGOS software, a case study in Iran

High energy use in buildings plays a key role in climate change and air pollution in cities of Iran. In this regard, the use of thermal insulation to reduce energy demand has been proposed as an important solution. Production of thermal insulation made from chemicals consumes high energy and their disposal has high environmental effects. Therefore, the use of agricultural waste due to their abundance in Iran, low energy consumption for production and high renewability rate, seems to be justified as an alternative to chemical-based insulation. Due to the importance of the above issues, in the present work for the first time with the aim of investigating the phenomenon of thermal bridges in traditional buildings of Iran, the ZUB ARGOS software is used to evaluate the effect of 10 different agricultural wastes (cork, cellulose fiber, meadow grass, flax, sheep wool, straw, hemp, cotton, grain granules, and cattail) as thermal insulation on the inside face of the wall, find the optimal thickness of common waste (straw) to remove the phenomenon of thermal bridges and evaluate the effect of the horizontal or vertical direction of straw fibers to the heat transfer path in the city of Yazd located in the hot and dry climate of Iran. The results of the current situation simulations showed that the thermal bridge phenomenon occurs in the building under study and the most critical connection with f = 0.48 is related to the wall-to-wall connection. Among the agricultural wastes, cork is the most suitable insulation with fmin = 0.76. The results of the 10 wastes investigation also showed that the wall-to-wall connection and the window lintel connection are according to the order the most critical and safest connections for creating a thermal bridge in the building under study. Due to the abundance of straw waste in the studied climate, this insulation was selected to optimize the current situation. The results showed that the placement of straw fibers perpendicular to the heat flow compared to its horizontal direction has a maximum advantage of 4.35%. The results showed that the optimal thickness for straw insulation is 3 cm, which means that no thermal bridge in connections occurs and cork is the most suitable insulation among the agricultural wastes studied.

Facile Modification of Biochar Derived from Agricultural Straw Waste with Effective Adsorption and Removal of Phosphorus from Domestic Sewage

In recent decades, straw waste is the major byproduct around agriculture that has become one of the factors of environmental pollution. The purpose of this study is to reuse waste straw to develop a new green and highly efficient biomass-based adsorbent for phosphorus removal. To attain this aim, Mg–Al bimetallic oxide/straw fiber (Mg–Al/SF) with hierarchical structure was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method using waste straw as the biomass carbon precursor and Mg–Al/SF was applied as adsorbent in the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The morphology, composition and structure of the adsorbent was well supported by several characterizations. The prepared biomass-based adsorbent showed outstanding adsorption performance. Maximum adsorption capability of Mg–Al/SF towards phosphorus from the Langmuir isotherm model was fitted out to be 89.37 mg/g. The related kinetics and isotherm study for the adsorption process were explored in detail. The proposed adsorbent exhibited good reusability that the removal of phosphorus remained above 72% after 5 cycles. In addition, thermodynamic study was carried out to further investigate the phosphorus removal mechanism, which was the synergistic combination of surface adsorption and chemical adsorption. The removal of total phosphorus in actual domestic sewage (Total phosphorus, TP, 0.8–1.1 mg/L) were investigated. The results indicated that the prepared Mg–Al/SF has excellent TP adsorption and recycling performance, and the adsorption and stability performance are significantly higher than that of the commercial activated carbon. The interactions between biomass material with large surface area and metal oxide provides great potential for the real application in the water treatment. Furthermore, it also presents a feasible and efficient practical example of increasing the use of agricultural waste.