Logging wastes of tropical species managed sustainably in the Brazilian Amazon are promising for replacing fossil fuels. However, their use in local energy systems is challenging concerning many ...mixed-species with unknown properties. This study focuses on the energy characterization of the logging wastes from twenty commercial Amazon species harvested in a sustainable management plan and their energy equivalence to fossil fuels. The wood species were grouped by principal component analysis according to their basic density, moisture content, maximum moisture content, heating value, energy density, and chemical composition. Basic density (0.525–0.895 g cm−3), energy density (9.4–16.8 GJ m−3), ash (0.3–2.5%), and total extractives (1.8–17.9%) showed wide interspecific variations. On the other hand, the carbon content (49.2–52.4%), total lignin (30.2–38.1%), fixed carbon (16.5–22.0%), volatile matter (76.7–82.8%), and higher heating value (19.1–20.9 MJ kg−1) varied less among species. D. excelsa, M. elata, P. altissium, and G. glabra wastes surpassed conventional planted species for bioenergy applications. The logging wastes formed four groups with similar properties aiming at energy systems. The fuelwood value index ranked wastes of D. excelsa wood as the most promising for bioenergy. Finally, D. excelsa wood wastes presented the largest mass of CO2eq fixed in 1 m3 of logging wastes (1,687 kg), meaning that the use of 1 m3 of these wastes would mitigate the emission of 1,687 kg of CO2eq.
•Logging wastes from sustainable forest management is a promising source of bioenergy in Brazilian Amazon.•Amazon species presented better energy properties then species used in homogeneous plantings.•The total extractive positively influenced the energy performance of the logging wastes.•Grouping of logging wastes is a way to reduce energy losses from the heterogeneity of the wastes.•Higher energy density is required for logging wastes for better energy equivalence with fossil fuels.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract 2,3-Butanediol (BDO) is a crucial precursor in various industries, traditionally derived from fossil resources, raising environmental concerns. This study evaluates the techno-economic ...feasibility of producing BDO from wood residues, a sustainable resource abundantly available in Nordic countries. By modeling a biorefinery plant with a daily capacity of 100 metric tons of wood chips, three scenarios (Sc.) were explored: Sc. 1, where BDO is the sole product; Sc. 2, where BDO is produced alongside methane and biofertilizer; and Sc. 3, which incorporates a combined heat and power system using biogas from the waste stream. The analysis emphasizes the minimum selling price (MSP) of BDO, revealing it to be lowest in Sc. 1 at USD2.97/kg, compared to USD3.20/kg and USD3.48/kg for Sc. 2 and Sc. 3, respectively. Notably, sensitivity analysis highlighted the impact of processing capacity on economic performance, suggesting a potential for higher scalability and profitability in Sc. 2. This study contributes novel insights into the role of processing capacity and fermentation yield in optimizing BDO production, providing a valuable framework for technology developers aiming to establish wood-based biorefineries. These findings not only enhance understanding of economic thresholds but also underscore the importance of resource efficiency and strategic planning in bio-based production setups. Graphical abstract
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
To limit the global temperature increase to a maximum of two degrees by mid-century, as stated in the Paris Agreement, the concept of circular bioeconomy is becoming increasingly relevant. For a ...sustainable, circular design of production systems, which is decisive for industry's future viability, the valorization of residual and side-streams is urgently needed. One of the most promising bio-based recyclables is wood, especially lignin. About 50 million tons are produced worldwide per year as a waste product from the pulp and paper industry. To date, most lignin recycling processes require high energy inputs and the use of chemicals with potentially harmful environmental effects. Furthermore, wood-based products often contain substances that prevent their biodegradability. In nature, enzymatic mechanisms are applied to synthesize and decompose wood components. Inspired by this, enzymatic processes could lead to the production of bio-based and biodegradable materials. This paper describes enzymes from plants and organisms involved in wood synthesis and degradation, regarding their technical implementation in production processes such as additive manufacturing. By integrating biological systems into technical production processes, the transformation of the industry towards a biointelligent circular economy is supported.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
► Analytical pyrolysis of wastes using TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR techniques are compared. ► TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR produced a broad spectrum of qualitative data. ► Kinetic parameters determined by TGA-MS and ...TGA-FTIR show good comparability. ► Careful interpretation of the complex TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR spectra is required.
Pyrolysis of waste materials, biomass wood waste, waste tyre, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and waste plastic was performed using two thermogravimetric analysers (TGA). One TGA was coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS) and the other to an infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The kinetic parameters of the pyrolysed waste materials obtained for TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR were compared using a model based on first-order reactions with a distribution of the activation energies. A further comparison of the volatile species evolved by thermal degradation (TGA) and the subsequent characterisation by the MS and FTIR spectra was performed. The first-order reaction pathways and subsequent activation energies calculated from the differential TGA data presented good repeatability between the TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR. The TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR produced a broad spectrum of qualitative data characterising the volatile gaseous fraction of the waste materials pyrolysed. TGA-MS and TGA-FTIR are shown to be valuable techniques in corroborating the respective thermograms and spectrograms of the volatile species evolved during the pyrolysis of waste materials. However both techniques are prone to interference and careful interpretation of the spectra produced is required.
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•Microfibrillation rate of non-delignified spruce sawdust was faster than pine sawdust.•Lignin-preserving sulfonation improved the grade of LMFC made from pine and spruce.•The grade ...of LMFCs: sulfonated spruce > sulfonated pine > spruce > pine.•Pre-sulfonation improved the recovery of mechanical properties of dried LMFCs.•High lignin content did not interfere the reinforcing ability of LMFCs in fluting board.
The production of MFC and CNF has recently been focused on fiber raw materials which, still contain residual lignin instead of bleached chemical pulp fibers. The target of this study was to assess the energy consumption and microfibrillation rate for high lignin containing microfibrillated cellulose (LMFC) produced from non-delignified pine and spruce sawdust directly or after lignin-preserving sulfonation, and evaluate their grade by measuring strength properties of self-standing films made from the LMFCs and by determining their ability to reinforce fluting board. MFC from bleached softwood was used as a reference.
Microfibrillation rate at 80 °C was faster for spruce sawdust than for pine sawdust, i.e., bonding ability (measured as tensile strength of self-standing films) developed faster in spruce LMFC than in pine LMFC. By mild pre-sulfonation of sawdust, corresponding to the sulfonation degree of 0.5−0.6 %, the rate increased further with both softwood species. In similar grinding conditions and equal grinding time, pre-sulfonation did not affect much energy consumption but at a given specific energy consumption the grade of LMFC was better. Due to the high lignin content, mechanical properties of LMFCs could not been developed at as high level than MFC. However, the tensile strength of 100 MPa was possible to achieve for LMFC films using either the equivalent (spruce and sulfonated pine) or even clearly lower amount (sulfonated spruce) of grinding energy than in microfibrillation of bleached Kraft pulp to the same strength.
By comparing the pre-sulfonation of sawdust and the post-sulfonation of LMFC, it was concluded that the main sulfonation effect in grinding was lignin softening, which enhanced cell wall disintegration in microfibrillation. The increased bonding ability of sulfonated lignin and the dissolution of extractives were seen to be secondary effects but not without significance. Pre-sulfonation also improved redispersibility, i.e., the recovery of the mechanical properties of dried LMFCs.
The reinforcing potential was evaluated by dosing LMFCs and MFC without a retention aid into the handsheets made from fluting pulp. The tensile strength of fluting increased almost linearly with an increasing dosage and increasing microfibrillation time. Although the grade of LMFCs, in terms of viscosity and mechanical properties of LMFC films, was lower than that of MFC from bleached softwood, their ability to reinforce fluting board was shown to be equal, indicating lignin present did not interfere the formation of hydrogen bonds. With a 4 % dosage (equaling to the amount of 2–2.5 % within the handsheets) of each LMFC microfibrillated for 120 min, the tensile strength improved by 20 %. Among the tested raw materials, LMFC from spruce sawdust without pre-sulfonation has the greatest potential as a cost-effective reinforcing agent for the paper and board industry. For sulfonated LMFCs should be found applications where their better bonding ability could be better utilized.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Mild sulfonation of sawdust prior to ultrafine wet grinding was studied.•Sulfonation enhanced grinding efficiency and the bonding capability of microfibrils.•Fibrillation is based on ...lignin softening and the fatigue of cell wall ultrastructure.•Sulfonation is a green and low-cost method to improve wood fibrillation.
Cheaper methods and raw materials are currently being sought for the production of microfibrillated cellulose. Presently microfibrils with high lignin content have attracted increasing interest. Wood residues, like sawdust, are good candidates due to their abundancy and low price but the recalcitrant nature of the lignocellulose complex is an obstacle for the mechanical separation of microfibrils directly from wood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the mild sulfonation pretreatment of pine sawdust with sodium sulfite in neutral and mild alkaline conditions could enhance mechanical fibrillation in ultrafine wet grinding. Sawdust sulfonated at pH 7 and 9 resulted in a lignin sulfonation degree of 0.5–0.6% with a yield loss of 5–6%, approximately half of which was due to the dissolution of extractives from the initial content of 4.7% to 1.3–1.5%. Sawdust (with and without sulfonation) was pre-ground first in a twin-screw extruder, followed by ultrafine grinding with a friction grinder at a temperature of 80 °C. The viscosity and size distribution of the microfibrillated sample suspensions were determined. Additionally, the samples were filtered on a membrane, dried, and the mechanical properties of the sheets made from the samples were measured. The results showed that the sulfonation of softwood sawdust is a promising economic and environment-friendly method to produce microfibrillated cellulose with high lignin content (above 28%), having excellent strength properties, low viscosity, and fast dewatering rates. The sheets made from the sulfonated samples yielded an almost twofold increase in tensile strength and Young's modulus (100 MPa and 7–7.5 GPa, respectively) compared to the reference sample without sulfonation (52 MPa and 4.3 GPa) at an applied net grinding energy of 7 MW h per ton. It was found that the size of the fibrils was at a similar level with and without sulfonation, but the bonding ability of the sulfonated samples was clearly better.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Combustion tests were performed in a small-size biomass boiler to assess the air quality during biomass burning.•Biomass characterization and modeling of yields and emissions in ...combustion.•Evaluation of woodfuel parameters useful to sustainable practices, highest energetic yields and lowest environmental impacts.•Olive residues represents the most advantageous biomass, in terms of emissions and energy yield.•Grapevine and citrus residues showed high N content and consequent high NOx production.
The increased interest in using farm-grown biomass for energy production makes it necessary to expand and deepen knowledge on combustion of agricultural residues. The lack of data and studies on solid fuel quality, and combustion related emissions, represents an obstacle to the sustainable development of agricultural biomass industry. In the Mediterranean basin, large quantities of lignocellulosic biomass are obtained yearly from pruning operations carried out largely widespread in fruit plantations such as citrus, grapevine and olive orchards. The most common practice to eliminate this type of residue is the open burning, carried out directly on the field by farmers, without any emissions control or energy recovery. The aim of this study was to obtain a clear description of three different wood biomasses and their behavior during combustion. The physicochemical properties were studied to determine their influence on combustion emissions. Measurements were conducted in laboratory and subsequently carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), Total Organic Compounds (TOC), and particulate matter (PM) emissions were evaluated during combustion in a 30 kW boiler equipped with a multicyclone filter bags for emission abatement. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the data of biomass properties and emissions parameters in order to elucidate which feedstock features had a more determinant influence on the combustion process. Grapevine and citrus showed high N content and consequent high NOx production. Olive highlighted the best characteristics, high energetic potential and low emissions under regulation limits; in addition, olive pruning residues is the most available woodfuel in the Mediterranean area of Europe, confirming its great potential on agricultural biomass industry sustainable development.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Currently, cellulose nanostructures (CNS) are obtained using pretreatments of lignocellulosic residues. In this work, different conditions in the enzymatic isolation process were studied to obtain ...CNS, aiming an alternative eco-friendly method. Two isolation methodologies were used: a) one submitting the residue to an alkaline pretreatment and b) other using the lignocellulosic waste directly without pretreatment. A commercial complex of enzymes (Ctec®) was used, varying the time to which the substrate was exposed to the enzymes at 12, 24 and 48 h, searching for the better condition to CNS obtaining. The application of alkaline pretreatment removed 73% of hemicellulose and 50% of lignin from wood fiber leading to a more exposed cellulose structure and increased the amount of nanocellulose produced. The obtained nanostructures were needle-shaped of approximately 70 nm wide. However, CNS of similar size and shape were received as well without pretreatment application, allowing their obtainment with lower reagent consumption through a more environmentally efficient route, as presented in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) where energy consumption and acidification potential were considered.
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•Cellulosic nanostructures were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis without pretreatment.•Time of reaction affects only the yield, not the mean size of the structures.•Needle-like structures with higher crystallinity were obtained without pretreatment.•Pretreatment surpassing reduced the impacts represented in the LCIA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Based on literature and six country studies (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia) this paper discusses the compatibility of the EU 2020 targets for renewable energy with ...conservation of biodiversity.
We conclude that increased demand for biomass for bioenergy purposes may lead to a continued conversion of valuable habitats into productive lands and to intensification, which both have negative effects on biodiversity. On the other hand, increased demand for biomass also provides opportunities for biodiversity, both within existing productive lands and in abandoned or degraded lands. Perennial crops may lead to increased diversity in crop patterns, lower input uses, and higher landscape structural diversity which may all have positive effects on biodiversity.
In production forest opportunities exist to harvest primary wood residues. Removal of these forest residues under strict sustainability conditions may become economically attractive with increased biomass demand.
An additional biomass potential is represented by recreation areas, road-side verges, semi-natural and natural areas and lands which have no other use because they have been abandoned, polluted or degraded.
Whether effects of cropping of biomass and/or removal of biomass has positive or negative impact on biodiversity depends strongly on specific regional circumstances, the type of land and land use shifts involved and the associated management practices in general. However, it is clear that in the six countries studied certain types of biomass crops are likely to be more sustainable than others.
► We study six EU countries for compatibility of renewable energy and biodiversity. ► Biomass demand for bioenergy may lead to conversion of valuable habitats. ► Land based biomass harvesting has biodiversity effects that vary across Europe. ► Different effects are valid for biomass production in varying land resource types. ► Biomass from urban green and recreation areas is promising resource.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Commercial activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for the removal of micropollutants from the aqueous phase; however, its widespread use is restricted due to high associated costs. To decrease ...treatment costs, attempts have been made to find inexpensive alternative activated carbon (AC) precursors, such as waste materials. Some reviews report the use of waste materials for the preparation of AC; however, these studies are restricted to either type of wastes, preparation procedures, or specific aqueous-phase applications. The present work reviews and evaluates literature dedicated both to the preparation of AC by recycling different types of waste materials and also to its application in various aqueous-phase treatments. It is clear that conventional (from agriculture and wood industry) and non-conventional (from municipal and industrial activities) wastes can be used to prepare AC, that can be applied in various aqueous treatment processes, namely to remove organic pollutants, dyes, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals. Moreover, high surface areas can be obtained using either physical or chemical activation; however, combined treatments might enhance the surface properties of the adsorbent, therefore increasing its adsorption capacity. It is evident from the revision made that AC prepared from both conventional and non-conventional wastes might effectively compete with the commercial ones. This happens mostly when the activation procedures are optimized considering both the raw material used to produce the carbons and the contaminants to be removed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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