Article
Thermodynamics
Wanhe Hu, Zixing Feng, Jianfei Yang, Qi Gao, Liangmeng Ni, Yanmei Hou, Yuyu He, Zhijia Liu
Summary: The study revealed that the combustion behaviors of bamboo charcoal were significantly influenced by pyrolysis temperatures, with changes in combustion characteristics observed as the temperature increased; volatile combustion disappeared at 350 degrees Celsius for bamboo charcoal; the maximum higher heating value of bamboo charcoal was reached at 650 degrees Celsius.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
D. du Boisgueheneuc, F. Delarue, V. Daux, T. T. Nguyen Tu, F. Baudin, A. Dufraisse
Summary: This study investigates the modification of δO-18 in wood during the carbonization process and its connection with the chemical composition of the materials. The results show that δO-18 values in charred wood undergo a two-step process, characterized by the volatilization and degradation of thermolabile compounds below 300°C and the thermal degradation of cellulose and lignin below 700°C. A non-linear regression model relating δO-18 to the aromaticity of the wood was established, demonstrating that δO-18 values change as wood aromatization progresses, independent of the carbonization conditions.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Michael Lubwama, Vianney Andrew Yiga, Ivan Ssempijja, Harriet Nalubega Lubwama
Summary: This study evaluated the mechanical and thermal properties of firewood and charcoal from five tree species in Sub-Saharan Africa and found that charcoal had higher bulk densities and calorific values, while firewood had higher maximum flame temperatures.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Srinivasa R. Pinnamaneni, Isabel Lima, Stephanie A. Boone, Saseendran S. Anapalli, Krishna N. Reddy
Summary: Optimizing soil health through soil amendments, such as biochar, has the potential to enhance rainwater efficiency and stabilize crop production. A field study in Mississippi found that successive applications of 20 or 40 t ha(-1) biochar significantly increased cotton lint and seed yields under rainfed conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Joao Vitor F. Duque, Flavio L. F. Bittencourt, Marcio F. Martins, Gerald Debenest
Summary: A novel device is proposed in this study to address the high electric energy consumption issue of pyrolysis reactors in industrial applications. Experimental results verified the reliability and positive energy balance characteristics of this device under different operating conditions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Michael Lubwama, Vianney Andrew Yiga, Silagi Wanambwa, Denis Bbosa, Harriet Nalubega Lubwama
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in thermo-chemical conversion characteristics among different firewood species and charcoals, with Albizia grandibracteata having the highest lignin content. Morus lactea showed the lowest lignification rate and the highest activation energy for charcoal.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Felix Charvet, Felipe Silva, Luis Ruivo, Luis Tarelho, Arlindo Matos, Jose Figueiredo da Silva, Daniel Neves
Summary: Charcoal production in Portugal is primarily based on woody residues from cork oak and holm oak, but urgent actions are being taken to reduce fuel in forests after recent wildfires. Research shows that the carbonization process can valorize alternative woody biomasses not currently used on a large scale, with a focus on properties of resulting charcoals, particularly for use in the Portuguese market for barbecue purposes.
Article
Thermodynamics
Lin Xin, Mingyu An, Mingze Feng, Kaixuan Li, Weimin Cheng, Weitao Liu, Xiangming Hu, Zhigang Wang, Limin Han
Summary: This study simulated the pyrolysis process of lump coal in UCG tunnel, showing that with the increase of final pyrolysis temperature, the functional group content of coal samples decreased and the structure became more disordered.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jon Solar, Blanca Maria Caballero, Carmen Barriocanal, Alexander Lopez-Urionabarrenechea, Esther Acha
Summary: Charcoal obtained from woody biomass pyrolysis can be used as fuel and reducing agent in metallurgical applications to reduce CO2 emissions. The research shows that charcoal has a high heating value, does not contain polluting elements, and has less ash, making it suitable for replacing fossil reducers. However, adding too much charcoal can degrade the mechanical and plastic properties of biocoke.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Willem Vercruysse, Jolien Smeets, Tom Haeldermans, Bjorn Joos, An Hardy, Pieter Samyn, Jan Yperman, Kenny Vanreppelen, Robert Carleer, Peter Adriaensens, Wouter Marchal, Dries Vandamme
Summary: Common ivy, a evergreen climbing plant, shows promise as a feedstock for pyrolysis based biorefinery processes, with the potential to be used in soil fertilization and carbon sequestration. Different extraction processes and pyrolysis temperatures can influence biochar properties and carbon sequestration potential of common ivy, making it a versatile and sustainable option for urban ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Thomas Theurer, David K. Muirhead, David Jolley, Dmitri Mauquoy
Summary: This study explores the novel assessment of Raman spectroscopy as a method for interpreting paleowildfire burning intensity. The study found the best correlations between thermal maturity and D-band full-width at half-maximum (D-FWHM) and the D-/G-band full-width at half-maximum ratio (D-FWHM/G-FWHM) for assessing changes in paleowildfire intensity, with other parameters commonly applied to Raman studies of charcoal being influenced by non-linearity. Further analysis of precursor material on charcoal microstructure and consideration of parameters used in Raman spectroscopy are necessary for understanding prehistoric and modern wildfire intensity.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Sheng-Chun Hu, Jie Cheng, Wu-Ping Wang, Ya-Hong Zhu, Kang Kang, Ming-Qiang Zhu, Xiao-Hua Huang
Summary: The study demonstrates that pyrolysis of lacquer wood can generate charcoal and pyroligneous acids, with the optimal charcoal having the maximum specific surface area at 500 degrees Celsius, and pyroligneous acids collected at 400 degrees Celsius showing the strongest antimicrobial activity against brown rot fungi. The calorific value of gas reaches its peak at 550 degrees Celsius.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Han Zhang, Wei Liao, Xiaoming Zhou, Jingai Shao, Yingquan Chen, Shihong Zhang, Hanping Chen
Summary: The study investigated the coeffect of pyrolysis temperature and K3PO4 impregnation on the characteristics and adsorption behavior of bamboo biochar. The results showed that medium-temperature pyrolysis (550-750 degrees C) produced biochar with higher adsorption capacity for heavy metals, mainly through the adsorption of Cd (II) by O-containing groups, PO43-, and P2O74-.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Suyun Pei, Yanjun Zhao, Wenhui Li, Chen Qu, Yifan Ren, Yue Yang, Jiemin Liu, Chuandong Wu
Summary: Through the study of pine needle biochars prepared at different temperatures, it was found that temperature has a significant impact on their degradation performance. Biochars synthesized at relatively low temperatures contained more oxygen-containing functional groups and free radicals, while biochars synthesized at relatively high temperatures had more pore structure and higher graphitization degree. Mechanism studies showed that biochars synthesized at high temperatures had better electron transfer capability, resulting in a higher degradation rate.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Ali Umut Sen, Helena Pereira
Summary: This review highlights the potential of bark as a feedstock for char production from lignocellulosic biomass. It emphasizes the importance and large exploitation potential of barks, and discusses the differences between barks and other lignocellulosic materials, as well as suitable production methods for barks.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Philipp Thunshirn, Walter W. Wenzel, Christoph Pfeifer
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization is an effective method to convert wet waste biomass into hydrochars, with their porous structure supporting the survival and activities of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Research indicates an abundance of pores sized between 1 and 20 μm in hydrochars, which can protect bacteria from predators and provide nutrients and labile carbon for bacterial growth.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Heyam Al-Najjar, Hala J. El-Khozondar, Christoph Pfeifer, Rafat Al Afif
Summary: The increasing household energy demand in the countries of the global south has led to a search for alternative energy sources. The city of Gaza, for example, relies on large volumes of biomass and abundant solar radiation. A hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) combining solar and biomass is proposed to provide sustainable electrification for highly populated communities.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Christoph Rosinger, Gernot Bodner, Luca Giuliano Bernardini, Sabine Huber, Axel Mentler, Orracha Sae-Tun, Bernhard Scharf, Philipp Steiner, Johannes Tintner-Olifiers, Katharina Keiblinger
Summary: Tackling the global carbon deficit through soil organic carbon sequestration in agricultural systems has been a recent focus. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of on-farm SOC sequestration potentials in order to derive effective strategies.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Selim Mrzljak, Benjamin Zanghellini, Lars Gerdes, Ramon Helwing, Reinhard Schuller, Gerhard Sinn, Helga Lichtenegger, Frank Walther, Harald Rennhofer
Summary: Nano-reinforcements have been shown to enhance the mechanical properties of CFRP, both in quasi-static and fatigue load conditions, and are a promising option for optimizing CFRP performance. However, the use of alignment techniques for oriented nano-reinforcements is still insufficiently studied. This research investigates the influence of oriented carbon nanofibres (CNF) on the mechanical properties of bidirectional CFRP.
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guixue Song, Etelvino H. Novotny, Michael H. B. Hayes
Summary: A combination approach of urea-amended aqueous base and H2SO4-amended DMSO was used to extract refractory soil humin fractions, resulting in up to 95% isolation of the humified soil organic matter. The use of these solvent systems does not significantly alter the compositions or structures of the humic fractions isolated.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Philipp Siedlaczek, Gerhard Sinn, Philipp Peter, Julius Jandl, Gyoergy Hantal, Karin Wriessnig, Roman Wan-Wendner, Helga C. Lichtenegger
Summary: This study investigated hygrothermal aging in two particle-filled epoxy-based composites. The composites had comparable filler loadings but differed in filler type (portland cement; quartz). The influence of 10 different climates with varying humidities and temperatures on mechanical properties was examined periodically using tensile tests. The changes in structure and composition were analyzed through microscopy, EDX, TGA, and XRD. It was found that physical aging and the growth of crystals within cement fillers contributed to stiffening effects, while water uptake led to an increase in modulus due to the formation of hydration products. The degradation of Young's modulus was not affected by filler type, but the degradation of tensile strength was substantially influenced.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Vladimir Fristak, Diana Bosanska, Vladimir Turcan, Martin Pipiska, Christoph Pfeifer, Gerhard Soja
Summary: Pyrolysis is an effective method for the treatment of sewage sludge. The study found that pyrolysis-treated sewage sludge has high concentrations of heavy metals, but it does not negatively affect plant growth and metal content when added to soil.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Christoph Preimesberger, Axel Solt-Rindler, Christian Hansmann, Christoph Pfeifer
Summary: This experiment studied the influence of size and temperature on the heating and auto-ignition of beech and spruce wood cubes. The experiments were conducted at five isothermal temperatures with four cube sizes, and temperature curves, mass-losses, and exothermic reactions were compared. The results showed that heating up isothermal phases at approximately 360 degrees Celsius were observed due to ongoing pyrolysis, and after pyrolysis, a combination of internal heating and heterogenous oxidation reactions on the surface lead to ignition and combustion. Differences in chemical composition and sample size affected the ignition temperature.
Article
Soil Science
Etelvino Henrique Novotny, Eduardo Ribeiro deAzevedo, Gustavo de Godoy, Daniel Martelozo Consalter, Miguel Cooper
Summary: The determination of soil pore size distribution and water retention curve is important in understanding soil processes. However, existing methods are expensive, time-consuming and prone to bias and errors. In this study, the use of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry is proposed to directly determine the pore size distribution and estimate the water retention curve of undisturbed soil samples, overcoming the limitations of previous methods.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maarten Everaert, Olivier Duboc, Elden Willems, Gerhard Soja, Christoph Pfeifer, Niels Van Velthoven, Rodrigo de Oliveira-Silva, Dimitrios Sakellariou, Jakob Santner
Summary: Boron (B) fertilizers are crucial for global crop production. A study investigated thermochemical treatments to process cellulose fiber insulation waste into a slow-release B fertilizer, achieving slow-release properties through the formation of sparingly soluble Ca-B phases. Results showed the potential of slow-release B in reducing toxicity and leaching losses, indicating its effectiveness as a B application method.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Caio T. C. C. Rachid, Fabiano C. C. Balieiro, Raquel S. S. Peixoto, Eduardo S. S. Fonseca, Hugo E. E. Jesus, Etelvino H. H. Novotny, Guilherme M. M. Chaer, Felipe M. M. Santos, James M. M. Tiedje, Alexandre S. S. Rosado
Summary: Mixed tree plantations have been studied for their potential benefits in biomass production, ecosystem diversity, and soil quality. This study examined the effects of a mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees on leaf litter biochemistry, fungal community, and decomposition rate. The results showed that the origin of litter and incubation time significantly influenced the mycobiome, while the incubation site had no effect. The microbial community structure and diversity were not associated with the decomposition rate.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Christoph Preimesberger, Maximilian Wondrak, Axel Solt-Rindler, Christoph Pfeifer, Christian Hansmann
Summary: In this study, the influence of the size of spherical wood samples and the temperature surrounding the samples on auto-ignition was investigated. The results showed that larger samples and higher temperatures were more prone to auto-ignition due to increased surface area and internal overheating. Comparison of different wood species found that size played a critical role in auto-ignition.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Omer Suljevic, Uwe Y. Schwarze, Beguem Okutan, Valentin Herber, Helga Lichtenegger, Jan-Eike Freudenthal-Siefkes, Annelie-M. Weinberg, Nicole G. Sommer
Summary: The effect of early post-operative exercise on bone microstructural changes in a rat model was evaluated in this study. The results showed that postoperative exercise can increase bone formation and accelerate the healing process. This suggests that postoperative exercise can promote skeletal rehabilitation.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rafat Al Afif, Christoph Pfeifer
Summary: The methane potential of three-phase olive mill solid waste (3POMSW) was evaluated, and thermophilic processing was found to result in higher methane and biogas yield. The addition of enzyme mixtures showed potential for increasing methane production. Simple model equations were developed for calculating biogas yield and optimizing the process.
CARBON RESOURCES CONVERSION
(2022)
