Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Leyre Sillero, Amaia Morales, Rut Fernandez-Marin, Fabio Hernandez-Ramos, Izaskun Davila, Xabier Erdocia, Jalel Labidi
Summary: This study assessed the environmental impacts of converting almond shells into high added-value products through Life Cycle Assessment methodology, concluding that enzymatic hydrolysis had the highest environmental impacts. It was also found that the organosolv delignification process had a more negative overall impact. The best route for valorizing almond shells in a biorefinery facility should include autohydrolysis, alkaline delignification, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis steps.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ioanna Sapouna, Alexandros Efraim Alexakis, Eva Malmstrom, Lauren Sara McKee
Summary: Renewable resources like wood and its components, such as lignin, have great potential in replacing fossil-based materials. In this study, the impact of lignin structure on the formation of nanoparticles was investigated. The results provide insights into the structure-property relationship of nanoparticles derived from lignin.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Blaise L. Tardy, Erlantz Lizundia, Chamseddine Guizani, Minna Hakkarainen, Mika H. Sipponen
Summary: Lignin is a natural polyphenol that provides trees with resistance and height. There is growing interest in using industrial lignin as a beneficial material. However, most of the industrially produced lignin is currently used as an energy source. To redirect its use towards material applications and avoid environmental issues, circularity needs to be considered.
Article
Thermodynamics
Temitayo Giwa, Maryam Akbari, Amit Kumar
Summary: This study evaluated the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of an integrated multi-product biorefinery and compared different pathways and configurations. The results showed that the emission intensity of biorefinery products is lower than fossil energy products but higher than dedicated bioenergy technologies. Reducing feedstock moisture content and increasing ethanol concentration can significantly reduce emissions.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Lohit Kumar Srinivas Gujjala, Wangyun Won
Summary: This study focuses on the process design, techno-economic analysis, and life-cycle assessment of lignin hydrogel (LH) for environmental remediation. The study estimates the minimum selling price of LHs and identifies the influential parameters. The results suggest that the developed process is economically feasible and sustainable for lignin upgradation in biorefineries.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bu Zhao, Chenyang Shuai, Ping Hou, Shen Qu, Ming Xu
Summary: The study developed a machine learning model to estimate missing unit process data, which can complement primary LCI data, successfully classify zero and nonzero flows, and accurately estimate the values of nonzero flows.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Sivasamy Sethupathy, Garbriel Murillo Morales, Lu Gao, Hongliang Wang, Bin Yang, Jianxiong Jiang, Jianzhong Sun, Daochen Zhu
Summary: As an abundant aromatic biopolymer, lignin holds great potential for producing various chemicals and biofuels through biorefinery activities, contributing to a sustainable circular economy. However, lignin valorization faces challenges such as its heterogeneous nature, intrinsic recalcitrance, strong smell, dark color, difficulties in lignocellulosic fractionation, and high bond dissociation enthalpies in its functional groups. Despite these constraints, recent research and development have shown promising applications of lignin-based hydrogels, surfactants, 3D printing materials, electrodes, and fine chemicals production. This review summarizes the main limitations and possible solutions for industrial lignin valorization, and provides future perspectives based on its abundance and potential applications reported in scientific literature.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Aristotle T. Ubando, Earle Anderson S. Ng, Wei-Hsin Chen, Alvin B. Culaba, Eilhann E. Kwon
Summary: Microalgal biorefineries offer an opportunity for economically and environmentally sound production of bioproducts, but face technological bottlenecks due to energy-intensive processes. Life cycle assessment studies have provided strategic technologies and metrics for sustainable production of microalgal biofuels.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Victor Tulus, Javier Perez-Ramirez, Gonzalo Guillen-Gosalbez
Summary: Most chemical products exceed environmental boundaries, especially in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. However, the level of transgression does not correlate with carbon footprints, suggesting that chemicals with higher emissions may not be less environmentally sustainable in absolute terms.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pooja Yadav, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Io Antonopoulou, Ulrika Rova, Paul Christakopoulos, Mats Tysklind, Leonidas Matsakas
Summary: The study focuses on life cycle and cost assessment of novel organosolv lignin production process from spruce bark, comparing different scenarios to identify the most environmentally and economically suitable option. Results show that the baseline scenario has higher global warming potential and total cost compared to other scenarios, with scenario S2 being the most optimal choice.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ali Azhar Butt, John Harvey, Arash Saboori, Maryam Ostovar, Manuel Bejarano, Navneet Garg
Summary: The study demonstrates the use of the airfield LCA framework developed for the FAA in a case study at Nashville International Airport, focusing on alternative pavement designs. The study covers material selection, transportation, and construction stages, while excluding maintenance, use, and end of life stages.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ruilin Liu, Yumiao Yang, Yilu Wu, Mengying Zhu, Changsheng Su, Yankun Wang, Zhitong Yao, Jianbo Zhao, Hui Cao, Di Cai
Summary: Bio-rigid polyurethane foams (RPFs) were synthesized using lignin oligomers obtained from poplar sawdust as a substitute for petrol-based polyols. The lignin oligomers showed low molecular weight, good miscibility, and high hydroxyl group content, leading to highly cross-linked polyurethane networks. The composition of the pulping liquor and the lignin oligomer substitution rate were found to affect the morphology and mechanical properties of the RPFs. RPFs substituted with lignin oligomers obtained from R7/3 pulping liquor and a polyol substitution rate of 30% exhibited better mechanical properties and highly assembled nanosized lignin complexes.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Guillaume N. Riviere, Florian Pion, Muhammad Farooq, Mika H. Sipponen, Hanna Koivula, Thangavelu Jayabalan, Pascal Pandard, Guy Marlair, Xun Liao, Stephanie Baumberger, Monika Osterberg
Summary: A waste-valorization approach was developed to transform recalcitrant hydrolysis lignin into multifunctional bio-based products, including nanocomposite films with tailored properties. The influence of lignin type on particle size and ecotoxicity, as well as the carbon footprint of the entire process, were evaluated to consider an integration to industrial scale. This work provides a proof of concept for utilizing lignin-rich side streams from bioethanol production for functional nanomaterials and renewable composites.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ortiz-Sanchez Mariana, Cardona Alzate, Carlos Ariel
Summary: The concept of biorefinery promotes the integral utilization of agricultural raw materials to reduce environmental issues and drive the sustainable development of agricultural communities. Environmental assessment results show that utilizing discarded orange peels to produce value-added products is more environmentally friendly than landfilling.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Valeria Larnaudie, Mario Daniel Ferrari, Claudia Lareo
Summary: Life cycle assessments were conducted on fuel bioethanol produced in Uruguay from liquid hot water pretreated switchgrass for two scenarios: ethanol and electricity production, and a biorefinery producing various chemicals. Results showed that the biorefinery scenario had lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels and met GHG reduction requirements. Factors such as switchgrass composition, enzyme dosage, fermentation efficiency, and solids content significantly impacted environmental performance, with enzyme use being the most significant.
Article
Polymer Science
Johannes Adamcyk, Stefan Beisl, Samaneh Amini, Thomas Jung, Florian Zikeli, Jalel Labidi, Anton Friedl
Summary: Despite major efforts in recent years, lignin as an abundant biopolymer is still underutilized in material applications. Production of lignin nanoparticles with improved properties through a high specific surface area enables easier applicability and higher value applications. This work provides detailed insight into the precipitation process of lignin nanoparticles, enabling better understanding and optimization with respect to different raw materials and pretreatment severities.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Laura Daza-Serna, Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Audrey Masi, Robert Ludwig Mach, Astrid Rosa Mach-Aigner, Anton Friedl
Summary: This review article covers the biotechnological production of erythritol from cultivation to downstream production, with a focus on comparing yields and by-products obtained with different types of substrates.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Stolar, Anton Friedl
Summary: Process safety techniques have been used in industry for decades to enhance safety, optimize processes, and improve sustainability. These techniques can be applied in different phases of an application with minimal effort, focusing on a broad and universal applicability across various business sectors. Additional considerations such as maintenance and abnormal operating conditions are included to comprehensively enhance systems or applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIABILITY QUALITY AND SAFETY ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Manuel Dias, Laura Daza-Serna, Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho, Anton Friedl
Summary: Developing sustainable biorefineries is crucial for the transition to a sustainable society. This study evaluated the effects of liquid-hot-water pretreatment on sugars, degradation products, and lignin, providing important data for improving the sustainability of biorefineries.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Johannes Adamcyk, Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Stefan Beisl, Martin Miltner, Anton Friedl
Summary: This study investigates the influence of temperature and lignin concentration on the precipitation of colloidal lignin particles, revealing that increasing mixing temperature results in smaller particle sizes while slightly decreasing yield. Decreasing lignin concentration significantly reduces particle size but has almost no effect on particle yield.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Laura Daza-Serna, Katarina Knezevic, Norbert Kreuzinger, Astrid Rosa Mach-Aigner, Robert Ludwig Mach, Joerg Krampe, Anton Friedl
Summary: This study assessed the use of electrodialysis for the purification of synthetic erythritol culture broth and the recovery of salts, providing an efficient alternative to minimize waste generation in erythritol production. Electrodialysis demonstrated potential in removing ions from the synthetic culture broth and further recovering them into a concentrated fraction, with low erythritol losses and energy consumption.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maximilian Lehr, Martin Miltner, Anton Friedl
Summary: This paper addresses the issue of wood extractives in pulping and its impact on pulp quality, as well as different solutions for these problems including pre-pulping operations and biological treatments. It also discusses the efficiency of mechanical and chemical pulping in removing extractives, as well as the role of pulp bleaching in reducing residual extractives content.
SN APPLIED SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Christoph Kornpointner, Anita Pazzaglia, Christian Jordan, Heidi Halbwirth, Anton Friedl
Summary: Identifying and utilizing feedstocks is crucial for sustainable production. Waste materials from grape crops, particularly the Gruner Veltliner variety in Austria, have the potential for valorization. This study evaluated the extraction of bioactive compounds and production of sugars, lignin, and pulp from Gruner Veltliner grapevine shoots, demonstrating their potential for utilization.
FOOD AND BIOPRODUCTS PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Cornelia Hofbauer, Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Irmgard Windisch, Luisa Scolari, Ayse Nur Koyun, Luis Zelaya-Lainez, Josef Fuessl, Hinrich Grothe, Ulrich Hirn, Anton Friedl, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different pretreatments on spruce sawdust in a two-step process, combining chemical pretreatments (liquid hot water, organosolv, and alkali) with mechanical pretreatment (refining). The material was then tested as composites, with promising combinations found for the two-step process. The goal is to create a fibrous material for biocomposite production using a natural binder instead of synthetic binders.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bianca Koeck, Anton Friedl, Sebastian Serna Loaiza, Walter Wukovits, Bettina Mihalyi-Schneider
Summary: The collection of reliable data is crucial for the LCI phase, and automation can help obtain more realistic data. This paper surveys the current state of automation potential in process engineering LCI, focusing on the period from 2008 to 2021. The results show that automation is mostly used in process simulation, LCI database usage, and molecular structure models, with limited usage in other areas. It is recommended to encourage exchange in the LCA community and interdisciplinary settings to foster sustainable development of new automation methodologies.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Johannes Adamcyk, Stefan Beisl, Anton Friedl
Summary: The full utilization of renewable raw materials is crucial for sustainable economic development. Lignin, an abundant biopolymer, is currently primarily used for energy production. Ethanol organosolv pre-treatment has the potential to produce high-quality lignin, but faces economic challenges. This study explores the separation of extract and residual biomass at high temperatures to optimize lignin production, demonstrating a significant improvement in solid lignin yield at higher lignin concentrations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
L. Daza-Serna, A. Masi, S. Serna-Loaiza, J. Pfnier, G. Stark, R. L. Mach, A. R. Mach-Aigner, A. Friedl
Summary: The utilization of renewable feedstocks is gaining interest due to the increasing urgency to reduce dependence on fossil-based materials. Wheat straw has the potential for sustainable processes in a circular bioeconomy context. This study focuses on the hydrolysis of wheat straw using liquid hot water treatment, detoxification of the produced wheat straw hydrolysate, and cultivation of Trichoderma reesei as proof of detoxification.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Michael Schwaighofer, Markus Konigsberger, Luis Zelaya-Lainez, Markus Lukacevic, Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Michael Harasek, Florian Zikeli, Anton Friedl, Josef Fussl
Summary: In this study, nanoindentation relaxation tests were re-evaluated on five industrial lignins extracted from different feedstocks. It was found that the viscoelastic properties of all tested lignins were practically identical and independent of the feedstock and the extraction processes.
MECHANICS OF MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lars odegaard Bentsen, Narada Dilp Warakagoda, Roy Stenbro, Paal Engelstad
Summary: This study investigates uncertainty modeling in wind power forecasting using different parametric and non-parametric methods. Johnson's SU distribution is found to outperform Gaussian distributions in predicting wind power. This research contributes to the literature by introducing Johnson's SU distribution as a candidate for probabilistic wind forecasting.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xing Liu, Qiuchen Wang, Yunhao Wen, Long Li, Xinfang Zhang, Yi Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the characteristics of process parameters in three lean gas ethane recovery processes and establishes a prediction and multiobjective optimization model for ethane recovery and system energy consumption. A new method for comparing ethane recovery processes for lean gas is proposed, and the addition of extra coolers improves the ethane recovery. The support vector regression model based on grey wolf optimization demonstrates the highest prediction accuracy, and the multiobjective multiverse optimization algorithm shows the best optimization performance and diversity in the solutions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cairong Song, Haidong Yang, Xian-Bing Meng, Pan Yang, Jianyang Cai, Hao Bao, Kangkang Xu
Summary: The paper proposes a novel deep learning-based prediction framework, aTCN-LSTM, for accurate cooling load predictions. The framework utilizes a gate-controlled multi-head temporal convolutional network and a sparse probabilistic self-attention mechanism with a bidirectional long short-term memory network to capture both temporal and long-term dependencies in the cooling load sequences. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, which can serve as an effective guide for HVAC chiller scheduling and demand management initiatives.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhe Chen, Xiaojing Li, Xianli Xia, Jizhou Zhang
Summary: This study uses survey data from the Loess Plateau in China to evaluate the impact of social interaction on the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) technology by farmers. The study finds that social interaction increases the likelihood of farmers adopting SWC, and internet use moderates this effect. The positive impact of social interaction on SWC adoption is more pronounced for farmers in larger villages and those who join cooperative societies.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chenghua Zhang, Yunfei Yan, Kaiming Shen, Zongguo Xue, Jingxiang You, Yonghong Wu, Ziqiang He
Summary: This paper reports a novel method that significantly improves combustion performance, including heat transfer enhancement under steady-state conditions and adaptive stable flame regulation under velocity sudden increase.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)