Article
Agricultural Engineering
Min Zhang, Yuwei Yang, Huaqian Mou, Aodong Pan, Xiaomei Su, Jianrong Chen, Hongjun Lin, Faqian Sun
Summary: This study investigates a new approach to improve the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) by combining fungal mash and free nitrous acid (FNA) pretreatment. The fungal strain Aspergillus PAD-2, which secretes superior hydrolase, was isolated from WAS and cultured in-situ on food waste to produce fungal mash. The solubilization of WAS by fungal mash achieved a high release rate of soluble chemical oxygen demand, and the combined pretreatment of fungal mash and FNA further enhanced sludge solubilization and methane production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Binoy Kumar Show, Gaayathri Shivakumaran, Apurba Koley, Anudeb Ghosh, Shibani Chaudhury, Amit Kumar Hazra, S. Balachandran
Summary: This study utilized thermal and chemical pretreatment techniques to enhance biogas production from water hyacinth used as a substrate. Results showed that alkali pretreatment can improve degradability and biogas production of water hyacinth.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Zhiqiang Liu, Linlin Wang, Shihui Yu
Summary: This paper evaluates the production efficiency during gas recovery of methane hydrate by thermal stimulation and depressurization, and analyzes the main mechanism of hydrate dissociation. The results show that kinetic dissociation has no influence on exploitation, and the process of hydrate dissociation is mainly governed by heat transfer during the application of thermal stimulation. Gas recovery by depressurization can be divided into two independent processes, one mainly governed by fluid flow and another primarily controlled by heat transfer. It indicates that if the sensible heat of hydrate reservoirs cannot supply the dissociation of methane hydrate, additional energy in the form of heat transfer will be needed, significantly reducing production efficiency. The efficiency evaluation models for hydrate exploitation are established and validated, which can help optimize the design and solve the problem of low gas production.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Chunlin Luo, Shuai Liu, Gang Yang, Peng Jiang, Xiang Luo, Yipei Chen, Mengxia Xu, Edward Lester, Tao Wu
Summary: In this study, (CNTs-Fe3O4)-Co nanocomposites were designed as microwave-responsive catalysts and showed enhanced hydrogen generation rate. The results revealed that microwave irradiation could boost the HGR of the (CNTs-Fe3O4)(1:4)-Co (10 wt%) catalyst from 75.0% to 95.4% compared to conventional heating. The synergistic effect of cobalt and Fe3O4 sites in the (CNTs-Fe3O4)(1:4)-Co (10 wt%) catalyst was confirmed through various Co loadings and DFT calculations.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shabarish Shankaran, Tamilarasan Karuppiah, Rajesh Banu Jeyakumar
Summary: The objective of this study was to produce energy-efficient biohydrogen from marine macroalgae using a combination of alkaline and sonication pretreatment techniques. The results showed that sonication and sonication alkali solubilization pretreatment significantly increased the biohydrogen production, with sonication alkali solubilization being more effective in reducing energy consumption.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chin Seng Liew, Ratchaprapa Raksasat, Hemamalini Rawindran, Worapon Kiatkittipong, Jun Wei Lim, Wai Hong Leong, Man Kee Lam, Mardawani Mohamad, Yoke Wang Cheng, Chi Cheng Chong
Summary: This study developed a comprehensive functional model to describe the kinetics of sludge hydrolysis under low temperature thermal pre-treatment conditions. The results showed that treatment temperature had a greater impact on solubilizing waste activated sludge (WAS) compared to treatment duration. The model had a good fit and could predict the kinetics of sludge hydrolysis under arbitrary treatment conditions.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
M. Dinesh Kumar, V. Godvin Sharmila, Gopalakrishnan Kumar, Jeong-Hoon Park, Siham Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, J. Rajesh Banu
Summary: The enhanced bio-hydrogen production from marine macro algal biomass (Ulva reticulate) was achieved through surfactant induced microwave disintegration (SIMD). The combined SIMD pretreatment significantly reduced treatment time and increased COD solubilisation. In terms of energy analysis, SIMD showed higher energy efficiency compared to other methods.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qiuying Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Jiabao Sun, Shaohua Sun, Xiaomei Zhu, Bing Sun
Summary: This study aims to use microwave plasma technology for hydrogen production from simulated seawater. By introducing methane, a gas-liquid two-phase discharge is achieved to improve hydrogen production and overcome the problem of unstable discharge. The experiment shows that the conductivity of the solution significantly affects the plasma chemical reaction, and the catalysis of chloride ions is also important. This method proves the huge potential for hydrogen production from seawater without a catalyst and provides a new reference for the subsequent hydrogen production industry.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dayang Zheng, Yayi Wang, Wenying Zhang, Hao Xu, Eryang Zheng, Teng Wang, Yuxiang Shi, Min Wu
Summary: For the first time, biochar was used to promote sludge solubilization, hydrolysis and acidogenic fermentation for the production of propionic acid. The results showed that biochar enhanced the production of volatile fatty acids, particularly propionic acid, and could be used as a new strategy for acid production in the future.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Tariq Abbas, Hamdya Sabrina Mohidin Yahya, Nor Aishah Saidina Amin
Summary: The dry reforming of methane was studied using modified TiO2-supported 10%Ni-5%Co3O4 composite catalysts in a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge fixed-bed reactor. The composite catalysts were characterized by various techniques, including XRD, H2-TPR, CO2-TPD, HRTEM, and BET analysis. The incorporation of Co3O4 into Ni/TiO2 was found to enhance basicity, reducibility, and metal-support interaction. The catalytic activity of the 10%Ni-5%Co3O4/TiO2 NR catalyst was improved, resulting in high CH4 and CO2 conversions of 86.4% and 84.9%, respectively. The syngas ratio and overall energy efficiency were also increased compared to plasma DRM alone. The superior performance of plasma DRM is attributed to the greater basicity properties and the synergistic effect of non-thermal plasma with the 10%Ni-5%Co3O4/modified-TiO2 catalyst composite.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. A. Tawfik, W. E. Abd Allah, Atiya Ezzat, M. K. Afify, Ahmed Mahdy
Summary: By co-digesting corn stover with quail manure and alkaline pretreatment, using NaOH, the challenges of low carbon/nitrogen ratio, recalcitrant nature, and enhanced methane production are overcome. The best results were obtained with 50/50 mixture and 2.5% NaOH pretreated corn stover, showing significant lignin reduction, organics solubilization, and methane yield enhancement. The synergistic effect of C/N ratio and hydrolysis rate acceleration was identified as the key contributing factor.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Shinjini Paul Choudhury, Sugato Panda, Izharul Haq, Ajay S. Kalamdhad
Summary: Optimization of Pseudomonas putida 7525 strain dosage for petroleum refinery sludge pretreatment showed significant increases in soluble chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acids production within 6 days. The best inoculum and pretreated substrate ratio of 0.5 resulted in a 62% methane increase and 66.7% volatile solids degradation.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sivaraman Chandrasekaran, J. Rajesh Banu, Gopalakrishnan Kumar
Summary: The study aimed to improve the hydrolysis potential of paper mill sludge by a two-phase disintegration process. The removal of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) was focused on, in order to enhance the efficiency of subsequent disperser disintegration. The efficiency of disintegration was evaluated using soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and suspended solids (SS) reduction as assessment indices. Deflocculation of sludge at a calcium peroxide dosage of 0.05 g/g suspended solids (SS) and a temperature of 70 degrees C resulted in greater EPS removal. A clear variation was observed between deflocculated and disintegrated sludge (19.2%) compared to disintegrated sludge alone (13.5%), indicating the necessity of deflocculation before disintegration. Additionally, deflocculated and disintegrated sludge achieved higher biomethane production of 0.214 L/g COD than pretreated sludge alone. The efficiency of the proposed disintegration reduced the sludge management cost from 170 USD (Disperser alone (D alone disintegration)) to 51 USD (Thermal calcium peroxide mediated-Disperser (TCaO2-D disintegration)).
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Longfei Tang, Xueli Chen, Xiuxiang Tao
Summary: This study investigated the non-thermal microwave effect in the removal of organic sulfur from coal through microwave irradiation combined with oxidation assistants. XANES analysis revealed that microwave radiation promoted the conversion of low-valence sulfur into high-valence sulfur, resulting in the presence of heterocyclic and oxidized sulfur in the treated coal. Quantum chemical calculations demonstrated the improvement in nucleophilic reaction activity of sulfur-containing groups and reduction in C-S bond strength under the influence of extra electric fields from the non-thermal microwave effect. The reduction of reaction activation energy and increase in reaction rate further facilitated the formation of oxidized sulfur in coal.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Moriko Qian, Hanwu Lei, Elmar Villota, Yunfeng Zhao, Chenxi Wang, Erguang Huo, Qingfa Zhang, Wendy Mateo, Xiaona Lin
Summary: A dilute-acid pretreatment assisted with microwave irradiation was developed to efficiently fabricate nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) with the single use of the cellulase from Aspergillus niger. The utilization of microwave heating and diluted sulfuric acid in pretreatment significantly increased the NCC yield, and the conditions of pretreatment affected the crystal dimension of the nanocrystals as well as the thermal stability and crystallinity of the extracted NCC.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Seyed Mohammad Ahsaei, Soraya Rodriguez-Rojo, Marta Salgado, Maria Jose Cocero, Khalil Talebi-Jahromi, Ghassem Amoabediny
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Agostinho M. R. C. Alexandre, Ana A. Matias, Maria Rosario Bronze, Maria Jose Cocero, Rafael Mato
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ryuto Inoue, Jonas Karl Christopher N. Agutaya, Armando T. Quitain, Mitsuru Sasaki, Maria Jose Cocero, Tetsuya Kida
Summary: The supercritical CO2-subcritical H2O system can serve as a reaction solvent for organic synthesis, promoting the conversion of organic compounds due to enhanced formation of carbonic acid and ionization of water under elevated pressures and temperatures. The biphasic nature of the system allows for extraction of less polar products from aqueous solutions. Experimental results showed higher yields and selectivity in converting glucose to HMF in this system, with potential mechanisms determined through quantum calculations.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rafaella T. Buratto, Maira I. Chinchilla, Maria Jose Cocero, Angel Martin
Summary: Acai, a black-purple berry found in the Amazon Rainforest, is a rich source of polyphenols and flavonoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The precipitation and encapsulation of Acai extracts using the SAS process can protect active compounds from early degradation. Ethanol and PVP were found to be effective in reducing particle size and increasing total polyphenols content in the extracts.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gerardo Joaquin Tita, Alexander Navarrete, Angel Martin, Maria Jose Cocero
Summary: This study investigated the supercritical fluid extraction of valuable compounds such as solanesol and nicotine from tobacco scrap, as well as the fractionation of these compounds by liquid-liquid extraction. The results show that different extraction conditions are needed for optimizing solanesol yield and selectivity compared to nicotine extraction, with the best results obtained when extraction was controlled by solubility parameters. This research provides guidance for the valorization of residues from the tobacco industry.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Julian Martinez, Maria Jose Cocero, Sandra Regina Salvador Ferreira, Selva Pereda
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ana B. Paninho, Ana N. Mustapa, Kamran T. Mahmudov, Armando J. L. Pombeiro, M. Fatima C. Guedes da Silva, Maria D. Bermejo, Angel Martin, Maria J. Cocero, Ana V. M. Nunes
Summary: By incorporating the ionic liquid [Aliquat][Cl] into alginate and silica aerogel matrices, and applying it as a catalyst in the cycloaddition reaction between CO2 and a bio-based epoxide, it was found that the efficiency of the alginate aerogel system surpassed that of the silica aerogel system. Multiple characterization techniques were used to analyze the final materials, and several catalytic tests were conducted under high-pressure conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Alvarez, Sara Terreros, Maria J. Cocero, Rafael B. Mato
Summary: The study examined the potential of saffron flowers as a source of polyphenols and anthocyanins for extraction of bioactive compounds and production of cyanic colorant. Microwave pretreatment was proposed as an intensification step before conventional solid-liquid extraction process, effectively increasing yield and improving product quality.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tijana Adamovic, Dmitry Tarasov, Emre Demirkaya, Mikhail Balakshin, Maria Jose Cocero
Summary: This study focuses on the hydrolysis of defatted grape in supercritical water, with attention to sugars recovery in the liquid phase and characterization of the solid phase enriched in polyaromatics. Carbohydrate hydrolysis led to the recovery of 56% of carbohydrates in the liquid phase, with the high content of lignin in biomass acting as a mass transfer limitation. The complex mixture of lipophilic extractives, flavonoids, and lignin extracted from the solid phase showed subtle changes in main lignin moieties, which is crucial for further valorization.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Eduardo Perez, Nerea Abad-Fernandez, Tainise Lourencon, Mikhail Balakshin, Herbert Sixta, Maria Jose Cocero
Summary: Different lignins from various sources were depolymerized in alkaline supercritical water, resulting in high value-added compounds with low-molecular-weight. The properties and yields of the products depended on the starting material and processing method.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elaine G. Mission, Maria Jose Cocero
Summary: This study presents a novel and scalable approach for accessing suberin from cork by proposing ultrafast supercritical hydrolysis. The study highlights the importance of obtaining high-quality and highly functionalized biopolymers as a source of new building blocks. The research contributes to the development of a sustainable process for extracting valuable molecules from cork.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nerea Abad-Fernandez, Eduardo Perez, Angel Martin, Maria J. Cocero
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rafaella T. Buratto, Maria Jose Cocero, Angel Martin
Summary: The study characterizes residual fractions of acai processing and evaluates their potential as biomass and phytochemical sources. Microwave pre-treatments increase polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities in extracts, making them valuable for the cosmetic or food industry.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yinping Xiang, Meiying Jia, Rui Xu, Jialu Xu, Lele He, Haihao Peng, Weimin Sun, Dongbo Wang, Weiping Xiong, Zhaohui Yang
Summary: This study investigated the impact of the non-antibiotic pharmaceutical carbamazepine on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during anaerobic digestion. The results showed that carbamazepine induced the enrichment of ARGs and increased the abundance of bacteria carrying these genes. It also facilitated microbial aggregation and intercellular communication, leading to an increased frequency of ARGs transmission. Moreover, carbamazepine promoted the acquisition of ARGs by pathogens and elevated their overall abundance.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Weixin Zhao, Tianyi Hu, Hao Ma, Dan Li, Qingliang Zhao, Junqiu Jiang, Liangliang Wei
Summary: This review summarizes the effects and potential mechanisms of biochar on microbial behavior in AD systems. The addition of biochar has been found to promote microbial colonization, alleviate stress, provide nutrients, and enhance enzyme activity. Future research directions include targeted design of biochar, in-depth study of microbial mechanisms, and improved models.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Christina Karmann, Anna Magrova, Pavel Jenicek, Jan Bartacek, Vojtech Kouba
Summary: This review assesses nitrogen removal technologies in reject water treatment, highlighting the differences in environmental impacts and economic benefits. Partial nitritation-anammox shows potential for economic benefits and positive environmental outcomes when operated and controlled properly.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Wei-Hao Huang, Ying-Ju Chang, Duu-Jong Lee
Summary: This study modified pinecone biochar with layered double hydroxide (LDH) to enhance its adsorption capacity for heavy metal and phosphate ions. The LDH-biochar showed significantly improved adsorption capacities for Pb2+ and phosphate, and a slight increase for Cu2+ and Co2+. The LDH layer enhanced the adsorption through various mechanisms.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Chao Song, Fanfan Cai, Shuang Yang, Ligong Wang, Guangqing Liu, Chang Chen
Summary: This paper developed a machine learning model to predict the biochemical methane potential during anaerobic digestion. Model analysis identified lignin content, organic loading, and nitrogen content as key attributes for methane production prediction. For feedstocks with high cellulose content, early methane production is lower but can be improved by prolonging digestion time. Moreover, lignin content exceeding a certain value significantly inhibits methane production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sang Min Lee, Ju Young Lee, Ji-Sook Hahn, Seung-Ho Baek
Summary: This study successfully developed an efficient platform strain using Yarrowia lipolytica for the bioconversion of renewable resources into adipic acid, achieving a remarkable increase in production level.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sefkan Kendir, Matthias Franzreb
Summary: This study presents a novel approach using magnetic separation to efficiently harvest freshwater microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris. By combining pH-induced calcium phosphate precipitation with cheap natural magnetite microparticles, harvesting efficiencies up to 98% were achieved in the model medium.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ishaq Kariim, Ji-Yeon Park, Wajahat Waheed Kazmi, Hulda Swai, In-Gu Lee, Thomas Kivevele
Summary: The impact of reaction temperature, residence time, and ethanol: acetone on the energy compositions and yield enhancement of biocrudes was investigated. The results showed that under appropriate conditions, biocrudes with high energy and low oxygen content can be obtained, indicating a high potential for utilization.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xiyue Zhang, Xiyao Li, Liang Zhang, Yongzhen Peng
Summary: Intermittent aeration is an innovative approach to enhance nitrogen removal in low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio municipal sewage, providing an efficient strategy for the continuous plug-flow AOA process.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xu Yang, Mahmoud Mazarji, Mengtong Li, Aohua Li, Ronghua Li, Zengqiang Zhang, Junting Pan
Summary: This study investigated the impact of magnetite on the nitrogen cycle of pig manure biostabilisation. The addition of magnetite increased N2O emissions and decreased NH3 emissions during composting. It also increased the total nitrogen content but should be considered for its significant increase in N2O emissions in engineering practice.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Ty Shitanaka, Haylee Fujioka, Muzammil Khan, Manpreet Kaur, Zhi-Yan Du, Samir Kumar Khanal
Summary: The market value of microalgae has exponentially increased in the past two decades, thanks to their applications in various industries. However, the supply of high-value microalgal bioproducts is limited due to several factors, and strategies are being explored to overcome these limitations and improve microalgae production, thus increasing the availability of algal-derived bioproducts in the market.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Martin Kerner, Thorsten Wolff, Torsten Brinkmann
Summary: The efficiency of using enriched CO2 from flue gas for large-scale production of green microalgae has been studied. The results show that the use of membrane devices and static mixers can effectively improve the CO2 recovery rate and maintain the suitable pH and temperature during cultivation, achieving a more economical and sustainable microalgae production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Rui Ma, Ji Li, Rd Tyagi, Xiaolei Zhang
Summary: This review summarizes the microorganisms capable of using CO2 and CH4 to produce PHAs, illustrating the production process, factors influencing it, and discussing optimization techniques. It identifies the challenges and future prospects for developing economically viable PHAs production using GHGs as a carbon source.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Bing Wang, Peng Zhang, Xu Guo, Xu Bao, Junjie Tian, Guomin Li, Jian Zhang
Summary: The addition of zeolite in the co-composting of chicken manure and straw significantly reduced the emissions of ammonia and N2O, and increased the nitrate content. Zeolite also promoted the abundance of nitrification genes and inhibited the expression of denitrification genes.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Rohit Dey, Franziska Ortiz Tena, Song Wang, Josef Martin Messmann, Christian Steinweg, Claudia Thomsen, Clemens Posten, Stefan Leu, Matthias S. Ullrich, Laurenz Thomsen
Summary: This study investigated the operation of a 1000L microalgae-based membrane photobioreactor system for continuous secondary wastewater treatment. The research focused on a green microalgae strain called Desmodesmus sp. The study aimed to understand key trends and optimization strategies by conducting experiments in both summer and winter seasons. The findings showed that maintaining low cell concentrations during periods of light inhibition was beneficial for nutrient uptake rates. Effective strategies for enhancing algae-based wastewater treatment included cell mass recycling and adjusting dilution rates based on light availability.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
