Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
R. Sivaranjanee, P. Senthil Kumar, Gayathri Rangasamy
Summary: Water contamination is a major environmental concern, and there is growing interest in using biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of biomass to remove contaminants from wastewater. Hydrochars, produced through hydrothermal processes, have shown promise as adsorbents for wastewater treatment due to their high efficiency and ability to regenerate. This review focuses on the formation, activation, identification, and applications of biochar and hydrochar, highlighting their distinct physiochemical properties and potential uses in pollution remediation, soil improvement, greenhouse gas emission, and carbon sequestration.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marina Antonio, Renato L. Carneiro, Ruben M. Maggio
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility of using middle- and near-infrared spectroscopy, as well as Raman spectroscopy, coupled with multivariate calibration to quantify MLXForm I in commercial raw material. The results showed that NIR-PLS had the best predictive capacity.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kyoung S. Ro, Michael A. Jackson, Ariel A. Szogi, David L. Compton, Bryan R. Moser, Nicole D. Berge
Summary: This study compared the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of hen and swine manures at different temperatures and found that higher temperatures resulted in less volatile matter, more fixed carbon, and increased stability of the produced hydrochar. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of carbonization temperatures on plant growth and soil emissions.
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yutong Gong, Lei Xie, Chunhong Chen, Jinrong Liu, Markus Antonietti, Yong Wang
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a sustainable and green technique for producing novel carbon materials. The advances in precise engineering of carbonaceous materials through modified HTC processes are summarized in this review. The control of HTC set screws for shaping and/or pore-creation within targeted nanostructured carbonaceous materials is elucidated, along with the discussed benefits for applications. This review could inspire further insight into the HTC process and broader application of carbon nanostructures made from renewable resources.
PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Giulia Ischia, Jillian L. Goldfarb, Antonio Miotello, Luca Fiori
Summary: This study investigates the enhancement of hydrochars through solvent extraction to improve their potential applications. The results show that solvent washing effectively removes highly volatile species adsorbed on the hydrochar surface.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lu Yang, Jie Jin, Yichu Wang, Weiqi An, Yunao Zhao, Chao Cui, Lanfang Han, Xiangke Wang
Summary: HT-AD sludge can be used as an efficient uranium (VI) adsorbent with good reusability and environmental safety, with primary mechanisms of adsorption being surface complexation and electric attraction.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ruoyu Tang, Xinyu He, Ruiqi Wang
Summary: The study presents a general computational method for constructing maps between different cell fates and parametric conditions by systematic perturbations. The method does not require accurate parameter measurements or bifurcations. The maps obtained can help in understanding how systematic perturbations drive cell fate decisions and transitions, providing valuable information for predicting and controlling cell states.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Khadija Najjar, Nawaf Abu-Khalaf
Summary: The study demonstrated the potential of VIS/NIR spectroscopy in distinguishing between different varieties of tomatoes and predicting their quality parameters. It showed high correlation coefficients and performance deviation ratios for most quality parameters, indicating the effectiveness of the spectroscopy technique.
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Sobek, Q-K Tran, R. Junga, S. Werle
Summary: This study investigates the impact of HTC on the properties of waste straw fuel and the combustion kinetics of waste straw hydrochars. The results show that temperature has a greater influence on the yields of hydrochars than residence time, with different decomposition patterns observed at different temperatures. The study of the transient HTC period determines the exothermal activity of the waste straw with a heat release of 254.9 kJ/kg. The lower heating values of the hydrochars increase with higher HTC temperatures. The combustion kinetics of the hydrochars are modeled using Fraser-Suzuki deconvolution and nth-order Arrhenius equation fitting, with high R2 values.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Aimen El Orche, Joel B. Johnson
Summary: Chocolate-coated confectionery, including fruits and nuts, is a popular snack food. Non-destructive discrimination of core composition is important for quality assurance, and this study investigated the best methods for identifying chocolate-coated peanuts and sultanas using near-infrared spectra. The results showed that partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and principal component analysis with linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA) had the highest classification accuracy.
EUROPEAN FOOD RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kristina Krysanova, Alla Krylova, Mayya Kulikova, Albert Kulikov, Olga Rusakova
Summary: Biochars made by hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction have stable structures and rich chemical properties, which make them suitable for both fuel and as substitutes for fossil coals.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ayman Ibrahim, Abdulrahman Alghannam, Ayman Eissa, Ferenc Firtha, Timea Kaszab, Zoltan Kovacs, Lajos Helyes
Summary: The assessment and assurance of quality attributes of date fruits using hyperspectral imaging technique shows great potential in monitoring and evaluating the physical, chemical, and sensory qualities of date fruits overall in the five maturity stages.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Matteo Pecchi, Marco Baratieri, Jillian L. Goldfarb, Alex R. Maag
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization is a thermochemical process that converts wet waste biomass into hydrochar, a renewable solid fuel. The nature of the feedstock and choice of solvent can affect the amount and composition of primary and secondary char phases. Ethanol can extract liquid fuel precursors from lipid-rich feedstocks, while acetone and dichloromethane can remove oily secondary char and maximize primary char yield for substrates rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and lignocellulose.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tianchi Shen, Yayong Yang, Ekkachai Kanchanatip, Dwi Hantoko, Feng Chen, Cheng Chen, Mi Yan
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an efficient method to convert wet food waste into hydrochar. However, the by-product of this process, HTC wastewater, contains highly polluting chemicals. In this study, hydrochar was produced through HTC process and further processed into activated carbon (AC) using KOH activation. The obtained AC was used to catalyze the degradation of HTC wastewater. The optimal condition for the catalytic process was determined, achieving a COD removal efficiency of 78.94%.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Fatemeh Sadat Hashemi-Nasab, Hadi Parastar
Summary: In this study, a method for saffron authentication and adulteration detection was proposed using visible-near infrared hyperspectral imaging (Vis-NIR-HSI) and a novel chemometric approach. The method achieved 100% classification accuracies for calibration and prediction sets, and successfully detected five common plant-derived adulterants. The proposed strategy showed 100% accuracies for both calibration and prediction sets when analyzing a mixed dataset. The model evaluation using data driven soft independent modelling of class analogy (DD-SIMCA) resulted in 95% sensitivity for authentic class and 100% specificity for all adulterants.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nepu Saha, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process that produces functionalized carbon-rich solid materials known as hydrochar by treating biomass with water at subcritical conditions. Pyrolysis is often used to increase the surface area and expose corresponding functional groups of amorphous carbon materials like hydrochar. The study aimed to quantify basic functional groups on hydrochars and investigate the effect of pyrolysis temperature on these functional groups.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Akbar Saba, Nepu Saha, Keenan-Conrad Williams, Charles J. Coronella, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: This study investigated the effects of torrefaction temperature, pelletization temperature, and pelletization pressure on the energy density of torrefied char pellets using multivariate analyses and multivariate linear regression. The statistical analysis showed that all independent parameters are statistically significant for energy density, and the regression analysis indicated that mass density, higher heating value, and energy density have the highest output predictability.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Md Rifat Hasan, Nepu Saha, Thomas Quaid, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are nanomaterials with a wide range of applications such as medical diagnostics, bio-imaging, biosensors, coatings, solar cells, and photocatalysis. The optical properties of CQDs are highly dependent on the type of precursor used, with different feedstocks resulting in variations in absorption and emission behavior.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Md Tahmid Islam, Nepu Saha, Sergio Hernandez, Jordan Klinger, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Air classification (AC) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) are effective technologies for energy recovery of corn stover, with integrated AC-HTC process achieving higher energy recovery compared to AC-only scenario.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Al Ibtida Sultana, Nepu Saha, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Hydrogen (H-2) is considered a potential cost-efficient clean fuel due to its high energy content and sustainability. However, transportation and storage of H-2 remain major challenges for a sustainable H-2 economy. Developing biomass-based activated carbons as effective H-2 storage materials has been emphasized as a way to address these challenges.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Pretom Saha, Nepu Saha, Shanta Mazumder, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Co-hydrothermal carbonization (Co-HTC) treatment can significantly reduce the total sulfur content in the hydrochar phase, indicating its effectiveness. At 230 degrees Celsius, the total sulfur content of CW1FW and CW2FW decreased by up to 49% and 65% respectively, with a similar reduction in organic sulfur as well.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kyle McGaughy, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: This study investigated the use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) for separating aromatic and aliphatic compounds, revealing that some DES performed poorly in extracting benzene and cyclohexane. The COSMO model accurately predicted the liquid-liquid equilibrium for DES with ethylene glycol as hydrogen bond donors, but less accurately for DES with glycerol. Experimental results showed variations in mass transfer rates among different DES combinations, indicating that the effectiveness of the solvent was not solely determined by its ability to dissolve benzene.
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
M. Toufiq Reza
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Al Ibtida Sultana, Cadianne Chambers, Muzammil M. N. Ahmed, Pavithra Pathirathna, Toufiq Reza
Summary: The pore modulation via hydrothermal carbonization was investigated to understand its effect on the surface properties that influence the multirole utilization of ultraporous sorbents in various applications. Superactivated hydrochars (SAH) were synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization followed by KOH activation using loblolly pine. The SAHs exhibited excellent performance in CO2 capture, H2 storage, supercapacitance, and dye removal. The results showed that the HTC temperature played a crucial role in determining the surface porosity and the corresponding performance of the SAHs.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Md Tahmid Islam, Al Ibtida Sultana, Cadianne Chambers, Swarna Saha, Nepu Saha, Kawnish Kirtania, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: This article reviews various emerging applications of hydrochars produced by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), and discusses the working mechanism of hydrochars and the improvement of applications through chemical modification. New perspectives and recommendations are provided to further explore potential applications and improvements of hydrochars and their modified versions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abu-Taher Jamal-Uddin, M. Toufiq Reza, Omid Norouzi, Shakirudeen A. Salaudeen, Animesh Dutta, Richard G. Zytner
Summary: This study focused on the recovery and reuse of valuable chemicals from hydrothermal carbonization process liquid (HTC-PL) obtained from tomato plant biomass (TPB). Various valuable chemicals were successfully separated and extracted, and their potential application for greenhouse winter heating was demonstrated.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Vahab Ghalandari, Hunter Smith, Maurizio Volpe, Antonio Messineo, Toufiq Reza
Summary: This study investigates the effect of acidic hydrochar on the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of waste PVC. The results show that acidic hydrochar enhances the conversion of PVC during HTL and produces plastic crude oil with a higher heating value.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Quaid, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are widely used compounds with a greenhouse potential 22,000 times higher than CO2. In this study, researchers examined 1298 type-5 deep eutectic solvents (DES) for their absorption and interaction mechanisms with difluoromethane (R32), and found that quaternary ammonium salts mixed with various hydrogen bond donators (HBD) showed the most favorable interactions. Compositional analysis showed that pure tetrabutylammonium bromide had the strongest interaction potential. Pressure study demonstrated that solubility increased linearly with pressure, reaching up to 86 mol/mol% in a mixture of methyltrioctylammonium bromide and polyethylene glycol at 9 bar. The driving force of absorption was van der Waals interaction, which released approximately 3 times more enthalpy than hydrogen bonding. Through environmental health and safety analysis, all chemicals showed strong potential for environmentally friendly solutions.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Swarna Saha, Md Tahmid Islam, Joshua Calhoun, Toufiq Reza
Summary: This study assessed the fuel properties, physicochemical attributes, and combustion properties of shrimp shell hydrochar produced through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at temperatures ranging from 110 to 290°C. The findings demonstrated that higher HTC temperatures resulted in lower mass yield, increased thermal stability, and higher energy densification of the hydrochar compared to raw shrimp shell. The hydrochars produced at higher temperatures also exhibited reduced slagging, fouling, alkali index, and chlorine content, indicating a lower risk of reactor fouling during combustion.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Thomas Quaid, M. Toufiq Reza
Summary: This study used COSMO-RS to investigate the impact of temperature, pressure, and selective contaminants on five DES. The HBDonor of the solvent was found to be the most important factor for CO2 solubility, while alkyl chain length, associated halogen, and polarity of the DES also played a role. Choline chloride-urea was the most selective to CO2, but had low solubility, while tetraoctylammonium chloride-decanoic acid was the least selective, had high solubility, and was less affected by its environment.
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES
(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)
