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Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production
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Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2023) | Viewed by 11985

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Samira Lotfi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy, Mining and Environment, National Research Council of Canada, M-12 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
Interests: environment; gasification; biomass; waste conversion; hydrothermal conversion; catalyst development
Dr. James Butler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy, Mining and Environment, National Research Council of Canada, M-12 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
Interests: gasification; supercritical water gasification
Dr. Federico Galli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; turquoise and blue hydrogen; energy transition; economic and environmental models; gas-to-liquids; distillation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we are gathering valuable research and activities on the conversion of waste and biomass to biofuel and valuable products. This Special Issue will cover processes developed to reduce release of waste, and GHG emissions to the environment. Based on your expertise in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution.

We kindly invite you to contribute a paper in this Special Issue on “Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production” at Energies, an MDPI journal with an IF of 3.252. If you are not able to submit by 13 February 2023, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Energies is fully open access. Open access (unlimited and free access by readers) increases publicity and promotes more frequent citations, as indicated by several studies. Open access is supported by the authors and their institutes. An Article Processing Charge (APC) of 2000 CHF currently applies to all accepted papers. Please note that for papers submitted after 31 December 2021, an APC of 2200 CHF applies.

For further details on the submission process, please see the instructions for authors at the journal website (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies/instructions).

We hope you find this topic of interest and look forward to potentially collaborating with you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kind regards, 

Dr. Samira Lotfi
Dr. James Butler
Dr. Federico Galli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biomass
  • Municipal solid waste
  • Plastic
  • Hydrothermal conversion
  • Gasification
  • LCA/TEA analysis
  • Catalyst
  • Biofuel
  • Pyrolysis
  • Modeling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1905 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen Production from Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Alkali Pre-Treated Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.)
by Ciro Vasmara, Stefano Cianchetta, Rosa Marchetti, Enrico Ceotto and Stefania Galletti
Energies 2022, 15(13), 4876; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134876 - 02 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1591
Abstract
The perennial rhizomatous grass giant reed (Arundo donax L.) can be exploited to produce hydrogen by dark fermentation. This implies a high availability of simple sugars, like glucose and xylose, and, thus, a pre-treatment is necessary to remove lignin and expose the [...] Read more.
The perennial rhizomatous grass giant reed (Arundo donax L.) can be exploited to produce hydrogen by dark fermentation. This implies a high availability of simple sugars, like glucose and xylose, and, thus, a pre-treatment is necessary to remove lignin and expose the holocellulose to enzymatic attack. This study aimed at evaluating the hydrogen production from giant reed hydrolysates. Giant reed dry meal was pre-treated with diluted NaOH (1.2% weight/weight), then the solid fraction was separated from the alkaline black liquor by filtration, enzymatically hydrolyzed with a cellulase blend (Cellic CTec2), and fermented in mesophilic batch conditions with a microbial consortium derived from pig slurry. The impact on hydrogen yield of initial pH was evaluated by comparing the hydrogen production from hydrolysates with not adjusted (5.3) or adjusted initial pH (8.7) using NaOH or alkaline black liquor. The highest hydrogen yield, 2.0 mol/mol of hexoses, was obtained with alkaline initial pH 8.7, regardless of how the pH adjustment was managed. The yield was 39% higher than that obtained in reactors with initial pH 5.3. In conclusion, thermo-alkaline pre-treatment followed by enzymatic saccharification and initial pH adjustment at 8.7 with the black liquor remaining after pre-treatment is a promising strategy to produce hydrogen from giant reeds in dark fermentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production)
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26 pages, 7210 KiB  
Article
Catalytic Upgrading of Residual Fat Pyrolysis Vapors over Activated Carbon Pellets into Hydrocarbons-like Fuels in a Two-Stage Reactor: Analysis of Hydrocarbons Composition and Physical-Chemistry Properties
by Lucas Pinto Bernar, Caio Campos Ferreira, Augusto Fernando de Freitas Costa, Haroldo Jorge da Silva Ribeiro, Wenderson Gomes dos Santos, Lia Martins Pereira, Anderson Mathias Pereira, Nathalia Lobato Moraes, Fernanda Paula da Costa Assunção, Sílvio Alex Pereira da Mota, Douglas Alberto Rocha de Castro, Marcelo Costa Santos, Neyson Martins Mendonça, Sergio Duvoisin, Jr., Luiz Eduardo Pizarro Borges and Nélio Teixeira Machado
Energies 2022, 15(13), 4587; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134587 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1369
Abstract
This work investigated the influence of the reaction time and catalyst-to-residual fat ratio by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and [...] Read more.
This work investigated the influence of the reaction time and catalyst-to-residual fat ratio by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and chemical composition of bio-oils, over a catalyst fixed-bed reactor of activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in semi-pilot scale. The experiments were carried out at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed-bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% (wt.) activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in batch mode. Results show yields of bio-oil decreasing with increasing catalyst-to-tallow ratio. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, ring-containing alkanes, ring-containing alkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the pyrolysis and catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon selectivity in bio-oil increases with increasing reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production)
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Review

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23 pages, 3152 KiB  
Review
Identification of Optimal Binders for Torrefied Biomass Pellets
by James W. Butler, William Skrivan and Samira Lotfi
Energies 2023, 16(8), 3390; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083390 - 12 Apr 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2624
Abstract
The pretreatment of biomass through torrefaction is an effective means of improving the fuel quality of woody biomass and its suitability for use in existing facilities burning thermal coal. Densification of torrefied biomass produces a fuel of similar energy density, moisture content, and [...] Read more.
The pretreatment of biomass through torrefaction is an effective means of improving the fuel quality of woody biomass and its suitability for use in existing facilities burning thermal coal. Densification of torrefied biomass produces a fuel of similar energy density, moisture content, and fixed carbon content to low-grade coals. Additionally, if the torrefaction conditions are optimized, the produced torrefied pellet will be resistant to weathering and biological degradation, allowing for outdoor storage and transport in a manner similar to coal. In untreated biomass, lignin is the primary binding agent for biomass pellets and is activated by the heat and pressures of the pellet extrusion process. The thermal degradation of lignin during torrefaction reduces its binding ability, resulting in pellets of low durability not suitable for transportation. The use of a binding agent can increase the durability of torrefied pellets/briquettes through a number of different binding mechanisms depending on the binder used. This study gives a review of granular binding mechanisms, as they apply to torrefied biomass and assesses a variety of organic and inorganic binding agents, ranking them on their applicability to torrefied pellets based on a number of criteria, including durability, hydrophobicity, and cost. The best binders were found to be solid lignin by-product derived from pulp and paper processing, biomass tar derived from biomass pyrolysis, tall oil pitch, and lime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production)
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23 pages, 1660 KiB  
Review
A Review of Thermochemical Conversion of Waste Biomass to Biofuels
by Shivangi Jha, Sonil Nanda, Bishnu Acharya and Ajay K. Dalai
Energies 2022, 15(17), 6352; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176352 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 5530
Abstract
Biofuels are sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels because of their renewable and low-cost raw materials, environmentally friendly conversion technologies and low emissions upon combustion. In addition, biofuels can also be upgraded to enhance their fuel properties for wide applicability in power infrastructures. Biofuels [...] Read more.
Biofuels are sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels because of their renewable and low-cost raw materials, environmentally friendly conversion technologies and low emissions upon combustion. In addition, biofuels can also be upgraded to enhance their fuel properties for wide applicability in power infrastructures. Biofuels can be produced from a wide variety of biomasses through thermochemical and biological conversion processes. This article provides insights into the fundamental and applied concepts of thermochemical conversion methods such as torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, gasification and transesterification. It is important to understand the physicochemical attributes of biomass resources to ascertain their potential for biofuel production. Hence, the composition and properties of different biomass resources such as lignocellulosic feedstocks, oilseed crops, municipal solid waste, food waste and animal manure have been discussed. The properties of different biofuels such as biochar, bio-oil, bio-crude oil, syngas and biodiesel have been described. The article concludes with an analysis of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the thermochemical conversion technologies to understand their scale-up applications and commercialization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass and Waste as Feedstocks for Biofuel Production)
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