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Special Issue "From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications"

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2023 | Viewed by 6162

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pei Sean Goh

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Guest Editor

Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Interests: nanomaterial and nanocomposite synthesis; surface modification; polymeric nanocomposite; membranes; desalination and wastewater treatment; energy production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail

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Guest Editor

Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia
Interests: membrane technology; nanostructured materials; hemodialysis; reverse osmosis; fuel cell; nanofiltration; ultrafiltration
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Dr. Jun-Wei Lim

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Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia
Interests: wastewater treatment process
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Hooi Siang Kang

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Guest Editor

Marine Technology Center, Institute for Vehicle System & Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Interests: marine environmental sustainability; smart mobility; ocean renewable energy; fluid-structure interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The alarming level of waste generation has urged more studies and research to focus on approaches related to waste management, product life cycle assessment, and circular economy. Circular economy frameworks offer an opportunity for various technological innovations. This resource-efficient model emphasizes eliminating waste and makes the entire economy more sustainable through waste reuse, reduction, and recycling. Numerous efforts have been devoted to minimizing the environmental impacts of a wide range of material production and industrial processes. These efforts include reducing the use of chemicals or using green solvents as alternatives to hazardous solvents. Developing sustainable, bio-based, and biodegradable materials is another straightforward strategy for achieving this goal.

This Special Issue aims at collecting a compilation of articles, which covers research articles, reviews, and communications, with topic areas focused on waste reutilization, green material synthesis, and sustainable processes for energy and environmental applications. We are pleased to invite you to submit your original manuscript to this Special Issue.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Waste reutilization for material synthesis;
Waste conversions via bioremediation;
Green solvent for material synthesis;
Green manufacturing;
Life cycle analysis for sustainable waste conversions;
Water and wastewater treatment;
Biofuel and bioenergy;
Hydrogen production and utilization;
Hydrogen storage and transportation;
Renewable energy;
Computational studies/ modelling

Dr. Pei Sean Goh
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Dr. Jun Wei Lim
Dr. Hooi Siang Kang
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

sustainable
waste reutilization
green manufacturing
green synthesis
renewable energy

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Modeling Study on the Removal of Mn, Fe, and Zn from Fiberboard Industrial Wastewater Using Modified Activated Carbon

Syafiqa Ayob

Wahid Ali Hamood Altowayti

Norzila Othman

Faisal Sheikh Khalid

Shafinaz Shahir

Husnul Azan Tajarudin

and

Ammar Mohammed Ali Alqadasi

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6734; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086734 - 17 Apr 2023

Viewed by 851

Abstract

In this work, the use of agricultural waste from oil palm petioles (OPP) as a raw material for the production of activated carbon (AC) and its characterization were examined. By soaking these chars in nitric acid (HNO₃) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) at a 10% concentration, AC with favorable high-porosity carbons was generated. To maximize AC synthesis, the AC was pyrolyzed at 460, 480, and 500 °C temperatures for 20 min. Based on micrographs of formed pores and surface functional groups, 480 °C carbonization temperature on both chemical HNO₃ and KOH was shown to be the best. The FTIR measurements reveal that chemical activation successfully transformed the raw material into AC. Moreover, FESEM micrographs show the pores and cavities of the prepared AC achieve a high surface area. This is further supported by BET results of HNO₃ OPP AC and KOH OPP AC with surface areas of 883.3 and 372.4 m²/g, respectively, compared with the surface area of raw OPP of 0.58 m²/g. Furthermore, the tests were revealed by an optimization model, namely response surface methodology (RSM), using a central composite design (CCD) technique. The findings showed that all three parameters (pH, time, and dose) had a substantial impact on the removal of Zn, Fe, and Mn. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analytical error indicated that the models were accurate, with a low error value and a high R² > 0.9. Remarkably, the good correlation between actual and predicted removal values showed that the modified activated carbon is a promising adsorbent for heavy metal removal from wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications)

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Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Annona diversifolia Seed Extract as A Natural Coagulant for Water Treatment

Ibrahim Muntaqa Tijjani Usman

and

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6324; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076324 - 06 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 819

Abstract

The ever-present environmental crises are current research hotspots. Nature-based solutions have been shown to have multiple co-benefits toward solving these crises. Plant-based coagulants are known to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach for coagulation and flocculation processes for drinking-water treatment. In this study, a natural coagulant was extracted from Annona diversifolia seed, and its effectiveness was investigated for turbidity reduction using jar test in kaolin suspension, river water, and evaluation of factors for sludge dewatering. The characterisation studies of Annona diversifolia seed extract were carried out using techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential analyser, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Response surface methodology (RSM) was also performed for the optimisation study. The results from FTIR showed that Annona diversifolia seed extract contains carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups. The charge density was found to be negative. A web-like structure surface morphology was observed from TEM. The optimum treatment settings were found to be at pH 3 and a dosage of 25 mg/L for water treatment, and 50 mg/L for sludge dewatering, which were comparable to the metal–salts coagulants. Annona diversifolia seed extract has been shown to be a good natural coagulant. Further research can be conducted to modify and enhance its performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Comprehensive Review of Modification, Optimisation, and Characterisation Methods Applied to Plant-Based Natural Coagulants (PBNCs) for Water and Wastewater Treatment

Ibrahim Muntaqa Tijjani Usman

and

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4484; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054484 - 02 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 935

Abstract

This review investigates the modification, optimisation, and characterisation of plant-based natural coagulants applied to water treatment. The disadvantages of plant-based materials hinder their application as alternatives to chemical coagulants, necessitating their modification to alter and enhance their physicochemical properties, making them suitable for application. Modification via microwave-assisted grafting copolymerisation has been found to be the most preferred approach compared to conventional methods. Optimisation of the coagulation process using response surface methodology has been shown to be practical. Different techniques are used in determining the physicochemical properties of plant-based natural coagulants. Some of these techniques have been tabulated, describing the properties each technique is capable of investigating. In conclusion, modification and optimisation of plant-based natural coagulants will result in the production of new materials that are stable and suitable for application as coagulants in water treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications)

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Open AccessReview

Montmorillonite for Adsorption and Catalytic Elimination of Pollutants from Wastewater: A State-of-the-Arts Review

Zakariyya Uba Zango

Abdurrahman Garba

Zaharaddeen Nasiru Garba

Muttaqa Uba Zango

Fahad Usman

and

Jun-Wei Lim

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16441; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416441 - 08 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1088

Abstract

Clay minerals have been recognized as one of the cheap and effective materials for wastewater remediation. Among the various clay minerals, montmorillonite (MMT) has received much attention due to its wide availability, low-cost and promising properties such as high porosity, mechanical strength, and cation exchange capacity. Additionally, MMT has high swelling properties. These features make it an ideal material for wastewater remediation applications. In addition, it possessed good cationic exchange capacity, making it easier to interact with various molecules. MMT and its composites exhibited good selectivity and catalytic activity for contaminants elimination from wastewater. Surface modification and functionalization have been identified as a way to improve the MMT’s adsorptive performance and endow it with light and light-harnessing properties. Thus, MMT composites, especially metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles, have shown good adsorption and photocatalytic activity toward the elimination/mineralization of various contaminants such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, and other organic and inorganic species. As such, MMT and its composites can be adopted as potential materials for wastewater remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications)

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Open AccessReview

Smart Modelling of a Sustainable Biological Wastewater Treatment Technologies: A Critical Review

Wahid Ali Hamood Altowayti

Shafinaz Shahir

Taiseer Abdalla Elfadil Eisa

Maged Nasser

Muhammad Imran Babar

Abdullah Faisal Alshalif

and

Faris Ali Hamood AL-Towayti

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15353; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215353 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1575

Abstract

One of the most essential operational difficulties that water companies face today is the capacity to manage their water treatment process daily. Companies are looking for long-term solutions to predict how their treatment methods may be enhanced as they face growing competition. Many models for biological growth rate control, such as the Monod and Contois models, have been suggested in the literature. This review further emphasized that the Contois model is the best and is more suited to predicting the performance of biological growth rate than the other applicable models with a high correlation coefficient. Furthermore, the most well-known models for optimizing and predicting the wastewater treatment process are response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Based on this review, the ANN is the best model for wastewater treatment with high accuracy in biological wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the present paper conducts a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer to assess research performance and perform a scientific mapping of the most relevant literature in the field. A bibliometric study of the most recent publications in the SCOPUS database between 2018 and 2022 is performed to assess the top ten countries around the world in the publishing of employing these four models for wastewater treatment. Therefore, major contributors in the field include India, France, Iran, and China. Consequently, in this research, we propose a sustainable wastewater treatment model that uses the Contois model and the ANN model to save time and effort. This approach may be helpful in the design and operation of clean water treatment operations, as well as a tool for improving day-to-day performance management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Synthesis and Processes for Environment and Energy Applications)

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