scholarly journals Thermochemical Conversion of Olive Oil Industry Waste: Circular Economy through Energy Recovery

Recycling ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel J. R. Nunes ◽  
Liliana M. E. F. Loureiro ◽  
Letícia C. R. Sá ◽  
Hugo F.C. Silva

The demand for new sources of energy is one of the main quests for humans. At the same time, there is a growing need to eliminate or recover a set of industrial or agroforestry waste sources. In this context, several options may be of interest, especially given the amounts produced and environmental impacts caused. Olive pomace can be considered one of these options. Portugal, as one of the most prominent producers of olive oil, therefore, also faces the problem of dealing with the waste of the olive oil industry. Olive pomace energy recovery is a subject referenced in many different studies and reports since long ago. However, traditional forms of recovery, such as direct combustion, did not prove to be the best solution, mainly due to its fuel properties and other characteristics, which cause difficulties in its storage and transportation as well. Torrefaction and pyrolysis can contribute to a volume reduction, optimizing storage and transportation. In this preliminary study, were carried out torrefaction and pyrolysis tests on olive pomace samples, processed at 300 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C, followed by laboratory characterization of the materials. It was verified an improvement in the energy content of the materials, demonstrating that there is potential for the use of these thermochemical conversion technologies for the energy recovery of olive pomace.

Fuel ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 279 ◽  
pp. 118536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel J.R. Nunes ◽  
Liliana M.E.F. Loureiro ◽  
Letícia C.R. Sá ◽  
Hugo F.C. Silva

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel J. R. Nunes ◽  
Liliana M. E. F. Loureiro ◽  
Letícia C. R. Sá ◽  
Hugo F. C. Silva

The sugarcane industry has assumed an increasingly important role at a global level, with countries such as Brazil and India dominating the field. However, this causes environmental problems, since the industry produces large amounts of waste, such as sugarcane bagasse. This by-product, which is energetically partially recovered in sugar mills and in the pulp and paper industry, can make a significant contribution to the general use of biomass energy, if the usual disadvantages associated with products with low density and a high moisture content are overcome. From this perspective, thermochemical conversion technologies, especially torrefaction, are assumed to be capable of improving the fuel properties of this material, making it more appealing for potential export and use in far-off destinations. In this work, sugarcane samples were acquired, and the process of obtaining bagasse was simulated. Subsequently, the bagasse was dried and heat-treated at 200 and 300 °C to simulate the over-drying and torrefaction process. Afterward, product characterization was performed, including thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, calorimetry, and energy densification. The results showed significant improvements in the energy content, from 18.17 to 33.36 MJ·kg−1 from dried bagasse to torrefied bagasse at 300 °C, showing that despite high mass loss, there is potential for a future value added chain for this waste form, since the increment in energy density could enhance its transportation and use in locations far off the production site.


2021 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
A. Alcazar-Ruiz ◽  
R. Garcia-Carpintero ◽  
F. Dorado ◽  
L. Sanchez- Silva

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio C. Caputo ◽  
Federica Scacchia ◽  
Pacifico M. Pelagagge

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. e0206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paloma Manzanares ◽  
Encarnación Ruiz ◽  
Mercedes Ballesteros ◽  
María J. Negro ◽  
Francisco J. Gallego ◽  
...  

Olive crop and olive oil industry generates several residues, i.e., olive tree pruning biomass (OTPB), extracted olive pomace (EOP) and olive leaves (OL) that could be used to produce high-added value products in an integrated biorefinery. OTPB is generated in the field as a result of pruning operation to remove old branches; EOP is the main residue of the pomace olive oil extracting industry after extraction with hexane of residual oil contained in olive pomace; and OL comes from the olive cleaning process carried out at olive mills, where small branches and leaves are separated by density. In this work, an analysis of the potential of OTPB, EOP and OL residues was addressed by estimating the production volumes at national level and the spatial distribution of these residues using geographic information system software. Information provided by public institutions and personal surveys to the industries was evaluated. Moreover, chemical analysis of the residues was undertaken and the results used to make a first assessment of valorization into biofuels such as bioethanol and bio based chemicals. Results show that close to 4.2 million tons/year of EOP, OL and OTPB derived from olive oil industry and olive tree cultivation in Spain could be available as a raw material for biorefineries in Spain. The analysis of the chemical characteristics indicates the relevant potential of these feedstocks for the production of bioethanol and other compounds such as phenols based on suitable processing and conversion routes, although techno-economic evaluations must be tackled to refine this approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel J. R. Nunes ◽  
Liliana M. E. F. Loureiro ◽  
Letícia C. R. Sá ◽  
Hugo F. C. Silva

Agroforestry waste stores a considerable amount of energy that can be used. Portugal has great potential to produce bioenergy. The waste generated during agricultural production and forestry operation processes can be used for energy generation, and it can be used either in the form in which it is collected, or it can be processed using thermochemical conversion technologies, such as torrefaction. This work aimed to characterize the properties of a set of residues from agroforestry activities, namely rice husk, almond husk, kiwi pruning, vine pruning, olive pomace, and pine woodchips. To characterize the different materials, both as-collected and after being subjected to a torrefaction process at 300 °C, thermogravimetric analyses were carried out to determine the moisture content, ash content, fixed carbon content, and the content of volatile substances; elementary analyses were performed to determine the levels of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, and the high and low heating values were determined. With these assumptions, it was observed that each form of residual biomass had different characteristics, which are important to know when adapting to conversion technology, and they also had different degrees of efficiency, that is, the amount of energy generated and potentially used when analyzing all factors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaella Branciari ◽  
Roberta Galarini ◽  
Danilo Giusepponi ◽  
Massimo Trabalza-Marinucci ◽  
Claudio Forte ◽  
...  

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