INSTALLATION PROCESSING WOOD WASTE ACTIVATED CARBON

Activated carbon can be obtained in a variety of ways. The most promising in terms of resource conservation and economic benefits is the method of producing activated carbon from wood waste. The production of activated carbon by this method is based on the process of pyrolysis of wood waste. As a result of thermochemical processing, charcoal and pyrolysis gas are formed. Then the charcoal must undergo a high-temperature activation process, during which micropores are formed in the coal and it significantly increases its adsorption properties. The hardware design of these processes is a set of complex design and technological solutions. When designing the installation, it is necessary to carry out calculations designed to optimize the equipment and operating parameters of the processes of thermal decomposition and activation of coal, which make it possible to obtain a high-quality product. The paper describes a plant for processing wood waste into activated carbon. The processes occurring in each zone of the installation, as well as the principle of their operation, are considered in detail.

The Proof-of-Concept: The Transformation of Naphthalene and Its Derivatives into Decalin and Its Derivatives during Thermochemical Processing of Sewage Sludge

One solution for sewage sludge (SS) management is thermochemical treatment due to torrefaction and pyrolysis with biochar production. SS biochar may contain toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study aimed to determine the process temperature's influence on the qualitative PAHs emission from SS-biochar and the transformation of PAHs contained in SS. SS was torrefied/pyrolyzed under temperatures 200–600°C with 1 h residence time. The headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) analytical procedure of VOCs and PAHs emission was applied. The highest abundance of numerous VOCs was found for torrefaction ranges of temperature. The increase of temperatures to the pyrolytic range decreased the presence of VOCs and PAHs in biochar. The most common VOCs emitted from thermally processed SS were acetone, 2-methylfuran, 2-butanone, 3-metylbutanal, benzene, decalin, and acetic acid. The naphthalene present in SS converted to decalin (and other decalin derivatives), which may lead to SS biochar being considered hazardous material.

Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Sugarcane Bagasse Pyrolyzed Biochar Reinforced Polyvinyl Alcohol Biocomposite Films

Biochar obtained from the oxygen-deficient thermochemical processing of organic wastes is considered to be an effective reinforcing agent in biocomposite development. In the present research, biocomposite film was prepared using sugarcane bagasse pyrolyzed biochar and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and its electrical and mechanical properties were assessed. The biocomposite films were produced by varying content (5 wt.%, 8 wt.% and 12 wt.%) of the biochar produced at 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C and 1000 °C and characterized using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental findings revealed that biochar produced at a higher pyrolyzing temperature could significantly improve the electrical conductance of the biocomposite film. A maximum electrical conductance of 7.67 × 10−2 S was observed for 12 wt.% addition of biochar produced at 1000 °C. A trend of improvement in the electrical properties of the biocomposite films suggested a threshold wt.% of the biochar needed to make a continuous conductive network across the biocomposite film. Rapid degradation of tensile strength was observed with an increasing level of biochar dosage. The lowest tensile strength 3.12 MPa was recorded for the film with 12 wt.% of biochar produced at 800 °C. Pyrolyzing temperature showed a minor impact on the mechanical strength of the biocomposite. The prepared biocomposites could be used as an electrically conductive layer in electronic devices.

Sugarcane bagasse: a biomass sufficiently applied for improving global energy, environment and economic sustainability

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) bagasse (SCB) is a biomass of agricultural waste obtained from sugarcane processing that has been found in abundance globally. Due to its abundance in nature, researchers have been harnessing this biomass for numerous applications such as in energy and environmental sustainability. However, before it could be optimally utilised, it has to be pre-treated using available methods. Different pre-treatment methods were reviewed for SCB, both alkaline and alkali–acid process reveal efficient and successful approaches for obtaining higher glucose production from hydrolysis. Procedures for hydrolysis were evaluated, and results indicate that pre-treated SCB was susceptible to acid and enzymatic hydrolysis as > 80% glucose yield was obtained in both cases. The SCB could achieve a bio-ethanol (a biofuel) yield of > 0.2 g/g at optimal conditions and xylitol (a bio-product) yield at > 0.4 g/g in most cases. Thermochemical processing of SCB also gave excellent biofuel yields. The plethora of products obtained in this regard have been catalogued and elucidated extensively. As found in this study, the SCB could be used in diverse applications such as adsorbent, ion exchange resin, briquettes, ceramics, concrete, cement and polymer composites. Consequently, the SCB is a biomass with great potential to meet global energy demand and encourage environmental sustainability.

Thermal Analysis Technologies for Biomass Feedstocks: A State-of-the-Art Review

An effective analytical technique for biomass characterisation is inevitable for biomass utilisation in energy production. To improve biomass processing, various thermal conversion methods such as torrefaction, pyrolysis, combustion, hydrothermal liquefaction, and gasification have been widely used to improve biomass processing. Thermogravimetric analysers (TG) and gas chromatography (GC) are among the most fundamental analytical techniques utilised in biomass thermal analysis. Thus, GC and TG, in combination with MS, FTIR, or two-dimensional analysis, were used to examine the key parameters of biomass feedstock and increase the productivity of energy crops. We can also determine the optimal ratio for combining two separate biomass or coals during co-pyrolysis and co-gasification to achieve the best synergetic relationship. This review discusses thermochemical conversion processes such as torrefaction, combustion, hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification. Then, the thermochemical conversion of biomass using TG and GC is discussed in detail. The usual emphasis on the various applications of biomass or bacteria is also discussed in the comparison of the TG and GC. Finally, this study investigates the application of technologies for analysing the composition and developed gas from the thermochemical processing of biomass feedstocks.

Review on Solar Thermochemical Processing for Lunar Applications and their Heat Transfer Modeling Methods

Harnessing concentrated high-flux solar energy to drive thermal processes over 1000? for fuel production and material processing has great potential to address environmental issues associated with fossil fuels. There is now also interest in solar thermal processing under extraterrestrial (e.g., lunar) conditions, which has the potential to provide materials and power for future space exploration and base construction with local resources as feedstock. In this review article, the recent progress on conventional solar thermochemical systems used for lunar production is reviewed. Important results are discussed to identify the applicability of existing devices and models at lunar conditions. Finally, the challenges ahead and promising directions are presented.

Methods of Chemical and Thermochemical Processing of Hydrolytic Lignin

The analysis of the latest publications on the use of hydrolytic lignin, which is a large-tonnage waste of wood chemical processing, was carried out. In its original form, the hydrolytic lignin is used as fuel, fuel briquettes and pellets, binders and adhesives, organic fertilizers, fillers and enterosorbents. The processing of hydrolytic lignin by chemical and thermochemical methods allows to significantly expand the range of valuable products obtained from it. They are used in chemical, oil and gas and construction industries, metallurgy and other areas. Hydrolytic lignin is most widely used for the production of carbon sorbents. Recently, methods of thermochemical processing of lignin into porous carbon materials with the required texture and strength characteristics as well as into valuable organic products have been developed