Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrochar and Bio-oil from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sargassum sp. using Choline Chloride (ChCl) Catalyst

The purpose of this study is to alter the biomass of Sargassum sp. into elective fills and high valuable biomaterials in a hydrothermal process at 200oC for 90 minutes, using ZnCl2 and CaCl2 activating agents, withChClas a catalyst. This method generatedthree primaryoutputs: hydrochar, bio-oil, and gasproducts. ChCl to water ratio varies from 1:3, 1:1, and 3:1. The hydrochar yield improved when the catalyst ratio was increased, but the bio-oil and gas yield declined. The highest hydrochar yields were 76.95, 63.25, and 44.16 percent in ZnCl2, CaCl2, and no activating agent samples, respectively.The porosity analysis observed mesopore structures with the most pore diameters between 3.9-5.2 nm with a surface area between44.71-55.2. The attribute of interaction between activator and catalyst plays a role in pore formation. The hydrochar products with CaCl2 showed the best thermal stability. From the whole experiment, the optimum hydrochar yield (76.95%), optimum surface area (55.42 m2 g-1), and the increase in carbon content from 21.11 to 37.8% were achieved at the ratio of ChCl to water was three, and the activating agent of ZnCl2. The predominant bio-oil components were hexadecane, hexadecanoic, and 9-octadecenoic acids, with a composition of 51.65, 21.44, and 9.87%, respectively the remaining contained aromatic alkanes and other fatty acids. The findings of this study reported that adding activating agents and catalysts improve hydrochar yield and characteristics of hydrochar and bio-oil products, suggesting the potential of hydrochar as a solid fuel or biomaterial and bio-oil as liquid biofuel

Experimental investigation of biodiesel-n-butanol fuels blends on performance and emissions in a diesel engine

The paper presents the experimental test results reflecting the comparative changes in the performance efficiency and emissions of the exhaust of a naturally aspirated, four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled diesel engine due to its transition from neat rapeseed oil biodiesel to fuel blends prepared by mixing in various proportion (by volume) rapeseed methyl ester (B) and butanol (Bu). The lubricity properties of biodiesel-n-butanol fuel blends were studied using HFRR method. In contrast to previous works, the undertaken investigation is performed with a totally renewable, binary liquid biofuel blends. The purpose of the research is to reduce simultaneously the production of NOx emissions and the exhaust smoke with respect to neat biodiesel due to potentially improved homogeneity of combustible mixture and particulate matter emissions benefits suggested by the higher oxygen content (21.62wt%) and the relatively lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio (4.8) of the normal n-butanol. The tests revealed that the brake specific fuel consumption for the binary biodiesel-n-butanol fuel blends is always higher than that neat biodiesel produces under the same loading conditions. Maximum nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were obtained with the engine running on neat biodiesel (2290 ppm). At full (100%) load conditions, the lowest NOx emission was obtained with the engine running on a biofuel BBu20 blend. The lowest level of carbon monoxide emissions (CO) was observed, when engine running with the most butanol-oxygenated biofuel blend BBu20.The highest smoke opacity of the exhaust was obtained when the engine was fuelled with neat biodiesel and at full load.

Ukraine liquid biofuel market current state modeling

Development and use of alternative energy in Ukraine is one of the state priority directions. Production and use of liquid bioenergy fuels from energy crops and biomass cultivation for the production of biofuels of various types’ provision are the main priorities for Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to determine the opportunities of Ukraine liquid biofuel market development scenario binary econometric model design. In the article, based on the method of economic and statistical modeling with the use of statistical software environment «R» econometric models of Ukraine liquid bioenergy fuels market formation and functioning have been designed. The objective of the study is to substantiate the possibility of an econometric model and regression analysis in the study of prospects for the development of the liquid biofuel market application. The possibility of usage the alternative energy in Ukraine has been substantiated, as one of the state priority directions. The conducted study on Ukraine bioethanol market development and functioning until 2023 forecast enabled to establish that volumes of corn export and export price for wheat affect the Ukraine bioethanol production scope. It has been substantiated that in the country it is expedient to form the products consumption culture in the context of low-carbon economic development in the face of global climate challenges and taking into account future trends. A multifactor correlation model that is based on the bioethanol market in Ukraine's development and functioning study has been suggested.

Biodiesel Production From Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Oleaginous Microbes: Prospects for Integrated Biofuel Production

Biodiesel is an eco-friendly, renewable, and potential liquid biofuel mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Biodiesel has been produced initially from vegetable oils, non-edible oils, and waste oils. However, these feedstocks have several disadvantages such as requirement of land and labor and remain expensive. Similarly, in reference to waste oils, the feedstock content is succinct in supply and unable to meet the demand. Recent studies demonstrated utilization of lignocellulosic substrates for biodiesel production using oleaginous microorganisms. These microbes accumulate higher lipid content under stress conditions, whose lipid composition is similar to vegetable oils. In this paper, feedstocks used for biodiesel production such as vegetable oils, non-edible oils, oleaginous microalgae, fungi, yeast, and bacteria have been illustrated. Thereafter, steps enumerated in biodiesel production from lignocellulosic substrates through pretreatment, saccharification and oleaginous microbe-mediated fermentation, lipid extraction, transesterification, and purification of biodiesel are discussed. Besides, the importance of metabolic engineering in ensuring biofuels and biorefinery and a brief note on integration of liquid biofuels have been included that have significant importance in terms of circular economy aspects.

Identification of Transcription Factors and the Regulatory Genes Involved in Triacylglycerol Accumulation in the Unicellular Red Alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

Microalgal triacylglycerols (TAGs) are a good feedstock for liquid biofuel production. Improving the expression and/or function of transcription factors (TFs) involved in TAG accumulation may increase TAG content; however, information on microalgae is still lacking. In this study, 14 TFs in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae were identified as candidate TFs regulating TAG accumulation using available transcriptome and phosphoproteome data under conditions driving TAG accumulation. To investigate the roles of these TFs, we constructed TF-overexpression strains and analyzed lipid droplet (LD) formation and TAG contents in the cells grown under standard conditions. Based on the results, we identified four TFs involved in LD and TAG accumulation. RNA-Seq analyses were performed to identify genes regulated by the four TFs using each overexpression strain. Among the TAG biosynthesis-related genes, only the gene encoding the endoplasmic reticulum-localized lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 1 (LPAT1) was notably increased among the overexpression strains. In the LPAT1 overexpression strain, TAG accumulation was significantly increased compared with the control strain under normal growth conditions. These results indicate that the four TFs positively regulate TAG accumulation by changing their target gene expression in C. merolae.

Assessment of liquid biofuel potential from energy crops within the sustainable water–land–energy–carbon nexus

With the rapid development of biofuels, doubts about their sustainability have also been raised.