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To evaluate the effect of brown-rot fungi Oligoporus placenta and earthworm Eisenia fetida on decomposition of paper mill sludge, the paper mill sludge was mixed with cow dung in 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% proportions and changes in physicochemical quality of waste mixtures was carried out for 28 days. All waste mixtures were treated with: Setup-I (E. fetida), Setup-II (O. placenta) and, Setup-III (E. fetida + O. placenta). A decrease in total organic carbon, C/N ratio and cellulose but an increase in total kjeldhal nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium and pH was recorded. The paper mill sludge in 50–75% proportion in feedstock showed the better results and rate of mineralisation were in order: Setup-III > Setup-I > Setup-II. The proportion of CD has direct role in waste mineralisation. The microbial population (bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes) and earthworm biomass were also high in Setup-III, suggesting the influence of brown-rot fungi on paper mill sludge humification. Results indicate that fungal inoculate in vermicomposting was effective in decomposing cellulose-rich industrial sludge.

The increasing presence of e-books (electronic books) has become a major focus in countries around the world. In the United States, e-books represented 28% of the total book sales for 2012. In Japan, the conversion from paper books to e-books is expected to accelerate by the prevalent use of smartphones and tablet PCs. It is therefore important to quantitatively evaluate the environmental load of paper books and e-books for a sustainable society. In this study, paper books are compared to e-books read on different electronic devices (e-ink tablets, tablets, cell phones, smartphones, laptop computers, desktop computers and portable music players) through a case study on a 224-page book. The study is based on key primary data such as use time and reading speed for each device and aims to minimize assumptions made in other studies. GHG emissions for paper books are 1.24 kg-CO2e/book, and are reduced to 1.11 kg-CO2e/book when the effect of paper recycling is taken into consideration. The results for e-books under average use-time conditions range from 0.25 to 0.91 kg-CO2e/book with the e-ink tablet having the lowest emissions. When the average use time of each e-book device is applied, the paper book has a higher impact than all the e-books. However, sensitivity analysis shows that the impact of paper books can be lower than that of e-books for larger screen devices such as tablets, laptops and desktops when the reuse of books is considered or the e-book reading device is hardly used during its life cycle.

The need to view innovation policy through the lens of policy mixes has gained momentum given the growing complexity, the dynamics of real-world policy and the wide array of difficulties to address the current great societal challenges, notably the increasing pressure on the ecosystems that support our society. One of the main challenges concerning the transition towards bioeconomy, is to gain a more in-depth understanding on the policy mix to stimulate innovation in sustainability transitions. Our paper aims at enriching the portfolio of empirical case studies on policy mixes for innovation and sustainable transitions, by investigating the development of the policy mix underpinning the sustainability transition of the pulp and paper industry in Sweden. We apply a case study approach which draws on event history analysis, semi-structured interviews with industry and policy makers, literature reviews, a participative workshop with stakeholders from the pulp and paper industry, as well as on the IEA databases on climate change and energy efficiency policies and measures. Our analysis emphasises coordination, timing and scale in policy mixes as important elements to understand how instruments interact to accelerate sustainability transitions. The mapping of the policy mix shows that destabilising policies were crucial for accelerating the transition process of the industry. Prior to novelty creation policies, destabilising policies (e.g. environmental policies) were needed for 'innovation policy instruments' to be effective. More specific instruments (e.g. carbon tax), targeting particular functions of the innovation systems, require 'on-the-ground' policy intelligence and benefit from close interaction with industry.

Aeration, as a process in pulp and paper wastewater treatment, uses the greatest share of the energy. Therefore, if the energy efficiency of the treatment has to be improved, the focus must be on aeration. A key finding from the trials conducted for this paper, with effluent from a paper and pulp mill, was that the oxygen transfer coefficient could be doubled and the chemical oxygen demand could be decreased by 25%, if the effluent was pre-treated with 30 mg/l of aluminium coagulant (equivalent to 9.4 tonnes per day of AVR to 20000 cubic metres of effluent). Decrease in oxygen requirement implies decreases in aeration energy use. Pulp and paper mill effluents are not as biodegradable as municipal sewage, and the improvement in oxygen transfer properties of the effluent will have a positive influence over a longer period of time in the biological treatment. If the sludge is digested anaerobically, pre-treatment will also result in doubling the potential for methane generation. A holistic analysis of modifications to processes entails a study of the economic and environmental consequences as well. While the economic aspect is beyond the scope of this paper, only the net global warming as an environmental impact category has been studied, by taking recourse to specific emission coefficients. Of the four dosages of ferric aluminium sulphate considered in this analysis, the net greenhouse gas emissions are the least – 426 kg carbon dioxide equivalent per day when the daily consumption is 9.4 tonnes.

Reducing waste materials through reuse has in the recent past contributed to sustainable manufacturing in many industries. With the development of large-scale poultry farming, the treatment of large amounts of chicken feathers has become a problem and threatened its use as a renewable resource. This paper examines the use of chicken feathers in the paper making process; a process which would traditionally use wood as the raw material. The effects of combining feather fibre and wood pulp on paper performance were studied and compared to the properties of handsheets made with 100% wood pulp. With the increase of feather content, properties such as tightness, tensile index and bursting index decreased, whilst air permeability improved. There was no significant difference in water absorbency between various chicken feather/wood pulp handsheet samples however, the water absorbency started to decrease above 80% of chicken feather content. This could potentially open up a new avenue for the use of chicken feathers in applications that are meant to tolerate high humidity conditions, e.g., packaging products.

Utilization of the quality-upgraded waste paper in the manufacture of paper and board will reduce the wood consumption and pulping energy. While the optical property of the fibers from recycled old newspaper is very poor, in-situ calcium carbonate formation on those fibers by injecting carbon dioxide to the mixed slurry of those pulp and calcium oxide improved their brightness. Upgrading recycled old newspaper to substitute more expensive wood furnish, such as recycled old magazine, was successfully demonstrated in the present study. This study showed that the in-situ calcium carbonate formation process improved the optical quality of the recycled old newspaper by covering colored impurities with newly formed calcium carbonate, and improved calcium carbonate retention in papermaking process by attaching them to fibers. The strength reduction by the presence of newly formed calcium carbonate in the paper was recovered by adding strength agent. High ash retention at high ash content under the strong turbulence in the modern paper mill was achieved by the application of the in-situ calcium carbonate formation method. The quality-upgrade of recycled fibers and cost saving in the manufacture of duplex paperboard were demonstrated in the mill trial.

Guiding industries to produce in an effective and environmentally sustainable manner has become a key issue for governments around the world. Over the past 15 years, series of regional and industrial development policies have been introduced by the Chinese government. This has influenced the geographical distribution and energy efficiency performance of China’s industries. This paper quantifies the influence of enterprises geographical distribution on energy efficiency improvement in the paper industry and aims at providing some helpful suggestions on industrial development to policy makers. The main results show that, firstly, the paper industry in eastern China shows obvious characteristic of agglomeration. The average location quotient is 1.2278. However, following the industrial and regional development policies, the characteristic of agglomeration is weakening. Secondly, only when agglomeration reaches a certain level (location quotient is above 0.5447) will industrial agglomeration positively impact on industrial energy efficiency improvement (a 1% increase in agglomeration will increase dynamic energy efficiency by at least 0.23%). Thirdly, the regional development policies carried out by the government slow the pace of energy efficiency improvement in China’s paper industry. The empirical results indicate that the government needs to consider regional characteristics and consciously guide industrial enterprises to concentrate in the dominant area.

Different heating processes were applied to pretreat the pulp and paper mill sludge to enhance the hydrolysis stage. Hot air oven, autoclave, microwave and water bath were used for comparison. Chemical analyses exposed that all the pretreatment methods have shown improvement in solubilisation of organic matter. Among the pretreatments studied, heat transfer through hot air (80 °C for 90 min) mode had the highest impact on sludge solubilisation. There was an increase in cellulose (P = 0.0096), acid soluble (P = 0.0053) and insoluble lignin (P = 0.0012), but decrease in hemicellulose (P = 0.0009) content after pretreatment. The XRD and FT-IR spectroscopic characterisation shows the development of aliphatic, unsaturated and carbonyl carbon functionalities in the pretreated samples at higher severities. FESEM picture also confirms the change in structure after pretreatment. Thus, pretreatments contribute to disruption of the lignocellulosic structure making the cellulose easily accessible to acidogenic microorganisms.

International audience; An energy audit is a primary step toward improving energy efficiency at the facility level and ensuring a clean production. The pulp and paper sector is one of the most energy-intensive industries in Morocco. This article aimed at identifying energy conservation opportunities at a Small and Medium-sized paper industry. The audit results together with their financial viability are presented regarding the analysis of energy consumption and electrical quality issues. The paper introduces an action plan for a more efficient energy use of some specific applications such as furnaces and compressed-air installations as well. The recommended energy efficiency measures have the potential of saving about 347.85 MWh of electrical energy and 101.78 MWh of thermal energy corresponding to reductions of 11.48% and 2.22%, respectively. The total investments related to the application of the action plan is approximately 290.53 kMAD and the global payback period does not exceed one year. It was also shown that a total quantity of 283.39 t of CO2 emissions can be saved annually.

The pulp and paper industry accounts for approximately 5% of total industrial energy consumption and contributes 2% of direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industries. World paper and paperboard demand and production are increasing significantly, leading to an increase in this sector's energy use and CO2 emissions. Although current studies identify a wide range of energy-efficiency technologies that have already been commercialized for the pulp and paper industry, information is limited or scattered regarding new energy-efficiency technologies that are not yet fully commercialized. Development of emerging or advanced energy-efficiency technologies and their deployment in the market will be crucial for this industry's mid- and long-term energy saving and climate change mitigation strategies. This paper compiles available information on energy savings, environmental and other benefits, costs, and commercialization status for 25 emerging technologies to reduce the energy use and CO2 emissions. The purpose is to provide a well-structured comprehensive review on these emerging energy-efficiency technologies for engineers, researchers, investors, policy makers, pulp and/or paper companies, and other interested parties.

The global cement industry produces over four billion tonnes annually. In recent years, the quest for increasing energy efficiency has led this industry to test and use “waste” materials as alternative fuels (AF). The objective of this study was to examine the use, as alternative fuel, of the shredded non-recycled plastics and paper residue (NRPP) of a materials recovery facility at the Balcones plant in San Antonio, Texas; this material has a Lower Heating Value (LHV) of about 17 MJ/kg and is called “engineered fuel” (EF). The results showed that EF consists of mostly paper fiber, a biogenic material, so its use helps to decrease CO2 emissions from cement production. In the US, on an average about 4.3 MJ of thermal energy are used to dry, decompose, and sinter the carbonate minerals to produce one kg of “clinker” that is then ground to cement powder and mixed with other compounds. If the maximum amount of EF that can be used by the U.S. cement industry (83 million tonnes of cement per year) were to be separated at Material Recovery Facilities and used as alternative fuel in cement kilns, the diversion of non-recycled paper and plastics from landfills would amount to 17.7 million tonnes of EF. The general methodology used for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is Eco-indicators 99 that uses the SimaPro database and four scenarios were assessed. The corresponding chemical structure of the EF was calculated and the associated emissions during combustion were determined. The laboratory analyses determined the average makeup of the sampled fuels consisted of 20% fossil based carbon and 80% biogenic. The use of EF in the cement industry reduces greenhouse gas emission by up to 3 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of EF used in place of a high-quality coal. The study also found that use of EF in cement production has no adverse effect on the stack emissions of cement plants, nor on the quality of cement produced. The mercury concentration in the stack gas of U.S. cement kilns is well below the U.S. standard and the total dioxin emissions of all cement plants amount to only 0.05% of the dioxins emitted by all U.S. sources. Furthermore, the cement process incorporates the residual ash in the EF into the final clinker, thus resulting in both energy and materials recovery.

The papermaking industry has developed rapidly in recent years in China. Papermaking is a high-energy-consuming process. Consequently, large-scale paper mills usually have cogeneration systems that supply both electricity and steam for the papermaking process. In China, almost all these cogeneration systems in paper mills are powered by coal combustion, which consumes a large amount of energy and emits large amounts of greenhouse gas. The Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology is regarded as a clean and efficient method of coal utilization. In this work, an IGCC process for application in paper mills was designed and modeled. An IGCC coupled with a cascade refrigeration process (CRP) was further proposed in order to reuse the waste heat from the dryer section and improve the energy efficiency of the papermaking process. A paper with a conventional cogeneration system, one with an IGCC cogeneration system, and one with an IGCC coupled with a CRP cogeneration system were analyzed and compared in terms of energy efficiency, capital investment, operational cost, and dynamic payback period. The results showed that the integration of IGCC technology allows paper mills to be more competitive than those featuring conventional cogeneration systems in terms of energy efficiency and operational cost.

Recycling and recovery of materials from used products is one of the major avenues to reduce material throughput. Ideally, all materials are anticipated for being reused by the economy an infinite number of times. In reality, recovery of secondary materials may be difficult because of high costs, or because of degraded quality compared with virgin materials. The search for potential reduction of throughput in material cycles should be based on a knowledge of the limits to repeated cycles. To gain understanding of recycling limits, we developed a method to estimate the actual reduction potential for each throughput in a material's multi-cycle life. First, we investigated the material flow system of paper in Taiwan, and developed a supply chain network of paper flows. Systematic elaboration of the flows revealed where paper can be recycled and where paper can be lost. Second, we estimated the reduction potential with a material input–output Markov chain model, which maps the distribution and loss of materials on the supply chain processes. The model estimated the quantities and the life pathways of recycled materials across continuous life-cycles. An indicator was used to quantify the total performance of the material across repeated life-cycles. This method offers an opportunity to examine practices that approach the limit of reduction. This case study shows that the use and separation of paper waste after discarding may need to be reformed to extend the life-cycles of the material.

Industrial productivity is often judged solely by the primary product's marketability, while opportunities for secondary products derived from process by-products are often overlooked. In paper mills, large volumes of moisture-rich paper mill residuals (cellulose sludge) are produced, for which commercial use is currently difficult. Port Hawkesbury Paper LP, Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, produces over 7 t/hr of waste sludge with a seasonally-dependent dryness ranging from 25 to 38% (w/w). Various chemical or mechanical dewatering options exist; however, knowledge of the unique sludge composition and properties is essential to predicting how the product will react under each method. Sonication, Fournier rotary press technology, freeze/thaw cycling, and gravity drying were among the dewatering opportunities briefly explored outside of the chosen method, acidification. Notably, many industries utilizing dewatering technologies may not be producing value-added by-products, while geographic and climatic placement may limit processes which are possible for others. In the present study examining enhanced end-use value, further dewatering occurred through a comparative in situ experiment contrasting sulfuric acid and ferric sulfate acidification (direct acid injection into sludge). While both proton donors acidified the sludge and decreased moisture content, sulfuric acid was the more cost-effective option, yielding an ∼4% increase in dryness, with commensurate economic and environmental benefits.

Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to an efficient development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change. This study aims at assessing the potential of cascading use of woody biomass for reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and increasing the overall wood flow efficiency in the European Union's forest and bioeconomy sectors. A scenario and life cycle approach was followed to quantify the potential benefits of cascading use of woody biomass. We started from a reference scenario in which (post-consumer) waste wood and paper are re-utilized for energy only (S0). Then we compared the reference scenario with two alternative scenarios, the current waste wood and paper recycling practices (S1) and the maximum technical potential to increase recycling of waste wood and paper flows (S2). Following a supply chain perspective, different stages of production were analysed, including forgone fossil-fuels substitution, optimization at manufacturing level and forest regrowth. Through cascading use, the wood use efficiency ratio (cascade factor) in the European wood sector would be increased by 23% (S0 vs S1) and 31% (S0 vs S2) and GHG emissions (cradle-to-gate energy use) would be reduced by 42% (28 MtCO2-eq/year) and 52% (35 MtCO2-eq/year) in scenarios S1 and S2. However, increased wood product cascading is counter effected in the short term by reduced savings in the energy sector by 49% and 48% (−43 and −42 MtCO2-eq/year) in scenarios S1 and S2 due to delayed availability of waste wood and waste paper fibers. This explorative study highlights the potential of cascading use of woody biomass in the wood production chains to contribute to a reduction of environmental impacts related to wood resource and energy use, but it also reveals trade-offs in terms of GHG emissions reduction, relevant especially in meeting short-term (2020–2030) renewable energy targets.

Environmental issues, legal requirements, and economic benefits of recycling activities lead to the development of reverse logistics operations and waste management. The current research considers a closed-loop supply chain for a cardboard recycling network including multiple suppliers and production stages. A mixed integer linear programming model is proposed to optimize the paper and cardboard recycling network, and a robust optimization approach is utilized to deal with demand uncertainty in this network. The model maximizes the total profit. It considers the operation, transportation, purchasing and holding inventory costs as well. Moreover, to illustrate the application of the proposed model, a real-world cardboard closed-loop supply chain design is investigated. The proposed model considers the option to open a new recycling center in the current network. The proposed model determines the optimal quantities of the waste paper, paper, sheet and cardboard that flow in this network. Finally, the computational analysis indicated that the proposed model provides efficient solutions for the studied cardboard closed-loop network.

The use of biomass for energy production is one way to ensure energy security and address the environmental issues related to the use of fossil fuels in developing countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need electric power and thermal energy for their activities. In Burkina Faso, this type of thermal energy is generally produced by SMEs from firewood. However, cashew companies produce a large amount of waste (shell, press cake, nut shell liquid) which can be converted into fuel. Separating the cashew nut from the shell requires two energy-intensive steps: roasting and drying. The energy is provided by cashew shells which are usually burned in boilers, but this method results in the production of anacardic acid and smoke both of which are irritating and which may be carcinogenic due to the presence of cashew nuts shell liquid (CNSL). This paper describes the production of energy from cashew waste by making briquettes out of the press cake, which is left over after the removal of CNSL from the nut shell. The process consists in carbonizing the press cake at a temperature of 350 °C and grinding to a grain size of 0.5 mm. The resulting charcoal powder is then mixed with water and a binding agent (cassava starch), in this case cassava starch selected for its physical-chemical properties, availability in the local market, and its low price. The resulting mixture is then densified in a screw press to obtain briquettes 5.5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length. Several proportions of water and cassava starch were tested and the best briquettes were obtained with a mixture of 35% of water, 10% of cassava starch and 55% of press cake charcoal. The mechanical and physicochemical analysis of briquettes gave a net calorific value of 25.7 MJ/kg, a density of 0.91, a compressive strength index of 382.89 kPa and an impact resistance index of 61.10. A water boiling test performed afterwards showed that the combustion performance of the briquettes was the same as that of wood charcoal.

This article is a reply to “Comment on the paper: Ben Ali S, Jaouali I, Souissi-Najar S, Ouederni A, Characterization and adsorption capacity of raw pomegranate peel biosorbent for copper removal, Journal of Cleaner Production (2016)”. Our paper does not contain scientific errors, interpretations, calculations or conclusions in different study parts (Characterization, adsorption, optimization, kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic study) as Tran Nguyen Hai claimed. We take advantage of this opportunity to correct if there are any typing errors and to improve the FTIR wave number table. That, many objections raised by Tran Nguyen Hai come from (1) comparison of figures with different x-axis scale; (2) calculation and verification based on inappropriate units; (3) comparing to self nonexistent results in cited paper; (4) comparing and evaluating our results dealing with pomegranate peel to orange peel substrate; (5) proposing basic analytical analysis whereas more sophisticated analysis were used; (6) basing on the uncorrected proof version of our paper. Thereafter a reply to any objection raised by Tran Nguyen Hai in Tran, (2017) .

In this paper, the enrichment of methane by membrane technology was studied by employing (i) a model as well as (ii) a real biogas mixture produced on a laboratory-scale. Thereafter, the endurance of the process was tested at an existing biogas plant. The commercial gas separation module under investigation contained hollow fiber membranes with a polyimide selective layer. During the measurements, the effect of critical factors (including the permeate-to-feed pressure ratio and the splitting factor) was sought in terms of the (i) CH4 content on the retentate-side and (ii) CH4 recovery, which are important measures of biogas upgrading efficiency. The results indicated that a retentate with 93.8 vol% of CH4 – almost biomethane (>95 vol% of CH4) quality – could be obtained using the model gas (consisting of 80 vol% of CH4 and 20 vol% of CO2) along with 77.4% CH4 recovery in the single-stage permeation system. However, in the case of the real biogas mixture, ascribed primarily to inappropriate N2/CH4 separation, the peak methane concentration noted was only 80.7 vol% with a corresponding 76% CH4 recovery. Besides, longer-term experiments revealed the adequate time-stability of membrane purification, suggesting such a process is feasible under industrial conditions for the improvement of biogas quality.

To address the challenge of high water consumption, massive wastewater discharge and high pollution risk in textile industries, different countries have chosen various treatment method for textile wastewater according to the location and management of textile enterprises. It is not economical purposely to build separate wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for each small-scale enterprise, hence, it is common to treat the wastewater for a group of factories and then complete the treatment via a municipal wastewater treatment plant. However, the complex characteristics of textile wastewater brings some new problems for WWTPs: Textile wastewater contains over 300 mg/L COD, 100 μg/L antimony, 1000 μg/L aniline, some of which are toxic to microbes or non-biodegradable. Coagulation plays an important role in the pretreatment of textile wastewater for removing hydrophobic dyes, decreasing the SS and COD. In this paper, Poly Ferric Sulfate (PFS), Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) and Poly Aluminum Ferric Chloride (PAFC) were chosen to improve the biodegradability of the textile wastewater. And then, quantitatively evaluate the biodegradability of wastewater before and after coagulation treatment by analyzing the proportion of different organic pollution, which could be divided into four parts including rapid bio-treated, easy bio-treated, normal bio-treated and non-biological treatment. Results showed that the biodegradability of textile wastewater could be improved by coagulation process, and the contents of organic matter of rapid bio-treated and easy bio-treated could be maximizing when the control condition of coagulation process was optimized. Moreover, because of its characteristics of simple, easy to use, and rapidly online implement, this approach holds a great promise for applications such as investigate wastewater feature deeply, treatment technology optimization, risk control and management.

In 2015, the milk quota system that is in place in Europe is to be abolished, instigating an increase in milk production. This increase will aid in addressing the world's ever growing demand for food, but will incur increased stresses on the environmental impact and sustainability of the dairy industry. In this paper, an environmental life cycle assessment, which is performed in order to estimate the global warming potential (GWP) associated with 11 dairy products in the Republic of Ireland, is presented. The primary aim of the study is to examine the GWP associated with the processing of raw milk into the various products. However, the GWP contribution from dairy farms producing the raw milk is also included. Therefore, the system boundary utilised in this study is cradle-to-processing factory gate (dairy, farm, raw milk transportation and dairy processing). Furthermore, when performing the analysis, the 11 dairy products are clustered into 6 product groups: fluid milk (whole milk, skimmed and semi-skimmed milk); butter; cheese; cream; milk powders (buttermilk powders, whole milk powders, skimmed milk powders, and chocolate crumb); and whey powders (whey powders and proteins). The total GWP was calculated for each product group and mass allocation was used to derive the GWP of each product within that group. Data from 12 companies (18 dairy processing plants), which account for approximately 92% of the cow's milk processed in the Republic of Ireland, was used in this study to accurately assess the Irish dairy processing industry. From the analysis, it was found that raw milk production accounted for between 80.8% and 97.3% of the total GWP, depending on the amount of raw milk per kg of product. Additionally, raw milk transportation accounted for approximately 0.4% of the GWP, with the remainder contributed by the processing phase. The main contributor to GWP in the processing phase was direct energy use within the plant (electricity, natural gas and other fuel), which accounts for between 91 and 98% of the GWP, depending on the product. Furthermore, even though raw milk production is the most significant contributor to the total GWP of each dairy product, it was observed that energy use and water consumption in the processing phase were of the same magnitude as that of the production phase.

The world today is facing challenging crises like depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution. Biofuels can be an alternative solution to fossil fuels. Iran hosts a variety of weather conditions and its soil can grow different types of plants suitable for production of liquid biofuels. In this regard, the present research is an in-depth attempt to explore the potentials of Khuzestan Province as an agriculture hub of Iran to produce liquid biofuels. The studied biodiesel sources included oilseeds, animal fats and fish wastes, and the sources of bioethanol were wheat, sugarcane, sugar beet, rice, barley, maize, alfalfa, potato, grapes, apple, date and other local citrus fruits including orange, grapefruit, sweet lemon, sour lemon and sour orange. Results showed that the province's production potential was 1.04 Gl of bioethanol. A 5% addition of ethanol to gasoline (i.e. E5) can save 63.5 Ml of gasoline throughout the province. The estimated biodiesel production from animal fat- and oil-containing products and fish wastes is about 56 Ml in this province that can supply 2% of its total diesel fuel requirement. The estimated fat-based biodiesel production of Iran is 332.56 million liters. By adding the biodiesel production from oilseeds, Iran can produce 1.27 Gl of biodiesel fuel. This amount can supply 4.2% of the country's total diesel fuel consumption. The results for bioethanol and biodiesel production show promising alternatives. As a result of sound management of agricultural residues, E5 (5% ethanol, 95% gasoline) for SI engines and B2 (2% biodiesel and 98% diesel fuel) for diesel engines can be commercially produced as they impose no modifications to these engines.

Poor sanitation due to improper treatment of human excreta, and energy scarcity are global problems with only partial solutions. Thus, feasible conversion of human excreta into safe, reusable “products” and renewable energy could be advantageous. The research objectives were to study the properties and major chemical processes occurring during hydrothermal carbonization of raw human excreta with typical solids content, as well as exploring potential use of the resulting hydrochar and aqueous phase. Human excreta (often considered as black water) were hydrothermally carbonized in a set of nine 50-mL laboratory batch reactors under a range of severities, a single parameter obtained from a coalification model that represents the combination of temperature and time. Three temperatures (180, 210 and 240 °C) and reaction times (30, 60 and 120 min) were used. The physicochemical characteristics such as yield, elemental composition, organic matter and calorific value of the hydrochar (solid phase) were studied. Aqueous phase was characterized for carbon, nitrogen, macro and micronutrients composition. In addition, the potential use of the hydrochar and aqueous phase were studied. There was high correlation between severity factor and carbon content (R2 = 0.95) and calorific value (R2 = 0.89). Hydrochar yield decreased with increasing severity from 69 to 56%. Calorific values increased from 24.7 to 27.6 MJ/kg, falling within the calorific range of sub-bituminous coal. The aqueous phase demonstrated high nitrogen concentration, reaching up to 8178 mg/L total nitrogen, while N:P:K ratios were similar to those of commercial fertilizers. Pilot scale experiments resembled the results found in laboratory scale experiments for both hydrochar and aqueous phase and fitted the regression curves obtained from the severity factor. It is postulated that hydrothermal carbonization of human excreta could potentially serve as a sustainable sanitation technology with a closed-loop cycle approach while recovering energy and nutrients.

The most important environmental issues caused by the textile industry are intensive water consumption, high amounts of wastewater generation with significant pollutant loads. Previous studies were focused on minimization of water consumption and wastewater amounts in cotton textile finishing-dyeing. There are very few real-scale scientific studies about water efficiency in woolen textile production. In this study, it was aimed to reduce water consumption, wastewater amount and its pollutant loads by appropriate techno-economical minimization techniques in an integrated woolen textile mill. In this context, water consumptions and wastewater generations in basic and other auxiliary processes of the mill were examined by detailed on-site investigations. Process based specific water consumption and wastewater values were calculated. Additionally, water and wastewater samples were collected at different periods and analyzed. Specific pollutant loads of wastewater were also calculated. Thus, reuse potentials of the process wastewaters were evaluated. Moreover, saving and reduction potentials of the mill were determined by comparing with similar textile mills. Total of 82 minimization techniques were identified and evaluated by using multi-criteria decision-making methods. As a result, it was decided to implement 9 minimization techniques in the mill. Thus, reductions in water consumption by 41–69%, wastewater amounts by 48–75% and wastewater chemical loads by 28–63% can be achieved by the implementation of the minimization techniques. Potential payback period was ranged between 24 and 60 months. Employed methodology and findings of the study may be useful to similar textile mills, stakeholders and regulators. Presented results may also provide a road map to textile industry for cleaner production applications.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-03T18:18:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-10-10 Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory at Campinas Fly and bottom ashes - by-products of petroleum coke combustion- contain important plant nutrients (e.g., Ca, S) and may be used as soil acidity amendments, yet their metals content might be a concern. Finding innovative alternatives for the beneficial use of such by-products is key for assuring their environmental sustainability. In this study, we first carried out a comprehensive characterization of fly and bottom ashes, i.e., physical, chemical, mineralogical, and structural analyzes. Next, we created a new product based on these ashes to meet the demand of the Brazilian legislation. To test the agronomic efficiency of the product and the environmental implications of its agricultural use, greenhouse experiments were performed with two Oxisols, cultivated with maize and soybean. The treatments consisted on the application of two doses of different products, aiming to increase soil base saturation to 50% and 70%, and three sources: 1) a blend of fly and bottom ashes with commercial limestone (blended limestone, BL); 2) a positive control, commercial limestone enriched with Ni and S (enriched limestone, EL); and, 3) a negative control (commercial limestone, CL). The BL was efficient for soil acidity correction, providing Ca, Mg, S, and Ni to maize and soybean plants. Plant dry weight did not change following the application of the product, yet the BL was effective as a Ni-fertilizer, since it was able to increase soil-Ni up to 5-fold, as well as Ni content in maize and in soybean leaves by 5- and 4-fold, respectively, positively affecting N metabolism. Our findings revealed that, while improving many soil attributes, the BL is a viable and sustainable technology for the use of petroleum coke combustion ashes in agriculture, working as a Ni-fertilizer to plants, which meets a current market demand for this micronutrient. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Soil Sci, BR-37200000 Lavras, MG, Brazil Agr & Environm Technol Ctr, Lindolfo Garcia St 1000, BR-38600000 Paracatu, MG, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Sci & Engn, BR-7602496 Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Goettingen, Dept Crop Sci, Carl Sprengel Weg 1, D-37075 Gottingen, Germany Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Sci & Engn, BR-7602496 Sao Paulo, Brazil Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory at Campinas: XRF-20160659

Oxy fuel combustion technique has been in practice since last three decades powered mainly by coal or other fossilized fuels. A similar technique was applied to biomass thermochemical conversion keeping in consideration zero carbon and renewability features of biomass. Experimental investigation of combustion characteristics of lignocellulose based biomass including maize stalk, wheat straw, rice husk and groundnut hull has been carried out in this study. Objective was to determine the behavioral changes in fuel inherent nitrogen during combustion and its distribution between elemental nitrogen (N2) or nitrogen oxides (NOx) after the combustion. Approximately isothermal conditions with temperature range from 700 °C to 1200 °C and various oxidizer atmospheres comprised of mainly oxygen with corresponding nitrogen or carbon-dioxide gases were opted for the experimental work. Results revealed that average 78% relative NOx reduction efficiency for four selected biomasses (81.69% maize stalk; 68.69% wheat straw; 88.64% rice husk & 72.99% groundnut hull) was achieved under 21% O2/79% CO2 atmosphere over the corresponding 21% O2/79% N2 atmosphere. Through enhancing O2 ratio in oxy biomass combustion atmosphere i.e. 30% O2/70% CO2 and comparing NOx reduction efficiency with its corresponding 30% O2/70% N2 atmosphere; an average relative NOx reduction efficiency of 80.49% i.e. (maize stalk: 78.94%, wheat straw: 79.11%, rice husk: 88.60%, groundnut hull: 75.30%) was attained. It was concluded that oxygen played key role in achieving satisfactory reduction in NOx emissions.

This study was focused on the application of various chemical and electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (AOPs/EAOPs) as a polishing step for the remediation of a textile wastewater, concerning its discharge into the environment and its reuse in the textile industry. The textile wastewater was previously subjected to biological treatment, clarification and filtration. The following processes were compared: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) photolysis with ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation (H2O2/UVC), anodic oxidation (AO), AO with electrogenerated H2O2 (AO-H2O2) and AO-H2O2 with UVC radiation (AO-H2O2/UVC). Furthermore, the influence of H2O2 concentration on the H2O2/UVC process and the influence of current density on the AO-H2O2/UVC process were evaluated. The efficiency of the AOPs/EAOPs was assessed in terms of decolorization and mineralization. The decolorization ability of the various processes up to 25–30 min of reaction could be arranged in the following sequence: AO > AO-H2O2/UVC ≈ H2O2/UVC > AO-H2O2. For treatment times above 25–30 min, the AO-H2O2/UVC and H2O2/UVC processes provided higher decolorization than the AO process. Complete color removals were found, contrasting with a maximum mineralization of 39%, thereby indicating the presence of recalcitrant non-colored organic compounds. The German color discharge standards were achieved after 5–9 min of reaction for all processes, whereas the Brazilian color discharge limit was reached after 10 min of reaction for the AO process, 20 min for the AO-H2O2/UVC and H2O2/UVC processes, and 35 min for the AO-H2O2 process. The feasibility of using the recycled textile wastewater in textile processing was proved for scouring, bleaching and dyeing processes, taking into account hydrophilicity, color difference and whiteness index. The treatment times required for reuse purposes applying the H2O2/UVC process were equal or higher than the ones necessary for discharge purposes: 45 min for scouring, 20 min for bleaching, and 30 min for dyeing.

The search for materials made from renewable sources and free from toxic substances is a global trend towards a cleaner production, and this can be extended to the development of wood-based panels. World production of wood-based panels in 2014 was 388 million cubic meters, which represents an increase of 34% compared to 2010. However, the industrial sector of wood-based panels has been facing some gaps and challenges regarding the toxic emissions coming from conventional adhesives applied to the manufacture of panels. Faced with these problems, the aim of this study was to assess the technical feasibility and environmental aspects of manufacturing a particleboard made with wood waste and epoxy based ink-waste as adhesive. To this end, the particleboard reinforcement phase was made of particles of wood waste of Pinus sp. and Teak (Tectona grandis) species, while residual ink resin-based epoxy was used as alternative adhesive to reduce demand for urea formaldehyde resin. Particleboards were manufactured and tested by varying some production parameters, namely: low, medium and high-density panel classifications; 20, 30 and 40% epoxy resin content; and mixture of Pinus and Teak wood waste particles from 0, 25, 50, 75, 100%. Physical-mechanical performance of the manufactured particleboards were evaluated according to ABNT NBR 14810 (2013) and ANSI A208.1 (2009) Standard Codes. Statistical analyzes based on Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the influence of each individual factor (density, adhesive percentage and fraction of Pinus/Teak particles) and their interactions under the physical-mechanical properties. Results showed a satisfactory performance in terms of physical and mechanical properties for treatments with high density (up to 0.80 g/cm³), 30–40% epoxy based ink-waste adhesive and 50–100% Teak wood particles. In most of the cases, the evaluated properties were superior to the compared requirements available at Standard Codes. Finally, it was developed an environmental performance of the particleboards based on a simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, and results highlighted some positive environmental aspects as well as social-economic benefits, especially for suppliers of wood waste and resin epoxy residues, and also due to minimization of air releases of free formaldehyde and energy consumption in the production of panels.

Coal fly ash (CFA) is an industrial by-product derived from coal combustion in thermal power plants. This abundant and low cost by-product is generally reemployed as an additive in the building industry. This work explores the possibility of recovering CFA as an adsorbing material for the removal of anionic surfactants dissolved in water, on the basis of data about concerning its embodied energy. Indeed, Although the CO2 footprint of CFA and activated carbon is comparable, CFA shows an extremely lower embodied energy with respect to activated carbon, the most used widely used material for surfactant removal. Surfactant are widely used in several detergents products, and enter into the environment through the discharge of sewage effluents. In this paper, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) is used as a model surfactant. Upon careful optimization of the CFA/SDS mass ratio, it was found that CFA is able to remove SDS from water with efficiency up to 96%. SDS adsorption onto the CFA surface was investigated and results point to a three-step mechanism, which stops with the final formation of a CFA supported SDS bilayer. There are two main results: first, the first one in the era of raw materials scarcity, the choice of to investigate the employ employment of a material in terms of its embodied energy must be considered; second, the second result this work opens new perspectives in the field of anionic surfactant removal.

A double insulated carbonisation-activation reactor was developed in order to produce activated carbon with high yield and surface area. This reactor was double insulated using low cement castable and covered around the internal space of the reactor with stainless steel plated and fibre glass jacketed heat insulation layer, which allow efficient heat transfer into the bed of material in the reactor. The carbonisation of oil palm kernel shell (OPKS) at 400 °C, followed by steam activation at 500–1000 °C continuously in the same reactor, with steam flow rate of 12.80–18.17 L/min had improved the activated carbon surface area from 305 ± 10.2 m2/g to 935 ± 36.7 m2/g and gave a high yield of 30% within 7 h retention time with a low gaseous emission. The activated carbon produced was successfully applied as bioadsorbent for the treatment of POME final discharge with the reduction of TSS, COD, colour and BOD up to 90%, 68%, 97% and 83%, respectively which met the standard set by Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE).

In this study, an algal carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system was improved by adjusting the flashing frequency of light emitting diodes in a photobioreactor to enhance algal growth and the absorption of CO2 from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant. This system comprised 2016 transparent 15 L containers with a total volume of 28,728 L. The results of this study indicate that each hectare of algae production can capture 231.4 tons of CO2 per year, which is a three-fold increase compared to previous studies. Also, even after extraction of C-phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis, the residue of A. platensis possessed a heat of combustion exceeding 20,920 kJ/kg, and could be co-combusted with coal to recover more energy. After enzymatic hydrolysis and a biochemical analysis, it was determined that C-phycocyanin has anti-tumour effects against human oral and alveolar cancer. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of the algal carbon capture method as a renewable energy technology and improve its energy efficiency. A value chain analysis and Monte Carlo simulation was used for the evaluation, to consolidate existing approaches of algal CO2 capture and develop them beyond the laboratory scale. Furthermore, we aimed to demonstrate the beneficial application of algal biomass production beyond carbon sequestration so as to lower the costs of carbon sequestration. The results of this study suggest that this approach has high commercialisation potential.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a well-known technology for organic waste treatment with recognised environmental benefits including the generation of renewable energy (methane) and other added-value products. However, when applied to very easily biodegradable substrates, there is a need to mitigate the sudden pH drop, in order to improve the stability and feasibility of the process. In this work, and for the first time, waste-based geopolymer spheres were used as pH regulators in AD. The influence of the binder composition and content on the ability to control pH and on the methane yield was evaluated. The pH buffer capacity of the geopolymers can be controlled by the fly ash content in the composition, with higher contents leading to higher alkalis leaching and narrower pH fluctuation over time. The spheres promoted an excellent control of pH in batch operated anaerobic reactors (up to 70 days), which increases the stability and efficiency of the systems. The pH range in the reactor without spheres remained mostly between 3.84 and 4.38, preventing methane production, whereas in reactors with spheres pH was mostly kept between 6.45 and 7.94. The fast pH stabilization during the entire experiments, which occurred with fly ash-based geopolymers, stimulated the early methane production, demonstrating the huge potential of these innovative spheres as a pH buffering material. Using this innovative waste-based material, instead of commercial alkaline materials, enhances process simplicity (prevent the need for continuous pH adjustment) and sustainability, which may overcome the limitations associated with the existing applications such as the use of substrates with a high acidogenic potential and, therefore, contribute to the spread of AD technology.

Intensive aquaculture is an important and fast-growing food production industry generating significant amounts of nutrient-rich sludge, which represents a potential environmental threat. Vermicomposting aquacultural sludge has been suggested, but remained poorly understood – only survival and growth of initial earthworm stocks have been assessed so far. The present study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the production system, examining vermicomposting of three types of sludge each at four inclusion levels and the possibility of further utilising end-products (vermicomposts and earthworms). Through an 18-week experiment, high survival of initial earthworm stocks, exceeding 90% among treatments up to week 6, was documented. Higher inclusion levels and sludge types richer in nutrients positively influenced individual weight of initial stocks and their reproduction indices (cocoon and juvenile production). The most progressive treatments sustained >300 juveniles in experimental incubators containing 200 g dw of initial substrates. Original sludge and final vermicomposts were found suitable for use in agriculture, complying with limits for heavy metals given in the most usually applied regulations. In relation to the heavy metals, earthworms were found to be a generally safe feed for fish. Only arsenic concentrations may occasionally exceed given limits. Still, observed concentrations are considered safe, presuming arsenic presence primarily in organic forms having largely reduced toxicity. Vermicomposting is recommended as a clean and sustainable technology transforming aquaculture sludge into highly valuable vermicompost and earthworm biomass.

Cleaner production in the textile industry may be realized by replacing certain synthetic substances with natural materials, especially those that are industrial by-products, which offer the added benefit of increasing the value of the textiles. Since natural materials generally pose a low risk to both the human health and the environment owing to their biodegradability, the wastewater released from their manufacturing processes is less polluting, and therefore, it requires less resources and energy for treatment compared to wastewater loaded with synthetic substances. Herein, we report the use of a protein by-product recovered from the oil extraction process of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to replace traditional mordanting agents in the dyeing of cotton with tannin-rich natural dye extracted from the bark of Xylocarpus granatum. Antarctic krill protein pretreatment successfully improved the dyeability of the fabrics through the formation of insoluble complexes between the protein and tannin. The color parameters of the dyed samples were measured based on the CIE L*a*b* system. The obtained reddish-brown fabrics exhibited mostly good to excellent color fastness ratings in response to washing and other wet treatments. They also displayed durable UV protection properties, with the UPF rating reaching the maximum (50+) level, despite being washed for 50 cycles. Both the Antarctic krill protein and tannin contributed to improved UV protection efficiency due to the presence of UV-absorbing moieties and slight changes in the resulting fabric thickness and cover factor.

Biodiesel is comparatively more corrosive than petroleum diesel; therefore, the issue of sustainability has become a major concern. Biodiesel is auto-oxidative in nature; thus, its fuel properties could be changed. The present study aims to investigate the sustainability of biodiesel and its different blends with diesel in terms of instability and corrosiveness upon exposure to copper. The investigated fuels are diesel, 20% biodiesel in diesel, 50% biodiesel in diesel, and pure biodiesel. Immersion tests in the absence and presence of 100 ppm tert-butylamine or butylated hydroxyanisole additive were conducted at temperatures of 25 °C–27 °C for 600 and 1200 h. At the end of the tests, corrosion of copper was examined by weight loss measurement and changes on the metal surface. Metal surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. Fuel was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy, and its properties were investigated by density meter and Rancimat method. Results show that corrosion rate of copper in biodiesel or its high percentage of blends rises with the increase in immersion time. Corrosion rate of copper in diesel and 20% diesel–biodiesel blends are similar and do not significantly change with immersion time. To improve sustainability, BHA is found to be effective in reducing biodiesel oxidation, whereas TBA reduces the metal surface degradation.

Wood has a long-standing history as an industrial material and fuel. Generic life cycle assessment data is therefore needed to assess the quantitative environmental impact of wood. The aim of this study was to estimate cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions for round wood production of four common Japanese tree species. This study focused on Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ), hinoki cypress ( Chamaecyparis obtusa ), Japanese larch ( Larix kaempferi ) and Sakhalin fir ( Abies sachalinensis ) because these four tree species constitute more than 80% of total round wood production in Japan. This study encompassed all major forestry activities, such as planting, thinning and final felling. In addition to these activities, indirect processes, such as construction of forest roads, were also included. The functional unit used for this study was 1 m 3 over bark of green wood (ob). All 47 prefectures were modeled in order to investigate the site characteristics across Japan. Activity data such as yield per area, required seedling numbers, and thinning method were collected for each tree species and for each prefecture. By combining actual surveyed data and simulation data, information collection challenges on variations in sites and time were overcome. The results of this study suggested that greenhouse gas emissions relating to round wood production of Japanese cedar, hinoki cypress, Japanese larch, and Sakhalin fir were 21.7, 25.9, 24.9 and 25.5 kg-CO 2 e/m 3 ob, respectively. The weighted average value for all of Japan was estimated to be 23.0 kg-CO 2 e/m 3 ob. The amount of temporal carbon storage for these tree species was calculated as 585–762 kg-CO 2 e/m 3 ob. The results also revealed large variation between different prefectures across Japan. Regarding hinoki cypress, for example, the largest greenhouse gas emissions and land use values as an inventory indicator among evaluated prefectures were approximately 1.5 times and 2.7 times larger than the smallest emissions and land use values, respectively. A prefecture with a higher share of heavy forestry machinery tended to indicate relatively higher greenhouse gas emissions. A comprehensive analysis of the target geographical area is therefore required to produce values representative of the region of interest. Among the processes assessed, the final felling process contributed to the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions in all tree species. An improvement of the energy efficiency of this process is therefore needed. Improving labor productivity would reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from commuting workers.

The use of renewable feedstocks for biodiesel production makes it an attractive large-scale alternative to fossil diesel. Nevertheless, traditional routes employ methanol as transesterification agent, a fossil based chemical. To improve renewability, governmental policies and subsidies have arisen to promote substitution of methanol. In the Brazilian soybean biodiesel scenario, the objective of this work is to compare the methylic and ethylic production routes, and unveil whether ethanol-based biodiesel has potential to be more sustainable. The comparison is supported by: (i) Construction of the fatty acid methyl ester and fatty acid ethyl ester soybean biodiesel production chains; (ii) Assemblage of the respective inventory matrices to quantify energy and material flows; and (iii) Application of Multi-criteria Analysis and Principal Component Analysis for data interpretation and identification of the most relevant factors affecting sustainability. Focus is on the social and environmental aspects of sustainability. Contrarily to common belief, fatty acid methyl ester, although more environmentally impacting in the step of methanol production, is shown to be generally more sustainable than the ethylic counterpart, which shows a heavy burden in the social dimension, more severe conditions of the transesterification process and extra transport demand, as demonstrated by the multi-criteria analysis, which combines quantitative indicators with ad hoc principles of green process design to provide a criticality matrix and a one-dimensional index, the Sustainability Degree. Principal Component Analysis, on the other hand, indicates average wage, water intensity and carbon intensity as the top influential indicators, out scaling energy consumption. A low compliance to the original objectives of increasing sustainability by substituting fatty acid ethyl ester for fatty acid methyl ester is observed and the importance of the social dimension is thoroughly evidenced.

This study presents the effects of using supplementary cementing materials and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in concrete, with emphasis on the ability of using high volumes of fly ash (FA) and RCA to reduce the environmental impacts of the concrete's production process without jeopardizing most of its long-term durability characteristics. Three mix families (0% fine RCA, 50% fine RCA and 100% fine RCA) were produced and, for each of these three families, two incorporation levels (0% and 100%) of coarse RCA were used with 0%, 30% and 60% of FA without SP. In addition, in order to see the effect of w/b ratio and admixture, more than half of the mentioned concrete mixes were repeated using superplasticizer (SP). In order to optimize the concrete mixes, the hardened properties, namely compressive strength, and environmental impacts of production, namely global warming potential (GWP), were obtained for each concrete mix. The results of this investigation show that using FA in RCA concrete is advisable from the strength and environmental impact points of view. The optimum mixes in terms of strength and environmental impacts are the ones made with incorporation of both RCA and FA rather than individual incorporation. It was also found that the strength to GWP ratio of concrete mixes depends on the FA-RCA incorporation ratio rather than the content of the individual materials.

Solid waste from all walks have registered their environmental impact by breathing out large amount of greenhouse gases. In this work, not only a waste to wealth strategy for effective utilization of trimmings (Solid waste) from tanning industry to recover gelatin is depicted, but also to use the extracted bio-polymer to develop a product alternative to non-biodegradable plastics. Ability of gelatin to form films is capitalized in the preparation of a composite film system comprising equal percentage ratios of gelatin (Gel) and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) through solvent casting method. This Gel/PVA composite film is envisaged for producing sustainable packaging film materials. As the existing packaging film materials sourced from petroleum based products cause degradation and disposal concerns, the proposed value addition on the gelatin extracted from waste can be a greener alternative. Through progressive optimizations Gel/PVA film system was incorporated with percentages of glycerol (Gly) and glutaraldehyde (GA) to have performance similar to the low density polyethylene (LDPE) film taken as control. Mechanical, analytical, thermal sealability and printability tests on the developed composite film Gel/PVA/Gly/GA gave optimum results for packaging applications.

A comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) including raw material acquisitions, rubber production and transportation of synthetic rubber (SBR) and two natural rubbers, namely imported Hevea and US-grown guayule, was conducted to quantify environmental impacts and to identify area(s) of environmental improvement. The use of co-products from the two natural rubbers as a source of energy was explored for their impacts and energy offset potential. Three environmental impact categories-ozone depletion (ODP), global warming (GWP), and acidification potential (AP)-and net energy were evaluated. Results indicated that guayule rubber had a lower ODP impact compared to SBR, and lower GWP and AP impacts compared to Hevea rubber. The Hevea rubber production with biodiesel co-product from seed oil scenario had the highest GWP and AP impacts, whereas guayule rubber production with bio-oil co-product from bagasse had the highest ODP impact. Only the scenario of Hevea rubber production with biodiesel production indicated an overall energy production of 3.25 MJ/kg rubber, whereas all other scenarios indicated a net energy consumption. However, co-products contributed to reduction in total energy consumed in every scenario that was investigated. The most promising guayule rubber scenario among the six examined was that with electricity production from bagasse, as it contributed the least to all three impact categories and yielded the most net energy. Sensitivity analysis on this most promising guayule scenario indicated rubber yield, water use and electricity for water pumping in guayule irrigation as the key parameters that have significant impacts on results.

The effect of short-term hydrothermal pretreatment (SHP) before conducting two different anaerobic digestion (AD) processes on the enhancement of biogasification from food waste (FW) was evaluated. Results suggested that the highest biohydrogen and methane production rates were 13.33 mL/h and 15.81 mL/h, respectively, in the two-stage AD process with SHP (SHP-T). The regularity of ethanol and volatile fatty acid yields indicated that the fermentation type changed from a butyric acid-type to an ethanol-type during the SHP-T. Moreover, a combination of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectra and parallel factor analysis was used to isolate three fluorescent components. Among which, the major component was protein-like substances. According to energy flow analyses, SHP-T obtained the highest net energy gains among the different AD processes. This phenomenon showed that the new SHP-T technology had remarkable application potential for FW biogasification and complied with criteria relating to green energy concepts and sustainable development.

In order to comply with criteria of green energy concepts and sustainability, a new procedure has been performed for ultrasound-assisted in-situ transesterification of microalgae slurry to extract lipids and convert to biodiesel. Response surface methodology and artificial neural networks, followed by multiple response optimization using desirability function approach, were applied to individually and simultaneously evaluate fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield and exergy efficiency in process of the in-situ transesterification. Ultrasonic power, reaction time and concentrations of methanol and chloroform in oil were considered as the design variables in maximizing FAME content and exergy efficiency. The maximum individual desirability of FAME content was predicted to be 87.68% corresponding to an ultrasonic power of 150 W, reaction time of 100 min, methanol:oil molar ratio of 83 and chloroform:oil molar ratio of 97. Based on the simultaneous optimization of exergy efficiency and FAME content, the most overall desirability was determined at an ultrasonic power of 137 W, reaction time of 100 min, molar ratios of methanol to oil of 83 and chloroform to oil of 30 to achieve FAME content of 81.2% and exergy efficiency of 79.8%, respectively.

Pineapple leaf fibre of certain varieties is widely used in Philippines for making apparels. In Indian subcontinent, pineapple leaves are wasted after harvesting the fruit, because of technology gap exists in the efficient extraction and lack of knowledge of subsequent processes for value addition to the fibre. Agricultural practices and seed varieties used in Indian subcontinent is also widely different from those of Philippines. An attempt has been made to extract and soften pineapple leaf fibre by decortication of leaves followed by water retting. The retting time was optimized at 7 days. The retted fibres were then degummed and bleached for better processibility and aesthetic look. The physio-chemical properties of fibres were analysed for its different uses. The degummed and bleached fibres were then successfully converted into textile quality thread of 90 tex through suitable mechanical processing system. Mechanical properties of thread were found to be suitable to make sustainable novelty fabrics for apparel.

Considering that renewable energy is the primary energy source in the future, this study investigates biomass power for sustainable and secure energy supply. Biomass fuels in Malaysia include empty fruit bunch, mesocarp fiber, palm kernel shell, oil palm frond, oil palm trunk from palm oil plantation, and woody biomass from forests. The moisture content and heating value of palm oil-based biomass fuels are analyzed relative to their cost savings in a 10 MW biomass power plant. The net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period for various finance options and at various system efficiencies are also presented. Results indicate that for an empty fruit bunch priced at MYR 20/t without loan, the net present values are MYR 45.31 million, MYR 54.32 million, and MYR 57.74 million, with 20%, 30%, and 40% system efficiencies, respectively; the internal rates of returns are 21.88%, 22%, and 21.11%, respectively; and the payback periods are 4.16, 4.20, and 4.22 y, respectively. The 10 MW plant releases 50,130 t less CO 2 , 750 t less SO 2 , 218.65 t less NOx, and 22.83 t less CO emissions in the environment compared with the existing energy mix.

Reactive magnesia (MgO) cements are proposed as a potentially sustainable binder due to their lower production temperatures (∼800 vs. 1450 °C) than Portland cement (PC) and ability to fully carbonate and gain strength during setting. Reactive MgO is mainly produced via the calcination of magnesite. Environmental implications of reactive MgO production must be analyzed before any final conclusions can be made regarding their contribution to the sustainability of the cement industry. This study evaluates the environmental impacts of reactive MgO production and provides a comparison with PC production using a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The advantages of MgO production with respect to radiation, ozone layer, eco-toxicity, acidification/eutrophication, minerals and fossil fuels outweigh the disadvantages when compared to PC production. MgO has a lower impact on the overall ecosystem quality and resources than PC, but poses a larger damage to human health due to the high coal usage by most plants. The decomposition of magnesite releases a higher amount of CO2 than limestone (∼1.1 vs. 0.78–0.83 t/t), creating a higher climate change score for MgO despite its lower production temperatures. However, when the carbonation capability of MgO cements is considered, their net CO2 emissions are ∼73% lower than PC. The introduction of a strength ratio modification to MgO production results in ∼13% and ∼32% lower CO2 intensity and damage impact on human health when compared to PC production, respectively. The influence of energy type and amount on different impact and damage categories associated with MgO production was revealed by scenario modelling. The quantity of raw materials had a negligible effect on the overall environmental impact of reactive MgO production, whereas increasing the emissions led to an increase in climate change. Energy was identified as the key parameter with the highest influence on the environmental burdens of reactive MgO production. Results indicate that the use of alternative fuels could further improve the overall sustainability of reactive MgO cement production.

Current techniques for cleaning flue gas produced by coal-fired thermal power plants have high capital and operational costs and are not effective enough. Ongoing research focuses on increasing efficiency of power plants by using coal additives and biological treatment methods especially microalgae for flue gas treatment. Here, we propose use of a resistant microalgae for flue gas treatment and using its biomass as a novel coal additive. Utilization of CO 2 from thermal power plant coal samples by bio-stimulated Scenedesmus sp. was investigated for producing a novel coal additive material for use in thermal power plants. Scenedesmus sp. biomass was stimulated by IAA (3-Indoleacetic acid) and VO ( Viburnum opulus ) promoters. A novel coal additive material with 8.7% lower amounts of ash and 26.17% higher calorific value, termed as “green coal” was produced in this system. The maximum biomass was produced with lowest culture media consumption, minimum time, highest temperature and highest flow rate. The XRF analyses were performed, fatty acid methyl ester levels were determined and morphology of Scenedesmus sp. were observed. The growth of Scenedesmus sp. in open pond system by bubbling with 9.6 vvm of flue gas resulted in volumetric biomass productivity ( P max ) of 0.033 g/L/d and CO 2 fixation rate of 1512.22 mg CO 2 /day. This system has the potential to replace other conventional coal additive and cleaning methods since it needs lower energy expenditure and lower use of chemicals.

This research applied Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) to identify the costs of material and energy loss, as well as the opportunity for technology improvement to increase productivity in starch and ethanol productivity in Thailand. The results showed that ethanol production incurred more loss cost than starch production because it entails several conversion processes. Scenario for technology improvement was evaluated and expanded to the broader scale of the whole country to assess the possibility of increasing cassava feedstock in order to meet the AEDP target. The result shows that the Very High Gravity (VHG) and Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) processes can increase plant capacity and efficiency. Ethanol production from cassava pulp can also play an important role in meeting the Renewable and Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) and utilizing by-product from starch processing, increasing its value and offsetting loss cost from starch production plant. Those improved options in the scenario can help to reduce cassava feedstock amount required to produce ethanol for the AEDP target. Yield improvement can satisfy feedstock requirement without the need of land for plantation expansion, reduce cassava export and allocation of more molasses for ethanol production.

Net Energy Ratio and Life cycle greenhouse gases (GHG) assessment of five agricultural residues to produce dimethyl ether (DME) including rice straw, palm empty fruit bunches, cassava rhizome, sugar cane tops and leaves, maize stem with DME derived from lignite coal and natural gas by simulation of two-stage DME production. Sugar cane tops and leaves indicated highest NER at 4.83 and lowest GHG emission at 0.89 kg CO 2 e/kg DME due to their properties and low GHG burden in acquisition phase. Compared to fossil-DME and diesel, it was found that the bio-DMEs derived from rice straw, sugar cane tops and leaves and maize stem have potential for substitution with much lower life cycle GHG emissions as well as high NER. On the other hand, cassava rhizome and palm empty fruit bunches show low possibility of utilizing as DME feedstock due to high moisture content as well as low heating value. Reducing their moisture content by using flue gas and solar drying are improvement measures to make them promising as bio-DME feedstock.

Bioscouring of flax fibers was done using concurrently produced alkalo-thermotolerant cellulase-free xylano-pectinolytic enzymes. It resulted in 1.84% release of sugars, 4% weight loss, 19.46%, 8.2% increase in brightness and whiteness respectively and 5.14% decrease in yellowness of the fibers. The enzymatic pretreatment of flax fibers showed 70% reduction in consumption of scouring chemicals or 30% reduction in consumption of bleaching chemicals to obtain the same optical properties of the fibers as achieved by control fibers using conventional scouring and bleaching approach. The merging of bioscouring with chemical scouring reduced the use of environment polluting chemicals and also provided high tensile strength fabric. This is the first report showing the use of xylano-pectinolytic enzymes produced simultaneously by an isolate Bacillus pumilus in bioscouring of flax fibers and detailed analysis on the serial reduction in the consumption of scouring and bleaching chemicals in order to make the process ecofriendly and energy saver.

Sodium polyacrylate (Na-PA) is a super absorbent polymer, which is commonly used in diverse hygiene products. The polymer is currently produced from fossil feedstock and its production consequently leads to adverse environmental impacts. Na-PA production from sugars present in pulp mill side streams can potentially be a successful way to achieve a more sustainable production of this polymer. In order to guide the development of a novel biochemical process for producing Na-PA, a life cycle assessment was done in which Na-PA produced from side streams of thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) and sulfite pulp mills were compared. Furthermore, a comparison was made with Na-PA produced from fossil resources. The results show that the main determinant of the environmental impact of the bio-based Na-PA production is the free sugar content in the side streams. The lowest environmental impact is achieved by the least diluted side streams. More diluted side streams require larger amounts of energy for concentration, and, if the diluted streams are not concentrated, processes such as hydrolysis and detoxification, and fermentation are the environmental hotspots. Furthermore, the higher the yield of the fermentation process, the lower the environmental impact will be. Lastly, the production of bio-based Na-PA led to a lower global warming potential for some of the considered pulp mill side streams, but all of the other impacts considered were higher, when compared to fossil-based Na-PA production. Therefore, in parallel with efforts to develop a high-yield yeast for the fermentation process, technology developers should focus on low energy concentration processes for the side streams.