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Despite being a promising biomass source for gasification, the practical use of rice straw in Vietnam is hindered by its low gasification efficiency. This study introduces an innovative approach by integrating the production of syngas and CO 2 adsorbent during the gasification process of rice straw, departing from the conventional focus solely on improving gasification efficiency. Results showed that the gasification of rice straw, conducted in the 20 kWe commercial gasification system (PP20 All Power Lab), attained a thermal conversion efficiency of 58.7%. Syngas produced exhibited consistent composition, with CO and H 2 content ranging from 12.1% to 15%, CO ranging from 16.9% to 22.1%, and CH 4 ranging from 1.9% to 3.9% throughout the operation, demonstrating relative stability. Notably, a considerable amount of residual char, accounting for 22.1 wt% of the initial feedstock, was generated. Characterized by notable traits such as high surface basicity, aromaticity, and a dense concentration of (ultra-)micropores, the residual char demonstrates suitability for applications in CO 2 adsorption. In controlled laboratory conditions (25 °C, 1 atm, without heat-mass transfer limitations), the adsorption capacity reached 1.2 mmol g−1. Transitioning to more practical conditions (40 °C, 1 atm, within a 2-cm adsorbent bed subject to diffusion constraints), the CO 2 adsorption capacity of the residual char ranged between 2% and 4.8% of the adsorbent's weight, while the CO 2 /N 2 selectivity measured between 25.5 and 29.7. These findings underscore the significant potential of integrating syngas and CO 2 adsorbent production through rice straw gasification, indicating a promising avenue for sustainable energy and carbon capture technologies. [Display omitted] • Stable syngas quality obtained throughout rice straw gasificatiom. • Use of residual char after gasification as cost-effective and scalable CO 2 adsorbents. • CO 2 capture capacities reached up to 1.2 mmol g−1 at 25 °C, 1 atm. • Potential for cascading use of rice straw for energy and adsorbent production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to clean water is still limited in a number of regions, especially country sides, rural, and mountainous areas in Vietnam. Therefore, studies on clean water production by using sustainable and affordable processes for locals to access to clean water are of great importance. In this research, we produced laterite-based adsorbents by thermal treatment of natural laterite. The produced adsorbents were characterized in terms of morphology, crystallite, chemical composition, surface functional groups, surface charges, and surface area. The adsorption processes of Ni2+ and Cu2+ onto thermally treated laterite were studied. The treated laterite was also deployed to the removal of pollutants from real rain water. Finally, treated laterite was used in a combination system to purify rain water to produce drinking water for households in Hai Dong commune, Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province. The results showed that the adsorption of Ni2+ and Cu2+ by thermally treated laterite reached equilibrium after 40 min and followed the Langmuir sorption isotherm, with the maximum uptake of 27.6 mg/g for Cu2+ and 17.4 mg/g for Ni2+. The second-order-kinetic model described the best the adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+ from aqueous solution, implying chemisorption was predominant mechanism. The treated laterite was suitable for heavy metal removal but less effective for the removal of anions from water. The combination of solar heating system with treated laterite, sand, and activated carbon allowed to safely produce drinking water from rain water, which presented the water quality respecting the Vietnam national standard for drinking water (QCVN 01:09/BYT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]