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The synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from biomass through a "bottom-up" method has attracted a great deal of interest because of its outstanding environmental and economic advantages. However, the yield of biomass-based CQDs is still low due to the high polymerization of biochar. In this study, we propose a new approach for harvesting high-yield biomass-based CQDs by integrating mechanochemistry and strong chemical oxidation. Ball milling can reduce the particle size and resistance of biochar and increase the contents of C C, while the powerful oxidant HOO- produced by alkaline hydrogen peroxide can break C C to generate biomass-based CQDs. Using this two-step process, the yields of biomass-based CQDs reached 57.75% for blue-green algae, 65.8% for straw, 47.9% for corn protein meal, and 45.35% for Typha angustifolia. Based on the excellent sensitivity and selectivity for Fe3+ of biomass-based CQDs, CQDs paper-based sensors were prepared for expedient and precise detection of Fe3+ in surface water, wastewater treatment plant effluent, and tap water. When the Fe3+ content is between 0 and 60 μM, the R2 of Fe3+ detection by blue-green algae CQDs can reach 0.9956. This work provides a new and reliable method for the large-scale preparation of biomass-based CQDs and expands their environmental applications. [Display omitted] • A method was proposed to improve the yield of biomass-based carbon quantum dot (CQD). • Ball milling can reduce the resistance of biochar and increase the contents of C C. • This scalable method is applicable to other biomass wastes. • The CQDs has excellent sensitivity and selectivity for Fe3+. • The paper-based CQD sensors are applicable in different water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six energycanes viz., SBIEC 14001, SBIEC 14002, SBIEC 14003, SBIEC 14004, SBIEC 14005 and SBIEC 14006 developed at ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute were evaluated along with a registered genetic stock SBIEC 11002 for biomass production under suboptimal management condition with limited irrigation and fertigation during 2013-14 and 2014-15 and under normal irrigation during 2015-16 (Plant crop) and 2016-17 (Ratoon crop). Among the six clones evaluated, SBIEC 14006, a selection from open pollinated fluff of Erianthus arundinaceus clone IK 76-75 was identified as promising clone based on high harvestable biomass and fibre content in cane. This clone recorded the highest mean harvestable biomass of 265.28 t/ha compared to the SBIEC 11002 (219.22) across four environments and showed 21.01 % improvement. The mean harvestable biomass yield under limited irrigation condition was 241.47 t/ha while under normal irrigation condition the yield was 289.08 t/ha. For fibre % cane also SBIEC 14006 recorded the highest value of 27.54 % compared to SBIEC 11002 (20.90 %). The clone recorded an average of 8.94 % juice brix and 4.72 % juice sucrose. It also recorded 2.18 cm cane diameter and 1.24 kg of single cane weight. Tall and non-lodging nature of canes makes the clone amenable for mechanical harvesting. This clone can be ratooned for at least 7-8 years hence no need for replanting every year. This promising clone is identified as an ideal energycane due to more biomass yield per unit area and requires low input, low production cost and low nutrient requirement which are the characteristics of energycanes.

Globally, the circular efficiency of biomass resources has become a priority due to the depletion and negative environmental impacts of fossil fuels. This study aimed to quantify the atmosphere-dependent combustion of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) biomass and its thermodynamic and kinetic parameters toward enhancing its circularity and transformability characteristics. The GL combustion occurred in the three stages of moisture removal, volatile release, and coke combustion. Combustion performance characteristics were more favorable in the N 2 /O 2 atmosphere than in the CO 2 /O 2 atmosphere under the same heating rates. The rising heating rate facilitated the release of volatiles. According to the model-free methods of Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, the activation energies essential for the primary reaction were 283.09 kJ/mol and 288.28 kJ/mol in the N 2 /O 2 atmosphere and 233.09 kJ/mol and 235.64 kJ/mol in the CO 2 /O 2 atmosphere. The gaseous products of the GL combustion included CH 4 , H 2 O, C = O, CO, CO 2 , NH 3 , C = C, and C-O(H). Ash prepared in both atmospheres exhibited a tendency for slag formation, with oxy-fuel combustion lowering its risk. This study thus provides a theoretical and practical basis for transforming GL residues into a sustainable energy source., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Seasonally abundant arthropods are a crucial food source for many migratory birds that breed in the Arctic. In cold environments, the growth and emergence of arthropods are particularly tied to temperature. Thus, the phenology of arthropods is anticipated to undergo a rapid change in response to a warming climate, potentially leading to a trophic mismatch between migratory insectivorous birds and their prey. Using data from 19 sites spanning a wide temperature gradient from the Subarctic to the High Arctic, we investigated the effects of temperature on the phenology and biomass of arthropods available to shorebirds during their short breeding season at high latitudes. We hypothesized that prolonged exposure to warmer summer temperatures would generate earlier peaks in arthropod biomass, as well as higher peak and seasonal biomass. Across the temperature gradient encompassed by our study sites (>10°C in average summer temperatures), we found a 3-day shift in average peak date for every increment of 80 cumulative thawing degree-days. Interestingly, we found a linear relationship between temperature and arthropod biomass only below temperature thresholds. Higher temperatures were associated with higher peak and seasonal biomass below 106 and 177 cumulative thawing degree-days, respectively, between June 5 and July 15. Beyond these thresholds, no relationship was observed between temperature and arthropod biomass. Our results suggest that prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures can positively influence prey availability for some arctic birds. This positive effect could, in part, stem from changes in arthropod assemblages and may reduce the risk of trophic mismatch., (© 2024 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)

As the adverse effects of using plastics and perfluorinated alkyl substances become more apparent, there is a growing need for sustainable hydrophobic products. Cellulose and its derivatives are the most abundant and widely used polymers, and cellulose-based products have great potential in industries where plastics and other hydrophobic polymers are used, such as stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and oil-water separation applications. In this study, we extracted cellulose from water hyacinth (WH) biomass, known for its negative environmental impact, and converted it into hydrophobic cellulose. This addresses the issue of managing WH waste and creating an environmentally friendly hydrophobic material. Initially, aldehyde groups were introduced through oxidation with periodate, followed by direct octadecyl amine (ODA) grafting onto dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) via a Schiff base condensation. The resulting ODA modified cellulose (ODA-C) was dispersed in ethanol and used to coat various materials, including cotton fabric, cellulose filter paper, and packaging paper. The modified materials showed excellent hydrophobicity as measured by their water contact angles (WCAs), and the application of the coating was demonstrated for oil-water separation, stain-resistant hydrophobic fabric, and paper-based packaging materials. FTIR, XRD, and WCA analysis confirmed the successful modification of cellulose. A high separation efficiency of 99% was achieved for diesel/water separation using modified filter paper (MoFP), under gravity. On application of the coating, cotton fabric became hydrophobic and resisted staining from dye, and paper-based packaging materials became more robust by becoming water-resistant. Overall, the facile synthesis, low cost, high efficiency, and use of environmentally friendly sustainable materials make this a promising strategy for hydrophobically modifying surfaces for a wide range of applications while reducing the menace of water hyacinth., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biobased waste utilization is an intriguing area of research and an ecologically conscious approach. Plant-based materials can be used to render cellulose, which is an eco-friendly material that can be used in numerous aspects. In the current investigation, cellulose was extracted from the leaves of the Vachellia nilotica plant via acid hydrolysis. The application of this research is specifically directed toward the utilization of undesirable plant sources. To validate the extracted cellulose, FT-IR spectroscopy was applied. The cellulose was measured to have a density of 1.234 g/cm 3 . The crystallinity index (58.93%) and crystallinity size (11.56 nm) of cellulose are evaluated using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy analysis. The highest degradation temperature (320.8°C) was observed using thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry curve analysis. The analysis of particle size was conducted utilizing images captured by scanning electron microscopy. Particle size of less than 30 μm was found and they exhibit non-uniform orientation. Additionally, atomic force microscopy analysis shows an improved average surface roughness (Ra), which increases the possibility of using extracted cellulose as reinforcement in biofilms., (© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Hemicellulose materials are arguably the second most abundant renewable component of lignocellulosic biomass after cellulose. They are relatively under-utilized hetero-polysaccharides present in lignocellulosic biomass. In this research an alkaline treatment was optimized for extraction of polymeric hemicellulose from fully bleached hardwood pulp (B-HWP) and partially delignified switchgrass (SWG). The hemicellulose extracted from B-HWP was relatively pure with zero percent lignin and 89.5% xylose content whereas the partially delignified SWG hemicellulose contained about 6-3% lignin and 72–82% xylose, depending on the NaOH concentration during extraction (3–17% NaOH solution). A maximum molecular weight of SWG hemicellulose of 64,300 g/mol was achieved for the 10% NaOH solution extraction, whereas the MW of B-HWP hemicellulose at 10% NaOH solution extraction was lower at 49,200 g/mol. We have demonstrated that the residual lignin in SWG hemicellulose lowered the system T g and this might be utilized as a way to increase the applications of hemicellulose in high value biomaterials. Furthermore, the hemicellulose could be crosslinked with zirconium to develop a water resistant gel for coating or adhesive applications. Our results showed that the loading stress required to break an hemicellulose based adhesive connection between two paper surfaces was 0.89, 2.02, 2.75, 3.46, and 3.11 (MPa) for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% AZC samples, indicating that up to about 8% AZC crosslinker in the hemicellulose increases the adhesive behavior of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic materials such as waste paper, the accessibility of microorganisms to the fermentable sugars is restricted by their complex structure. A mechanical pretreatment with a Hollander beater was assessed in order to reduce the biomass particle size and to increase the feedstock’ specific surface area available to the microorganisms, and therefore improve the biogas yield. Pretreatment of paper waste for 60 min improves the methane yield by 21%, from a value of 210 ml/gVS corresponding to untreated paper waste to 254 ml/gVS. 30 min pretreatment have no significant effect on the methane yield. A response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of the beating time and feedstock/inoculum ratio on the methane yield. An optimum methane yield of 253 ml/gVS was achieved at 55 min of beating pretreatment and a F/I ratio of 0.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant biomass in the form of waste materials and by-products from various industries can be a valuable material for the production of composts and growing media for urban gardening. In this study, pulp and paper mill sludge, fruit-vegetable waste, mushroom spent substrate and rye straw were used to produce compost that was further used as a medium component in container cultivation of tomato. The plants were grown in containers with a capacity of 3 dm3 filled with three types of compost-based growing media supplemented with high peat, fen peat, pine bark and wood fiber. The tomato plants grown in 100% peat substrate served as controls. The plants grown in the compost-enriched media had a higher leaf greening index and percentage of ripe fruit, and exhibited an increased content of total polyphenols and flavonoids, potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper in fruit as compared with the control. The tomatoes grown in a medium consisting of 25% compost, 30% high peat, 15% low peat, 20% pine bark and 10% wood fiber reached the highest fresh fruit weight, total polyphenol content and L-ascorbic acid levels. This study demonstrated that the compost produced from natural materials from various sources was a valuable potting medium supplement with positive effects on tomato yield and nutritional value.

Herein, we demonstrate a microwave-assisted chemical reduction technique to exfoliate a few layers of graphene from the natural waste material, ‘coconut shell’. The microwave irradiation coconut shell is subjected to structural, morphological and functional groups characterization methods including SEM, Raman, FTIR and XPS spectroscopic analyses. The formation of biomass reduced graphene (BRG) has been confirmed through Raman and FTIR spectroscopic analyzes with the presence of D, G and 2D and other functional spectral bands, respectively. The surface topography of the BRG exhibits two-dimensional mat structures with wrinkle topography, imaged by electron microscopic techniques. The metallic behaviour of the BRG is evaluated by band structure calculation using density functional theory. The synthesized nanostructure has been evaluated for exhaled diabetic breath sensing application by fabricating sensor device on the paper-based substrate by roll-to-roll coating technique. The BRG sensor exhibited enhanced sensing response at a very lower concentration of diabetic biomarker with long term stability and rapid response/recovery time of 1.11 s/41.25 s, respectively. Based on our findings, the microwave-assisted BRG is a potential candidate for fabricating highly scalable, inherently safe, economically viable and excellent sensing performance to detect exhaled diabetic breath at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, waste paper was used as the raw material for hydrogen gas production by dark fermentation at different initial substrate and cell concentrations. Glucose obtained from acid hydrolyzed waste paper was used at six different concentrations between 3.84 and 45.5 gL −1 to determine the effects of sugar concentration on bio-hydrogen production. The highest cumulative hydrogen gas was obtained at 18.9 gL −1 initial sugar concentration. Sugar concentrations above 18.9 gL −1 resulted in product inhibition. Similarly, the initial biomass concentration was varied between 0.25 and 2 gL −1 while sugar concentration was kept constant at 18.58 ± 2.45 gL −1 to determine the effects of initial biomass concentration. The highest cumulative hydrogen gas production was obtained with the initial biomass concentration of 0.5 gL −1 . The highest hydrogen yield (140 ml H 2 g −1 total sugar) was observed at 3.84 gL −1 total sugar concentration. Hydrogen yield decreased with increasing initial sugar concentration due to inhibition by volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced by dark fermentation and furan derivatives produced from acid hydrolysis of waste paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work describes the combination of granulated biomass fly ash (G BFA) with Fenton process to enhance the removal of adsorbable organic halides (AOX) from pulp bleaching wastewater. At optimal operating conditions, wastewater's chemical and biochemical oxygen demand (COD and BOD 5 , respectively) and colour were also quantified, and operating cost of treatment assessed. For the first time, raw pulp bleaching wastewater was used to granulate BFA, instead of water, reducing the water footprint of the treatment. Five wastewater treatment setups were studied: (i) conventional Fenton process; (ii) G BFA application; (iii) simultaneous application of G BFA and Fenton process; (iv) sequential treatment by G BFA followed by Fenton process; (v) sequential treatment by Fenton process followed by G BFA. The latter yielded the highest AOX removal (60–70%), whilst COD was also reduced (≈15%) and wastewater biodegradability (BOD 5 /COD) was enhanced from 0.075 to a maximum of 0.134. Another positive feature of the proposed solution was that G BFA were successfully recovered and reused without regeneration, yielding similar AOX removal compared with fresh G BFA. The operating cost of removing 1 g of AOX from the pulp bleaching wastewater by the optimal treatment setup (60–70% removal of AOX) was 14–26% lower than the operating cost of conducting Fenton process alone (50% removal of AOX). [Display omitted] • Biomass fly ash was unprecedently granulated with raw pulp bleaching wastewater. • Granulated biomass fly ash (G BFA) was coupled with Fenton process to degrade AOX. • Sequential treatment of Fenton followed by G BFA yielded AOX removals of 60–70%. • COD was reduced (≈15%) and wastewater biodegradability (BOD 5 /COD) was enhanced. • Sequential coupling process was 14–26% cheaper than conventional Fenton process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is an efficient and recycling way to utilize waste wood-based panels, in which urea-formaldehyde resin (UF) is the main difference between wood-based board and other kinds of biomass. The present paper studied the three main components (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin) of poplar wood, in order to effectively and environmentally utilize or dispose of waste wood-based panels with pyrolysis technique, to study the influence of urea formaldehyde resin on pyrolytic characteristic of wood during the process of the pyrolysis of waste wood-based panels, and to in-depth explore the mechanism of the effect of UF on each component of wood. Innovatively, the weight-loss character and gas evolution rule of the model (made from cellulose, xylan and lignin, based on the chemical components stud of poplar wood), the main components as well as the ones mixed with UF were analyzed by TG-FTIR (thermogravimetric analyzer coupled to a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer). Results indicated that UF promoted the generation of water and carboxylic acid substances during the cellulose pyrolysis process. UF combined with lignin, formed some kind of unstable nitrogenous structure which produced a large amount of NH3, which took part in the low-temperature (200-300 degrees C) pyrolysis of lignin, and directly affected the production of pyrolysis products. It can be concluded that during the process of the pyrolysis of waste wood-based panels, lignin was the one that UF mainly impacted among the three main components of wood.

Waste banknote paper is a residue from the banking industry that cannot be recycled due to the presence of ink, microbial load and special coating that provides protection against humidity. As a result, waste banknote paper ends up being burned or buried, which brings environmental impacts, mainly caused by the presence of heavy metals in its composition. To minimize the environmental impacts that come from the disposal of waste banknote paper, this study proposes to produce value-added products (bioethanol and biogas) from waste banknote paper. For this, the effect of ink and pretreatment conditions on bioethanol and biomethane yields were analyzed. Waste banknote paper provided by the Central Bank of Iran was used. The raw material with ink (WPB) and without ink (WPD) was pretreated using sulfuric acid at different concentrations (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the nitrogen explosive decompression (NED) at different temperatures (150 °C, 170 °C, 190 °C, and 200 °C). The results show that the use of NED pretreatment in WPD resulted in the highest glucose concentration of all studies (13 ± 0.19 g/L). The acid pretreatment for WPB showed a correlation with the acid concentration. The highest ethanol concentration was obtained from the fermentation using WPD pretreated with NED (6.36 ± 0.72 g/L). The maximum methane yields varied between 136 ± 5 mol/kg TS (2% acid WPB) and 294 ± 4 mol/kg TS (3% acid WPD). Our results show that the presence of ink reduces bioethanol and biogas yields and that the chemical-free NED pretreatment is more advantageous for bioethanol and biogas production than the acid pretreatment method. Waste banknote paper without ink is a suitable feedstock for sustainable biorefinery processes.

Transparency in reporting is essential to scientific progress. No report should be considered complete without a full account of uncertainties, including those due to natural variation and measurement and model error and those incurred by handling problematic data, such as outliers. We randomly selected 132 papers published in 2019 from a list of 100 scientific journals to characterize the current state of uncertainty reporting in ecosystem studies. Each paper was evaluated for the extent to which it reported measures of uncertainty in any of four topic areas common to ecosystem studies: vegetation, soils, precipitation, and surface water. We found that most papers reported a minority of the uncertainty sources we deemed relevant. Papers on surface water reported the highest fraction of uncertainty sources (averaging 47% ± 5%), followed by soils (45% ± 4%), vegetation (32% ± 4%), and precipitation (21% ± 8%). A greater fraction of relevant uncertainty sources were reported when the topics were the primary focus of the paper (44% ± 3%) than when they were not (32% ± 4%). Sampling error—the uncertainty in replicate measurements—was the source most commonly reported in studies of vegetation (84%), soil mass (56%), and surface water (76% of papers). The source of measurement error most often reported was chemical analysis, with 41% of papers on surface water and 75% of papers on precipitation reporting this source, if applicable. In contrast, only 1 of 12 papers reporting chemistry of vegetation provided information on analytical uncertainty. Fewer papers reported what methods were used for handling missing or unusable data and observations below detection limits, but it was difficult to judge whether these sources were relevant if they were not mentioned. Finally, we found that a minority of the papers made all (21%) or some (an additional 21%) of their data available in online repositories, after correcting for a failure rate of 13% of the links. Clearly, there is room for improving the completeness and transparency of scientific reporting in ecosystem studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to high efficiency, in terms of effluent quality, the activated sludge treatment is the most common method for removing the biodegradable impurities from industrial and urban wastewaters. Although these engineering systems of biological wastewater treatments increase the rate of biodegradable substances removing, in most cases, these are rarely able to achieve the maximum performances due to the lack of some fast methods to monitor and control the living biomass. In this context, in present paper are described some methods for evaluation of viability and biological activity of activated sludge, as essential parameters for ensuring the performance of biological treatment process. The proposed methods are based on the determination of metabolically active bacteria in activated sludge, using the activity of dehydrogenase enzymes (Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride TTC method) in the biological treatment of wastewaters generated from the paper manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the rapid development of flexible electronics, new opportunities are opening up for paper-based electrodes. Herein, an integrated paper electrode consisting of homogeneously mixed cellulose fibers, activated carbon (AC), and carbon black is fabricated using cotton stalks as the raw material. Assembled from two such electrodes, the flexible supercapacitor exhibits high energy density, high power density, and outstanding cyclability. Remarkably, the thickness and AC mass loading of the paper electrode can be easily scaled up to commercial levels (610 µm and 9.8 mg cm−2), while still delivering great performances. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the replacement of AC with Ni-Co layered double hydroxide or Fe 2 O 3 can result in paper-based asymmetric supercapacitor with extremely high energy density (331 μW h cm−2 and 10.3 mW h cm−3), substantially outperforming conventional paper-based supercapacitors. The fabrication methodology of integrated paper electrodes in this report manifests great potential, offering a new vision for flexible energy storage. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • An integrated paper electrode is fabricated using cotton stalks as the raw material. • The paper is composed of homogeneously mixed cellulose fibers, AC, and CB. • The paper thickness and AC mass loading can be easily scaled up to commercial levels. • The flexible symmetric supercapacitor delivers favorable energy and power densities. • The paper-based asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits extremely high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific energy absorption of a thin-walled tube can be improved by filler. This study examined the potential use of a cheaper biomass filler, paper scraps, to enhance the energy absorption characteristics of the structure while reducing its cost, compared to that with a traditional filler such as foam material. Quasi-static crushing tests and finite element simulations were performed by using the explicit non-linear finite element software LS-DYNA to determine the improvements to the mean crushing force and specific energy absorption of the steel tube when filled with different densities of paper scraps. The mean crushing force and specific energy absorption of the empty tube, the paper scraps, and thin-walled tube filled with paper scraps were determined, and corresponding numerical simulations were performed. The simulation and test results showed that the impact performance of tube filled with paper scraps was greatly improved when paper scraps density was 0.35 g/cm3. By optimizing paper scraps filling structure, a new structure that could further enhance the specific energy absorption was obtained. The optimal scheme could increase the specific energy absorption of Q345 steel tube by 11.35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pulp and paper industry is placed in a unique position as biomass used as feedstock is now in increasingly high demand from the energy sector. Increased demand for biomass increases pressure on the availability of this resource, which might strengthen the need for recycling of paper. In this study, we calculate the energy use and carbon dioxide emissions for paper production from three pulp types. Increased recycling enables an increase in biomass availability and reduces life-cycle energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Recovered paper as feedstock leads to lowest energy use (22GJ/t) and CO2 emissions (−1100kgCO2/t) when biomass not used for paper production is assumed to be converted into bio-energy. Large differences exist between paper grades in e.g. electricity and heat use during production, fibre furnish, filler content and recyclability. We found large variation in energy use over the life-cycle of different grades. However, in all paper grades, life-cycle energy use decreases with increased recycling rates and increased use of recovered fibres. The average life-cycle energy use of the paper mix produced in The Netherlands, where the recycling rate is approximately 75%, is about 14GJ/t. This equals CO2 savings of about 1tCO2/t paper if no recycled fibres would be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is a tough biopolymer that gives plants strength and protection. It is also a major obstacle for converting plant biomass into biofuels because it prevents enzymes from accessing the sugar-rich fibers. To optimize biofuel production, we need to measure the lignin content in plant tissues accurately and efficiently. In this protocol, we describe a simple and reliable method to measure the total lignin content in plant tissues. The method uses acetyl bromide, a chemical that dissolves lignin into soluble derivatives and makes it possible to detect them by their absorbance at 280 nm. The method consists of two steps: first, we obtained destarched cell wall material from the plant samples, and second, we treat the cell wall material with acetyl bromide and measure the absorbance of the lignin solution. This method can capture all types of lignin and works well with different plant tissues., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Production of transportation fuels from biorefineries via biomass gasification has been suggested as a way of introducing renewable alternatives in the transportation system with an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. By co-locating gasification-based processes within heat demanding industries, excess heat from the gasification process can replace fossil or renewable fuels. The objective of this study was to compare the heat integration potential of four different gasification-based biorefinery concepts with a chemical pulp and paper mill. The results showed that the choice of end-product which was either methanol, Fischer-Tropsch crude, synthetic natural gas or electricity, can have significant impact on the heat integration potential with a pulp and paper mill and that the heat saving measures implemented in the mill in connection to integration of a gasification process can increase the biomass resource efficiency by up to 3%-points. Heat saving measures can reduce the necessary biomass input to the biorefinery by 50% if the sizing constraint is to replace the bark boiler with excess heat from the biorefinery. A large integrated gasification process with excess steam utilisation in a condensing turbine was beneficial only if grid electricity is produced at below 30% electrical efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]