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The generation of energy by thermoelectric plants powered by biomass in Brazil has grown by ∼3% in the last three years. In 2016, 8.8% of the electric energy in Brazil was generated using biomass as an input. However, the generation of residues and the possibility of reapproaching have motivated the planning and uses of electrochemical processes to evaluate the obtained gases (mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide) as clean energy sources. Although thermochemical processes using biomass as an energy source already exist, few reports regarding the study of this process through electrolysis are available. Herein, we describe a water electrolysis process using sugarcane bagasse, rice husk, and malt bagasse as biomass residues to obtain gases with potential uses as clean energy sources and analyze the mass concentration influences on the behavior of the electrochemical solution. Tafel and cyclic voltammetry analyzes showed a tendency to decrease the kinetics and current of the system with the increase of the biomass residue concentration in the solution. In contrast, sugarcane bagasse concentrations of 0.1%–1% increase the current. The faradaic efficiency and partial current density analysis confirm the results obtained from cyclic voltammetry for hydrogen production, with less faradaic efficiency for hydrogen and reduced current values in the system when the biomass residue concentration is higher. The production efficiency of carbon monoxide formed at the anode increases with the concentration for sugarcane bagasse (2.01–5.21 μA/cm2) with 1% of the biomass in solution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice husk is a type of waste widely generated in Brazil and worldwide. It is often applied as biomass for energy generation. Rice husk ash (RHA), a solid waste generated in the combustion process for energy generation, is comprised primarily of silica and carbon. In this study, two types of RHAs, obtained by different industrial combustion processes (moving grate furnace and fluidized bed), were subjected to chemical or thermal treatments in different atmospheric flows (Ar/H 2 , N 2 , O 2 gases, compressed air, and vacuum). The particle size, specific weight, surface area, electrical properties, crystalline structure, and chemical composition were analyzed by different characterization techniques. The results indicated that thermal treatments generate powders with a high silica content; amorphous structures were found in some silica materials (those obtained by chemical treatment and thermal treatments in Ar/H 2 flow, compressed air, and vacuum), and others were crystalline in the cristobalite phase (mainly samples treated in the O 2 and N 2 atmospheric flows). The yield of each process varied, obtaining silica concentrations above 99.3%. Samples with significant analytical carbon content showed higher values of electrical conductivity; this result is probably due to the incorporation of carbon atoms into the cristobalite lattice. Samples treated with O 2 atmospheric flows showed resistivity values of 1008 Ω.cm with very low carbon levels. This work concluded that carbonaceous silica materials (which may be new materials in the Si-C-O system) may be obtained during the thermal treatments of rice husk ash. [Display omitted] • Thermal and chemical treatments of rice husk ash. • Mechanism of electrical conductivity of RHA compacted granulated samples. • Physical, chemical, and electric properties of carbonaceous silica materials from RHA. • High-added value and low-cost materials using potential co-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]