Recent Advances in Biofuel Production from Biowaste/Biomass-Based Residues

A special issue of Fuels (ISSN 2673-3994).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1215

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
2. Sustainable Biofuels and Co-Products Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA
Interests: thermochemical conversion; biochar and soil applications; analytical chemistry; hydrochar as an energy source; lubricants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Several potential products, including beneficial fuels and chemicals, can be made from basic biomass feedstock through thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes. In general, thermochemical transformations include pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, and combustion. The pyrolysis process, which encompasses all chemical changes that take place when heat is given to a substance without oxygen, is the foundation of thermochemical conversion.

Even so, there have been reports of co-pyrolysis using various activators and dopants. Little research has been done on the concept of co-carbonization and its synergistic effects in relation to biomass that contains proteins. Additionally, the risk of metal leaching was decreased by co-carbonizing unpolluted biomass (e.g., forest waste residue, walnut, hazelnut, and bamboo shells) with metal-rich feedstocks (e.g., sewage sludge, biosolids). The C/N ratio can be maintained by using manure and inexpensive lignocellulosic biomass made from food and vegetable wastes. Nitrogen-doped carbon can produce the highest amount of char.

In each case, organic waste can be converted into biofuels and bioproducts with high productivity and low environmental pollution potential. These organic wastes have an important role in decreasing pollution, managing nutrients, storing carbon, and halting global warming.

In this context, this Special Issue of Fuels “Recent Advances in Biofuel Production from Biowaste/Biomass-Based Residues”, will cover a variety of topics to advance research into thermal conversion technologies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  1. Biowaste thermochemical conversion process;
  2. Biomass co-carbonization process;
  3. Biochar from protein-rich biomass;
  4. Kinetic and thermal studies of lignocellulosic waste;
  5. Fuel production from biowastes;
  6. Organic wastes as gasification products;
  7. Biooil production and characterization from biowastes;
  8. Carbonization technology to energy storage;
  9. Biochar (black gold) in promoting circular economy in the agricultural sector;
  10. Recent advances in the development and applications of protein-rich waste biomass-derived carbons;
  11. Biochar from organic wastes and its use as an environmental tool.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Kalidas Mainali
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biofuel and co-products
  • co-carbonization
  • biomass gasification
  • N-doped char
  • environmental application
  • biomass kinetics
  • thermal conversion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 2340 KB  
Article
Magnetic Walnut Shell Biochar Enhances Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer and Methane Yield from Fruit and Vegetable Waste’s Anaerobic Digestion
by Paul Sebastian Selvaraj, Aswin Kuttykattil, Parameswari Ettiyagounder, Ilakiya Tamilselvan, Kalaiselvi Periyasamy, Sadish Oumabady, Poornima Ramesh, Kavitha Ramadass and Thava Palanisami
Fuels 2026, 7(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels7010017 - 9 Mar 2026
Viewed by 852
Abstract
An exorbitant amount of organic fractions of the municipal solid waste, i.e., fruit and vegetable waste (FVW), generated from farm to fork are being treated through anaerobic digestion (AD). Anaerobic digestion (AD) of FVW only achieves <60% methane potential due to methanogen loss [...] Read more.
An exorbitant amount of organic fractions of the municipal solid waste, i.e., fruit and vegetable waste (FVW), generated from farm to fork are being treated through anaerobic digestion (AD). Anaerobic digestion (AD) of FVW only achieves <60% methane potential due to methanogen loss and indirect electron transfer. Hence, the technology necessitates further improvements in performance to maximise the methane gas yield by stabilising the methanogens using a potential additive. Magnetic biochar is a budding and promising additive in anaerobic digestion that amplifies biomethanation performance. This study focuses on the role of magnetic biochar in enhancing the viability of the AD system in biogas production from organic waste fractions. Herein, the magnetic biochar was produced using a FeCl3-impregnated walnut shell and then characterized. The derived magnetite was identified as the major crystalline phase in biochar with the presence of several oxygenated functional groups. The specific surface area, pore volume, and pore diameter were found to be 360.99 m2 g−1, 0.089 cm3 g−1, and 0.98 nm, respectively. The SEM and TEM images illustrated a good dispersion of the material, with size ranging between 18.2 and 46.6 nm, thus indicating the porous nature of the magnetic biochar. The incorporation of magnetic biochar in the CN ratio modified the AD system with enhanced methane production and the highest volume (1523.4 mL) reported in treatment, with a CN ratio of 25:1 and 0.5% magnetic biochar. The resulted gas yield is 35% more than the control (1125 ML) with reduced lag phase (4 vs. 12 days). It concludes that walnut shell MBC uniquely combines DIET conduits and biofilm support and enhances methane production from FVW. However, 16S rRNA confirmations of syntrophs, continuous reactor validation, and magnetic biochar recovery and reuse potential studies are essential for further scaleup. Full article
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