materials-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Biomass-Derived Carbon and Non-Biomass Industrial Wastes for High-Value Functional Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 672

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YR, UK
Interests: catalysis; chemical reaction engineering; agrowastes processing; biomass conversion; functional coating; fuel cells and carbon capture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue dedicated to the design, processing, functionalisation, and application of biomass and non-biomass waste-derived materials for energy, environmental, and high-value technological uses. The transition from conventional fossil fuels to sustainable, greener resources has attracted growing interest in the conversion of by-product streams such as biomass residues, agricultural by-products, and industrial wastes such as ashes, slags, fly ash, and red mud, which have found abundant and unused resources ready to be transformed into advanced carbons, catalysts, adsorbents, fertilisers, and electronic materials.

The scope aligns with the journal’s strategy and covers solutions to innovative materials, sustainable processes, and applied engineering. Combining experimental, theoretical, modelling, and applied studies, this Special Issue aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of structure property to process performance relationship, scalability, stability, and real-world implementation. The intended outcome of the collected contributions is anticipated to highlight the transition from inspired ideas and laboratory concepts to impactful technologies.

Original research and review papers are welcome. Topics of interest include following

  • Biomass-derived carbon materials for energy applications (synthesis, activation, and functionalisation of biomass-derived carbons (e.g. biochars, activated carbons, carbon nanostructures) for batteries, supercapacitors, hybrid energy storage systems, and hydrogen-related technologies).
  • Valorisation of non-biomass industrial waste into functional materials (transformation of fly ashes, slags, red mud, phosphogypsum into catalysts, adsorbents, fertilisers, and construction-related functional materials).
  • High-value applications (electronics, semiconductors, sensors, protective coatings, and functional nanomaterials).
  • Regeneration and scalability (recycling strategies, scale-up and industrial feasibility).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Farid Aiouache
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • waste-derived carbons
  • industrial by-product valorisation
  • functional carbons for energy storage
  • hydrogen-related functional carbons, adsorbents and catalysts from waste
  • circular economy materials design
  • surface-engineered waste materials

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 2556 KB  
Article
Variability of Properties of Wood Biomass Combustion Waste During the Heating Season in the Context of Their Environmental Use
by Elżbieta Rolka, Anna Skorwider-Namiotko and Radosław Szostek
Materials 2026, 19(7), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19071295 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 470
Abstract
The use of wood chips in the heating sector leads to the generation of combustion waste with variable properties, which poses challenges for their rational management. To determine the variability of combustion waste, samples were collected over a 13-week period during the heating [...] Read more.
The use of wood chips in the heating sector leads to the generation of combustion waste with variable properties, which poses challenges for their rational management. To determine the variability of combustion waste, samples were collected over a 13-week period during the heating season, as weekly aggregate samples from a biomass bioheating plant burning wood chips. Three waste fractions were obtained for analysis: residue from the grate (B1), dust from the dust collector (B2), and boiler dust (B3). Dry matter (DM), reaction (pHKCl), electrolytic conductivity (EC), content of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), macronutrients (P, K, Mg, Ca, Na), and heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni) were determined in the collected samples. All waste fractions were characterized by an alkaline reaction. Regardless of the waste fraction, the macronutrient content was dominated by Ca, K, and Mg, with significantly lower levels of P and Na. Among heavy metals, Fe, Mn, and Zn had the highest recorded contents, and the lowest by far was Cd. With respect to sampling dates, the least diversified chemical composition was observed for B1 samples, more diversified for B2, and the most diversified for B3. In turn, regardless of the waste fraction, the most diversified results were observed for Cd and Pb, and the least for pH, DM, and TC. Concerning environmental management of combustion waste, fraction B1 deserves attention, as it was characterized by the richest chemical composition (TN, P, K, Mg, Ca, Na, Mn, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni). However, due to the highest content of undesirable heavy metals (Pb, Cd) and the highest salinity, it requires constant monitoring of the composition. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop