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New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 40530

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Prof. Dr. Pau Loke Show

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Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Broga Road, Semenyih 43500, Malaysia
Interests: biotechnology; bioprocess; bioengineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Kit Wayne Chew

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School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
Interests: food processing and engineering; clean and renewable energy; algal biotechnology and bioprocessing; waste management and sustainability; bioseparation and purification technology; bioprocess design and optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Aydin Berenjian

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Interests: bioprocess engineering; nanobiotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A change from a consumer society to a sustainable, conserver society must be focused on the welfare of the planet and future generations, through balance rather than maximizing exploitation of resources. This will bring about further growth as an option for both per capita consumption and population. So far, the muddled and tepid response makes it clear that the society has not developed a vision of what a truly sustainable society looks like. It is essential to bring awareness to the possibility of creating a sustainable society which will incorporate the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to generate a future with more possibilities. Below are a few practical parameters which will heavily influence what a sustainable society actually looks like.

In order for a society to remain sustainable, it must be:

Energetically sustainable;
Resource-sustainable;
Environmentally sustainable;
Fiscally sustainable;
Socially sustainable.

In order to move towards a sustainable society, it is vital to provide the highest standard of wellbeing for the environment, human and economic. We can contribute by providing technical as well as scientific work that can be accessed freely and implemented by all. We welcome submission of the following topics (but not limited to):

Sustainable procesess and technologies in chemical engineering
Green bioproducts, food and bioprocessing
New nanotechnology and advanced materials
Environmentally friendly waste treatment and management

All the authors of accepted contributions at APCChE 2021 with topics related to sustainable developments are invited to submit manuscripts to Processes under the Special Issue of “New Processes: Working Towards a Sustainable Society”.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pau Loke Show
Dr. Kit Wayne CHEW
Dr. Aydin Berenjian
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

sustainability
SDGs
effective management
processes
green technology

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 190 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on “New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society”

by Kit Wayne Chew, Aydin Berenjian and Pau Loke Show

Processes 2022, 10(5), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10050869 - 28 Apr 2022

Viewed by 969

Abstract

The idea of a sustainable society comprises a consumer society that considers the welfare of the planet for future generations [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

Research

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17 pages, 5737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nano Iron Oxide-PCL Composite as an Improved Soft Tissue Scaffold

by Vahid Rezaei, Esmaeil Mirzaei, Seyedeh-Masoumeh Taghizadeh, Aydin Berenjian and Alireza Ebrahiminezhad

Processes 2021, 9(9), 1559; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9091559 - 01 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2480

Abstract

Iron oxide nanoparticles were employed to fabricate a soft tissue scaffold with enhanced physicochemical and biological characteristics. Growth promotion effect of L-lysine coated magnetite (Lys@Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles on the liver cell lines was proved previously. So, in the current experiment these nanoparticles were employed to fabricate a soft tissue scaffold with growth promoting effect on the liver cells. Lys@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation reaction. Resulted particles were ~7 nm in diameter and various concentrations (3, 5, and 10 wt%) of these nanoparticles were used to fabricate nanocomposite PCL fibers. Electrospinning technique was employed and physicochemical characteristics of the resulted nanofibers were evaluated. Electron micrographs and EDX-mapping analysis showed that nanoparticles were well dispersed in the PCL fibers and no bead structure were formed. As expected, incorporation of Lys@Fe₃O₄ to the PCL nanofibers resulted in a reduction in hydrophobicity of the scaffold. Nanocomposite scaffolds were shown increased tensile strength with increasing concentration of employed nanoparticles. In contrast to PCL scaffold, nearly 150% increase in the cell viability was observed after 3-days exposure to the nanocomposite scaffolds. This study indicates that incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles in the PCL fibers make them more prone to cell attachment. However, incorporated nanoparticles can provide the attached cells with valuable iron element and consequently promote the cells growth rate. Based on the results, magnetite enriched PCL nanofibers could be introduced as a scaffold to enhance the biological performance for liver tissue engineering purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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14 pages, 3520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Slow-Release Insecticides from Biogas Slurry: Effectiveness of Ion Exchange Resin in the Adsorption and Release of Ammonia Nitrogen

by Quanguo Zhang, Zexian Liu, Francesco Petracchini, Chaoyang Lu, Yameng Li, Zhiping Zhang, Valerio Paolini and Huan Zhang

Processes 2021, 9(8), 1461; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9081461 - 21 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1857

Abstract

The insecticidal ingredient in a biogas solution being fully utilized by cation exchange resin to produce slow-release insecticide is of great social value. In this work, the feasibility of ammonia nitrogen in a biogas slurry loaded on resin as a slow-release insecticide was evaluated by studying the effect of adsorption and the slow release of ammonia nitrogen by resin. The effects of the ammonia nitrogen concentration, resin dosage, adsorption time and pH value on the ammonia nitrogen adsorption by the resin were studied. The results showed that the ion exchange resin had a good adsorption effect on the ammonia nitrogen. With the increase of the resin dosage, time and ammonia nitrogen concentration, the adsorption capacity increased at first and then stabilized. The ammonia nitrogen adsorption capacity reached its maximum value (1.13 mg) when the pH value was 7. The adsorption process can be fitted well by the Langmuir isothermal adsorption equation and quasi-second-order kinetic model. Additionally, the release rate of the ammonia nitrogen increased with the increasing sodium chloride concentration. The adsorption capacity of ammonia nitrogen by the D113 (resin type) resin decreased by 15.8% compared with the ammonium chloride solution. The report shows that the ion exchange resin has a good adsorption effect on ammonia nitrogen, which is of guiding significance for expanding the raw materials for slow-release insecticides, improving the utilization rate of biogas slurry and cleaner production of slow-release insecticides from biogas slurry. Additionally, all variables showed statistical differences (p < 0.05). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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18 pages, 6486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response Surface Methodology Routed Optimization of Performance of Hydroxy Gas Enriched Diesel Fuel in Compression Ignition Engines

by Muhammad Usman, Saifuddin Nomanbhay, Mei Yin Ong, Muhammad Wajid Saleem, Muneeb Irshad, Zain Ul Hassan, Fahid Riaz, Muhammad Haris Shah, Muhammad Abdul Qyyum, Moonyong Lee and Pau Loke Show

Processes 2021, 9(8), 1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9081355 - 01 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2822

Abstract

In this study, the response surface methodology (RSM) optimization technique was employed for investigating the impact of hydroxy gas (HHO) enriched diesel on performance, acoustics, smoke and exhaust gas emissions of the compression ignition (CI) engine. The engine was operated within the HHO flow rate range of 0–10 L/min and engine loads of 15%, 30%, 45%, 60% and 75%. The results disclosed that HHO concentration and engine load had a substantial influence on the response variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results of developed quadratic models indicated the appropriate fit for all models. Moreover, the optimization of the user-defined historical design of an experiment identified an optimum HHO flow rate of 8 L/min and 41% engine load, with composite desirability of 0.733. The responses corresponding to optimal study factors were 25.44%, 0.315 kg/kWh, 117.73 ppm, 140.87 ppm, 99.37 dB, and 1.97% for brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), CO, HC, noise, and smoke, respectively. The absolute percentage errors (APEs) of RSM were predicted and experimental results were below 5%, which vouched for the reliable use of RSM for the prediction and optimization of acoustics and smoke and exhaust emission characteristics along with the performance of a CI engine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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16 pages, 2301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of a Life Cycle Assessment for Bio-Plastic Straws and Paper Straws: Malaysia’s Perspective

by Chun-Hung Moy, Lian-See Tan, Noor Fazliani Shoparwe, Azmi Mohd Shariff and Jully Tan

Processes 2021, 9(6), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9061007 - 07 Jun 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 18474

Abstract

Plastics are used for various applications, including in the food and beverage industry, for the manufacturing of plastic utensils and straws. The higher utilization of plastic straws has indirectly resulted in the significant disposal of plastic waste, which has become a serious environmental issue. Alternatively, bio-plastic and paper straws have been introduced to reduce plastic waste. However, limited studies are available on the environmental assessment of drinking straws. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for bio-plastic and paper straws have not been comprehensively performed previously. Therefore, the impact of both bio-plastic and paper straws on the environment are quantified and compared in this study. Parameters, such as the global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP) and eutrophication potential (EP), were evaluated. The input–output data of the bio-plastic and paper straws processes from a gate-to-grave analysis were obtained from the literature and generated using the SuperPro Designer V9 process simulator. The results show that bio-plastic straws, which are also known as polylactic acid (PLA) straws, had reduced environmental impacts compared to paper straws. The outcomes of this work provide an insight into the application of bio-plastic and paper straws in effectively reducing the impact on the environment and in promoting sustainability, especially from the perspective of Malaysia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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20 pages, 6705 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Removal of Anionic and Cationic Dyes from Wastewater Using Activated Carbon from Palm Tree Fiber Waste

by Basma G. Alhogbi, Shoruq Altayeb, Effat. A. Bahaidarah and Mahmoud F. Zawrah

Processes 2021, 9(3), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9030416 - 25 Feb 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3391

Abstract

This study focuses on using a facile method for the green preparation of activated carbon (AC) from palm tree fiber (PTF) waste. The synthesized cost-effective AC was investigated for the removal of an anionic dye (Congo red, CR) and a cationic dye (Rhodamine B, RhB) from wastewater. The morphological and structural characterization of the synthesized AC were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), surface area, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), total pore volume, average pore diameter and pore size distribution, zeta potential, and zero-point charge. To investigate the adsorption efficiency, different parameters such as adsorbent dosage, solution pH, initial dye concentration, and duration were applied using the batch experiments. Various adsorption isotherm and kinetics models were applied to study the adsorption mechanism and dynamics. The results showed that chemical activation with a weak acid (H₃PO₄) at 400 °C for 30 min is a fast method for the activation of each precursor and produces a high yield. The result of analysis showed an increase in the adsorption capacity at pH 2. The maximum adsorption capacity was 9.79 and 26.58 mg g⁻¹ at 30 min for CR dye and RhB dye, respectively. The optimum adsorbent dosage for the activated carbon from palm tree fiber (PTFAC) was 0.15 g with a high percentage removal of CR (98.24%) and RhB (99.86%) dyes. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies were found to be favorable and feasible for assessing the adsorption of dyes with the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order reaction, respectively. In addition, the AC showed reusability up to five cycles. The results showed that the synthesized AC was environmentally friendly and successfully removed dyes from wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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21 pages, 4073 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Sequential Abatement of Fe^II and Cr^VI Water Pollution by Use of Walnut Shell-Based Adsorbents

by Marius Gheju and Ionel Balcu

Processes 2021, 9(2), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020218 - 25 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1679

Abstract

In this study walnut shells, an inexpensive and readily available waste, were used as carbonaceous precursor for preparation of an innovative adsorbent (walnut-shell powder (WSP)) which was successfully tested for the removal of Fe^II from synthetic acid mine drainage (AMD). Then, the exhausted iron-contaminated adsorbent (WSP-Fe^II) was recovered and treated with sodium borohydride for the reduction of adsorbed Fe^II to Fe⁰. The resulting material (WSP-Fe⁰) was subsequently tested for the removal of Cr^VI from aqueous solutions. Treatability batch experiments were employed for both Fe^II and Cr^VI-contaminated solutions, and the influence of some important experimental parameters was studied. In addition, the experimental data was interpreted by applying three kinetic models and the mechanism of heavy metal removal was discussed. The overall data presented in this study indicated that fresh WSP and WSP-Fe⁰ can be considered as promising materials for the removal of Fe^II and Cr^VI, respectively. Furthermore, the present work clearly showed that water treatment residuals may be converted in upgraded materials, which can be successfully applied in subsequent water treatment processes. This is an example of sustainable and environmentally-friendly solution that may reduce the adverse effects associated with wastes and delay expensive disposal methods such as landfilling or incineration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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16 pages, 3569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ethanol Concentration on Organosolv Lignin Precipitation and Aggregation from Miscanthus x giganteus

by Muhammad Hazwan Hamzah, Steve Bowra and Philip Cox

Processes 2020, 8(7), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8070845 - 16 Jul 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3062

Abstract

This work assesses the behavior of organosolv lignin aggregates derived from Miscanthus x giganteus using different ethanol concentrations (10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% by volume). The percentage of lignin recovery was found to decrease from 75.8% to 71.4% and 25.1%, as the ethanol concentration was increased from 10% to 25% and 50%, respectively. Increasing the ethanol concentration further to 75% led to zero recovery. The purity of the precipitated lignin was consistently found to be ≥90%. Lignin derived from the dried supernatant obtained at 50% ethanol concentration resulted in high lignin purity (51.6%) in comparison with the other ethanol concentrations used. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the precipitated lignin and dried supernatant at 50% ethanol concentration possessed the highest peak intensity apportioned to wavenumber of lignin as compared to that of at 25% and 10% ethanol concentrations, and the results linked with the percentage of lignin purity. The results of particle size analysis for precipitated lignin demonstrated particle sizes of 306, 392, and 2050 nm for 10%, 25%, and 50% ethanol concentrations, respectively, and the remaining supernatant with average particle sizes of 1598, 1197, and 875 nm, respectively. These results were verified with the morphology of lignin macromolecules in scanning electron microscopy images. Results of the particle size distribution of lignin revealed that the overall size of lignin aggregates decreased with decreasing ethanol concentration. In summary, these findings suggest that ethanol concentration affected the behavior of lignin aggregates in water–ethanol solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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26 pages, 2584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industrial Processes Management for a Sustainable Society: Global Research Analysis

by Emilio Abad-Segura, Manuel E. Morales, Francisco Joaquín Cortés-García and Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña

Processes 2020, 8(5), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8050631 - 24 May 2020

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 7388

Abstract

Few decades ago, the development of the industrial sector was disconnected from society’s protection. Negative effects awareness emerges from the current industrial processes through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considering the causal implications to build up a more sustainable society. The aim of this study is to analyze the state of the art in industrial processes management to obtain positive and sustainable effects on society. Thus, a bibliometric analysis of 1911 articles was set up during the 1988–2019 period, bringing up the authors’ productivity indicators in the scientific field, that is, journals, authors, research institutions, and countries. We have identified environmental management; the impact assessments of industrial processes on the environment and its relation with a more sustainable society; as well as the study of the sustainable management of water resources as the related axes in the study of environmental protection with political, economic, and educational approaches. The growing trend of world scientific publications let us observe the relevance of industrial processes management in the implementation of efficient models to achieve sustainable societies. This research contributes to the academic, scientific, and social debate on decision-making both in public and private institutions, and in multidisciplinary groups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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22 pages, 525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Drive Better Organizational Performance through Integration with a Public Sector Scorecard? Empirical Evidence in a Developing Country

by Pham Quang Huy and Vu Kien Phuc

Processes 2020, 8(5), 596; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8050596 - 16 May 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4361

Abstract

This paper sets its sights on propounding a structural model to delve into the interrelationship between the impact of the integration of corporate social responsibility activities into the public sector scorecard management framework on the corporate social responsibility disclosure and enhancement of the organizational performance among public sector organizations. The conceptual framework in company with hypothesis framing were established after examining the related literature. Data were gathered from a sample of 723 respondents in public sector organizations in South Vietnam via convenience sampling method. Structural equation modeling was employed to validate the goodness of model fit and examine the hypotheses. These findings revealed that integration of corporate social responsibility activities into the public sector scorecard management framework was significantly and positively related to the corporate social responsibility disclosure and organizational performance. Additionally, it also asserted that corporate social responsibility disclosure was considerably associated in a positive manner with organizational performance. Thus, some detailed implications in connection with each causal relationship and several orientations were underlined to ameliorate the capacity of managing and measuring the organizational corporate social responsibility practices in a strategic manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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Review

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27 pages, 2696 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

New Perspectives on Iron-Based Nanostructures

by Seyedeh-Masoumeh Taghizadeh, Aydin Berenjian, Marziyeh Zare and Alireza Ebrahiminezhad

Processes 2020, 8(9), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8091128 - 10 Sep 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5501

Abstract

Among all minerals, iron is one of the elements identified early by human beings to take advantage of and be used. The role of iron in human life is so great that it made an era in the ages of humanity. Pure iron has a shiny grayish-silver color, but after combining with oxygen and water it can make a colorful set of materials with divergent properties. This diversity sometimes appears ambiguous but provides variety of applications. In fact, iron can come in different forms: zero-valent iron (pure iron), iron oxides, iron hydroxides, and iron oxide hydroxides. By taking these divergent materials into the nano realm, new properties are exhibited, providing us with even more applications. This review deals with iron as a magic element in the nano realm and provides comprehensive data about its structure, properties, synthesis techniques, and applications of various forms of iron-based nanostructures in the science, medicine, and technology sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society)

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