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Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability
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Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 8860

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lucília Sousa Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: biomass conversion; waste valorization; biofuels production; sustainable processes; catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The depletion of fossil fuel resources is a major threat to the sustainable development of human beings, so biomass has gained increasing attention regarding the production of chemicals, fuels, and materials for environmental applications. Thermochemical conversion technologies, such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal operations, could provide an alternative for the processing of biomass and wastes, enabling reuse via the transformation of their properties. In addition, the catalytic processing of biomass residues is an attractive approach for the production of high-value chemicals, which still requires intense efforts.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability”, to be published in Sustainability. Considering the importance of sustainability and sustainable development, Sustainability strives to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to waste biomass valorization processes for the production of high-value chemicals, with the aim of developing technologies for carbon neutrality. All studies (experimental, computational and theoretical) within the scope of this Special Issue, including original research, review articles and communications, are welcome for submission.

Research areas for publication may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Thermochemical conversion techniques
  • Catalytic biomass conversion
  • Bio-oil upgrading and biochar applications
  • Waste valorization
  • Green processes
  • Sustainability assessment and life-cycle analysis (LCA)

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lucília Sousa Ribeiro
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 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. Sustainability 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 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

  • biomass
  • wastes
  • hydrothermal treatment
  • pyrolysis
  • catalysis
  • sustainability

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5337 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Biogas Production: Pre-Treatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Biogas Plant Digestate
by Barbora Jankovičová, Miroslav Hutňan and Mikhael Sammarah
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 3898; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093898 - 25 Apr 2025
Viewed by 188
Abstract
Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a necessary step to improve the degradability of these materials when used as substrates for biogas production, due to their resistance resulting from their complex composition and structural properties. The effect of using digestate for the pre-treatment of [...] Read more.
Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a necessary step to improve the degradability of these materials when used as substrates for biogas production, due to their resistance resulting from their complex composition and structural properties. The effect of using digestate for the pre-treatment of maize waste to enhance biogas production in an anaerobic digestion process was assessed through biogas potential tests and long-term operation of an anaerobic reactor model. The biogas potential tests confirmed the positive effect of soaking maize waste in digestate for pre-treatment compared to soaking it in water, as higher specific biogas production rates of 17%, 18%, and 29% were achieved after soaking it in digestate for 1 day, 2 days, and 5 days, respectively. The results from monitoring the long-term operation of the anaerobic reactor demonstrated the suitability of using digestate-soaked maize waste as a co-substrate to maize silage, which may significantly reduce the dependence on maize silage in practical applications. Stable operation of the reactor was also achieved during anaerobic treatment of the pre-treated maize waste itself, with an average specific biogas production of 403 mL/g VS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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20 pages, 8333 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Activated Carbon Production from Sunflower Seeds via Chemical Activation
by Selma Kuloglija, Amal El Gohary Ahmed, Christian Jordan, Matthias Golda, Wolfgang Ipsmiller, Noah Steinacher, Franz Winter, Daniela Meitner, Angelika Luckeneder and Michael Harasek
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2568; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062568 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 482
Abstract
The increasing demand for high-performance activated carbon necessitates applying sustainable and cost-effective production methods. This study explores the use of biochar derived from renewable biomass. The primary feedstock for biochar consisted of woody residues from composting, along with pre-dried sunflower seed shells that [...] Read more.
The increasing demand for high-performance activated carbon necessitates applying sustainable and cost-effective production methods. This study explores the use of biochar derived from renewable biomass. The primary feedstock for biochar consisted of woody residues from composting, along with pre-dried sunflower seed shells that had a moisture content of around 10% as a precursor for the production of activated carbon. The process started with carbonization followed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation. Key parameters such as the impregnation ratio, temperature, and activation time were optimized to enhance the physicochemical properties of the activated carbon. Under optimized conditions, namely a KOH-to-biochar impregnation ratio of 3:1, an activation temperature of 800 °C, and an activation duration of 5 h, the yield of activated carbon was 58% and the specific surface area was 498 m2/g. A significant enhancement in surface area, with a maximum value of 709 m2/g, was achieved after increasing the time to 24 h of activation. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis was applied to evaluate the CO2 adsorption performance of both biochar and activated biochar at 30 °C, demonstrating a 30% improvement in adsorption efficiency following activation. This study underscores the potential of biochar as a renewable and sustainable precursor for the production of high-performance activated carbon. This study underscores the potential of biochar derived from agro residue as a source for the production of high-performance activated carbon. The findings contribute to the advancement of environmentally friendly production technologies and highlight the potential applicability of biochar-derived activated carbon in gas adsorption and environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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15 pages, 6785 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Production of Activated Carbon from Waste Wood Using Goethite Iron Ore
by William Spencer, Don Ibana, Pritam Singh and Aleksandar N. Nikoloski
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020681 - 16 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1058
Abstract
The growing demand for eco-friendly activated carbon necessitates sustainable production methods. This study investigates the conversion of waste wood into activated carbon using goethite iron ore as an activating agent. A high-temperature rotary furnace was used to activate the carbon at 1373 K. [...] Read more.
The growing demand for eco-friendly activated carbon necessitates sustainable production methods. This study investigates the conversion of waste wood into activated carbon using goethite iron ore as an activating agent. A high-temperature rotary furnace was used to activate the carbon at 1373 K. The oxygen released from the iron oxide during the heat treatment reacted with the carbon in the wood, resulting in 49% of activated carbon with BET surface areas between 684 m2/g and 770 m2/g. The activated carbon and char showed type I isotherms with micropore areas between 600 m2/g and 668 m2/g, respectively. Additionally, 92% of the iron in the ore was reduced from ferric to ferrous. The findings demonstrate that goethite iron ore is an effective activating agent for producing wood-based activated carbon while also generating metallic iron as a byproduct. This alternative activation method enhances the sustainability and efficiency of activated carbon production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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15 pages, 1608 KiB  
Article
Inherent Safety Index Evaluation of an Extractive-Based Creole-Antillean Avocado Biorefinery in Montes De María, Colombia
by Tamy Carolina Herrera-Rodríguez and Ángel Darío González-Delgado
Sustainability 2025, 17(1), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010168 - 29 Dec 2024
Viewed by 767
Abstract
In Colombia, different varieties of avocados are produced. In the Montes de María region, Creole-Antillean avocados are grown, but part of the production is lost due to the presence of fungi and pests, lacking marketing strategies, poor road conditions, and other factors. For [...] Read more.
In Colombia, different varieties of avocados are produced. In the Montes de María region, Creole-Antillean avocados are grown, but part of the production is lost due to the presence of fungi and pests, lacking marketing strategies, poor road conditions, and other factors. For this reason, we propose utilizing avocados under the concept of biorefinery to produce value-added products such as bio-oil, biopesticide, and chlorophyll from the pulp, seed, and peel, respectively. The objective is to evaluate the safety of establishing an avocado biorefinery by determining the inherent safety index of the chemical processes. The process inherent safety index is a methodology that allows the assessment of processes in the conceptual design stages. This technique identifies the characteristics of the process by determining the properties of the chemical substances, maximum operating conditions, types of equipment, construction materials, reported accidents, and other relevant factors. In the present study, the safety performance of the process is observed. A total inherent safety index of 18 points was obtained, indicating that the process is viable from a safety perspective if we compare it to the permitted limit of 24 points. This is because the process does not represent a considerable safety hazard, though some precautions must be taken due to the maximum operating temperature of 81 °C. Additionally, the chemical substances (methanol, acetone, and ethanol) necessary for obtaining bio-oil, chlorophyll, and biopesticide must be handled appropriately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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14 pages, 4267 KiB  
Article
Biochar Prepared from Steam-Exploded Bitter Melon Vine for the Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution: Kinetics, Isotherm, Thermodynamics and Mechanism
by Xia Li, Hongyu Jia, Lihua Jiang, Zhengwei Mou, Bo Zhang, Zihui Zhang and Yan Chen
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7278; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177278 - 24 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1383
Abstract
Bitter melon vine (an agricultural waste product with high fiber content) is difficult to treat and has caused problems in the environment. This research aims to produce biochar through low-temperature pyrolysis assisted by non-polluting steam explosion. The physical and chemical properties of the [...] Read more.
Bitter melon vine (an agricultural waste product with high fiber content) is difficult to treat and has caused problems in the environment. This research aims to produce biochar through low-temperature pyrolysis assisted by non-polluting steam explosion. The physical and chemical properties of the biochar were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, specific surface area measurements (BET), X-ray diffraction patters (XRD), elemental analysis (EA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Next, the adsorption mechanism of methylene blue (MB) on the steam-exploded bitter melon vine biochar pyrolyzed at 200 °C (qBC200) and the effects of adsorption time, pH, initial concentration, adsorption temperature, and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption effect were investigated. Steam explosion destroyed the dense structure of the plant, increased the number of oxygen-containing surface functional groups, and improved the adsorption performance of the material. Therefore, qBC200 more effectively adsorbed MB than untreated biochar, reaching a saturated adsorption capacity of 267.72 mg/g. The MB adsorption kinetics and isothermal adsorption process of qBC200 align with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isothermal equation (monolayer adsorption), respectively. The thermodynamic results show that MB adsorbs via a spontaneous, entropy-increasing exothermic reaction. The adsorption mechanism involves electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π–π interactions. The prepared biomass with high fiber content is a promising new material for wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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14 pages, 908 KiB  
Perspective
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production through Catalytic Processing of Lignocellulosic Biomass Residues: A Perspective
by Lucília Sousa Ribeiro and Manuel Fernando Ribeiro Pereira
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 3038; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16073038 - 5 Apr 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4163
Abstract
Currently, the transportation sector represents about one third of the total energy consumed in the world, most of this energy being obtained almost exclusively from oil. However, the world is changing, as well as the aviation industry. Since lignocellulosic biomass is a low-cost [...] Read more.
Currently, the transportation sector represents about one third of the total energy consumed in the world, most of this energy being obtained almost exclusively from oil. However, the world is changing, as well as the aviation industry. Since lignocellulosic biomass is a low-cost feedstock that does not compete with food, it has drawn great attention as one of the most attractive alternatives to replace fossil feedstocks for the production of fuels. Renewable jet fuels could have a significant impact on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and providing a long-term sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived fuels. However, the catalytic upgrading of lignocellulosic residues in industry still remains a big challenge and the development of highly integrated systems that allow the direct conversion of lignocellulosic wastes is essential to achieve that goal. The importance of renewable jet fuels and the potential of lignocellulosic biomass have already been extensively reviewed. However, this work presents a new perspective on the main catalytic routes and challenges for the sustainable production of aviation fuels from biomass wastes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability)
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