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Utilization of Biomass: Energy, Catalysts, and Applications

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Chemical Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2025) | Viewed by 4182

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Everaldo Silvino dos Santos

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Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Interests: biomass; chemical engineering; fermentation; second-generation ethanol
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Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo De Araújo Padilha

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Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Interests: lignin valorization; 2G ethanol; thermochemical conversion; mathematical modeling; process intensification
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Prof. Dr. Nathália Saraiva Rios

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Guest Editor

Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Interests: Biocatalysis; enzyme immobilization; bioprocess
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current global scenario, with the focus on reducing the demand for fossil fuels as well as the need to reduce carbon emissions, especially those resulting from combustion fuels, has led researchers and the scientific community to search for alternative sources of energy. In this context, the use of renewable energy plays a key role, since it does not have an environmental impact, mainly when compared to traditional non-renewable ones. Thus, biomass is the most common form of renewable energy—being a source of primary energy supply—and can be converted into other usable forms of energy, such as biofuels. In order to exploit the full potential of biomass in the context of a biorefinery, one can use biocatalysts. Indeed, many of them have been used mainly in the thermochemical approach. Also, biocatalysts can be used in the pretreatment or the hydrolysis step in the lignocellulosic ethanol process, or even during biodiesel production. Therefore, considering all these possibilities, this Special Issue of Sustainability will cover the use of biomass in the context of energy, biocatalysts, and applications. The Editor invites you to submit manuscripts covering all these topics since all are welcome. The main aim is to contribute to the state of the art and to highlight the importance of biomass use as a means of achieving a more sustainable world.

Prof. Dr. Everaldo Silvino dos Santos
Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo De Araújo Padilha
Prof. Dr. Nathália Saraiva Rios
Guest Editors

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Keywords

biocatalysis applied to biofuels
biomass pretreatment
biorefinery
lignocellulosic ethanol
thermochemical processes

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5114 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fly Ash and Bottom Ash from Biomass and Coal: Comparison of Properties in Grate and Fluidized Bed Combustion from the Perspective of Construction Applications

by Karolína Králová, Petr Formáček, Martina Šídlová, Rostislav Šulc, Lukáš Mauermann, Klára Betáková and Jan Konvalinka

Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2592; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052592 - 6 Mar 2026

Viewed by 508

Abstract

The cement industry seeks alternative raw materials to lower its environmental impact, and biomass ash represents a potential material for construction applications. This study evaluates biomass ashes (BMA) produced from grate and fluidized bed combustion, as well as co-combustion with coal, focusing on their chemical, mineralogical, and physical characteristics. The results reveal a substantial variability in BMA composition, influenced primarily by the fuel type and combustion method. This heterogeneity critically affects the reactivity and overall suitability of the BMA for use in construction materials. It was found that none of the 23 analyzed samples met the requirements of EN 450-1. This outcome is largely attributable to the combustion process and to sampling from the bottom part of the boiler, which typically yields material with properties outside the limits of the standard. Even when assessed directly against the specific limit values of EN 450-1, the ashes did not comply without further processing or modification. Despite these limitations, BMA show potential for use in accordance with EN 197-1, which permits the incorporation of up to 5 wt.% minor additional constituents. However, their practical application under this framework requires validation through tests performed on hydrated cement. These findings underline both the limitations and the promise of BMA as a supplementary cementitious material (SCMs) in sustainable construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass: Energy, Catalysts, and Applications)

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34 pages, 13144 KB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization and Characterization of Bio-Oil from Arthrospira platensis Through a Single-Stage Fixed-Bed Catalytic Pyrolyzer Using Dual Cu-Doped Spent FCC and Fe-Doped Dolomite Catalyst

by Witchakorn Charusiri, Naphat Phowan, Tharapong Vitidsant and Aminta Permpoonwiwat

Sustainability 2026, 18(4), 2002; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18042002 - 15 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 390

Abstract

The increasing energy demand and global dependence on conventional fuels have resulted in severe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, necessitating the development of sustainable bioenergy alternatives. Algal is recognized as a promising feedstock for the production of fourth-generation biofuels. This study optimizes catalytic pyrolysis of Arthrospira platensis for bio-oil production via a dual-bed catalyst system of iron-impregnated dolomite (Fe/DM) and a copper-impregnated spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (Cu/sFCC). A face-central composite design (FCCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used for the delineation of optimal conditions, ensuring that all experimental tests remained within feasible operating conditions of 500–600 °C, a reaction time of 45–75 min, a N₂ flow rate of 50–200 mL/min, and a catalyst loading of 5–20 wt%. The bio-oil yield was maximized at 39.73 ± 2.86 wt% at 500 °C for 45 min, a N₂ flow of 50 mL/min, and 5 wt% catalyst loading to feedstock with a 0.4:0.6 mass ratio of Fe/DM: Cu/sFCC. The dual-catalysts combined Brønsted and Lewis acid sites enhanced the catalytic activity, which promotes the cleavage of carbon–carbon and carbon–hydrogen bonds, including the mechanism of catalytic pathways such as dehydration, decarboxylation, oligomerization, aromatization, and further cracking reactions, and was successful in converting high-molecular-weight molecules into lighter hydrocarbons and significantly improving product selectivity, demonstrating a highly effective pathway for producing high-quality sustainable biofuel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass: Energy, Catalysts, and Applications)

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16 pages, 1374 KB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Effects of Subcritical Water Pretreatment and Anaerobic Digestion of Brewers’ Spent Grains for Biogas Production

by William Gustavo Sganzerla, Miriam Tena, Luiz Eduardo Nochi Castro, Tânia Forster Carneiro, Rosario Solera and Montserrat Perez

Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031410 - 31 Jan 2026

Viewed by 474

Abstract

The sustainable management of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is critical for advancing circular bioeconomy strategies in the brewing industry; however, its efficient conversion to bioenergy remains limited by lignocellulosic recalcitrance. In this study, subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) is systematically evaluated under mild conditions as an environmentally friendly pretreatment to simultaneously enhance the solubilization of carbohydrates and proteins and improve the anaerobic digestion (AD) performance of BSG. Under relatively low-severity conditions (130 °C, 15 MPa), SWH promoted extensive depolymerization of BSG, releasing up to 146 mg g⁻¹ of total reducing sugars and 18 mg albumin g⁻¹ of soluble proteins, while generating organic acids that influenced hydrolysate pH. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on solid BSG digestion or high-severity pretreatments, this work directly compares the biomethane potential of SWH-derived hydrolysate and solid BSG under controlled BMP assays. The hydrolysate supported stable microbial activity and efficient degradation of volatile fatty acids, achieving a maximum methane yield of 712 L CH₄ kg⁻¹ TVS, significantly exceeding the yield obtained at 12.5% solid BSG loading (469 L CH₄ kg⁻¹ TVS). These results demonstrate that mild SWH substantially enhances BSG biodegradability and methane recovery while revealing critical trade-offs between organic loading, conversion efficiency, and process stability. Overall, this study provides new process-level insights into the integrated use of SWH and AD for BSG valorization, positioning SWH as a scalable, low-chemical, and sustainable pretreatment strategy for maximizing renewable biogas production from agro-industrial residues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass: Energy, Catalysts, and Applications)

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20 pages, 2557 KB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Reusability of Biocatalysts by Exploiting Cross-Linked Enzyme Aggregates (CLEAs) with Commercial Cellulolytic Cocktails for Hydrolysis of Green Coconut Waste

by Jéssica R. F. Morais, Isabela O. Costa, Carlos E. A. Padilha, Nathália S. Rios and Everaldo S. dos Santos

Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4221; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094221 - 7 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2063

Abstract

Efficient hydrolysis of cellulose in agricultural waste (e.g., coconut fiber) is critical for biorefining processes such as second-generation bioethanol (2G ethanol) production. However, free cellulases suffer from low thermal stability and challenges in recovery. To address this, we developed cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) combined with magnetic nanoparticles (magnetic CLEAs, m-CLEAs) to enhance enzyme stability and reusability. In this context, solutions of ethanol, acetone, and ammonium sulfate were used to prepare enzymatic aggregates, with subsequent use of glutaraldehyde and magnetic nanoparticles to obtain the biocatalysts. The addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein was also tested to improve immobilization. Biocatalysts with ethanol and acetone performed better. Acetone (AC) and BSA yielded the highest enzymatic activities (287.27 ± 42.59 U/g for carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) with Celluclast; 425.37 ± 48.11 U/g for CMCase with Cellic CTec2). Magnetic nanoparticles were incorporated to expand the industrial applicability, producing m-CLEAs with excellent thermal stability and high catalytic activities. The m-CLEA–Celluclast–AC–BSA–GA 5% maintained 58% of its activity after 72 h at 70 °C. The m-CLEA–Celluclast-AC–BSA–GA 2.5% proved effective in hydrolyzing coconut fiber and isolated cellulose, producing up to 0.91 ± 0.01 g/L of glucose and 2.7 ± 0.15 g/L of glucose, respectively, after 72 h. Therefore, this approach supports sustainability by using coconut fiber, which is often discarded into the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Biomass: Energy, Catalysts, and Applications)

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