Special Issue "Biofuels Production and Sustainability"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Zuhair
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, UAE University, 15551 AlAin, UAE
Interests: Enzymatic technology; Biofuels; Wastewater treatment
Prof. Dr. Luqman Chuah Abdullah
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 Selangor, Malaysia
Interests: Enzymatic technology; Biofuels; Wastewater treatment
Assoc. Prof. Wei Du
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, China
Interests: Lipids transformation; Enzymatic catalysis; Biofuels
Dr. Hanifa Taher
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE
Interests: Biofuel production; Processes intensification; Green technologies; (supercritical fluids, ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents); Algal biomass production; Oil spills clean-up

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for energy is mainly met by fossil fuels, which are unsustainable on one hand and their combustion emissions are harmful to the environment on the other. With the increasing energy demand, finding sustainable and safer alternative energy sources becomes crucial. Biofuels, derived from renewable biomass, are among the most promising renewable energy sources. Besides being renewable, they are CO2 neutral and their combustion emissions are less harmful than those of fossil fuels. In addition, biofuels appear to be the closest alternative to replace fossil fuels in various applications, particularly in the transportation sector, which is a main fossil fuel consumer and a major contributor to global environmental pollution. However, for biofuels to realistically replace fossil fuels, they need to be produced in competitive quantities and costs, which will require advancement in their production technologies and diversification of their feedstock.

This Special Issue aims to present cutting edge research concerning the production of biofuels from various feedstock. Research work on all types of biofuels, such as biodiesel, biojet, bioethanol, biobutanol, biogas, bioil and biohydrogen are considered. The issue also covers topics related to cultivations of new biofuel crops. Topics of interest include but are not restricted to:

  • Biodiesel crops development
  • Biofuels from waste materials
  • Biofuels production technologies
  • Catalysts and biocatalysts development

Prof. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Zuhair
Prof. Dr. Luqman Chuah Abdullah
Assoc. Prof. Wei Du
Dr. Hanifa Taher
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 papers will be 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 1900 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

  • Biofuels
  • Biomass
  • Energy crops
  • Biorefinery

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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Article
Rheological Properties of the Jojoba Biofuel
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6047; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116047 - 27 May 2021
Viewed by 607
Abstract
Jojoba oil biofuel is a potential alternative to diesel fuel with attractive properties, but its flow behavior under the operating conditions of a diesel engine still needs to be clarified. In this study, the rheological properties of the jojoba biofuel are presented in [...] Read more.
Jojoba oil biofuel is a potential alternative to diesel fuel with attractive properties, but its flow behavior under the operating conditions of a diesel engine still needs to be clarified. In this study, the rheological properties of the jojoba biofuel are presented in assessment with diesel fuel to experimentally evaluate both their flow behaviors at different operating temperatures. A Fann-type coaxial cylinder viscometer was employed. The shear stress of the tested biofuel rises considerably with the shear rate in a marginally nonlinear manner on a logarithmic scale. Rheograms indicate that the flow behavior decreases gradually and considerably in the temperature range of 30–90 °C. The viscosity of the jojoba oil biofuel declines considerably with the decreasing applied shear rate and temperature. Based on the experimental results, a suitable model is developed for predicting the viscosity characteristics of the tested biofuel during the heating and cooling cycles of a diesel engine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels Production and Sustainability)
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Article
Techno-Economic Assessment of On-Farm Anaerobic Digestion System Using Attached-Biofilm Reactor in the Dairy Industry
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2063; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042063 - 14 Feb 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 770
Abstract
In this study, a techno-economic assessment of an on-farm biogas system using an anaerobic biofilm reactor utilizing cow manure as a fermentation substrate was evaluated. A projection model was developed using Microsoft Excel software with three outputs, the size and dimension of a [...] Read more.
In this study, a techno-economic assessment of an on-farm biogas system using an anaerobic biofilm reactor utilizing cow manure as a fermentation substrate was evaluated. A projection model was developed using Microsoft Excel software with three outputs, the size and dimension of a bioreactor, experimental microbial kinetic studies, and the economic studies based on the experimental results. Characterization analysis of cow manure wastewater showed the total solid (TS), total volatile solid (TVS), total carbohydrate (TC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and pH values which were 10.95 g/L, 8.65 g/L, 6.65 g/L, 57.80 g/L, and 7, respectively. Using the modified Gompertz equation for the microbial studies, it was found that, at 37 °C and 20 days hydraulic retention time (HRT), the biogas yield was 934.54 mL/gVS, the volume of biogas produced was 11.28 m3/d, and 22.56 kWh of electricity was generated. The Gompertz prediction helps to determine the optimal HRT for the system so that the microorganisms are at their optimum stage to produce biogas. The economic analysis was done, and the results illustrated that, when the rate of cow manure produced was at 55 L/day.cow, the net present value (NPV) was RM 611,936.09, with a 13% internal rate of return (IRR), 0.14 return on investment (ROI), and 7.02 years of payback period (PP). By developing a techno-economic assessment that included all the necessary parameters such as sizing of the bioreactor, microbial kinetic studies, and economics of the plant, farmers could easily implement the system into their farms. This model showed that the anaerobic digestion system utilizing an attached biofilm with cow manure as a fermentation inoculum and substrate was applicable on an industrial scale to generate electricity and reutilize to the farm, at the same time generating additional income from the production of fertilizer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels Production and Sustainability)
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Review

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Review
Microalgae Cultivation in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Treatment and Biofuel Production
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3247; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063247 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 707
Abstract
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the wastewater produced during the palm oil sterilization process, which contains substantial amounts of nutrients and phosphorous that are harmful to the environment. High BOD and COD of POME are as high as 100,000 mg/L, which endanger [...] Read more.
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the wastewater produced during the palm oil sterilization process, which contains substantial amounts of nutrients and phosphorous that are harmful to the environment. High BOD and COD of POME are as high as 100,000 mg/L, which endanger the environment. Effective pre-treatment of POME is required before disposal. As microalgae have the ability of biosorption on nutrients and phosphorous to perform photosynthesis, they can be utilized as a sustainable POME treatment operation, which contributes to effective biofuel production. Microalgae species C. pyrenoidosa has shown to achieve 68% lipid production along with 71% nutrient reduction in POME. In this study, a brief discussion about the impacts of POME that will affect the environment is presented. Additionally, the potential of microalgae in treating POME is evaluated along with its benefits. Furthermore, the condition of microalgae growth in the POME is also assessed to study the suitable condition for microalgae to be cultivated in. Moreover, experimental studies on characteristics and performance of microalgae are being evaluated for their feasibility. One of the profitable applications of POME treatment using microalgae is biofuel production, which will be discussed in this review. However, with the advantages brought from cultivating microalgae in POME, there are also some concerns, as microalgae will cause pollution if they are not handled well, as discussed in the last section of this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels Production and Sustainability)
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