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Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass
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Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 18696

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Eulogio Castro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: agricultural residues; lignocellulosic materials; sugars; biorefineries; bioproducts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Inmaculada Romero Pulido

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering and Center for Advanced Studies in Energy and Environment, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: lignocellulosic residues; pretreatment technologies; fermentation configurations; bioethanol; bioactive compounds; biorefinery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Millions of tons of waste biomass are produced every year, either as agricultural or forestry residues or as a result of agroindustrial transformations. As a general rule, these residual materials lack practical applications and represent both an economic cost and an environmental concern as they need to be adequately handled. However, their lignocellulosic nature can be used up to produce a wide range of products, including biofuels and renewable chemicals under the biorefinery scheme.

Potential benefits of such use can be classified as economic, environmental, or social and include, for example, the reduction of dependency on fossil fuels, a net contribution to climate change mitigation along with higher industrial development and creation of jobs.

The intense research efforts on biomass devoted in the last couple of decades have generated a substantial basic knowledge about conversion process options. As a convenient update, any aspect concerning the use of waste biomass for the development of biorefineries will be covered in this Special Issue, including but not limited to the following:

  • Raw materials, waste biomass generation, and composition
  • Logistics and preliminary steps
  • Pretreatment methods and fractionation
  • Sugar generation and separation of other interesting compounds
  • Process configurations
  • Routes of using cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and minor fractions or components
  • Bioproducts, characterization, and potential applications
  • Biorefinery deployment, and case studies
  • Technical, economic, and environmental issues
  • Circular bioeconomy

Research or review manuscripts dealing with any of the above aspects are welcome to the Special Issue “Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass”.

Prof. Dr. Eulogio Castro
Prof. Dr. Inmaculada Romero Pulido
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. Energies 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

  • Biowaste
  • biomass conversion
  • lignin
  • bioactive compounds
  • biofuel
  • bioeconomy

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass
by Eulogio Castro and Inmaculada Romero
Energies 2022, 15(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010054 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1864
Abstract
In a broad sense, all materials with a biological origin can be called biomass, which includes those materials that have been obtained from the direct conversion of solar energy, such as plants and crops, their residues, the materials obtained from their industrial transformation [...] Read more.
In a broad sense, all materials with a biological origin can be called biomass, which includes those materials that have been obtained from the direct conversion of solar energy, such as plants and crops, their residues, the materials obtained from their industrial transformation as well as subproducts and residues and the organic fraction of the municipal solid wastes [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)

Research

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14 pages, 711 KiB  
Article
Hydrothermal Pretreatment of Water-Extracted and Aqueous Ethanol-Extracted Quinoa Stalks for Enzymatic Saccharification of Cellulose
by Cristhian Carrasco, Leif J. Jönsson and Carlos Martín
Energies 2021, 14(14), 4102; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14144102 - 07 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2198
Abstract
Auto-catalyzed hydrothermal pretreatment (A-HTP) and sulfuric-acid-catalyzed hydrothermal pretreatment (SA-HTP) were applied to quinoa stalks in order to reduce their recalcitrance towards enzymatic saccharification. Prior to pretreatment, quinoa stalks were extracted with either water or a 50:50 (v/v) ethanol–water mixture [...] Read more.
Auto-catalyzed hydrothermal pretreatment (A-HTP) and sulfuric-acid-catalyzed hydrothermal pretreatment (SA-HTP) were applied to quinoa stalks in order to reduce their recalcitrance towards enzymatic saccharification. Prior to pretreatment, quinoa stalks were extracted with either water or a 50:50 (v/v) ethanol–water mixture for removing saponins. Extraction with water or aqueous ethanol, respectively, led to removal of 52 and 75% (w/w) of the saponins contained in the raw material. Preliminary extraction of quinoa stalks allowed for a lower overall severity during pretreatment, and it led to an increase of glucan recovery in the pretreated solids (above 90%) compared with that of non-extracted quinoa stalks (73–74%). Furthermore, preliminary extraction resulted in enhanced hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and lower by-product formation during pretreatment. The enhancement of hemicelluloses hydrolysis by pre-extraction was more noticeable for SA-HTP than for A-HTP. As a result of the pretreatment, glucan susceptibility towards enzymatic hydrolysis was remarkably improved, and the overall conversion values were higher for the pre-extracted materials (up to 83%) than for the non-extracted ones (64–69%). Higher overall conversion was achieved for the aqueous ethanol-extracted quinoa stalks (72–83%) than for the water-extracted material (65–74%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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15 pages, 2261 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Lignin Side-Streams into Polyols and Rigid Polyurethane Foams—A Contribution to the Pulp and Paper Industry Biorefinery
by João A. Pinto, Isabel P. Fernandes, Virginia D. Pinto, Elson Gomes, Cátia F. Oliveira, Paula C. R. Pinto, Luís M. R. Mesquita, Paulo A. G. Piloto, Alírio E. Rodrigues and Maria-Filomena Barreiro
Energies 2021, 14(13), 3825; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133825 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2909
Abstract
Valorization of industrial low-value side-streams are of great interest, contributing to boosts in the circular economy. In this context, lignin side-streams of the pulp and paper industry were oxypropylated to produce biobased polyols and tested in the synthesis of rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams. [...] Read more.
Valorization of industrial low-value side-streams are of great interest, contributing to boosts in the circular economy. In this context, lignin side-streams of the pulp and paper industry were oxypropylated to produce biobased polyols and tested in the synthesis of rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams. E. globulus lignins, namely a lignin isolated from an industrial Kraft black liquor and depolymerized lignins obtained as by-products of an oxidation process, were used. RPU foams, synthesized with 100% lignin-based polyols and using a 1.1 NCO/OH ratio, were characterized concerning apparent density, morphology, thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and heat release rate (HRR). Foams containing the lignin-based polyols presented densities varying from 44.7 to 112.2 kg/m3 and thermal conductivity in the range of 37.2–49.0 mW/mK. For the reference foam (sample produced with 100% wt. Daltofoam TP 32015 polyol), values of 70.9 kg/m3 and 41.1 mW/mK were obtained, respectively. The achieved results point out the viability of using the generated lignin-based polyols at 100% content in RPU foams, mainly when depolymerized lignins are used. Moreover, fire retardancy was favored when the lignin-based polyols were introduced. The proposed strategies can contribute to establishing the integrated pulp and paper biorefinery concept where material synthesis (polyols and RPU foams) can be combined with chemical production (vanillin and syringaldehyde). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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16 pages, 5797 KiB  
Article
Location of Biorefineries Based on Olive-Derived Biomass in Andalusia, Spain
by Diego Cardoza, Inmaculada Romero, Teresa Martínez, Encarnación Ruiz, Francisco J. Gallego, Juan Carlos López-Linares, Paloma Manzanares and Eulogio Castro
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3052; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113052 - 25 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2764
Abstract
A biorefinery integrated process based on lignocellulosic feedstock is especially interesting in rural areas with a high density of agricultural and agro-industrial wastes, which is the case for olive crop areas and their associated industries. In the region of Andalusia, in the south [...] Read more.
A biorefinery integrated process based on lignocellulosic feedstock is especially interesting in rural areas with a high density of agricultural and agro-industrial wastes, which is the case for olive crop areas and their associated industries. In the region of Andalusia, in the south of Spain, the provinces of Jaén, Córdoba and Seville accumulate more than 70% of the olive wastes generated in Spain. Therefore, the valorisation of these wastes is a matter of interest from both an environmental and a social point of view. The olive biorefinery involves a multi-product process from different raw materials: olive leaves, exhausted olive pomace, olive stones and olive tree pruning residues. Biorefinery processes associated with these wastes would allow their valorisation to produce bioenergy and high value-added renewable products. In this work, using geographic information system tools, the biomass from olive crop fields, mills and olive pomace-extracting industries, where these wastes are generated, was determined and quantified in the study area. In addition, the vulnerability of the territory was evaluated through an environmental and territorial analysis that allowed for the determination of the reception capacity of the study area. Then, information layers corresponding to the availability of the four biomass wastes, and layers corresponding to the environmental fragility of the study area were overlapped and they resulted in an overall map. This made it possible to identify the best areas for the implementation of the biorefineries based on olive-derived biomass. Finally, as an example, three zones were selected for this purpose. These locations corresponded to low fragility areas with a high availability of biomass (more than 300,000 tons/year) in a 30 km radius, which would ensure the biomass supply. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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21 pages, 1771 KiB  
Article
Delignification of Cistus ladanifer Biomass by Organosolv and Alkali Processes
by Júnia Alves-Ferreira, Ana Lourenço, Francisca Morgado, Luís C. Duarte, Luísa B. Roseiro, Maria C. Fernandes, Helena Pereira and Florbela Carvalheiro
Energies 2021, 14(4), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14041127 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3033
Abstract
Residues of Cistus ladanifer obtained after commercial steam distillation for essential oil production were evaluated to produce cellulose enriched solids and added-value lignin-derived compounds. The delignification of extracted (CLRext) and extracted and hydrothermally pretreated biomass (CLRtreat) was studied using two organosolv processes, ethanol/water [...] Read more.
Residues of Cistus ladanifer obtained after commercial steam distillation for essential oil production were evaluated to produce cellulose enriched solids and added-value lignin-derived compounds. The delignification of extracted (CLRext) and extracted and hydrothermally pretreated biomass (CLRtreat) was studied using two organosolv processes, ethanol/water mixtures (EO), and alkali-catalyzed glycerol (AGO), and by an alkali (sodium hydroxide) process (ASP) under different reaction conditions. The phenolic composition of soluble lignin was determined by capillary zone electrophoresis and by Py-GC/MS, which was also used to establish the monomeric composition of both the delignified solids and isolated lignin. The enzymatic saccharification of the delignified solids was also evaluated. The ASP (4% NaOH, 2 h) lead to both the highest delignification and enzymatic saccharification (87% and 79%, respectively). A delignification of 76% and enzymatic hydrolysis yields of 72% were obtained for AGO (4% NaOH) while EO processes led to lower delignification (maximum lignin removal 29%). The residual lignin in the delignified solids were enriched in G- and H-units, with S-units being preferentially removed. The main phenolics present in the ASP and AGO liquors were vanillic acid and epicatechin, while gallic acid was the main phenolic in the EO liquors. The results showed that C. ladanifer residues can be a biomass source for the production of lignin-derivatives and glucan-rich solids to be further used in bioconversion processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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21 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
Candida tropicalis as a Promising Oleaginous Yeast for Olive Mill Wastewater Bioconversion
by Bruna Dias, Marlene Lopes, Renata Ramôa, Ana S. Pereira and Isabel Belo
Energies 2021, 14(3), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14030640 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2610
Abstract
Olive mill wastewater (OMW), which is generated during olive oil production, has detrimental effects on the environment due to its high organic load and phenolic compounds content. OMW is difficult to biodegrade, but represents a valuable resource of nutrients for microbial growth. In [...] Read more.
Olive mill wastewater (OMW), which is generated during olive oil production, has detrimental effects on the environment due to its high organic load and phenolic compounds content. OMW is difficult to biodegrade, but represents a valuable resource of nutrients for microbial growth. In this study, yeast strains were screened for their growth on phenolic compounds usually found in OMW and responsible for antimicrobial effects. Candida tropicalis ATCC 750 demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to grow in phenolics and was chosen for further experiments with OMW-based medium. The effects of nitrogen supplementation, the pH, and the stirring rate on cellular growth, OMW-components consumption, and added-value compounds production were studied in batch cultures in Erlenmeyer flasks and in a bioreactor. Candida tropicalis was able to reduce 68% of the organic load (chemical oxygen demand) and 39% of the total phenols of OMW in optimized conditions in bioreactor experiments, producing lipase (203 U·L−1) and protease (1105 U·L−1). Moreover, intracellular lipids were accumulated, most significantly under nitrogen-limited conditions, which is common in this type of wastewater. The high potential of C. tropicalis to detoxify OMW and produce added-value compounds from it makes this process an alternative approach to other conventional processes of OMW treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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13 pages, 4122 KiB  
Article
Biorefinery of the Olive Tree—Production of Sugars from Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Olive Stone Pretreated by Alkaline Extrusion
by Pablo Doménech, Aleta Duque, Isabel Higueras, Raquel Iglesias and Paloma Manzanares
Energies 2020, 13(17), 4517; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13174517 - 01 Sep 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2215
Abstract
This work addresses for the first time the study of olive stone (OS) biomass pretreatment by reactive extrusion technology using NaOH as the chemical agent. It is considered as a first step in the biological conversion process of the carbohydrates contained in the [...] Read more.
This work addresses for the first time the study of olive stone (OS) biomass pretreatment by reactive extrusion technology using NaOH as the chemical agent. It is considered as a first step in the biological conversion process of the carbohydrates contained in the material into bio-based products. OS is a sub-product of the olive oil extraction process that could be used in a context of a multi-feedstock and multi-product biorefinery encompassing all residues generated around the olive oil production sector. OS biomass is pretreated in a twin-screw extruder at varying temperatures—100, 125 and 150 °C and NaOH/biomass ratios of 5% and 15% (dry weight basis), in order to estimate the effectiveness of the process to favour the release of sugars by enzymatic hydrolysis. The results show that alkaline extrusion is effective in increasing the sugar release from OS biomass compared to the raw material, being necessary to apply conditions of 15% NaOH/biomass ratio and 125 °C to attain the best carbohydrate conversion rates of 55.5% for cellulose and 57.7% for xylan in relation to the maximum theoretical achievable. Under these optimal conditions, 31.57 g of total sugars are obtained from 100 g of raw OS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorefinery Based on Waste Biomass)
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