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Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Wastes

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 2875

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Leilei Dai

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Guest Editor

Center for Biorefining, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
Interests: biomass; plastic waste; pyrolysis; catalysis; circular economy; reactor engineering

Dr. Yuming Wen

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore
Interests: thermochemical conversion; municipal solid waste; co-pyrolysis; kinetics and thermodynamics; machine learning
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Dr. Ruming Pan

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Guest Editor

School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: waste valorization; solar pyrolysis; computational fluid dynamics; plastic waste; smoldering

Prof. Dr. Konstantinos S. Triantafyllidis

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: green chemistry; heterogeneous catalysis; synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials; thermochemical and catalytic processes for biomass valorisation; biobased polymers and nanocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thermochemical conversion of solid wastes utilizes heat to transform waste materials into energy and other valuable products. This technology is seen as a promising solution to the dual challenges of waste management and sustainable energy production. It encompasses several distinct techniques, including depolymerization, torrefaction, pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal conversion, and combustion, each with its own specific applications and end products.

We welcome original contributions in the fields of thermochemical conversion of biomass and solid waste to this Special Issue, the scope of which includes, but is not limited to:

Thermochemical conversion technologies;
Kinetic analysis of themochemical conversion;
Catalysis for solid waste conversion;
The application of machine learning in this area;

We invite you to submit related papers, original research articles, and reviews to this Special Issue, “Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Wastes”.

Dr. Leilei Dai
Dr. Yuming Wen
Dr. Ruming Pan
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos S. Triantafyllidis
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. Molecules 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 2700 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

thermochemical conversion
organic solid waste
catalysis
life cycle assessment
machine learning
kinetic analysis

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 8687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Catalytic Supercritical Water Gasification of Canola Straw with Promoted and Supported Nickel-Based Catalysts

by Kapil Khandelwal and Ajay K. Dalai

Molecules 2024, 29(4), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040911 - 19 Feb 2024

Viewed by 812

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass such as canola straw is produced as low-value residue from the canola processing industry. Its high cellulose and hemicellulose content makes it a suitable candidate for the production of hydrogen via supercritical water gasification. However, supercritical water gasification of lignocellulosic biomass such as canola straw suffers from low hydrogen yield, hydrogen selectivity, and conversion efficiencies. Cost-effective and sustainable catalysts with high catalytic activity for supercritical water gasification are increasingly becoming a focal point of interest. In this research study, novel wet-impregnated nickel-based catalysts supported on carbon-negative hydrochar obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL-HC) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC-HC) of canola straw, along with other nickel-supported catalysts such as Ni/Al₂O₃, Ni/ZrO₂, Ni/CNT, and Ni/AC, were synthesized for gasification of canola straw on previously optimized reaction conditions of 500 °C, 60 min, 10 wt%, and 23–25 MPa. The order of hydrogen yield for the six supports was (10.5 mmol/g) Ni/ZrO₂ > (9.9 mmol/g) Ni/Al₂O₃ > (9.1 mmol/g) Ni/HTL-HC > (8.8 mmol/g) Ni/HTC-HC > (7.7 mmol/g) Ni/AC > (6.8 mmol/g) Ni/CNT, compared to 8.1 mmol/g for the non-catalytic run. The most suitable Ni/ZrO₂ catalyst was further modified using promotors such as K, Zn, and Ce, and the performance of the promoted Ni/ZrO₂ catalysts was evaluated. Ni-Ce/ZrO₂ showed the highest hydrogen yield of 12.9 mmol/g, followed by 12.0 mmol/g for Ni-Zn/ZrO₂ and 11.6 mmol/g for Ni-K/ZrO₂. The most suitable Ni-Ce/ZrO₂ catalysts also demonstrated high stability over their repeated use. The superior performance of the Ni-Ce/ZrO₂ was due to its high nickel dispersion, resilience to sintering, high thermal stability, and oxygen storage capabilities to minimize coke deposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Wastes)

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Review

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17 pages, 3736 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Solid-State Modification for Thermoplastic Polymers: A Comprehensive Review

by Jonas José Perez Bravo, Carolane Gerbehaye, Jean-Marie Raquez and Rosica Mincheva

Molecules 2024, 29(3), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030667 - 31 Jan 2024

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Abstract

This review introduces groundbreaking insights in polymer science, specifically spotlighting a novel review of the solid-state modification (SSM) approach of thermoplastic polymers, a method not extensively explored. Unlike traditional melt polymer modification, SSM stands out by incorporating monomers or oligomers into the amorphous phase of polymers through innovative exchange reactions. The background of the study places thermoplastics within the context of their increased use over the past century, highlighting their versatility in various applications and the associated environmental and health concerns due to certain additives. The results section outlines the unique aspects of SSM and its increasing recognition for its potential to enhance material performance in areas such as catalysts and composites. It also discusses the application of SSM in modifying different thermoplastic polymers, highlighting various studies demonstrating the method’s effectiveness in altering polymer properties. Finally, this work emphasizes SSM’s importance in environmental sustainability and its potential in the recycling and upcycling of plastic materials. It acknowledges the challenges and future perspectives in the field, particularly regarding the scalability of SSM techniques for industrial applications and their role in advancing a circular economy in the polymer industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Wastes)

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22 pages, 5210 KiB

Open AccessReview

Insights into Preparation Methods and Functions of Carbon-Based Solid Acids

by Dong Shu, Jian Zhang, Roger Ruan, Hanwu Lei, Yunpu Wang, Qian Moriko, Rongge Zou, Erguang Huo, Dengle Duan, Lu Gan, Dan Zhou, Yunfeng Zhao and Leilei Dai

Molecules 2024, 29(1), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010247 - 03 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1032

Abstract

With the growing emphasis on green chemistry and the ecological environment, researchers are increasingly paying attention to greening materials through the use of carbon-based solid acids. The diverse characteristics of carbon-based solid acids can be produced through different preparation conditions and modification methods. This paper presents a comprehensive summary of the current research progress on carbon-based solid acids, encompassing common carbonization methods, such as one-step, two-step, hydrothermal, and template methods. The composition of carbon source material may be the main factor affecting its carbonization method and carbonization temperature. Additionally, acidification types including sulfonating agent, phosphoric acid, heteropoly acid, and nitric acid are explored. Furthermore, the functions of carbon-based solid acids in esterification, hydrolysis, condensation, and alkylation are thoroughly analyzed. This study concludes by addressing the existing drawbacks and outlining potential future development prospects for carbon-based solid acids in the context of their important role in sustainable chemistry and environmental preservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Solid Wastes)

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