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Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2023) | Viewed by 14339

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mirela Ivančić Šantek

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: biofuels; lignocellulose; microalgae; microbial lipids; biochemical engineering; enzyme kinetics
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Prof. Dr. Božidar Šantek

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: renewable raw materials; biofuels; biorefinery; integrated bioprocesses; scale-up; bioprocess engineering

Dr. Katarina Mihajlovski

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, university of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: microbiology; fermentation; microbial enzymes; microbial isolations; bioethanol; lignocellulosic biomass; lignocellulose degradation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of modern society's greatest challenges is meeting the growing demand for energy through environmentally friendly and sustainable production. Biofuels production today plays an important role in the global energy economy. Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels can reduce the negative effects of fossil fuel production and its use, including greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutant emissions, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing energy security.

Advanced biofuels include liquid and gaseous transportation fuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, propanol, methanol, butanol, natural gas, biogas, biohydrogen and biosyngas. Various feedstocks can be used in advanced biofuels production, including waste and non-edible biomass such as agricultural and forestry residues, industrial waste and residue streams, municipal waste, animal manure and sewage sludge, non-food crop feedstocks and algal biomass. Advanced biofuels are mainly produced through biomass conversion via physical, thermochemical, biochemical and/or chemical processes. Lignocellulosic biomass could be converted into value-added products and further to biofuels by biochemical process (e.g. bioethanol fermentation). Since the lignocellulosic biomass is often very recaltricant to cellulase degradation, pretreatment step (chemical, physical, biological and combination) is necessary to include in the biochemical route of biofuel production.

In this Special Issue, we invite submissions on the utilization of waste and non-edible biomass for advanced biofuels production, valorization of various waste biomass for biofuel production, lignocellulose pretreatment methods, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and separation and purification of biofuels. Also, papers dealing with microbial enzymes with high potential for carbohydrate hydrolysis and lignin degradation are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mirela Ivančić Šantek
Prof. Dr. Božidar Šantek
Dr. Katarina Mihajlovski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

advanced biofuels
waste biomass
non-edible biomass
lignocellulose
pretreatment methods
cellulases and ligninases
biorefinery
circular economy
value-added product
separation and purification of biofuels

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 4809 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Structural Properties of Bacterial Nanocellulose Obtained from Beetroot Peel Medium

by Sunčica Beluhan, Filip Herceg, Andreja Leboš Pavunc and Senka Djaković

Energies 2022, 15(24), 9374; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249374 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1760

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate structural modifications and physicochemical properties of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) pellicles produced statically in a beetroot peel medium as a mixture of C-sources (8% sucrose, 2% glucose, and 0.86% fructose). Characteristics of these BNC samples were compared to those produced using a chemically defined and modified Hestrin–Schramm medium with 3% (w/v) glucose, fructose, and sucrose as sole carbon sources. Compared with the beetroot peel medium, where 11.57 g/L BNC (wet weight) was obtained, glucose gave the highest BNC yield (13.07 g/L), sucrose 10.55 g/L, and fructose 7.9 g/L. FT-IR spectra showed almost identical chemical profiles assigned to cellulose I. XRD analysis revealed that the BNC produced in beetroot peel medium had a larger crystallite size than other BNC samples. The crystallinity index of beetroot peel BNC was higher than that of Hestrin–Schramm BNC. The water-holding capacity, water release rate, and iodine sorption value from the beetroot peel medium were greater than those of other BNCs. Furthermore, as there is a necessity today to find cheaper carbon sources to obtain valuable products at a lower cost, beetroot peels represent an interesting alternative to producing BNC as a new functional material for industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass)

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16 pages, 2465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Pretreatment Conditions and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Cobs for Production of Microbial Lipids by Trichosporon oleaginosus

by Marina Grubišić, Maja Galić Perečinec, Ines Peremin, Katarina Mihajlovski, Sunčica Beluhan, Božidar Šantek and Mirela Ivančić Šantek

Energies 2022, 15(9), 3208; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15093208 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1650

Abstract

Microbial lipids produced from lignocellulosic biomass are sustainable alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In this study, corn cobs were used as a carbon source for lipid production and growth of oleaginous yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus. Lignocellulosic biomass was subjected to alkali and acid pretreatment using sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide under different temperatures, catalyst concentrations and treatment times. Pretreatment of corn cobs was followed by cellulase hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of alkali pretreated (2% NaOH at 50 °C for 6 h, 1% NaOH at 50 °C for 16 h, 2% NaOH at 121 °C for 1 h, 1% NaOH at 121 °C for 2 h) and acid pretreated (1% H₂SO₄ 120 °C for 20 min, and 2% H₂SO₄ 120 °C for 10 min) corn cobs resulted in more than 80% of the theoretical yield of glucose. The effect of substrate (5, 10, 15 and 20%, g g⁻¹) and cellulase loading (15 and 30 Filter Paper Units per gram of glucan, FPU g⁻¹) on fermentable sugar yield was also studied. The maximal glucose concentration of 81.64 g L⁻¹ was obtained from alkali-pretreated corn cobs (2% NaOH at 50 °C for 6 h) at 20% substrate loading and 30 FPU of Cellic CTec2 g⁻¹ of glucan. Enzymatic hydrolysates of pretreated biomasses and filtrates of lignocellulosic slurries obtained after pretreatment were used for growth and lipid synthesis by T. oleaginosus. The highest lipid concentration of 18.97 g L⁻¹ was obtained on hydrolysate of alkali-pretreated corn cobs (with 1% NaOH at 50 °C for 16 h) using a 15% (g g⁻¹) substrate loading and 15 FPU g⁻¹ of cellulase loading. Significant lipid accumulation was also achieved using undetoxified filtrates of pretreated slurries as substrates. Results showed that pretreated corn cobs and undetoxified filtrates are suitable carbon sources for the growth and efficient accumulation of lipids in T. oleaginosus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass)

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14 pages, 9727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Densification of Yak Manure Biofuel Pellets and Evaluation of Parameters: Effects on Properties

by Jianbiao Liu, Xuya Jiang, Yanhao Yuan, Huanhuan Chen, Wenbin Zhang, Hongzhen Cai and Feng Gao

Energies 2022, 15(5), 1621; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15051621 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1600

Abstract

This study was first conducted to comprehensively investigate the potential of yak manure as a raw material to prepare fuel pellets. The effect of different parameters such as binder, pressure, and moisture content on pellet density and diametric compressing strength was investigated using a laboratory single pelleting press unit. Results showed that increasing the pressure can help to obtain high-quality fuel pellets. The pellet properties (density and diametric compressing strength) initially increased and then decreased with moisture content increase. By contrast, binder was not identified to promote density and diametric compressing strength. The parameters were optimized using the response surface method with central composite design to obtain high-quality pellets. In conclusion, the use of yak manure as a raw material to make fuels can be considered a sustainable approach and can effectively be used to fulfill the energy and heating requirements of rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass)

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Review

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38 pages, 1306 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Production of Bioethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass: Pretreatment Methods, Fermentation, and Downstream Processing

by Sunčica Beluhan, Katarina Mihajlovski, Božidar Šantek and Mirela Ivančić Šantek

Energies 2023, 16(19), 7003; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16197003 - 9 Oct 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4604

Abstract

Bioethanol is the most widely used alternative transportation fuel to petrol. Bioethanol is considered a clean, renewable, and environmentally friendly fuel that can contribute to climate change mitigation, decreased environmental pollution, and enhanced energy security. Commercial bioethanol production is based on traditional agricultural crops such as corn, sugarcane, and sugarbeet, primarily used as food and feed. In order to meet the growing demand for this fuel and decrease competition in the food and biofuel sectors for the same feedstock, other raw materials and process technologies have been intensively studied. Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most abundant renewable resources, with it being rich in compounds that could be processed into energy, transportation fuels, various chemical compounds, and diverse materials. Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass has received substantial attention in recent decades. This review gives an overview of bioethanol production steps from lignocellulosic biomass and challenges in the production process. The following aspects of bioethanol production are covered here, including pretreatment methods, process strategies, strain development, ethanol isolation and purification, and technical hurdles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass)

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21 pages, 652 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cellulases: From Lignocellulosic Biomass to Improved Production

by Nevena Ilić, Marija Milić, Sunčica Beluhan and Suzana Dimitrijević-Branković

Energies 2023, 16(8), 3598; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083598 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3469

Abstract

Cellulases are enzymes that are attracting worldwide attention because of their ability to degrade cellulose in the lignocellulosic biomass and transform it into highly demanded bioethanol. The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases into fermentable sugars is a crucial step in biofuel production, given the complex structure of lignocellulose. Due to cellulases’ unique ability to hydrolyze the very recaltricant nature of lignocellulosic biomass, the cellulase market demand is rapidly growing. Although cellulases have been used in industrial applications for decades, constant effort is being made in the field of enzyme innovation to develop cellulase mixtures/cocktails with improved performance. Given that the main producers of cellulases are of microbial origin, there is a constant need to isolate new microorganisms as potential producers of enzymes important for biofuel production. This review provides insight into current research on improving microbial cellulase production as well as the outlook for the cellulase market with commercial cellulase preparation involved in industrial bioethanol production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biofuel Production from Waste Biomass)

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