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In the last decade, the utilization of waste by-product apple pomace has been extensively researched (due to its difficult disposal) and currently finds beneficial usage in various industries; as substrate for microbial growth or recovery of pectin, xyloglucan and polyphenols. In this research apple juice was produced at pilot scale. Furthermore, apple pomace was employed as substrate for the production of pectin, biofuel (pellets) and concentrated apple pomace extract. Extensive mass and heat balances were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this approach on industrial scale. The produced pellets had very similar characteristics to wood pellets (net calorific value of 20.3 MJ/kg). Dried apple pomace contained 11.9% of pectin. Fed-batch cultivation of baker´s yeast with apple pomace extract demonstrated a potential for partial substitution of molasses in industrial bioprocesses. This concept shows how a zero discharge biorefinery process converts waste from apple juice production into three valuable products enabling connections between different industries.
Effects on the combustion properties of wheat straw after different thermobiological pretreatments
(2022)
Wheat straw could be used for pellet production and therefore as solid fuel. However, it presents challenges due to its inferior combustion properties such as high ash content, low gross calorific value (GCV), and low ash melting temperature.
To evaluate its combustion properties and based on recent work that improved methane production, wheat straw was subjected to thermobiological pretreatments. Nine pretreated samples based on wheat straw and nine pretreated samples based on compost-wheat straw mixture were produced. In addition, due to the ability to remove minerals and decrease the ash content, a washing process with water as a solvent was used. Ash content, net calorific value (NCV) and ash melting temperatures were evaluated.
For the pretreated wheat straw (SW) samples, a 5,8% reduction in ash content was obtained due to the pretreatments when compared to untreated wheat straw. A 55% decrease in ash content was obtained when comparing the same materials before and after the washing process. No statistically significant changes in GCV were found. As for the ash melting temperatures, due to the incubation pretreatment, an average increase in the shrinkage starting temperature (SST) of 4,4% was obtained for anaerobic conditions and a decrease of 2,5% for aerobic conditions, compared to the same material without heat treatment. In addition, an increase in all ash melting temperatures was observed because of the washing process. It was possible to obtain a pellet complying with standard ISO 17225-6 that can be used in medium or large burners and significantly reduces the effort during combustion.
For samples pretreated with a homogeneous compost-wheat straw (SKW) mixture, an average ash content decrease of 27% was obtained after using autoclave pretreatment at 140°C, compared to the same material without thermal pretreatment. The biggest decrease was due to the washing process, reducing the ash content on average by 43% when comparing the same materials before and after washing. GCV were 13% lower than samples pretreated with wheat straw, due to the low calorific value and high ash content of the compost. During ash melting temperature tests, an average 60% increase in SST was observed compared to pretreated SW ashes due to the high melting temperature of compost. Results are considered satisfactory since pellets based on this mixture would not cause ash sintering or slagging. However, counter effects were observed as the addition of compost increased the ash content and decreased the GCV, not complying with ISO 17225-6 for non-woody pellets. To achieve a pellet based on a compost-wheat straw mixture that complies with the standards, it is recommended for future research to control the percentage of compost added to the mixture.
Pelleted biomass has a low, uniform moisture content and can be handled and stored cheaply and safely. Pellets can be made of industrial waste, food waste, agricultural residues, energy crops, and virgin lumber. Despite their many desirable attributes, they cannot compete with fossil fuel sources because the process of densifying the biomass and the price of the raw materials make pellet production costly.
Leaves collected from street sweeping are generally discarded in landfills, but they can potentially be valorized as a biofuel if they are pelleted. However, the lignin content in leaves is not high enough to ensure the physical stability of the pellets, so they break easily during storage and transportation. In this study, the use of eucalyptus kraft lignin as an additive in tree-leaf pellet production was studied. Results showed that when 2% lignin is added the abrasion resistance can be increased to an acceptable value. Pellets with added lignin fulfilled all requirements of European standards for certification except for ash content. However, as the raw material has no cost, this method can add value or contribute to financing continued sweeping and is an example of a circular economy scenario.