Special lssues
Table of Content

Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future

Submission Deadline: 30 June 2022 (closed)

Guest Editors

Zhen Fang, Professor, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
Zhen Fang is a Professor and Leader of the Biomass Group at Nanjing Agricultural University. Professor Fang specializes in thermal/biochemical conversion of biomass, nanocatalyst synthesis and their applications, pretreatment of biomass for biorefineries, and supercritical fluid processes. He holds Ph.D.s from China Agricultural University and McGill University.

Lijian Leng, Professor, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, China.
Lijian Leng is a Professor at the School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China. His interest focuses on biochar/hydrochar production from biomass and the upgrading of theses carbon materials for applications in energy and environment.

Buchun Si, Associate Professor, College of Water Resource and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, China.
Buchun Si is an Associate Professor at the College of Water Resource and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. His current researches concentrate on hydrothermal conversion of biowaste for biofuels and value-added products production, and biochar accelerated anaerobic conversion.

Tengfei Wang, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest JiaoTong University, China.
Dr. Tengfei Wang is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest JiaoTong University, Chengdu, China. His current work focuses on hydrochar for biofuel production, activated carbon preparation, upgrading and modification of biochar/hydrochar, electrochemical materials, and catalysts.

Summary

Over the past 20 years, thermal conversion techniques have been developed as effective ways for the valorization of biowaste and biomass to valuable products and minimization of the environmental burden. As one of the most critical products, bio/hydro-char shows advantages in the fields of environmental remediation, energy storage, carbon-based materials, and chemical catalysis. In particular, the natural diversity of biomass and post modifications brings infinite possibilities to the utilization of bio/hydro-char materials. The material science and engineering is expecting the fast development of green process and sustainable precursors such as renewable biomass.

 

This special issue aims to collect recent outstanding works in the field. Topics of interest include but not limited to pyrolysis and hydrothermal conversion or a catalytical process for biochar production, and potential applications of bio/hydro-char material that are related to biodegradation, carbon capture and CO2 adsorption, enhancement of anaerobic digestion, soil remediation and crop productivity improvement, electrochemical materials preparation, activated carbon preparation for environmental pollutants removal including organics and heavy metals and organics, energy storage and solid biofuel, nano-biochar materials utilizations and co-work with nano materials.

 

This thematic issue will provide guidance for new knowledge and development of a green future for bio/hydro-char materials applications in environmental protection and energy sustainability.


Keywords

Biomass and biowaste; Thermal conversion; Bio/Hydro-char materials; Energy storage; Biofuel

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Acidic Magnetic Biocarbon-Enabled Upgrading of Biomass-Based Hexanedione into Pyrroles

    Zhimei Li, Kuan Tian, Keping Wang, Zhengyi Li, Haoli Qin, Hu Li
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.11, pp. 3847-3865, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.030122
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract Sustainable acquisition of bioactive compounds from biomass-based platform molecules is a green alternative for existing CO2-emitting fossil-fuel technologies. Herein, a core–shell magnetic biocarbon catalyst functionalized with sulfonic acid (Fe3O4@SiO2@chitosan-SO3H, MBC-SO3H) was prepared to be efficient for the synthesis of various N-substituted pyrroles (up to 99% yield) from bio-based hexanedione and amines under mild conditions. The abundance of Brønsted acid sites in the MBC-SO3H ensured smooth condensation of 2,5-hexanedione with a variety of amines to produce N-substituted pyrroles. The reaction was illustrated to follow the conventional PallKnorr coupling pathway, which includes three cascade reaction steps: amination, loop closure and dehydration. The… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Acidic Magnetic Biocarbon-Enabled Upgrading of Biomass-Based Hexanedione into Pyrroles

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Effects of Biowaste-Derived Hydrochar on Anaerobic Digestion: Insights into Hydrochar Characteristics

    Hongqiong Zhang, Xu Wang, Zhaojing Qian, Buchun Si, Kai Jin, Tengfei Wang
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.10, pp. 3647-3657, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.028438
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract Hydrochar prepared with four typical biowastes, pine wood, food waste, digested sewage sludge, and Chlorella were applied for the promotion of anaerobic digestion. The gas production and substrate composition were analyzed associated with the hydrochar characteristics. The results suggested that Chlorella hydrochar (C-C) showed the highest cumulative yield of methane (approximately 345 mL) with high total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency and low volatile fatty acids (VAFs) concentration. Especially, food waste hydrochar (F-C) showed a poor effect on anaerobic digestion and aroused 1.4–1.6 g/L accumulation of VAFs, in which the toxic components may account for the low efficiency. The C-C… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Surfactant-Modified Hydrophobic Biochar Derived from Laver (Porphyra haitanensis) with Superior Removal Performance for Kitchen Oil

    Jiaxing Sun, Lili Ji, Qianrui He, Ran Li, Xiaoyue Xia, Yaning Wang, Yi Yang, Lu Cai, Jian Guo
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.8, pp. 3227-3243, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.027160
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract

    In this study, a novel absorpent (MSAR600°C) with a hydrophobic surface and hierarchical porous structure for the removal of kitchen oil was facilely fabricated from the macroalgae, laver (Porphyra haitanensis) by incorporating high-temperature carbonization and alkyl polyglucosides (APG) and rhamnolipid (RL) surfactants modification. The characterization results showed MSAR600°C possessed a louts-leaf-like papillae microstructure with high contact angle (137.5°), abundant porous structure with high specific surface area (23.4 m2/g), and various oxygen-containing functional groups (-OH, C=O, C-O). Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of adsorption time, temperature, pH, and absorbent dose on kitchen oil adsorption performance. Then the… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Surfactant-Modified Hydrophobic Biochar Derived from Laver (<i>Porphyra haitanensis</i>) with Superior Removal Performance for Kitchen Oil

  • Open Access

    REVIEW

    Hydrochar Pelletization towards Solid Biofuel from Biowaste Hydrothermal Carbonization

    Ao Li, Kai Jin, Jinrui Qin, Zhaowei Huang, Yu Liu, Rui Chen, Tengfei Wang, Junmin Chen
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 411-422, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.024889
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract Hydrothermal carbonization is highly applicable to high moisture biomass upgrading due to fact that moisture involved can be directly used as reaction media under subcritical-water region. With this, value-added utilization of hydrochar as solid fuel with high carbon and energy density is one of the important pathways for biomass conversion. In this review, the dewatering properties of hydrochar after the hydrothermal carbonization of biowaste, coalification degree with elemental composition and evolution, pelletization of hydrochar to enhance the mechanical properties and density, coupled with the combustion properties of hydrochar biofuel were discussed with various biomass and carbonization parameters. Potential applications for… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Hydrochar Pelletization towards Solid Biofuel from Biowaste Hydrothermal Carbonization

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Study on Coconut Shell Activated Carbon Temperature Swing Adsorption of Benzene and Formaldehyde

    Zhiguang Yang, Gaojun Yan, Xueping Liu, Zhengyuan Feng, Xinfeng Zhu, Yanli Mao, Songtao Chen, Zhisheng Yu, Ruimei Fan, Linlin Shan
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.12, pp. 3573-3585, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022031
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract Adsorption can be used to recover effectively the volatile organic gases (VOCs) in the exhaust gas from factories through using an appropriate adsorption bed. Due to form a physical or chemical bond, adsorption occurs between the porous solid medium and the liquid or gas multi-component fluid mixture. The regeneration capacity of the adsorbent is as important as the adsorption capacity and it determines the economics of the adsorption system. The regeneration of adsorbent can be realized through changing the pressure or temperature of the system. Here, activated carbon samples from coconut shell were prepared and characterized. Benzene or formaldehyde in… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Study on Coconut Shell Activated Carbon Temperature Swing Adsorption of Benzene and Formaldehyde

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Preparation of Kenaf Biochar and Its Adsorption Properties for Methylene Blue

    Xin Wan, Zhigang Xia, Xiaoli Yang, Chengfeng Zhou, Yuanming Zhang, Haoxi Ben, Guangting Han, Wei Jiang
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.12, pp. 3391-3404, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021102
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract The toxic dyestuffs from printing and dyeing wastewater have caused serious damages to the ecological environment, thus exploring effective methods to remove them having become a key topic. Here, a series of biochar samples were synthesized form kenaf to adsorb methylene blue (MB), which was acted as the dye representative for the test of adsorption capacity due to the presence of abundant double bond and aromatic heterocyclic ring. By tuning the raw materials and pyrolysis temperature, a super adsorption capacity about 164.21 mg·g–1 was obtained over the biochar that pyrolyzed at 700°C with the kenaf fiber as raw material. Through… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Magnetic Wakame-Based Biochar/Ni Composites with Enhanced Adsorption Performance for Diesel

    Hua Jing, Shiyao Lu, Lili Ji, Shijie Li, Baikang Zhu, Jian Guo, Jiaxing Sun, Lu Cai, Yaning Wang
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.12, pp. 3147-3165, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.020215
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract In this study, the magnetic wakame biochar/Ni composites were prepared with three activating reagents of H3PO4, ZnCl2 and KOH by one-step pyrolysis activation, characterized by BET, SEM, TEM, FI-IR, XRD, Raman, and elemental analyzer, and their adsorption performance for diesel were also analyzed. The results showed that wakame biochar/Ni composites had larger specific surface area, abundant porous structure, and various reactive groups, rendering its enhancement of adsorption efficiency. The adsorption experiments indicated that the maximum adsorption capacities for diesel using WBPA 0.5, WBHZ 0.5 and WBPH 0.5 were 4.11, 8.83, and 13.47 g/g, respectively. The Langmuir model was more suitable… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    A Novel Magnetic Carbon Based Catalyst Synthesized from Reed Straw and Electric Furnace Dust for Biodiesel Production

    Fuping Wang, Lele Kang, Rui Ji, Tianji Liu, Qing Yu, Di Gao, Xiaoman Wang, Yitong Wang, Jie Yang
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.8, pp. 2099-2115, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.018806
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract In the era of serious greenhouse gas emission and energy shortage, it is necessary to use solid waste to prepare new renewable materials. In this work, the potential application of reed straw and electric furnace dust was explored. Firstly, magnetic carbon carrier (EFD&C) was prepared by high temperature calcination, and then magnetic carbon catalyst (SM@EFD&C) was prepared by activation of sodium methoxide. The catalyst was used to prepare biodiesel by transesterification reaction to test its activity and stability. Reed biochar, EFD&C and SM@EFD&C were detected by Diffraction of X-rays (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Inductively coupled plasma (ICP), Scanning electron… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    A Novel Magnetic Carbon Based Catalyst Synthesized from Reed Straw and Electric Furnace Dust for Biodiesel Production

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Natural and Artificial Carbonaceous Substrates on Greenhouse Gas Fluxes

    Jürgen Kern, Judy Libra, Christian Ammon, York Neubauer, Wenceslau Teixeira
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.7, pp. 1773-1786, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.019608
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract The emissions of two greenhouse gases (GHG), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), from six substrates with different carbonaceous content were compared in short and long-term incubation experiments. Three natural soils and three artificial chars were mixed with carbon (C) poor soil (Cambisol) to simulate real conditions after application of char to farmland. The natural soils were a Cambisol, an Anthrosol and a Histosol with C contents of 1.3%, 4.4% and 13.2%, respectively. The three chars produced through thermal conversion of wood chips by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), fluidized bed gasification and pyrolysis had C contents of 56.9%, 75.4% and… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    The Estimation of the Higher Heating Value of Biochar by Data-Driven Modeling

    Jiefeng Chen, Lisha Ding, Pengyu Wang, Weijin Zhang, Jie Li, Badr A. Mohamed, Jie Chen, Songqi Leng, Tonggui Liu, Lijian Leng, Wenguang Zhou
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.6, pp. 1555-1574, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.018625
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract Biomass is a carbon-neutral renewable energy resource. Biochar produced from biomass pyrolysis exhibits preferable characteristics and potential for fossil fuel substitution. For time- and cost-saving, it is vital to establish predictive models to predict biochar properties. However, limited studies focused on the accurate prediction of HHV of biochar by using proximate and ultimate analysis results of various biochar. Therefore, the multi-linear regression (MLR) and the machine learning (ML) models were developed to predict the measured HHV of biochar from the experiment data of this study. In detail, 52 types of biochars were produced by pyrolysis from rice straw, pig manure,… More >

  • Open Access

    REVIEW

    Heavy Metal Remediation in Sludge Compost: Recent Progress

    Rongwei Xiong, Xiufang Gao, Xinyue Tu, Yilin Mao, Li Jiang, Lu Zheng, Yitong Du
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.2, pp. 469-486, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017226
    (This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochar Based Materials for a Green Future)
    Abstract The safe and efficient disposal and utilization of sludge are major issues to be solved in solid waste treatment and environmental protection due to the complex characteristics of sludge and the low rate of innocuous treatments. Composting is a process of decomposing organic matter and transformed low-molecular organic acids into high-molecular humus substances under the action of microorganisms. Although land-use after composting has become an important direction for sludge treatment, heavy metal pollution is still the bottleneck problem restricting land use of sludge compost. Adding zeolite, hydroxyapatite, and other conditioning agents to the composting process affects the concentration or form… More >

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