Robyn Lesch¹, Evan David Visser¹, Ntalane Sello Seroka^1,2,*, Lindiwe Khotseng^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.10, pp. 1935-1977, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0026 - 22 October 2025

Abstract The review investigates the use of biomass-derived carbon as precursors for nanomaterials, acknowledging their sustainability and eco-friendliness. It examines various types of biomasses, such as agricultural residues and food byproducts, focussing on their transformation via environmentally friendly methods such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation. Innovations in creating porous carbon nanostructures and heteroatom surface functionalisation are identified, enhancing catalytic performance. The study also explores the integration of biomass-derived carbon with nanomaterials for energy storage, catalysis, and other applications, noting the economic and environmental benefits. Despite these advantages, challenges persist in optimising synthesis methods and scaling production. More > Graphic Abstract

Souha Mansour^1,2,*, Amandine Viretto^1,2, Marie-France Thevenon^1,2,*, Loïc Brancheriau^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.8, pp. 1547-1586, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02024-0078 - 22 August 2025

Abstract The use of agricultural residues in biocomposite production has gained increasing attention, driven by several benefits. Converting agricultural by-products into bio-based materials within a circular economy represents a sustainable strategy to mitigate lignocellulosic waste, reduce reliance on fossil resources, and lower environmental pollution. This approach also creates economic opportunities for rural African communities by generating diverse income sources for workers in collection, processing, and manufacturing. As a result, the integration of agricultural residues into biocomposites production not only addresses environmental concerns but also fosters economic growth and supports rural development. In this review, five biomasses… More > Graphic Abstract

Rūdolfs Bērziņš^*, Aigars Pāže, Guntis Sosins, Daniela Godiņa, Laima Vēvere, Jānis Rižikovs

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.12, pp. 2095-2113, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.056769 - 20 December 2024

Abstract Birch outer bark (BOB) from Betula pendula Roth. is a unique and valuable biomass feedstock that contains suberin. The biopolyester suberin is built from bifunctional fatty acids-suberinic acids (SA)-which can be obtained through a depolymerization process in an alkaline medium and used as a binder due to their adhesive properties. The aim of this study was to develop the SA-containing binder and identify suitable pressing conditions to produce plywood that meets the shear strength requirements of the EN 314-2 standard 3rd moisture resistance class for bonding quality, ensuring durability in unprotected exterior conditions (shear strength ≥… More > Graphic Abstract

Inga Zotova^1,*, Edgars Kirilovs¹, Laura Ziemele²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 603-613, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.047607 - 11 April 2024

Abstract Nowadays buildings contain innovative materials, materials from local resources, production surpluses and rapidly renewable natural resources. Phase Change Materials (PCM) are one such group of novel materials which reduce building energy consumption. With the wider availability of microencapsulated PCM, there is an opportunity to develop a new type of insulating materials, combinate PCM with traditional insulation materials for latent heat energy storage. These materials are typically flammable and are located on the interior wall finishing yet there has been no detailed assessment of their fire performance. In this research work prototypes of low-density insulating boards… More > Graphic Abstract

Oussama Accouche^1,*, Rajan Kumar Gangadhari²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.76, No.1, pp. 151-173, 2023, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2023.038648 - 08 June 2023

Abstract Distributed renewable energy sources offer significant alternatives for Qatar and the Arab Gulf region’s future fuel supply and demand. Microgrids are essential for providing dependable power in difficult-to-reach areas while incorporating significant amounts of renewable energy sources. In energy-efficient data centers, distributed generation can be used to meet the facility’s overall power needs. This study primarily focuses on the best energy management practices for a smart microgrid in Qatar while taking demand-side load management into account. This article looked into a university microgrid in Qatar that primarily aimed to get all of its energy from… More >

Haoran Wei, Tian Ji, Jianqing Huang^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 731-743, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022283 - 22 September 2022

Abstract Simultaneous broadband absorption and polarization conversion are crucial in many practical applications, especially in terahertz communications. Thus, actively tunable metamaterial systems can exploit the graphene-based nanomaterials derived from renewable resources because of the flexible surface conductivity and selective permeability of the nanomaterials at terahertz frequencies. In this paper, we propose a graphene-based active tunable bifunctional metasurface for dynamic terahertz absorption and polarization conversion. The graphene ring presents a certain opening angle (A) along the diagonal of the xoy plane. When A = 0°, the proposed metasurface behaves as a broadband absorber. Numerical results show the feasibility… More >

Jiusong Chen^1,*, Dejun Miao¹, Yizong Dai¹, Mojtaba Ghadamyari^2,*

Energy Engineering, Vol.119, No.5, pp. 1985-2003, 2022, DOI:10.32604/ee.2022.021142 - 21 July 2022

Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) have received special consideration from modern society over the past several years. Although EVs are a fine example of environmentally friendly technology and have many advantages, they relatively increase the electricity demand upon a power grid as well. Therefore, their negative impact on busvoltage and line losses should be analyzed. In this study, the effect of EV loads and their penetration on bus voltage and line losses of an IEEE-33 bussystem has been examined via two scenarios. It is important to mention that the effect of EVs on the rate of air More >

Shegufta Shetranjiwalla, Shaojun Li, Laziz Bouzidi, Suresh S. Narine^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.5, pp. 333-344, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634102

Abstract The impact of polymerization protocol on phase structure and properties of entirely lipid-derived thermoplastic poly(ester urethane)s (TPEU)s was investigated. The TPEUs were synthesized from 1,7-heptamethylene diisocyanate, polyester diols and 1,9-nonanediol (ND) as chain extender. A two-stage polymerization method was used to prepare two TPEUs; one in which ND was added in the first stage of polymerization as part of the prepolymer and another in the second stage after the prepolymer was formed. Two very different morphologies exhibiting different degrees of phase separation were obtained, driven by the sequence of addition of the chain extender. The More >

Nicole Segura Salas¹, Felipe Orozco Gutiérrez³, Luis Daniel Mora Murillo², Yendry Corrales Ureña³, Shakira Johnson¹, José Vega Baudrit³, Rodolfo Jesús González-Paz^3*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.3-4, pp. 313-322, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634122

Abstract Vegetable oils are being used for the production of biodegradable polymers, opening new possibilities for the synthesis of greener materials that could compete in national markets with petroleum-based polymers. In this study, castor oil and a catalyst (cobalt[II] naphtenate as promotor and MEKP as initiator) from local stores and styrene in different ratios were used to produce thermostable polymers. The kinetics of the polymerization reaction was followed by infrared spectroscopy. A polymeric material was synthetized which presents good mechanical properties. Therefore, composites were produced using 1 wt% of microcellulose extracted from biomass waste as reinforcement More >

Luis Daniel Mora-Murillo¹, Felipe Orozco-Gutierrez², José Vega-Baudrit², Rodolfo Jesús González-Paz^2*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.3-4, pp. 220-230, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634112

Abstract Nowadays, green polyurethane (PU) foams are mostly synthesized by replacing an amount of petrochemical polyol with biobased polyol. Here we report five different families of isocyanate prepolymer formulations that were prepared with biobased sources and the correlation between the structure of chains and the properties of the produced PU foam. Foam behavior in tension, torsion, compression, shape memory tests and physical properties were studied by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA); interactions in the polymer chains were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); and thermal analysis was performed by thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry More >