Biofuel pellets were prepared from biomass (pine, chestnut and eucalyptus sawdust, cellulose residue, coffee husks and grape waste) and from blends of biomass with two coals (bituminous and semianthracite). Their mechanical properties and combustion behaviour were studied by means of an abrasion index and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively, in order to select the best raw materials ...

Waste from pulp and paper mills consist of sugar-rich fractions comprising hemicellulose derivatives and cellulose by-products. A complete characterisation of the waste streams is necessary to study the possibilities of an existing mill. In this work, four chromatographic methods have been developed to obtain the most suitable chromatographic method conditions for measuring woody feedstocks, li...

Coir pith is an organic matter which originates from the tropical hemisphere, especially from southeast Asia where coconut oil production is extensive. For professional oil winning companies, the husk of the nut is a waste product. These coconut husks mainly consist of coir pith and coir fibers. Initially, coir pith was considered a waste but now research has established widespread applications...

Composting is an appropriate management alternative for municipal solid waste; however, our knowledge about the microbial regulation of this process is still scare. We employed metaproteomics to elucidate the main biodegradation pathways in municipal solid waste composting system across the main phases in a large-scale composting plant. The investigation of microbial succession revealed that Ba...

The epidermis layer waste (ELW) and the inner layer waste (ILW) were removed from Phyllostachys pubescens bamboo, and the anatomical characteristics and chemical components of these wastes were comparatively investigated. Both the ELW and ILW were subjected to a microwave-assisted liquefaction process to evaluate the relationship between bamboo properties and liquefaction behavior. The results ...

As a clean and renewable source of energy, ethanol is a promising alternative to fossil fuels.1 Especially lignocelluloses, as raw material for ethanol production, have gained great interest during these years.2 Production of bio-ethanol will help to cope with the over-consumption of fossil fuels and further work for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Lignocelluloses (crop residue, cell...

An investigation into the possibility of replacing the conventional biomass with biodegradable municipal solid waste, which provides an alternative solution for preventing the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste (BMSW) going into landfill required by EU Landfill Directives (1999/31/EC) was carried out. However, as every type of energy have some advantages as well as disadvantages. T...

The anoxic, alkaline hydrolysis of cellulosic materials generates a range of cellulose degradation products (CDP) including α and β forms of isosaccharinic acid (ISA) and is expected to occur in radioactive waste disposal sites receiving intermediate level radioactive wastes. The generation of ISA's is of particular relevance to the disposal of these wastes since they are able to form complexes...

In this study a largely available lignocellulose feedstock hemp (Cannabis sativa), obtained as an industrial waste, was used for cellulose extraction. The extraction of cellulose microfibres from hemp biomass was conducted by alkaline treatment and an acidification process. The extracted cellulose microfibres were characterised using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning el...

Lignocellulosic biomass, which contains cellulose (40-50%), hemicellulose (25-50%) and lignin (10-40%), is the most abundantly available raw material on Earth [1]. Broadly, it is classified into three categories: virgin biomass, waste biomass and energy crops. Owing to the rapid growth of global population and corresponding agricultural activities, the amount of lignocellulosic waste biomass is...