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This study aims to present a systematic data-driven bibliometric analysis of the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) infestation problem around the globe. As many solutions are being proposed in academia for its management, mitigation, and utilization, it requires investigation through a systematic scrutinizing lens. In this study, literature records from 1977 to June 2020 concerning research on water hyacinth are taken from Scopus for text analysis. Trends in the publication of different article types, dynamics of publication, clustering, correlation, and co-authoring patterns between different countries are observed. The cluster analysis indicated four clusters viz. (i) ecological works related to species, (ii) pollutant removal process and methods, (iii) utilization of biofuels for biogas production, and (iv) modelling works. It is clear from the networking analysis that most of the publications regarding water hyacinth are from India, followed by China and the United States. Sentiment analysis with the AFINN lexicon showed that the negative sentiment towards the aquatic weed has intensified over time. An exploratory analysis was performed using a bigram network plot, depicting and outlining different important domains of water hyacinth research. Water hyacinth research has passed the pioneering phase and is now at the end of a steady growth phase or at the beginning of an acceleration phase. In this article, an overview is given for the entirety of water hyacinth research, with an indication of future trends and possibilities.
Aman Basu; Amit Hazra; Shibani Chaudhury; Andrew Ross; Srinivasan Balachandran. State of the Art Research on Sustainable Use of Water Hyacinth: A Bibliometric and Text Mining Analysis. Informatics 2021, 8, 38 .
AMA StyleAman Basu, Amit Hazra, Shibani Chaudhury, Andrew Ross, Srinivasan Balachandran. State of the Art Research on Sustainable Use of Water Hyacinth: A Bibliometric and Text Mining Analysis. Informatics. 2021; 8 (2):38.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAman Basu; Amit Hazra; Shibani Chaudhury; Andrew Ross; Srinivasan Balachandran. 2021. "State of the Art Research on Sustainable Use of Water Hyacinth: A Bibliometric and Text Mining Analysis." Informatics 8, no. 2: 38.
Tanzania has a high rural population, of which many rely on off-grid diesel generators to produce electricity. The focus of this paper is to assess if the waste biomass residues in Tanzania have sufficient energy potential to produce renewable electrical energy for small-scale electricity generation using off-grid diesel generators coupled with anaerobic digestion (AD) and/or gasification. The gaseous fuel produced can then be used to substitute diesel fuel used in small-scale dual fuel diesel gen-sets; thus, providing more affordable electricity whilst reducing dependency on fossil fuels. The biomass waste streams estimated are those arising from agriculture, forestry, livestock, and urban human waste. To answer this question, the energy potentials of each of these biomass waste streams are quantified, followed by further calculations to determine the electricity generation capacity per stream based on overall efficiencies of 10 and 25%. The results show that combined these waste streams have an energy potential of 385 PJ (for the base year of 2018) generated from 26,924 kilotonnes (kt). Collectively, these residues can produce at least 1.2 times the electricity generated nationally in 2018 using AD and gasification coupled with a diesel gen-set engine.
Zahida Aslam; Hu Li; James Hammerton; Gordon Andrews; Andrew Ross; Jon Lovett. Increasing Access to Electricity: An Assessment of the Energy and Power Generation Potential from Biomass Waste Residues in Tanzania. Energies 2021, 14, 1793 .
AMA StyleZahida Aslam, Hu Li, James Hammerton, Gordon Andrews, Andrew Ross, Jon Lovett. Increasing Access to Electricity: An Assessment of the Energy and Power Generation Potential from Biomass Waste Residues in Tanzania. Energies. 2021; 14 (6):1793.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZahida Aslam; Hu Li; James Hammerton; Gordon Andrews; Andrew Ross; Jon Lovett. 2021. "Increasing Access to Electricity: An Assessment of the Energy and Power Generation Potential from Biomass Waste Residues in Tanzania." Energies 14, no. 6: 1793.
Thermoanaerobacter species have recently been observed to reduce carboxylic acids to their corresponding alcohols. The present investigation shows that Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus converts C2–C6 short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to their corresponding alcohols in the presence of glucose. The conversion yields varied from 21% of 3-methyl-1-butyrate to 57.9% of 1-pentanoate being converted to their corresponding alcohols. Slightly acidic culture conditions (pH 6.5) was optimal for the reduction. By increasing the initial glucose concentration, an increase in the conversion of SCFAs reduced to their corresponding alcohols was observed. Inhibitory experiments on C2–C8 alcohols showed that C4 and higher alcohols are inhibitory to T. pseudoethanolicus suggesting that other culture modes may be necessary to improve the amount of fatty acids reduced to the analogous alcohol. The reduction of SCFAs to their corresponding alcohols was further demonstrated using 13C-labelled fatty acids and the conversion was followed kinetically. Finally, increased activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde oxidation activity was observed in cultures of T. pseudoethanolicus grown on glucose as compared to glucose supplemented with either 3-methyl-1-butyrate or pentanoate, using both NADH and NADPH as cofactors, although the presence of the latter showed higher ADH and aldehyde oxidoreductase (ALDH) activity.
Sean Michael Scully; Aaron E. Brown; Yannick Mueller-Hilger; Andrew B. Ross; Jóhann Örlygsson. Influence of Culture Conditions on the Bioreduction of Organic Acids to Alcohols by Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 162 .
AMA StyleSean Michael Scully, Aaron E. Brown, Yannick Mueller-Hilger, Andrew B. Ross, Jóhann Örlygsson. Influence of Culture Conditions on the Bioreduction of Organic Acids to Alcohols by Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus. Microorganisms. 2021; 9 (1):162.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSean Michael Scully; Aaron E. Brown; Yannick Mueller-Hilger; Andrew B. Ross; Jóhann Örlygsson. 2021. "Influence of Culture Conditions on the Bioreduction of Organic Acids to Alcohols by Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus." Microorganisms 9, no. 1: 162.
The augmentation of biochar produced at 450 and 600-650 °C and hydrochar produced at 250 °C has been investigated using biochemical methane potential experiments of cellulose. The feedstocks used for the char production included the lignocellulosic (oak wood), macroalgae (Fucus serratus) and aquatic plant (water hyacinth). Biomethane production was improved with the addition of lower-temperature biochars from oak wood (285 mL CH4/g VS) and water hyacinth (294 mL CH4/g VS), corresponding to 7 and 11 % more than the control. The addition of these two biochars increased the methane production rate of 2.4 and 2.3 times the control, respectively. Higher temperature biochars showed no difference. Conversely, all hydrochars and macroalgae biochars augmentation reduced methane generation by 57-86 %. The chemical and structural composition of each of the chars differed significantly. Surface oxygen functionality appears to be the most important property of the biochars that improved digestion performance.
Jessica Quintana-Najera; A. John Blacker; Louise A. Fletcher; Andrew B. Ross. The effect of augmentation of biochar and hydrochar in anaerobic digestion of a model substrate. Bioresource Technology 2020, 321, 124494 .
AMA StyleJessica Quintana-Najera, A. John Blacker, Louise A. Fletcher, Andrew B. Ross. The effect of augmentation of biochar and hydrochar in anaerobic digestion of a model substrate. Bioresource Technology. 2020; 321 ():124494.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJessica Quintana-Najera; A. John Blacker; Louise A. Fletcher; Andrew B. Ross. 2020. "The effect of augmentation of biochar and hydrochar in anaerobic digestion of a model substrate." Bioresource Technology 321, no. : 124494.
Water hyacinth (WH) is an invasive aquatic macrophyte that dominates freshwater bodies across the world. However, due to its rapid growth rate and wide-spread global presence, WH could offer great potential as a biomass feedstock, including for bioenergy generation. This study compares different integration strategies of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) and anaerobic digestion (AD) using WH, across a range of temperatures. These include (i) hydrochar combustion and process water digestion, (ii) hydrochar digestion, (iii) slurry digestion. HTC reactions were conducted at 150 °C, 200 °C, and 250 °C. Separation of hydrochars for combustion and process waters for digestion offers the most energetically-feasible valorisation route. However, hydrochars produced from WH display slagging and fouling tendencies; limiting their use in large-scale combustion. AD of WH slurry produced at 150 °C appears to be energetically-feasible and has the potential to also be a viable integration strategy between HTC and AD, using WH.
Aaron E. Brown; Jessica M. M. Adams; Oliver R. Grasham; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; Andrew B. Ross. An Assessment of Different Integration Strategies of Hydrothermal Carbonisation and Anaerobic Digestion of Water Hyacinth. Energies 2020, 13, 5983 .
AMA StyleAaron E. Brown, Jessica M. M. Adams, Oliver R. Grasham, Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, Andrew B. Ross. An Assessment of Different Integration Strategies of Hydrothermal Carbonisation and Anaerobic Digestion of Water Hyacinth. Energies. 2020; 13 (22):5983.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAaron E. Brown; Jessica M. M. Adams; Oliver R. Grasham; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; Andrew B. Ross. 2020. "An Assessment of Different Integration Strategies of Hydrothermal Carbonisation and Anaerobic Digestion of Water Hyacinth." Energies 13, no. 22: 5983.
Alkali-based CO2 sorbents were prepared from a novel material (i.e., Laminaria hyperborea). The use of this feedstock, naturally containing alkali metals, enabled a simple, green and low-cost route to be pursued. In particular, raw macroalgae was pyrolyzed at 800 °C. The resulting biochar was activated with either CO2 or KOH. KOH–activated carbon (AC) had the largest surface area and attained the highest CO2 uptake at 35 °C and 1 bar. In contrast, despite much lower porosity, the seaweed-derived char and its CO2-activated counterpart outweighed the CO2 sorption performance of KOH–AC and commercial carbon under simulated post-combustion conditions (53 °C and 0.15 bar). This was ascribed to the greater basicity of char and CO2–AC due to the presence of alkali metal-based functionalities (i.e., MgO) within their structure. These were responsible for a sorption of CO2 at lower partial pressure and higher temperature. In particular, the CO2–AC exhibited fast sorption kinetics, facile regeneration and good durability over 10 working cycles. Results presented in the current article will be of help for enhancing the design of sustainable alkali metal-containing CO2 captors.
Antonio Salituro; Aidan Westwood; Andrew Ross; Richard Brydson. Sustainable and Regenerable Alkali Metal-Containing Carbons Derived from Seaweed for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture. Sustainable Chemistry 2020, 1, 33 -48.
AMA StyleAntonio Salituro, Aidan Westwood, Andrew Ross, Richard Brydson. Sustainable and Regenerable Alkali Metal-Containing Carbons Derived from Seaweed for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture. Sustainable Chemistry. 2020; 1 (1):33-48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Salituro; Aidan Westwood; Andrew Ross; Richard Brydson. 2020. "Sustainable and Regenerable Alkali Metal-Containing Carbons Derived from Seaweed for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture." Sustainable Chemistry 1, no. 1: 33-48.
This study investigates the integration of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) with anaerobic digestion (AD) as a valorisation route for two macroalgae species; S. latissima (SL) and F. serratus (FS). HTC reactions were conducted at temperatures of 150 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C, with resulting hydrochars, process waters and hydrothermal slurries assessed for biomethane potential yields. Un-treated SL generated similar biomethane levels compared to all SL slurries. Whereas all FS slurries improved biomethane yields compared to un-treated FS. Hydrochars represent a greater energy carrier if used as a solid fuel, rather than a feedstock for anaerobic digestion. Integrating HTC and AD, through hydrochar combustion and process water digestion has a greater energetic output than anaerobic digestion of the un-treated macroalgae. Treatment at 150 °C, with separate utilisation of products, can improve the energetic output of S. latissima and F. serratus by 47% and 172% respectively, compared to digestion of the un-treated macroalgae.
Aaron E. Brown; Gillian L. Finnerty; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; Andrew B. Ross. Valorisation of macroalgae via the integration of hydrothermal carbonisation and anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology 2020, 312, 123539 .
AMA StyleAaron E. Brown, Gillian L. Finnerty, Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, Andrew B. Ross. Valorisation of macroalgae via the integration of hydrothermal carbonisation and anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology. 2020; 312 ():123539.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAaron E. Brown; Gillian L. Finnerty; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; Andrew B. Ross. 2020. "Valorisation of macroalgae via the integration of hydrothermal carbonisation and anaerobic digestion." Bioresource Technology 312, no. : 123539.
Nowadays the sludge treatment is recognized as a priority challenge to the wastewater industry due to the increasing volumes produced and tighter environmental controls for its safe disposal. The most cost-effective process for sewage sludge is the anaerobic digestion but raw digestate still contains high levels of organic matter that can be transformed into an energy carrier by using processes like Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC). In this work, the influence of solid loading (2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 25.0 and 30.0% solids w/w) on the composition of hydrochar and process water was studied, together with an evaluation of product yields, solubilisation of organic carbon and biomethane potential of process waters from HTC processing (250 °C, 30- minute reaction time). Hydrochar yields ranged from 64 to 88%wt, whereas the concentration of soluble organic carbon increased from 2.6 g/L in the raw digestate to a maximum of 72.3 g/L in the process water following HTC at the highest solid loading. Furthermore, process modelling with Aspen Plus shows that the integration of AD with HTC to wastewater treatment works provides a significant positive energy balance when process water and hydrochar are considered as fuel sources for cogeneration.
Christian Aragón Briceño; O. Grasham; A.B. Ross; V. Dupont; M.A. Camargo-Valero. Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage digestate at wastewater treatment works: Influence of solid loading on characteristics of hydrochar, process water and plant energetics. Renewable Energy 2020, 157, 959 -973.
AMA StyleChristian Aragón Briceño, O. Grasham, A.B. Ross, V. Dupont, M.A. Camargo-Valero. Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage digestate at wastewater treatment works: Influence of solid loading on characteristics of hydrochar, process water and plant energetics. Renewable Energy. 2020; 157 ():959-973.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristian Aragón Briceño; O. Grasham; A.B. Ross; V. Dupont; M.A. Camargo-Valero. 2020. "Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage digestate at wastewater treatment works: Influence of solid loading on characteristics of hydrochar, process water and plant energetics." Renewable Energy 157, no. : 959-973.
Rural areas of developing countries often have poor energy infrastructure and so rely on a very local supply. A local energy supply in rural Uganda frequently has problems such as limited accessibility, unreliability, a high expense, harmful to health and deforestation. By carbonizing waste biomass streams, available to those in rural areas of developing countries through a solar resource, it would be possible to create stable, reliable fuels with more consistent calorific values. An energy demand calculator is reported to assess the different energy demands of various thermochemical processes that can be used to create biofuel. The energy demand calculator then relates the energy required to the area of solar collector required for an integrated system. Pyrolysis was shown to require the least amount of energy to process 1 kg of biomass when compared to steam treatment and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). This was due to the large amount of water required for steam treatment and HTC. A resource assessment of Uganda is reported, to which the energy demand calculator has been applied. Quantitative data are presented for agricultural residues, forestry residues, animal manure and aquatic weeds found within Uganda. In application to rural areas of Uganda, a linear Fresnel HTC integration shows to be the most practical fit. Integration with a low temperature steam treatment would require more solar input for less carbonization due to the energy required to vaporize liquid water.
Toby Green; Opio Innocent Miria; Rolf Crook; Andrew Ross. Energy Calculator for Solar Processing of Biomass with Application to Uganda. Energies 2020, 13, 1485 .
AMA StyleToby Green, Opio Innocent Miria, Rolf Crook, Andrew Ross. Energy Calculator for Solar Processing of Biomass with Application to Uganda. Energies. 2020; 13 (6):1485.
Chicago/Turabian StyleToby Green; Opio Innocent Miria; Rolf Crook; Andrew Ross. 2020. "Energy Calculator for Solar Processing of Biomass with Application to Uganda." Energies 13, no. 6: 1485.
The application of excessive amounts of manure to soil prompted interest in using alternative approaches for treating slurry. One promising technology is hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) which can recover nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen while simultaneously making a solid fuel. Processing manure under acidic conditions can facilitate nutrient recovery; however, very few studies considered the implications of operating at low pH on the combustion properties of the resulting bio-coal. In this work, swine manure was hydrothermally treated at temperatures ranging from 120 to 250 °C in either water alone or reagents including 0.1 M NaOH, 0.1 M H2SO4, and finally 0.1 M organic acid (CH3COOH and HCOOH). The influence of pH on the HTC process and the combustion properties of the resulting bio-coals was assessed. The results indicate that pH has a strong influence on ash chemistry, with decreasing pH resulting in an increased removal of ash. The reduction in mineral matter influences the volatile content of the bio-coal and its energy content. As the ash content in the final bio-coal reduces, the energy density increases. Treatment at 250 °C results in a more “coal like” bio-coal with fuel properties similar to that of lignite coal and a higher heating value (HHV) ranging between 21 and 23 MJ/kg depending on pH. Processing at low pH results in favourable ash chemistry in terms of slagging and fouling. Operating at low pH also appears to influence the level of dehydration during HTC. The level of dehydration increases with decreasing pH, although this effect is reduced at higher temperatures. At higher-temperature processing (250 °C), operating at lower pH increases the yield of bio-coal; however, at lower temperatures (below 200 °C), the reverse is true. The lower yields obtained below 200 °C in the presence of acid may be due to acid hydrolysis of carbohydrate in the manure, whereas, at the higher temperatures, it may be due to the acid promoting polymerisation.
Aidan Mark Smith; Ugochinyere Ekpo; Andrew Barry Ross. The Influence of pH on the Combustion Properties of Bio-Coal Following Hydrothermal Treatment of Swine Manure. Energies 2020, 13, 331 .
AMA StyleAidan Mark Smith, Ugochinyere Ekpo, Andrew Barry Ross. The Influence of pH on the Combustion Properties of Bio-Coal Following Hydrothermal Treatment of Swine Manure. Energies. 2020; 13 (2):331.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAidan Mark Smith; Ugochinyere Ekpo; Andrew Barry Ross. 2020. "The Influence of pH on the Combustion Properties of Bio-Coal Following Hydrothermal Treatment of Swine Manure." Energies 13, no. 2: 331.
Hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) has been identified as a potential route for digestate enhancement producing a solid hydrochar and a process water rich in organic carbon. This study compares the treatment of four dissimilar digestates from anaerobic digestion (AD) of agricultural residue (AGR); sewage sludge (SS); residual municipal solid waste (MSW), and vegetable, garden, and fruit waste (VGF). HTC experiments were performed at 150, 200 and 250 °C for 1 h using 10%, 20%, and 30% solid loadings of a fixed water mass. The effect of temperature and solid loading to the properties of biocoal and biochemical methane potential (BMP) of process waters are investigated. Results show that the behaviour of digestate during HTC is feedstock dependent and the hydrochar produced is a poor-quality solid fuel. The AGR digestate produced the greatest higher heating value (HHV) of 24 MJ/kg, however its biocoal properties are poor due to slagging and fouling propensities. The SS digestate process water produced the highest amount of biogas at 200 °C and 30% solid loading. This study concludes that solely treating digestate via HTC enhances biogas production and that hydrochar be investigated for its use as a soil amender.
Kiran R. Parmar; Andrew B. Ross. Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonisation with Anaerobic Digestion; Opportunities for Valorisation of Digestate. Energies 2019, 12, 1586 .
AMA StyleKiran R. Parmar, Andrew B. Ross. Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonisation with Anaerobic Digestion; Opportunities for Valorisation of Digestate. Energies. 2019; 12 (9):1586.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKiran R. Parmar; Andrew B. Ross. 2019. "Integration of Hydrothermal Carbonisation with Anaerobic Digestion; Opportunities for Valorisation of Digestate." Energies 12, no. 9: 1586.
Miscanthus was treated by hydrothermal carbonisation in a 2-L batch reactor at 200 °C and 250 °C with residence times ranging between 0 and 24 h to understand the impact of residence time has on the resulting bio-coal combustion chemistry. Increasing the residence time results in dehydration of the bio-coal and increased repolymerisation; however, temperature has the greatest influence on bio-coal properties. After 24 h at 200 °C, bio-coal has similar properties to that of the 250 °C + 0 h bio-coal. After 1 h at 250 °C, the cellulose present in the raw biomass appears to be largely removed. The removal of cellulose and the associated dehydration and repolymerisation results in bio-coal having a ‘coal like’ combustion profile, which exhibits a decreasing reactivity with increasing residence time. At 200 °C + 0 h, 75% of the alkali metal is removed, increasing to 86% with increasing residence time. Further extraction is seen at 250 °C. Phosphorus and sulphur appear to undergo substantial extraction at 200 °C + 0 h but then are reincorporated with increasing residence time. The calcium content increases in the bio-coal with increasing residence time at 200 °C but then reduces after 1 h at 250 °C. Increasing temperature and residence time has been shown to decrease the fuels’ fouling and slagging propensity.
Aidan M. Smith; Andrew B. Ross. The Influence of Residence Time during Hydrothermal Carbonisation of Miscanthus on Bio-Coal Combustion Chemistry. Energies 2019, 12, 523 .
AMA StyleAidan M. Smith, Andrew B. Ross. The Influence of Residence Time during Hydrothermal Carbonisation of Miscanthus on Bio-Coal Combustion Chemistry. Energies. 2019; 12 (3):523.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAidan M. Smith; Andrew B. Ross. 2019. "The Influence of Residence Time during Hydrothermal Carbonisation of Miscanthus on Bio-Coal Combustion Chemistry." Energies 12, no. 3: 523.
The preparation of low-cost carbonaceous adsorbents for nitrogen recovery is of interest from agricultural and waste management perspectives. In this study, the gaseous ammonia (NH3) and aqueous ammonium (NH4+) sorption capacities have been measured for different types of carbonaceous chars produced under different conditions. The study includes a comparison of an oak-based hydrochar produced from hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) at 250 °C with two biochars produced from slow pyrolysis at 450 °C and 650 °C, respectively. The chars were also chemically modified with H2SO4, H3PO4, H2O2, and KOH to investigate the potential for sorption enhancement. The highest sorption capacities for NH3 were observed for the hydrochars with typical uptake capacities ranging from 18–28 mg g−1 NH3. Sorption capacity for oak biochars is significantly lower and ranges from 4–8 mg g−1 for biochars produced at 450 °C and 650 °C, respectively. Hydrochar showed a substantially higher sorption capacity for NH3 despite its lower surface area. The CaCl2 extractable NH4+ following ammonia adsorption is incomplete. Typically, only 30–40% of the N is released upon washing with CaCl2 in form of NH4+. Post chemical modification of the chars resulted in only limited enhancement of char NH3 and NH4+ sorption. H3PO4 treatment showed the greatest potential for increasing NH3/NH4+ sorption in biochars, while KOH and H2O2 treatment increased NH3 sorption in the hydrochar. As only marginal increases to char surface area were observed following char treatment, these findings suggest that char surface functionality is more influential than surface area in terms of char NH3/NH4+ sorption.
Chibi A. Takaya; Kiran R. Parmar; Louise A. Fletcher; Andrew B. Ross. Biomass-Derived Carbonaceous Adsorbents for Trapping Ammonia. Agriculture 2019, 9, 16 .
AMA StyleChibi A. Takaya, Kiran R. Parmar, Louise A. Fletcher, Andrew B. Ross. Biomass-Derived Carbonaceous Adsorbents for Trapping Ammonia. Agriculture. 2019; 9 (1):16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChibi A. Takaya; Kiran R. Parmar; Louise A. Fletcher; Andrew B. Ross. 2019. "Biomass-Derived Carbonaceous Adsorbents for Trapping Ammonia." Agriculture 9, no. 1: 16.
Biochar is traditionally made from clean lignocellulosic or waste materials that create no competition for land use. In this paper, the suitability of alternative feedstocks of agricultural and urban origins are explored. A range of biochars was produced from holm oak and a selection of organic wastes, such as greenhouse wastes, greenwastes, a cellulosic urban waste, municipal press cake and pig manure. They were characterized and assessed for their potential agricultural use. The physicochemical properties of biochars were mainly driven by the characteristics of feedstocks and the pyrolysis temperature. The use of pre-treated lignocellulosic residues led to biochars with a high concentration of ash, macro and micronutrients, whereas raw lignocellulosic residues produced biochars with characteristics similar to traditional wood biochars. All biochars were found to be suitable for agricultural use according to the international standards for the use of biochars as soil amendments, with the exception of a biochar from urban origin, which presented high levels of Cr and Pb. The use of these biochars as soil amendments requires a thorough agronomical evaluation to assess their impact on soil biogeochemical cycles and plant growth.
Inés López-Cano; María L. Cayuela; Claudio Mondini; Chibi A. Takaya; Andrew B. Ross; Miguel A. Sánchez-Monedero. Suitability of Different Agricultural and Urban Organic Wastes as Feedstocks for the Production of Biochar—Part 1: Physicochemical Characterisation. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2265 .
AMA StyleInés López-Cano, María L. Cayuela, Claudio Mondini, Chibi A. Takaya, Andrew B. Ross, Miguel A. Sánchez-Monedero. Suitability of Different Agricultural and Urban Organic Wastes as Feedstocks for the Production of Biochar—Part 1: Physicochemical Characterisation. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (7):2265.
Chicago/Turabian StyleInés López-Cano; María L. Cayuela; Claudio Mondini; Chibi A. Takaya; Andrew B. Ross; Miguel A. Sánchez-Monedero. 2018. "Suitability of Different Agricultural and Urban Organic Wastes as Feedstocks for the Production of Biochar—Part 1: Physicochemical Characterisation." Sustainability 10, no. 7: 2265.
To meet combustion quality requirements, Miscanthus is conventionally harvested in late winter/early spring after senescence due to a lowering of fuel nitrogen, chlorine and ash content. This can overcome combustion issues such as slagging, fouling and corrosion however there is a significant reduction in dry matter yields compared to early harvesting in the autumn. In this study, Miscanthus × giganteus harvested conventionally (after senescence) and early (green) have been pre-treated by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) at 200 °C and 250 °C. HTC at 200 °C improves the grindability of the biomass but results in limited energy densification. HTC at 250 °C results in increased energy densification producing a bio-coal with a HHV ranging from 27 to 28 MJ/kg for early and 25 to 26 MJ/kg for conventional harvesting; the Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI) increases from 0 to 150. At higher HTC temperatures, the combustion profile of the bio-coal exhibits a ‘coal like’ single stage combustion profile. HTC results in a significant reduction in alkali metal content, increases safe combustion temperatures and reduces the theoretical propensity of the derived fuel to slag, foul and corrode. The results indicate that HTC can valorise both conventional and early harvested Miscanthus without producing any adverse effect on the yields and quality of the bio-coal. The challenges associated with early harvesting of Miscanthus appear to be largely overcome by HTC resulting in increased yields of up to 40% per hectare due to reduction in dry matter loss.
Aidan Smith; Carly Whittaker; Ian Shield; Andrew Barry Ross. The potential for production of high quality bio-coal from early harvested Miscanthus by hydrothermal carbonisation. Fuel 2018, 220, 546 -557.
AMA StyleAidan Smith, Carly Whittaker, Ian Shield, Andrew Barry Ross. The potential for production of high quality bio-coal from early harvested Miscanthus by hydrothermal carbonisation. Fuel. 2018; 220 ():546-557.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAidan Smith; Carly Whittaker; Ian Shield; Andrew Barry Ross. 2018. "The potential for production of high quality bio-coal from early harvested Miscanthus by hydrothermal carbonisation." Fuel 220, no. : 546-557.
Fucoidan is comprised of a fucose backbone with sulphate groups, whose variation is important to the functionality of the polysaccharide. The structure of fucoidan has been reported to vary according to species, season, location and maturity; however there is currently little published data to support this. Understanding the seasonal variation of fucoidan is important for industrial applications to identify optimum harvesting times and ensure consistent product composition. This study explores the seasonal variation of three species of brown macroalgae, Fucus serratus (FS), Fucus vesiculosus (FV) and Ascophyllum nodosum (AN), harvested monthly off the coast of Aberystwyth, UK. Average fucoidan content is 6.0, 9.8 and 8.0 wt% respectively for FS, FV and AN, with highest quantities extracted in autumn and lowest in spring. Fucose content, varied between 18 and 28, 26–39 and 35–46 wt% and sulphate content between 30 and 40, 9–35 and 6–22 wt% for FS, FV and AN respectively, with both fluctuating inversely to the total fucoidan content. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) has provided insight into the structural differences between the species. Based on the molecular weight (MW) distribution, and in line with previous research, it is hypothesised that fucoidan in FS has a more complex structure, with a higher degree of associated sulphate ions than in FV and AN which have a simpler, linear structure with less associated sulphate ions.
H.R. Fletcher; P. Biller; A.B. Ross; J.M.M. Adams. The seasonal variation of fucoidan within three species of brown macroalgae. Algal Research 2016, 22, 79 -86.
AMA StyleH.R. Fletcher, P. Biller, A.B. Ross, J.M.M. Adams. The seasonal variation of fucoidan within three species of brown macroalgae. Algal Research. 2016; 22 ():79-86.
Chicago/Turabian StyleH.R. Fletcher; P. Biller; A.B. Ross; J.M.M. Adams. 2016. "The seasonal variation of fucoidan within three species of brown macroalgae." Algal Research 22, no. : 79-86.
This study investigates the influence of pH on extraction of nitrogen and phosphorus from swine manure following hydrothermal treatment. Conditions include thermal hydrolysis (TH) at 120°C and 170°C, and hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) at 200°C and 250°C in either water alone or in the presence of 0.1M NaOH, H2SO4, CH3COOH or HCOOH. Phosphorus extraction is pH and temperature dependent and is enhanced under acidic conditions. The highest level of phosphorus is extracted using H2SO4 reaching 94% at 170°C. The phosphorus is largely retained in the residue for all other conditions. The extraction of nitrogen is not as significantly influenced by pH, although the maximum N extraction is achieved using H2SO4. A significant level of organic-N is extracted into the process waters following hydrothermal treatment. The results indicate that operating hydrothermal treatment in the presence of acidic additives has benefits in terms of improving the extraction of phosphorus and nitrogen.
U. Ekpo; A.B. Ross; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; L.A. Fletcher. Influence of pH on hydrothermal treatment of swine manure: Impact on extraction of nitrogen and phosphorus in process water. Bioresource Technology 2016, 214, 637 -644.
AMA StyleU. Ekpo, A.B. Ross, Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, L.A. Fletcher. Influence of pH on hydrothermal treatment of swine manure: Impact on extraction of nitrogen and phosphorus in process water. Bioresource Technology. 2016; 214 ():637-644.
Chicago/Turabian StyleU. Ekpo; A.B. Ross; Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero; L.A. Fletcher. 2016. "Influence of pH on hydrothermal treatment of swine manure: Impact on extraction of nitrogen and phosphorus in process water." Bioresource Technology 214, no. : 637-644.
Macroalgae have emerged as a potential future source of feedstock for the production of chemicals and biofuels. The main drawbacks of macroalgae in terms of a biofuel feedstock are its low heating value (HHV), high halogen content, high ash content and high slagging and fouling propensity. In this investigation, three species of kelps; (i) Laminaria digitata (ii) Laminaria hyperborea and (iii) Alaria esculenta have been processed by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) in a batch reactor at two temperatures (200 °C and 250 °C). The yields and properties of the resulting hydrochars including their HHV, CHNS, mineral content and ash fusibility properties have been determined and compared to the starting material. Significant improvement in fuel quality is observed resulting in an increase in energy density from 10 MJ/kg to typically 25 MJ/kg, which is comparable to that of a low rank coal. The results indicate significant demineralisation of the fuel, in particular a significant removal of alkali salts and chlorine. This results in improved combustion properties due to a reduction in the slagging and fouling properties of the fuel. Analysis of the HTC water phase indicates the presence of high levels of soluble organic carbon consisting of sugars and organic acids, and high levels of potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. The potential for production of bio-methane and recovery of nutrients following anaerobic treatment of the water phase is assessed. A prediction of the bio-methane yields for the different seaweeds has been calculated. Processing of biomass collected throughout the growth season indicates the influence of seasonal variation on energy and nutrient recovery.
Aidan Smith; Andrew B. Ross. Production of bio-coal, bio-methane and fertilizer from seaweed via hydrothermal carbonisation. Algal Research 2016, 16, 1 -11.
AMA StyleAidan Smith, Andrew B. Ross. Production of bio-coal, bio-methane and fertilizer from seaweed via hydrothermal carbonisation. Algal Research. 2016; 16 ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAidan Smith; Andrew B. Ross. 2016. "Production of bio-coal, bio-methane and fertilizer from seaweed via hydrothermal carbonisation." Algal Research 16, no. : 1-11.
The potential for biochar and hydrochar to adsorb phosphate and ammonium is important for understanding the influence of these materials when added to soils, compost or other high nutrient containing environments. The influence of physicochemical properties such as mineral content, surface functionality, pH and cation exchange capacity has been investigated for a range of biochars and hydrochars produced from waste-derived biomass feedstocks. Hydrochars produced from hydrothermal carbonisation at 250 °C have been compared to low and high temperature pyrolysis chars produced at 400–450 °C and 600–650 °C respectively for oak wood, presscake from anaerobic digestate (AD), treated municipal waste and greenhouse waste. In spite of differences in char physicochemical properties and processing conditions, PO4–P and NH4–N sorption capacities ranged from about 0 to 30 mg g−1 and 105.8–146.4 mg g−1 respectively. Chars with high surface areas did not possess better ammonium adsorption capacities than low surface area chars, which suggests that surface area is not the most important factor influencing char ammonium adsorption capacity, while char calcium and magnesium contents may influence phosphate adsorption. Desorption experiments only released a small fraction of adsorbed ammonium or phosphate (<5 mg g−1 and a maximum of 8.5 mg g−1 respectively).
C.A. Takaya; L.A. Fletcher; S. Singh; K.U. Anyikude; A.B. Ross. Phosphate and ammonium sorption capacity of biochar and hydrochar from different wastes. Chemosphere 2016, 145, 518 -527.
AMA StyleC.A. Takaya, L.A. Fletcher, S. Singh, K.U. Anyikude, A.B. Ross. Phosphate and ammonium sorption capacity of biochar and hydrochar from different wastes. Chemosphere. 2016; 145 ():518-527.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC.A. Takaya; L.A. Fletcher; S. Singh; K.U. Anyikude; A.B. Ross. 2016. "Phosphate and ammonium sorption capacity of biochar and hydrochar from different wastes." Chemosphere 145, no. : 518-527.
The use of biochar for the recovery of phosphate has potential for environmental and socio-economic benefits but it is often characterised by relatively low nutrient adsorption capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for improving biochar phosphate adsorption capacities following chemical modification with metal salts, acids and alkali. Modified biochar were produced from oak wood and paprika waste (greenhouse waste) following either chemical treatment of biomass (in-situ modification) or biochar (post modification). Phosphate uptake capacities were determined by laboratory batch sorption tests, and results indicated that phosphate uptake could be enhanced from relatively low levels (2.1–3.6%) to relatively high levels (66.4–70.3%) by impregnation with magnesium. These findings suggest that biochar mineral composition is a key property influencing biochar phosphate uptake while surface area has less influence on sorption.
C.A. Takaya; L.A. Fletcher; S. Singh; U.C. Okwuosa; A.B. Ross. Recovery of phosphate with chemically modified biochars. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2016, 4, 1156 -1165.
AMA StyleC.A. Takaya, L.A. Fletcher, S. Singh, U.C. Okwuosa, A.B. Ross. Recovery of phosphate with chemically modified biochars. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2016; 4 (1):1156-1165.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC.A. Takaya; L.A. Fletcher; S. Singh; U.C. Okwuosa; A.B. Ross. 2016. "Recovery of phosphate with chemically modified biochars." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 4, no. 1: 1156-1165.