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Mrs. Judith González-Arias
Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Group, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, Spain

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Anaerobic Digestion
0 Pyrolysis
0 Thermal Processing
0 Hydrothermal Carbonization
0 Biomass and Waste Valorization

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Journal article
Published: 31 July 2021 in Journal of CO2 Utilization
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Employing a series of Cu-MnOx supported catalysts, this work investigates for the first time the impact on the RWGS reaction rate obtained under simulated residual CO2-rich feed streams, i.e., when CO and CH4 species are added to the reaction atmosphere. For this purpose, a simulated gaseous stream was prepared based on real biomass processing results. First, the series of catalysts was assessed under diluted ideal conditions (i.e., a mixture of only CO2 and H2 with N2 as dilutant). Here, the catalysts’ performance depended on both metal size and surface basic sites. Still, as the CO2 partial pressure was increased (varying the H2:CO2 ratio), the Cu metal dispersion seemed the catalyst feature governing RWGS reaction rate. Values of CO2 conversion from 50 to 60 % were registered for the different catalysts at a ratio H2:CO2 of 4. Then, under simulated residuals conditions and aside of thermodynamic limitations, the achievement of improved catalyst performances also depended on the catalysts’ reactivity towards the oxidation of CH4 fractions. For (X wt.%) Cu - (10 wt.%) MnOx/Al2O3 catalysts, 10 wt.% Cu was determined as the optimal Cu content. With this selected value, over the different analyzed supports (γ-Al2O3, (5 wt.%) SiO2-Al2O3, (40 wt.%) SiO2-Al2O3 and (20 wt.%) CeO2-Al2O3), the highest conversion rates with values of CO2 conversion of ca. 50 % at the higher temperature and optimal catalyst stabilities attained by the ceria supported catalyst (close to 95 % at most of the reaction temperatures) were ascribed to the optimal particle sizes and promoted CH4 activation processes.

ACS Style

Miriam González-Castaño; Judith González-Arias; Marta Elena Sánchez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez; Harvey Arellano-García. Syngas production using CO2-rich residues: From ideal to real operating conditions. Journal of CO2 Utilization 2021, 52, 101661 .

AMA Style

Miriam González-Castaño, Judith González-Arias, Marta Elena Sánchez, Jorge Cara-Jiménez, Harvey Arellano-García. Syngas production using CO2-rich residues: From ideal to real operating conditions. Journal of CO2 Utilization. 2021; 52 ():101661.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miriam González-Castaño; Judith González-Arias; Marta Elena Sánchez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez; Harvey Arellano-García. 2021. "Syngas production using CO2-rich residues: From ideal to real operating conditions." Journal of CO2 Utilization 52, no. : 101661.

Journal article
Published: 18 April 2021 in Science of The Total Environment
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In this study the optimization of the hydrothermal carbonization process for the conversion of olive tree pruning into biofuel is presented. To this end, a combined experimental-economic assessment is performed. Experimental data obtained at laboratory scale were used to estimate the economic performance of a hypothetical industrial scale plant. To evaluate the viability of the project, three different plant sizes according to their capacity were selected (1250–625–312.5 kg/h). The discounted cash flow method was applied for the profitability analysis. Different scenarios were analyzed considering the reduction of associate costs or the improvement of the revenues compared to the baseline case. Results indicate that with the sizes studied, none of the alternatives are profitable. Despite that, the larger capacity shows the best outcomes. In this case, minimum selling price of 0.39 €/kg for hydrochar is required to reach profitability. Lower plant sizes would require higher selling prices (i.e., 0.46 €/kg for 625 kg/h capacity and 0.59 €/kg for 312.5 kg/h capacity). Similarly, a reduction of 33% in the electrical energy consumption can make the plan be profitable for the larger capacity. Likewise, a reduction until 0.053 €/kWh in the electricity price must be reached for achieving profitability. Thus, importance of government incentives is revealed in this work given that the reduction of costs along with the improvement in the revenues for the selling of the product can make the project economically viable. Other parameters like the number of workers are also interesting to consider as for example the reduction by two units improves the NPV value in almost 600 k€ for all the plant sizes.

ACS Style

Judith González-Arias; Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Marta E. Sánchez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez. Optimizing hydrothermal carbonization of olive tree pruning: A techno-economic analysis based on experimental results. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 784, 147169 .

AMA Style

Judith González-Arias, Francisco M. Baena-Moreno, Marta E. Sánchez, Jorge Cara-Jiménez. Optimizing hydrothermal carbonization of olive tree pruning: A techno-economic analysis based on experimental results. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 784 ():147169.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González-Arias; Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Marta E. Sánchez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez. 2021. "Optimizing hydrothermal carbonization of olive tree pruning: A techno-economic analysis based on experimental results." Science of The Total Environment 784, no. : 147169.

Journal article
Published: 22 February 2021 in Waste Management
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In this work the management of a waste called off-specification compost (OSC) was proposed via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). The composition of this residue makes it not suitable for agronomic purposes because of the Spanish regulation requirements. Therefore, a way of management and/or valorisation needs to be found. The energy recovery through co-HTC with olive tree pruning (OTP) was evaluated. Blending of OSC with lignocellulosic biomass allows to obtain a coal-like product with physicochemical properties similar to those of a lignite, characterised by its high carbon content. Blends of 25, 50 and 75% of OSC with OTP were analysed. The individual OSC does not present good parameters for being used as solid fuel based on its chemical composition, however, the blend of 75% of biomass with 25% of OSC does. With a higher heating value of 26.19 MJ/kg, this blend shows the best energy yield and energy densification ratio. Thermogravimetric and kinetic analysis reveal that as biomass content in the blend increases, the more the hydrochar behaves as a solid fuel, therefore OSC can be used for energy purposes while its current use of landfill disposal can be reduced.

ACS Style

J. González-Arias; A. Carnicero; M.E. Sánchez; E.J. Martínez; R. López; J. Cara-Jiménez. Management of off-specification compost by using co-hydrothermal carbonization with olive tree pruning. Assessing energy potential of hydrochar. Waste Management 2021, 124, 224 -234.

AMA Style

J. González-Arias, A. Carnicero, M.E. Sánchez, E.J. Martínez, R. López, J. Cara-Jiménez. Management of off-specification compost by using co-hydrothermal carbonization with olive tree pruning. Assessing energy potential of hydrochar. Waste Management. 2021; 124 ():224-234.

Chicago/Turabian Style

J. González-Arias; A. Carnicero; M.E. Sánchez; E.J. Martínez; R. López; J. Cara-Jiménez. 2021. "Management of off-specification compost by using co-hydrothermal carbonization with olive tree pruning. Assessing energy potential of hydrochar." Waste Management 124, no. : 224-234.

Original paper
Published: 13 January 2021 in Environmental Chemistry Letters
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The circular economy is calling for the rapid use of already-developed renewable energies. However, the successful implementation of those new fuels is limited by economic and political issues. For instance, in the Brandenburg region, Germany, biogas production from anaerobic digestion of biomass and wastes is a current alternative. However, the upgrading biogas to biomethane is still challenging and the economic viability is unknown. Therefore, we performed an economic analysis for biogas upgrading to biomethane in the Brandenburg region. Five biogas plant sizes were analyzed by the method of discounted cash flow. This method yields the net present value of the projects, thus revealing the profitability or non-profitability of the plants. Results indicate profitable outputs for medium and large plants, with net present values between 415 and 7009 k€. However, the smallest plants have net present values from -4250 to -3389 k€, thus needing further economic efforts or subsidies to reach profitability. Indeed, biomethane prices should range between 52.1 and 95.6 €/MWh to make these projects profitable. Combinations of 50% of investment subsidized and 11.5 €/MWh feed-in tariffs subsidies could make the projects reach profitability. These findings reveal that political actions such as green policies and subsidies are needed to implement green energy. This case study should serve as a potential tool for policy-makers toward a sustainable bioeconomy.

ACS Style

Judith González-Arias; Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Miriam Gonzalez-Castaño; Harvey Arellano-García; Eric Lichtfouse; Zhien Zhang. Unprofitability of small biogas plants without subsidies in the Brandenburg region. Environmental Chemistry Letters 2021, 19, 1823 -1829.

AMA Style

Judith González-Arias, Francisco M. Baena-Moreno, Miriam Gonzalez-Castaño, Harvey Arellano-García, Eric Lichtfouse, Zhien Zhang. Unprofitability of small biogas plants without subsidies in the Brandenburg region. Environmental Chemistry Letters. 2021; 19 (2):1823-1829.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González-Arias; Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Miriam Gonzalez-Castaño; Harvey Arellano-García; Eric Lichtfouse; Zhien Zhang. 2021. "Unprofitability of small biogas plants without subsidies in the Brandenburg region." Environmental Chemistry Letters 19, no. 2: 1823-1829.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2020 in Sustainability
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This work addresses the joint management of residual microalgae and pine wood waste through pyrolysis to obtain a solid product for its use as soil amendment and two other by-products (liquid and gaseous) that can be used for energy purposes. Two management routes have been followed. The first route is through the co-pyrolysis of mixtures of both residual materials in several proportions and the later use of their solid fraction for soil amendment. The second route is the pyrolysis of pine wood waste and its direct combination with dried residual microalgae, also using it as soil amendment. The solid fraction assessment shows that from seven solid products (biochar) three stand out for their positive applicability in agriculture as soil amendment. In addition, they also present the benefit of serving as carbon sink, giving a negative balance of CO2 emissions. However, caution is suggested due to biochar applicability being subject to soil characteristics. To ensure the sustainability of the overall process, the energy available in liquid and gaseous fractions has been assessed for covering the drying needs of the residual microalgae in both cases. These results suggest that the pyrolysis process is a sustainable way to manage specific evaluated residues and their products.

ACS Style

José Rosas; Natalia Gómez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez; Judith González-Arias; Miguel Olego; Marta Sánchez. Evaluation of Joint Management of Pine Wood Waste and Residual Microalgae for Agricultural Application. Sustainability 2020, 13, 53 .

AMA Style

José Rosas, Natalia Gómez, Jorge Cara-Jiménez, Judith González-Arias, Miguel Olego, Marta Sánchez. Evaluation of Joint Management of Pine Wood Waste and Residual Microalgae for Agricultural Application. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):53.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Rosas; Natalia Gómez; Jorge Cara-Jiménez; Judith González-Arias; Miguel Olego; Marta Sánchez. 2020. "Evaluation of Joint Management of Pine Wood Waste and Residual Microalgae for Agricultural Application." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 53.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2020 in Energy
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In this work, the effects on industrial plant viability of using olive pruning (OP) and off-specification compost (OSC) as HTC feedstock have been studied on 1) only HTC facilities and 2) HTC coupled to a Rankine cycle (with combustor/oxy-combustor). After the experimental tests, the best blend composition for hydrochar production in higher heating value (HHV) terms was 75% OP + 25% OSC, and the hydrochar yield was identified as a critical variable to be optimized in future research. Technical simulations revealed the inconvenience of using OP instead of the mentioned OP–OSC blend because it could increase the cost of electricity (COE) by 35.2 €/MWeh (combustion) vs. 49.5 €/MWeh (oxy-combustion). Additionally, the use of hydrochar as fuel in combustors could increase the total capital investment (TCI) by 3.5, and the COE by 171.0 €/MWeh (combustion) vs. 227.9 €/MWeh (oxy-combustion). HTC plants coupled to Rankine cycles presented a worse viability than that of hydrochar production alone, and the fuel price was identified as the most sensitive variable in terms of net present value (NPV). Finally, the best plant in terms of viability and sustainability is hydrochar production with thermal integration with a Rankine cycle, albeit with the need for an extra grant of 52.2 €/MWeh based on the study assumptions.

ACS Style

R. López; J. González-Arias; F.J. Pereira; C. Fernández; J. Cara-Jiménez. A techno-economic study of HTC processes coupled with power facilities and oxy-combustion systems. Energy 2020, 219, 119651 .

AMA Style

R. López, J. González-Arias, F.J. Pereira, C. Fernández, J. Cara-Jiménez. A techno-economic study of HTC processes coupled with power facilities and oxy-combustion systems. Energy. 2020; 219 ():119651.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. López; J. González-Arias; F.J. Pereira; C. Fernández; J. Cara-Jiménez. 2020. "A techno-economic study of HTC processes coupled with power facilities and oxy-combustion systems." Energy 219, no. : 119651.

Chapter
Published: 09 October 2020 in Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies
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The conversion of biomass is full of challenges requiring multiples steps for attaining high efficiencies in the transformation of this material for producing valuable goods and chemicals. There exist several biological processes capable of generating different fuels and green chemicals; however, their efficiency may be too low associated with the need of biomass pre-treatments or the maturity of these technologies may be at an early stage requiring for the development of pilot-scale experiences to get an insight on their performance under different conditions and for assessing their behaviour during extended periods. Some technical aspects are still in need of deep research to consider their implications in a global economic balance when the integration into multiple phases is proposed. Technologies for the production of fuels and the valorisation of the variety of side streams are reviewed in this chapter giving an approximation of the several possibilities of integrating these biological alternatives considering the production of ethanol, butanol, biodiesel and biogas along with the production of hydrogen. A cascade approach for applying a diversity of valorisation stages has been studied taking into account the use of different side streams for coupling biological and thermal processes in an attempt to increase process yields and reduce operating costs. The integration of anaerobic digestion and fermentative hydrogen production for the valorisation of cellulosic biomass into different processes as ethanol and biodiesel production has been assessed.

ACS Style

José Francisco González-Álvarez; Judith González-Arias; Cristian B. Arenas; Xiomar Gómez. Bioconversion and Biorefineries: Recent Advances and Applications. Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies 2020, 185 -227.

AMA Style

José Francisco González-Álvarez, Judith González-Arias, Cristian B. Arenas, Xiomar Gómez. Bioconversion and Biorefineries: Recent Advances and Applications. Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies. 2020; ():185-227.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Francisco González-Álvarez; Judith González-Arias; Cristian B. Arenas; Xiomar Gómez. 2020. "Bioconversion and Biorefineries: Recent Advances and Applications." Biofuel and Biorefinery Technologies , no. : 185-227.

Journal article
Published: 29 September 2020 in Environments
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This manuscript deals with the detailed design of a small digestion prototype intended as a commercial unit fully operational to cover the demand for decentralized treatment of wastes. These plants are highly affected by the complex nature of wastes giving rise to different operating problems that should be considered in detail. This paper describes the design and start-up strategy of a small-scale digestion plant with a volume of 8 m3 designed to operate with a hydrolysis pretreatment unit. The plant was designed to treat fruit and vegetable wastes as substrates derived from a local processing food factory. The performance of the plant during fed-batch operation was reported. The strategy of inoculating the reactor only to a third of its original volume and subsequently increasing the volume of the reactor by using the fed-batch mode was inadequate. The acid pH of the feeding substrate resulted in the application of a low organic loading rate with a volumetric variation of just 19.7 L/d. The performance of the plant was evaluated at non-steady state conditions and resulted in excessive destruction of volatile solids due to the low nitrogen content of the feeding substrate. The prototype reported a specific methane production of 232 L/kg volatile solids despite the low feeding rate supplemented.

ACS Style

Rubén González; Daniel Blanco; Judith González-Arias; José García-Cascallana; Xiomar Gómez. Description of a Decentralized Small Scale Digester for Treating Organic Wastes. Environments 2020, 7, 78 .

AMA Style

Rubén González, Daniel Blanco, Judith González-Arias, José García-Cascallana, Xiomar Gómez. Description of a Decentralized Small Scale Digester for Treating Organic Wastes. Environments. 2020; 7 (10):78.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rubén González; Daniel Blanco; Judith González-Arias; José García-Cascallana; Xiomar Gómez. 2020. "Description of a Decentralized Small Scale Digester for Treating Organic Wastes." Environments 7, no. 10: 78.

Journal article
Published: 23 September 2020 in Processes
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Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) allows the conversion of organic waste into a solid product called hydrochar with improved fuel properties. Olive tree pruning biomass (OTP), a very abundant residue in Mediterranean countries, was treated by HTC to obtain a solid fuel similar to coal that could be used in co-combustion processes. Three different reaction temperatures (220, 250, and 280 °C) and reaction times (3, 6, and 9 h) were selected. The hydrochars obtained were extensively analyzed to study their behavior as fuel (i.e., ultimate, proximate, fiber and thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), activation energy, and combustion performance). The concentrations of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the samples depict a clear and consistent trend with the chemical reactions carried out in this treatment. Regarding O/C and H/C ratios and HHV, the hydrochars generated at more severe conditions are similar to lignite coal, reaching values of HHV up to 29.6 MJ kg−1. The higher stability of the solid is reflected by the increase of the activation energy (≈ 60 kJ mol−1), and ignition temperatures close to 400 °C. With this, HTC is a proper thermal treatment for the management of raw OTP biomass and its further conversion into a solid biofuel.

ACS Style

Judith González-Arias; Marta Elena Sánchez; Elia Judith Martínez; Camila Covalski; Ana Alonso-Simón; Rubén González; Jorge Cara-Jiménez. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Olive Tree Pruning as a Sustainable Way for Improving Biomass Energy Potential. Effect of Reaction Parameters on Fuel Properties. Processes 2020, 8, 1201 .

AMA Style

Judith González-Arias, Marta Elena Sánchez, Elia Judith Martínez, Camila Covalski, Ana Alonso-Simón, Rubén González, Jorge Cara-Jiménez. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Olive Tree Pruning as a Sustainable Way for Improving Biomass Energy Potential. Effect of Reaction Parameters on Fuel Properties. Processes. 2020; 8 (10):1201.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González-Arias; Marta Elena Sánchez; Elia Judith Martínez; Camila Covalski; Ana Alonso-Simón; Rubén González; Jorge Cara-Jiménez. 2020. "Hydrothermal Carbonization of Olive Tree Pruning as a Sustainable Way for Improving Biomass Energy Potential. Effect of Reaction Parameters on Fuel Properties." Processes 8, no. 10: 1201.

Journal article
Published: 03 September 2020 in Waste Management
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The performance of a small-scale prototype digestion plant (7.2 m3 working volume) intended for decentralised operation was evaluated considering energy efficiency and technical suitability for biogas valorisation in producing electrical and thermal energy. The digester operated in recirculation mode to enhance organic matter conversion and improve volatile solid degradation. An energy assessment of the process assumed the incorporation of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit. The coefficient of overall performance of the plant for electrical energy (COPel) was 0.95 — this values was estimated at an electrical efficiency of 22.5% and represents the ratio between energy production and consumption — for a methane yield of 360 L/kg VS and an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.06 g VS/L d. This parameter was slightly lower than the unit thus indicating that the micro-plant was close to attaining self-sufficiency regarding electrical energy use. The temperature increase of the feed to process conditions supposed a significant amount of thermal energy which highly compromised the efficiency when operating at low organic load, thus accounting for more than 80% of the total energy demand of the installation. When the energy assessment of the process was performed at higher OLR of 2.7 g VS/ L d, the resulting COPel value was1.68, demonstrating the feasibility of this configuration for decentralised digestion.

ACS Style

Rubén González; Jesus Ernesto Hernández; Xiomar Gómez; Richard Smith; Judith González Arias; Elia Judith Martínez; Daniel Blanco. Performance evaluation of a small-scale digester for achieving decentralised management of waste. Waste Management 2020, 118, 99 -109.

AMA Style

Rubén González, Jesus Ernesto Hernández, Xiomar Gómez, Richard Smith, Judith González Arias, Elia Judith Martínez, Daniel Blanco. Performance evaluation of a small-scale digester for achieving decentralised management of waste. Waste Management. 2020; 118 ():99-109.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rubén González; Jesus Ernesto Hernández; Xiomar Gómez; Richard Smith; Judith González Arias; Elia Judith Martínez; Daniel Blanco. 2020. "Performance evaluation of a small-scale digester for achieving decentralised management of waste." Waste Management 118, no. : 99-109.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2020 in C
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Anaerobic digestion is an established technological option for the treatment of agricultural residues and livestock wastes beneficially producing renewable energy and digestate as biofertilizer. This technology also has significant potential for becoming an essential component of biorefineries for valorizing lignocellulosic biomass due to its great versatility in assimilating a wide spectrum of carbonaceous materials. The integration of anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis of its digestates for enhanced waste treatment was studied. A theoretical analysis was performed for three scenarios based on the thermal needs of the process: The treatment of swine manure (scenario 1), co-digestion with crop wastes (scenario 2), and addition of residual glycerine (scenario 3). The selected plant design basis was to produce biochar and electricity via combined heat and power units. For electricity production, the best performing scenario was scenario 3 (producing three times more electricity than scenario 1), with scenario 2 resulting in the highest production of biochar (double the biochar production and 1.7 times more electricity than scenario 1), but being highly penalized by the great thermal demand associated with digestate dewatering. Sensitivity analysis was performed using a central composite design, predominantly to evaluate the bio-oil yield and its high heating value, as well as digestate dewatering. Results demonstrated the effect of these parameters on electricity production and on the global thermal demand of the plant. The main significant factor was the solid content attained in the dewatering process, which excessively penalized the global process for values lower than 25% TS.

ACS Style

Rubén González; Judith González; José G. Rosas; Richard Smith; Xiomar Gómez. Biochar and Energy Production: Valorizing Swine Manure through Coupling Co-Digestion and Pyrolysis. C 2020, 6, 43 .

AMA Style

Rubén González, Judith González, José G. Rosas, Richard Smith, Xiomar Gómez. Biochar and Energy Production: Valorizing Swine Manure through Coupling Co-Digestion and Pyrolysis. C. 2020; 6 (2):43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rubén González; Judith González; José G. Rosas; Richard Smith; Xiomar Gómez. 2020. "Biochar and Energy Production: Valorizing Swine Manure through Coupling Co-Digestion and Pyrolysis." C 6, no. 2: 43.

Research article
Published: 08 June 2020 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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The coupling of biological and thermal technologies allows for the complete conversion of wastes into energy and biochar eliminating the problem of sludge disposal. The valorisation of fatty residues as co-substrate in a mesophilic digester of a wastewater treatment plant was studied considering an integrated approach of co-digestion and pyrolysis. Four digested samples obtained from co-digestion of sewage sludge and butcher’s fat waste were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The activation energy corresponding to the sludge pyrolysis was calculated by a non-isothermal kinetic. Arrhenius activation energy was lower for the pyrolysis of a digested grease sample (92 kJ mol−1 obtained by OFW and 86 kJ mol−1 obtained by Vyazovkin) than for the pyrolysis of sewage sludge and its blends (164–190 kJ mol−1 obtained by OFW and 162–190 kJ mol−1 obtained by Vyazovkin). The analysis of the integrated approach of anaerobic co-digestion and pyrolysis of digestates demonstrated that the addition of 3% (w/v) of fat to the feeding sludge results in a 25% increase in the electricity obtained from biogas (if a combined heat and power unit is considered for biogas valorisation) and increasing the fat content to 15% allows for covering all thermal needs for drying of digestate and more than doubles (2.4 times) the electricity production when the scenario of digestion and pyrolysis is contemplated.

ACS Style

Judith González-Arias; María Victoria Gil; Ramón Ángel Fernández; Elia Judith Martínez; Camino Fernández; George Papaharalabos; Xiomar Gómez. Integrating anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis for treating digestates derived from sewage sludge and fat wastes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 27, 32603 -32614.

AMA Style

Judith González-Arias, María Victoria Gil, Ramón Ángel Fernández, Elia Judith Martínez, Camino Fernández, George Papaharalabos, Xiomar Gómez. Integrating anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis for treating digestates derived from sewage sludge and fat wastes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 27 (26):32603-32614.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González-Arias; María Victoria Gil; Ramón Ángel Fernández; Elia Judith Martínez; Camino Fernández; George Papaharalabos; Xiomar Gómez. 2020. "Integrating anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis for treating digestates derived from sewage sludge and fat wastes." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, no. 26: 32603-32614.

Original article
Published: 06 March 2020 in Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
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The large cost of components used in microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) reactors represents an important limitation that is delaying the commercial implementation of this technology. In this work, we explore the feasibility of using pyrolysed almond shells (PAS) as a material for producing low-cost anodes for use in MEC systems. This was done by comparing the microbial populations that developed on the surface of PAS bioanodes with those present on the carbon felt (CF) bioanodes traditionally used in MECs. Raw almond shells were pyrolysed at three different temperatures, obtaining the best conductive material at the highest temperature (1000 °C). The behaviour of this material was then verified using a single-chamber cell. Subsequently, the main test was carried out using two-chamber cells and the microbial populations extant on each of the bioanodes were analysed. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene for eubacterial populations was carried out in order to compare the microbial communities attached to each type of electrode. The microbial populations on each electrode were also quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) to determine the amount of bacteria capable of growing on the electrodes’ surface. The results indicated that the newly developed PAS bioanodes possess a biofilm similar to those found on the surface of traditional CF electrodes.

ACS Style

Cristian Arenas; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Judith González-Arias; Antonio Morán; Xiomar Gómez. Pyrolysed almond shells used as electrodes in microbial electrolysis cell. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 2020, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Cristian Arenas, Ana Sotres, Raúl M. Alonso, Judith González-Arias, Antonio Morán, Xiomar Gómez. Pyrolysed almond shells used as electrodes in microbial electrolysis cell. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2020; ():1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristian Arenas; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Judith González-Arias; Antonio Morán; Xiomar Gómez. 2020. "Pyrolysed almond shells used as electrodes in microbial electrolysis cell." Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery , no. : 1-9.

Original paper
Published: 04 November 2019 in Waste and Biomass Valorization
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The feasibility of coupling the anaerobic digestion of pig manure and co-pyrolysis of its digestate with milk thistle as lignocellulosic biomass was studied. Kinetic analysis was performed along with an evaluation of energy recovery attained from a combined approach Pig slurry was digested under mesophilic semi-continuous conditions. Digestate was dried and submitted to thermogravimetric analysis under inert atmosphere along with milk thistle samples. Kinetic evaluation was carried out using non-isothermal methods. Assessment of the energy obtained from the combined digestion and pyrolysis process was performed. Digestion resulted in a yield of 308.5 ± 18.2 mL CH4/g VS. The evaluation of co-pyrolysis of mixtures at different contents of milk thistle showed no interactions between the two materials during pyrolysis. The energy need associated with thermal drying of digestate was 476 MJ/m3 of pig slurry. Co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and digestate [25% content of digestate (w/w)] resulted in a lower char production, associated with the lower ash content of the former. The extra supply of energy needed for thermal drying of the digestate might be obtained from co-pyrolysis with biomass. This approach presented an energy recovery of about 29.4%

ACS Style

Judith González Arias; C. Fernández; J. G. Rosas; Maria Pilar Bernal; R. Clemente; M. E. Sánchez; X. Gómez. Integrating Anaerobic Digestion of Pig Slurry and Thermal Valorisation of Biomass. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2019, 11, 6125 -6137.

AMA Style

Judith González Arias, C. Fernández, J. G. Rosas, Maria Pilar Bernal, R. Clemente, M. E. Sánchez, X. Gómez. Integrating Anaerobic Digestion of Pig Slurry and Thermal Valorisation of Biomass. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2019; 11 (11):6125-6137.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González Arias; C. Fernández; J. G. Rosas; Maria Pilar Bernal; R. Clemente; M. E. Sánchez; X. Gómez. 2019. "Integrating Anaerobic Digestion of Pig Slurry and Thermal Valorisation of Biomass." Waste and Biomass Valorization 11, no. 11: 6125-6137.

Review
Published: 01 November 2018 in C
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Anaerobic digestion is a well-known technology which has been extensively studied to improve its performance and yield biogas from substrates. The application of different types of pre-treatments has led to an increase in biogas production but also in global energy demand. However, in recent years the use of carbon conductive materials as supplement for this process has been studied resulting in an interesting way for improving the performance of anaerobic digestion without greatly affecting its energy demand. This review offers an introduction to this interesting approach and covers the different experiences performed on the use of carbon conductive materials proposing it as a feasible alternative for the production of energy from biomass, considering also the integration of anaerobic digestion and thermal valorisation.

ACS Style

Judith González; Marta E. Sánchez; Xiomar Gómez. Enhancing Anaerobic Digestion: The Effect of Carbon Conductive Materials. C 2018, 4, 59 .

AMA Style

Judith González, Marta E. Sánchez, Xiomar Gómez. Enhancing Anaerobic Digestion: The Effect of Carbon Conductive Materials. C. 2018; 4 (4):59.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Judith González; Marta E. Sánchez; Xiomar Gómez. 2018. "Enhancing Anaerobic Digestion: The Effect of Carbon Conductive Materials." C 4, no. 4: 59.