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Biochemical Processes for Sustainability
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Biochemical Processes for Sustainability

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 30947

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonia Pérez de los Ríos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30071 Murcia, Spain
Interests: ionic liquid; green chemistry; membrane technology; fuel cell; biofuel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Francisco José Hernández Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Campus de Espinardo sn, 30071 Murcia, Spain
Interests: green chemistry; ionic liquid; supercritical fluid; biocatalysis; separation processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. For that, it is necessary to reduce the impacts of products, processes and services on human health and environment. The present Special Issue will include cutting-edge advancements in how chemistry can help us achieve sustainable development goals. Research in this field is directed towards the development of new methods, new chemicals or new engineering routes for more ecological and economic products, processes or services. 

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles that promote biochemical processes for sustainable development goals. We are particularly interested in articles that explore biochemical technologies that promote circular economy, innovative environmental technologies for water treatment and pollution control, process intensification, etc.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Biocatalysis.
  • Nanotechnology.
  • Environmental technologies for water treatment and pollution control.
  • Biofertilizers.
  • Microbial fuel cells.
  • Biofuels.
  • Chemicals in healthcare.

Prof. Dr. Antonia Pérez de los Ríos
Prof. Dr. Francisco José Hernández Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 8109 KiB  
Article
New Application of Polyoxometalate Salts as Cathode Materials in Single Chamber MFC Using Wastewater for Bioenergy Production
by Farah Lachquer, Nour-eddine Touach, Abdellah Benzaouak, Abdellah Oulmekki, El Mostapha Lotfi, Mohammed El Mahi, Francisco José Hernández-Fernández and Jamil Toyir
Processes 2023, 11(3), 836; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11030836 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1203
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology that can be applied in a bifunctional process in which wastewater treatment is used for renewable electric power generation. In this study, novel transition metal-modified Keggin-type lacunar polyoxometalate salts (L-POMs) Cs5PMo11M(H [...] Read more.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology that can be applied in a bifunctional process in which wastewater treatment is used for renewable electric power generation. In this study, novel transition metal-modified Keggin-type lacunar polyoxometalate salts (L-POMs) Cs5PMo11M(H2O)O39 (M = Fe, Co), were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, EDX, IR, TGA/DSC, and UV-Vis/DSR spectroscopies to be tested, for the first time, as a cathode component in wastewater-fed air chamber MFCs. Both materials were tested in the presence and absence of light to evaluate their photocatalytic behavior. The best performance in terms of electricity production was obtained for the MFC containing the Co-modified POM-based cathode, which showed a maximum power of 418.15 mW/m2 equivalent to 331 mW per cubic meter of treated wastewater, and a maximum COD removal percentage of 97% after 96 h of MFC operation. Co- and Fe-modified POMs had outstanding optical behavior with lower energy gap values, 1.71 and 2.68 eV, respectively. The newly developed materials can be considered as promising alternative cathode catalysts in a new generation of MFC devices integrating full carbon removal from wastewater and a fast reduction of oxygen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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21 pages, 4829 KiB  
Article
Menthol and Fatty Acid-Based Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents as Media for Enzyme Activation
by Amal A. M. Elgharbawy, Sharifah Shahira Syed Putra, Huma Warsi Khan, Nor Azrini Nadiha Azmi, Muhamad Shirwan Abdullah Sani, Nazurah Ab llah, Adeeb Hayyan, Jegalakshimi Jewaratnam and Wan Jefrey Basirun
Processes 2023, 11(2), 547; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020547 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3554
Abstract
This research aims to provide insights into the biological efficacy of a newly formed hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES). A DES based on menthol was successfully synthesized with fatty acids. The DESs’ properties as enzyme activators were examined against a neat counterpart. The [...] Read more.
This research aims to provide insights into the biological efficacy of a newly formed hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES). A DES based on menthol was successfully synthesized with fatty acids. The DESs’ properties as enzyme activators were examined against a neat counterpart. The menthol:decanoic acid (1:1) combination showed improved thermal stability, strong catalytic activity, and reusability for up to four subsequent cycles under ideal conditions (pH 7.0, 40 °C for 2 h). The hydrophobic DES replaced hexane in ester synthesis, where RNL@DES5 showed better fatty acid conversion compared to neat RNL. This study demonstrated promising applications of hydrophobic DESs in non-aqueous organic reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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13 pages, 1635 KiB  
Article
Conceptual Process Design to Produce Bio-Acrylic Acid via Gas Phase Dehydration of Lactic Acid Produced from Carob Pod Extracts
by Víctor M. Ortiz Martínez, María I. Saavedra, María J. Salar García, Carlos Godínez, Luis J. Lozano-Blanco and Sergio Sanchez-Segado
Processes 2023, 11(2), 457; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020457 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1984
Abstract
This work discusses the conceptual process design for the integrated production of bio-based acrylic acid from carob pod aqueous extracts. CHEMCAD was used for the process simulation and cost estimation of the relevant equipment. The process was designed for a capacity of 68 [...] Read more.
This work discusses the conceptual process design for the integrated production of bio-based acrylic acid from carob pod aqueous extracts. CHEMCAD was used for the process simulation and cost estimation of the relevant equipment. The process was designed for a capacity of 68 kt of carob pod per year, operating 8000 h annually, and involving extraction, fermentation, catalytic dehydration, and distillation to achieve 99.98%w/w acrylic acid as the main product. The economic assessment for the base case suggests a fixed capital investment of EUR 62.7 MM with an internal rate of return of 15.8%. The results obtained show that carob pod is a promising biomass source for the production of bio-acrylic acid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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13 pages, 4209 KiB  
Article
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Interfacial Structure and Differential Capacitance of [BMI+][PF6−] Ionic Liquids on MoS2 Electrode
by Chenxuan Xu, Zhanpeng Xu, Yihai Wang, Junjie Yang, Honghui Chen, Qiuhua Liu, Gang Chen and Huachao Yang
Processes 2023, 11(2), 380; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020380 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1538
Abstract
MoS2 nanomaterials and ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted tremendous interest as the prime electrodes and electrolytes of supercapacitors. However, the corresponding charge storage mechanisms have not yet been clearly understood. Herein, we study the molecular-level energy storage mechanisms of the MoS2 [...] Read more.
MoS2 nanomaterials and ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted tremendous interest as the prime electrodes and electrolytes of supercapacitors. However, the corresponding charge storage mechanisms have not yet been clearly understood. Herein, we study the molecular-level energy storage mechanisms of the MoS2 electrode in imidazolium ionic liquid ([BMI+][PF6−]) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The electric double-layer (EDL) structures of MoS2 electrodes in [BMI+][PF6−] electrolytes are comprehensively studied in terms of number density, MD snapshots, separation coefficient, and ion-electrode interaction energy. Based on this, the electric potential and electric field distributions are calculated by integrating Poisson equations. Importantly, a bell-shaped differential capacitance profile is proposed, different from the U-shaped curve from the conventional Gouy–Chapman theory. Especially, it can be well reproduced by the differential charge density curve in the Helmholtz layer. This indicates that the capacitive behaviors of the MoS2 electrode are primarily determined by the counterion population/structure in the EDL region 5.0 Å from the electrode surface. In the end, ion diffusion coefficients within different interfacial EDL regions are evaluated, revealing that dynamics are significantly suppressed by ~50% in the Helmholtz region. However, the dynamics can be recovered to a bulk state with the ion position 10 Å away from the electrode surface. The as-obtained insights reveal the charge storage mechanisms of MoS2 in ILs, which can provide useful guidance on improving the energy density of MoS2 supercapacitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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14 pages, 2339 KiB  
Article
Bio-Innovative Pretreatment of Coarse Wool Fibers
by Edita Vujasinović, Anita Tarbuk, Tanja Pušić and Tihana Dekanić
Processes 2023, 11(1), 103; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11010103 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2011
Abstract
From the textile manufacturers’ point of view, coarse and medullated fibers are undesirable in the production of fine woolen materials, but highly desirable in the production of textiles and yarns with special effects, especially in carpet production. For sustainability, the entire sheep fleece [...] Read more.
From the textile manufacturers’ point of view, coarse and medullated fibers are undesirable in the production of fine woolen materials, but highly desirable in the production of textiles and yarns with special effects, especially in carpet production. For sustainability, the entire sheep fleece should be used, including the coarse and medullated fibers. The raw wool must be scoured to obtain clean wool fibers without damage or excessive fiber entanglement, with a certain moisture content, low dirt content and residual grease for further processing, and proper color. In order to remove the impurities in raw wool with maximum efficiency, save energy and minimize the environmental impact, this study investigated the changes in some fiber properties during the scouring process due to the effect of the enzyme complex on coarse wool fibers. The effects were studied through the amount of clean wool fibers and impurities within the fleece, the fiber diameter and color. Conventional and enzyme scoured coarse wool were bleached with an unconventional bleaching agent, percarbonate, and compared to bleaching with hydrogen peroxide to achieve higher whiteness and brilliant color with minimal fiber property changes. The changes after the bleaching process were determined based on the sorption of moisture and dyes and the color parameters. The bio-innovative pretreatment with enzyme complex scouring and percarbonate bleaching resulted in excellent fiber properties even for coarse wool. SEM analysis was performed to confirm these results. Taking into account the sustainability of the process and environmental protection, enzyme complex scouring and percarbonate bleaching are recommended as pretreatment processes for raw coarse wool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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11 pages, 2704 KiB  
Article
Vapor–Liquid Equilibria of Quaternary Systems of Interest for the Supercritical Antisolvent Process
by Roberta Campardelli, Stefania Mottola and Iolanda De Marco
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2544; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10122544 - 30 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1184
Abstract
In the Supercritical Antisolvent process (SAS), the thermodynamic behavior of complex multicomponent systems can influence the particles’ morphology. However, due to the limited thermodynamic data for multicomponent systems, the effect of solutes is often neglected, and the system is considered as pseudo-binary. It [...] Read more.
In the Supercritical Antisolvent process (SAS), the thermodynamic behavior of complex multicomponent systems can influence the particles’ morphology. However, due to the limited thermodynamic data for multicomponent systems, the effect of solutes is often neglected, and the system is considered as pseudo-binary. It has been demonstrated that the presence of a solute can significantly influence the thermodynamic behavior of the system. In particular, when the SAS process is adopted for the production of drug/polymer coprecipitated microparticles, the effect of both the drug and the polymer in the solvent/CO2 mixture should be considered. In this work, the effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), used as the carrier, and of the liposoluble vitamins menadione (MEN) and α-tocopherol (TOC), as model drugs, was investigated as a deviation from the fundamental thermodynamic behavior of the DMSO/CO2 binary system. Vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) were evaluated at 313 K, with a PVP concentration in the organic solution equal to 20 mg/mL. The effect of the presence of PVP, MEN, and TOC on DMSO/CO2 VLE at 313 K was studied; furthermore, the effect of PVP/MEN and PVP/TOC, at a polymer/drug ratio of 5/1 and 3/1, was determined. Moreover, SAS precipitation experiments were performed at the same polymer/drug ratios using a pressure of 90 bar. Thermodynamic studies revealed significant changes in phase behavior for DMSO/CO2/PVP/TOC and DMSO/CO2/PVP/MEN systems compared to the binary DMSO/CO2 system. From the analysis of the effect of the presence of a single compound on the binary system VLE, it was noted that PVP slightly affected the thermodynamic behavior of the system. In contrast, these effects were more evident for the DMSO/CO2/TOC and DMSO/CO2/MEN systems. SAS precipitation experiments produced PVP/MEN and PVP/TOC microparticles, and the obtained morphology was justified considering the quaternary systems VLE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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11 pages, 1546 KiB  
Article
Use of Thymus Plants as an Ecological Filler in Urea-Formaldehyde Adhesives Intended for Bonding Plywood
by Fatouma Mohamed Abdoul-Latif, Zineb El Montassir, Ayoub Ainane, Said Gharby, El Hassan Sakar, Ali Merito, Jalludin Mohamed and Tarik Ainane
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112209 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1581
Abstract
Innovative adhesive formulations have been developed in the laboratory based on urea-formaldehyde resin by adding medicinal plants to an industrial adhesive formulation containing raw materials: urea-formaldehyde resin, urea, ammonium sulphate and starch. Specifically, Thymus species (Thymus bleicherianus, Thymus capitates, Thymus [...] Read more.
Innovative adhesive formulations have been developed in the laboratory based on urea-formaldehyde resin by adding medicinal plants to an industrial adhesive formulation containing raw materials: urea-formaldehyde resin, urea, ammonium sulphate and starch. Specifically, Thymus species (Thymus bleicherianus, Thymus capitates, Thymus satureioides, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus zygis) replaced part of the starch and were considered as the second filler in the formulations. The physico-chemical properties of the resulting adhesive formulations, such as: pH, viscosity, gel time, solids content, density, concentration of free formaldehyde and color were measured, and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In order to evaluate the mechanical performances of adhesive formulations based on plants, plywood panels were produced and their mechanical properties were studied. These mechanical properties included the shear strength, bending strength and the modulus of elasticity. The performance of these panels is comparable to that of plywood panels made using the standard adhesive formulation. From the results obtained, and following the statistical studies, the new adhesive formulations based on plants have the same physico-chemical properties, the same morphologies, and the same mechanical properties. Moreover, the novel adhesives are more viscous, and they have less free formaldehyde content than the commercial formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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16 pages, 11530 KiB  
Article
High-Temperature Pyrolysis for Elimination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Biosolids
by Hanieh Bamdad, Sadegh Papari, Emma Moreside and Franco Berruti
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2187; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112187 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4524
Abstract
Biosolids generated as byproducts of wastewater treatment processes are widely used as fertilizer supplements to improve soil condition and ultimately agricultural products yields and quality. However, biosolids may contain toxic compounds, i.e., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can end up in soils, [...] Read more.
Biosolids generated as byproducts of wastewater treatment processes are widely used as fertilizer supplements to improve soil condition and ultimately agricultural products yields and quality. However, biosolids may contain toxic compounds, i.e., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can end up in soils, groundwater, and surface water, causing adverse environmental and health effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of High-Temperature Pyrolysis (HTP) treatment for biosolids management, and its efficacy in eliminating PFAS from the solid fraction. Biosolid samples were pyrolyzed at two different temperatures, 500 and 700 °C, in a continuous bench-scale pyrolysis unit. The major finding is that the treatment process at higher pyrolysis temperatures can remarkably reduce or eliminate the level of PFAS (by ~97–100 wt%) in the resulting biochar samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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11 pages, 3147 KiB  
Article
A High-Throughput Screening Procedure (Py-Fe3+) for Enhancing Ethanol Production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using ARTP Random Mutagenesis
by Wei-Yang Wang, Shi-Hua Wu, Yuan-Han Xie, Miao Zhong, Man-Li Wei, Ze-Yang Li, Xiu-Feng Long and Fu-Xing Niu
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2186; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112186 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1289
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important microbial organization involved in ethanol synthesis. Mutant strains that can withstand multiple pressures during this process are critical to the industrial development of biofuels. In this study, a dual high-throughput screening method of Triphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumchloride (TTC)-based macroscopic observation and [...] Read more.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important microbial organization involved in ethanol synthesis. Mutant strains that can withstand multiple pressures during this process are critical to the industrial development of biofuels. In this study, a dual high-throughput screening method of Triphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumchloride (TTC)-based macroscopic observation and the reaction of ferric nitrate with pyruvate (or pyruvate radical ion) in fermentation broth was used. Using this, an S. cerevisiae mutant library that could tolerate 381 g/L sucrose was established by ARTP random mutation and adaptive evolution to select the best strain; its ethanol yield was increased by an additional 20.48%; and the sucrose utilization rate was 81.64%. This method is specific to the selection of strains with increased ethanol production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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12 pages, 2274 KiB  
Article
Adsorption of Oil by 3-(Triethoxysilyl) Propyl Isocyanate-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals
by Mehdi Jonoobi and Tizazu H. Mekonnen
Processes 2022, 10(10), 2154; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10102154 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1435
Abstract
Oil leaks into water bodies and increased organic pollutants harm the environment and ecosystem in several ways, and cleaning up oil spills from water bodies is a global challenge. This research aimed to construct modified cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) based aerogels with 3-triethoxysilyl propyl [...] Read more.
Oil leaks into water bodies and increased organic pollutants harm the environment and ecosystem in several ways, and cleaning up oil spills from water bodies is a global challenge. This research aimed to construct modified cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) based aerogels with 3-triethoxysilyl propyl isocyanate (TEPIC) to evaluate their potential application in oil adsorption. Here, a freeze-drying method was employed to make CNC aerogels. The aerogels were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, porosity and density measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle (WCA) measurement, compressive strength, and oil adsorption capacity. SEM results confirmed that the aerogels have a largely porous structure, including a community of uniformly interconnected cellulose fibers. Moreover, the studied aerogels had a low density due to the high porosity. Also, the small pore diameter and high specific surface area were confirmed by the BET evaluation. FTIR confirmed the existence of functional groups and strong hydrogen bonding between CNC/TEPCI/Urea molecules. All TEPIC-modified CNC aerogels had water contact angle values greater than 130° indicating their hydrophobicity. The highest oil and glycerol adsorption was obtained with the use of modified CNC aerogels. Thus, the sample modified with 3 wt% TEPIC showed the highest adsorption capacities of 130 ± 7.22, 120 ± 4.75, and 95.28 ± 4.82 gg−1 for motor oil, vegetable oil and glycerol, respectively. The results of this study showed that ultra-light, hydrophobic and oil adsorbent materials based on chemically modified CNC aerogels can successfully be fabricated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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19 pages, 3432 KiB  
Article
Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium in Binary and Ternary Azeotropic Solutions Acetonitrile-Ethanol-Water with the Addition of Amino Esters of Boric Acid
by Ilsiya M. Davletbaeva, Alexander V. Klinov, Alina R. Khairullina, Alexander V. Malygin and Nikolay V. Madaminov
Processes 2022, 10(10), 2125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10102125 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2214
Abstract
The effect of amino esters of boric acid (AEBA) on the conditions of vapor–liquid equilibrium in binary mixtures of acetonitrile–water, ethanol–acetonitrile and a three-component mixture of ethanol-acetonitrile-water was investigated. Residual curves and vapor–liquid phase equilibrium conditions (TPXY data) were experimentally measured at atmospheric [...] Read more.
The effect of amino esters of boric acid (AEBA) on the conditions of vapor–liquid equilibrium in binary mixtures of acetonitrile–water, ethanol–acetonitrile and a three-component mixture of ethanol-acetonitrile-water was investigated. Residual curves and vapor–liquid phase equilibrium conditions (TPXY data) were experimentally measured at atmospheric pressure for a binary mixture of acetonitrile-AEBA and a triple mixture of acetonitrile-water-AEBA. Previously unknown energy binary parameters of groups B, CH2N with group CH3CN were determined for the UNIFAC model. The correction of the value of the binary parameter water—acetonitrile was carried out. On the basis of thermodynamic modeling, the degree of influence of AEBA on the relative volatility of acetonitrile in binary and ternary mixtures was analyzed. It is shown that the use of AEBA removes all azeotropic points in the studied mixtures. In this case, acetonitrile turns out to be a volatile component, and water is a non-volatile component in the entire concentration range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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12 pages, 972 KiB  
Article
Research and Performance Evaluation on Selective Absorption of H2S from Gas Mixtures by Using Secondary Alkanolamines
by Jingwen Xue, Chaoyue Yang, Jingqiang Fu, Jinlong He and Jinjin Li
Processes 2022, 10(9), 1795; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10091795 - 06 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1422
Abstract
Exploring new solvents for efficient acid gas removal is one of the most attractive topics in industrial gas purification. Herein, using 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol as an absorbent in a packed column at atmospheric pressure was examined for selective absorption of H2S from mixed [...] Read more.
Exploring new solvents for efficient acid gas removal is one of the most attractive topics in industrial gas purification. Herein, using 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol as an absorbent in a packed column at atmospheric pressure was examined for selective absorption of H2S from mixed gas streams. In the present work, the acid gas load, H2S absorption selectivity, acid gas removal ratio, amine solution regeneration performance, and corrosion performance were investigated through evaluating experiments absorbing H2S and CO2 by using methyldiethanolamine and 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol. The experimental results illustrate that the H2S absorption selective factors were 3.88 and 15.81 by using 40% methyldiethanolamine and 40% 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol at 40 °C, respectively, showing that 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol is an efficient solvent for selective H2S removal, even better than methyldiethanolamine. Based on the consideration of cost, we added 5% TBEE to 35% MDEA to form a blended aqueous solvent. To our satisfaction, the blended amine solvent obtained a 99.79% H2S removal rate and a 22.68% CO2 co-absorption rate, while using the methyldiethanolamine alone achieved a 98.33% H2S removal rate and a 23.52% CO2 co-absorption rate; the blended solvent showed better H2S absorption efficiency and selectivity. Taken together, this work provides valuable information for a promising alkanolamine for acid gas removal, and the preliminary study has found that the aqueous blend of methyldiethanolamine and 2-tertiarybutylamino-2-ethoxyethanol is an efficient solvent for selective H2S removal, which not only extends the application field for sterically hindered amines, but also opens up new opportunities in blended solvent design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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17 pages, 9337 KiB  
Article
Immobilization of an Industrial β-Glucosidase from Aspergillus fumigatus and Its Use for Cellobiose Hydrolysis
by Clara Yepes, Juliana Estévez, Miguel Arroyo and Miguel Ladero
Processes 2022, 10(6), 1225; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10061225 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
In this study, several covalent methods of immobilization based on acrylic supports, Schiff bases and epoxides have been applied to a commercial cocktail with a high β-glucosidase activity secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus. This cocktail was preliminary compared to a commercial secretome of [...] Read more.
In this study, several covalent methods of immobilization based on acrylic supports, Schiff bases and epoxides have been applied to a commercial cocktail with a high β-glucosidase activity secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus. This cocktail was preliminary compared to a commercial secretome of Aspergillus niger, which was also subjected to the aforementioned immobilization methods. Due to its higher activity, the cocktail from A. fumigatus immobilized on ReliZyme™ HA403 activated with glutaraldehyde was employed for pNPG and cellobiose hydrolysis in diverse operational conditions and at diverse enzyme loadings, showing a very high activity at high enzyme load. A kinetic model based on the Michaelis–Menten hypothesis, in which double inhibition occurs due to glucose, has been selected upon fitting it to all experimentally retrieved data with the lowest-activity immobilized enzyme. This model was compared to the one previously established for the free form of the enzyme, observing that cellobiose acompetitive inhibition does not exist with the immobilized enzyme acting as the biocatalyst. In addition, stability studies indicated that the immobilized enzyme intrinsically behaves as the free enzyme, as expected for a one-bond low-interaction protein-support immobilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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13 pages, 3070 KiB  
Article
Slurry-Phase Carbonation Reaction Characteristics of AOD Stainless Steel Slag
by Meng-Jie Tao, Ya-Jun Wang, Jun-Guo Li, Ya-Nan Zeng, Shao-Hua Liu and Song Qin
Processes 2021, 9(12), 2266; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9122266 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Argon oxygen decarburization stainless steel slag (AOD slag) has high mineral carbonation activity. AOD slag carbonation has both the resource utilization of metallurgical waste slag and the carbon reduction effect of CO2 storage. This paper aimed to study carbonation reaction characteristics of [...] Read more.
Argon oxygen decarburization stainless steel slag (AOD slag) has high mineral carbonation activity. AOD slag carbonation has both the resource utilization of metallurgical waste slag and the carbon reduction effect of CO2 storage. This paper aimed to study carbonation reaction characteristics of AOD slag. Under the slurry-phase accelerated carbonation route, the effect of stirring speed (r) and reaction temperature (T) on AOD slag’s carbonation was studied by controlling the reaction conditions. Mineral composition analysis and microscopic morphology analysis were used to explore the mineral phase evolution of AOD slag during the carbonation process. Based on the unreacted core model, the kinetic model of the carbonation reaction of AOD slag was analyzed. The results showed that the carbonation ratio of AOD slag reached its maximum value of 66.7% under the reaction conditions of a liquid to solid ratio (L/S) of 8:1, a CO2 partial pressure of 0.2 MPa, a stirring speed of 450 r·min−1, and a reaction temperature of 80 °C. The carbonation reaction of AOD slag was controlled by internal diffusion, and the calculated apparent activation energy was 22.28 kJ/mol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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Article
A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach to Evaluate Different UVC/H2O2 Systems in Wastewater Treatment
by Isadora Luiza Climaco Cunha, Jose Geraldo Vidal Vieira and Luiz Kulay
Processes 2021, 9(12), 2252; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9122252 - 14 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
High azoxystrobin (AZO), difenoconazole (DFZ), and imidacloprid (IMD) pesticide removal rates in sixteen bench-scale experiments concerning tomato washing water treatment were obtained through a UVC/H2O2 advanced oxidative process. Experimental conditions ([H2O2]0) and irradiance ( [...] Read more.
High azoxystrobin (AZO), difenoconazole (DFZ), and imidacloprid (IMD) pesticide removal rates in sixteen bench-scale experiments concerning tomato washing water treatment were obtained through a UVC/H2O2 advanced oxidative process. Experimental conditions ([H2O2]0) and irradiance (EUVC) were optimized for higher degradation rates (pseudo-first-order reaction). To consider both economic aspects and environmental impacts when defining the treatment technology, as well as technological requirements, this study applied a multi-criteria decision-making method (MCDM) to assess and differentiate similar UVC/H2O2 process configurations. This allowed for the identification of the cheapest experimental arrangement with the lowest associated environmental impacts, coupled to the highest degradation rate (kIMD). After consulting experts to determine the importance of the applied criteria and measuring alternative performances, experiment E7 ([H2O2]0 = 43.5 mg L−1; EUVC = 15.0 W m−2; kIMD = 0.236 s−1) was determined as meeting the three criteria in a balanced manner. Although E7′s technological performance regarding degradation rate did not achieve the best individual result, it presented the lowest impacts and costs among the analyzed series, although alternatives are sensitive to decision-maker priorities. This study considered different factors of a process displaying potential industrial applications still in the design stage to achieve a more efficient and balanced solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Processes for Sustainability)
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