Green and simple approach for low-cost bioproducts preparation and CO2 capture

Dur�n-Jim�nez, Gabriela; Kostas, Emily T.; Stevens, Lee A.; Meredith, Will; Erans, Maria; Hern�ndez-Montoya, Virginia; Buttress, Adam; Uguna, Clement N.; Binner, Eleanor

Abstract

This study has demonstrated, for the first time, a simple, fast and flexible microwave processing method for the simultaneous preparation of bio-products (bio-oil, bio-gas and biochar) using a methodology that avoids any form of catalyst or chemical activation. The dielectric properties of biomass and physicochemical characterisation such as TGA, elemental and proximate analysis, XRD, SEM/EDX and textural properties, showed that 8 kJ g−1 of microwave energy can produce superior biochars for applications in CO2 capture. The maximum CO2 uptake capacity for biochar produced was 2.5 mmol g−1 and 2.0 mmol g−1 at 0 and 25 °C and 1 bar, which and also exhibited high gas selectivity compared with N2, fast kinetics of adsorption (95%) after 20 cycles. GC-MS analysis of generated bio-oil products revealed that higher microwave energies (>8 kJ g−1) significantly enhanced the amount of bio-oil produced (39%) and specifically the formation of levoglucosan, furfural and phenolics compounds, and bio-gas analysis identified trace levels of H2 and CH4. The results from this study confirm a green, inexpensive and efficient approach for biomass valorisation which can easily be embedded within bio-refinery process, and also demonstrates the potential of biochars for post-combustion CO2 uptake.

Citation

Durán-Jiménez, G., Kostas, E. T., Stevens, L. A., Meredith, W., Erans, M., Hernández-Montoya, V., …Binner, E. (2021). Green and simple approach for low-cost bioproducts preparation and CO2 capture. Chemosphere, 279, Article 130512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130512

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 5, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Apr 15, 2021
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jun 22, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 16, 2022
• Journal: Chemosphere
• Print ISSN: 0045-6535
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1298
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 279
• Article Number: 130512
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130512
• Keywords: General Chemistry; Environmental Chemistry; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5470194
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653521009838?via%3Dihub