A. Álvarez-Murillo

Conversion of tomato-peel waste into solid fuel by hydrothermal carbonization: Influence of the processing variables.

In this work, the influence of the variables temperature, residence time, and biomass/water ratio on the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of tomato peel was investigated. The implementation of a Design of Experiments - Response Surface Methodology approach allowed to identify the importance of each variable, as well as their interactions, in both the reactivity (solid yield) and energy densification (increase in higher heating value). The HTC residence time and specially temperature had a major effect on the process, increasing the solid yield and promoting energy densification. Ratio had a minor effect although under certain temperature and time conditions, it was a decisive parameter. Solid yields in the range 27.6% and 87.7% with corresponding high heating values 23.6-34.6 MJ kg(-1) were obtained. From the statistical processing of the experimental data obtained pseudo-second order models were developed. It was proven that these approaches envisaged the hydrochar final characteristics successfully. From the elemental analysis and the FTIR spectra, it was possible to investigate the HTC pathway, which was defined as a combination of several processes; considering dehydration and decarboxylation reactions and especially lignin depolimerization reactions, which lead to the formation of monomeric radicals. Moreover, the surface morphology of selected hydrochars by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the original structure scaffold, with minor changes between hydrochars prepared under different conditions.

Fundamental study on the thermal regeneration stages of exhausted activated carbons: kinetics

In this work the thermal regeneration of activated carbons saturated with p-nitrophenol has been analysed. By thermogravimetry, it was possible to elucidate the different events taking place during the thermal treatment, and relate them to the type of adsorption in the interfacial system. It was found that the mass loss during thermal treatment comprises a complex process in which different stages are involved, such as drying, desorption of physisorbed adsorbate, breaking up of surface functional groups, cracking of products from adsorbate–surface-specific interactions, etc. The analysis of the textural and surface chemistry characteristics of the pristine and regenerated adsorbent confirmed the thermal desorption mechanisms. Moreover, a kinetic study based on temperature-programmed desorption and Suzuki models was performed, using thermogravimetry data at different heating rates (5–20xa0Kxa0min−1). From this analysis, the values of activation energy involved in each degradation step were estimated.

Production of Cost-Effective Mesoporous Materials from Prawn Shell Hydrocarbonization

In this work, prawn shell was studied as raw material for the production of mesoporous adsorbents via hydrocarbonization, studying the effect of temperature and time on the process reactivity and final characteristics of the hydrochars. By suitable characterization technique analyses (N2 adsorption at 77xa0K, SEM observation, ultimate analysis, surface composition), the materials were examined. It was found that in both cases mesoporous materials with low values of SBET due to the presence of CaCO3 on the material structure. In order to provide a potential application for these materials, the adsorption behaviour of hydrochars (HCs) as well as that of pristine prawn shells and ashes from prawn shell combustion was studied for the first time with the model compound p-nitrophenol (PNP). The results indicated that HC treatment was beneficial and enhanced adsorption performance, especially at high values of equilibrium concentration, attaining adsorption capacities up to 1.6xa0mgxa0g−1.

Homogeneous Diffusion Solid Model as a Realistic Approach to Describe Adsorption onto Materials with Different Geometries

In this work, the adsorption kinetics of p-nitrophenol (PNP) onto several commercial activated carbons (ACs) with different textural and geometrical characteristics was studied. For this aim, a homogeneous diffusion solid model (HDSM) was used, which does take the adsorbent shape into account. The HDSM was solved by means of the finite element method (FEM) using the commercial software COMSOL. The different kinetic patterns observed in the experiments carried out can be described by the developed model, which shows that the sharp drop of adsorption rate observed in some samples is caused by the formation of a concentration wave. The model allows one to visualize the changes in concentration taking place in both liquid and solid phases, which enables us to link the kinetic behaviour with the main features of the carbon samples.