The recent increase in the number of policies to protect the environment has led to a rise in the worldwide demand for activated carbon, which is the most extensively utilised adsorbent in numerous industries and has a high probability to be used in the energy and agriculture sectors as electrodes in supercapacitors and for fertiliser production. This paper is about the production of activated biochar from oak woodchips char generated by an updraft fixed bed gasifier reactor. Following this, using steam as activating agent and thermal energy from produced synthesis gas (syngas), the resulting highly microporous carbonaceous biomaterial was subjected to physical activation at 750ºC. The properties of activated biochar include adsorption or desorption of nitrogen to identify the physical adsorption and surface area measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The biochar surface area, generated as a result of the gasification process, showed substantial improvement after steam activation. Also, significant discrepancies were obtained from the surface volume and areas of biochar byproducts from the gasifier and activated biochar obtained by steam activation after the gasification treatment (total pore volume 0.022 cm³ g⁻¹ and 0.231 cm³ g⁻¹, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area 21.35 m² g⁻¹ and 458.28 m² g⁻¹, respectively). The two samples also yielded noteworthy differences in performance. As a consequence, it may be concluded that the kinetics of steam gasification is quicker and more efficient for the conversion of biochar to activated carbon. The pore sizes of the carbon produced by steam activation were distributed over a wide spectrum of values, and both micro- and mesoporous structures were developed.

A flexible combined heat, power and fuel production concept, FlexCHX, is being developed for managing the seasonal mismatch between solar energy supply and the demand for heat and power characteristic of northern and central Europe. The process produces an intermediate energy carrier (Fischer-Tropsch (FT) hydrocarbon product), which can be refined to transportation fuels using existing refineries. The FlexCHX process can be integrated into various combined heat and power (CHP) production systems, both industrial CHPs and communal district heating units. In the summer season, renewable fuels are produced from biomass and hydrogen; the hydrogen is produced from water via electrolysis that is driven by low-cost excess electricity from the grid. In the dark winter season, the plant is operated only with biomass in order to maximise the production of the much-needed heat, electricity and FT hydrocarbons. Most of the invested plant components are in full use throughout the year with only the electrolysis unit being operated seasonally. The catalytic reformer plays a key role in this process by converting tars and light hydrocarbon gases into synthesis gas (syngas) and by bringing the main gas constituents towards equilibrium. Developmental precious metal catalysts were used, and an optimal reformer concept was established and tested at pilot scale. Reforming results obtained at pilot gasification tests with commercial nickel catalysts and with the developed precious metal catalysts are presented.

PLATInum group metals Recovery Using Secondary raw materials (PLATIRUS), a European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 project, aims to address the platinum group metal (pgm) supply security within Europe by developing novel and greener pgm recycling processes for autocatalysts, mining and electronic wastes. The initial focus was on laboratory-scale research into ionometallurgical leaching, microwave assisted leaching, solvometallurgical leaching, liquid separation, solid phase separation, electrodeposition, electrochemical process: gas-diffusion electrocrystallisation and selective chlorination. These technologies were evaluated against key performance indicators (KPIs) including recovery, environmental impact and process compatibility; with the highest scoring technologies combining to give the selected PLATIRUS flowsheet comprising microwave assisted leaching, non-conventional liquid-liquid extraction and gas-diffusion electrocrystallisation. Operating in cascade, the PLATIRUS flowsheet processed ~1.3 kg of spent milled autocatalyst and produced 1.2 g palladium, 0.8 g platinum and 0.1 g rhodium in nitrate form with a 92–99% purity. The overall recoveries from feedstock to product were calculated as 46 ± 10%, 32 ± 8% and 27 ± 3% for palladium, platinum and rhodium respectively. The recycled pgm has been manufactured into autocatalysts for validation by end users. This paper aims to be a project overview, an in‐depth technical analysis into each technology is not included. It summarises the most promising technologies explored, the technology evaluation, operation of the selected technologies in cascade, the planned recycled pgm end user validation and the next steps required to ready the technologies for implementation and to further validate their potential.

The International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA) carried out the first ever industry-wide life cycle assessment on platinum group metals (pgms) which included data from a majority of the industry in both primary and secondary production, as well as one major application of pgms, i.e. their use in a car exhaust catalyst. The results, discussed in this paper, identify that the major impact (72%) of the production of pgms on the environment is from power consumption during mining and ore beneficiation; they also demonstrate that the impacts of pgm production are mitigated by the use of pgm-based automotive catalysts. The exercise provides benchmarking for the industry and a greater understanding of the impacts and benefits of pgms.

Industries face mounting challenges in the paradigm shift to a more circular economy. Research and development is increasingly focused on finding ways to turn waste into resources, recover energy and materials and make better use of resources extracted from the natural environment. At the same time industry and consumers seek to cause less harm in the form of pollution or CO2 emissions. In...

The manufacturing industry must diverge from a ‘take, make and waste’ linear production paradigm towards more circular economies. Truly sustainable, circular economies are intrinsically tied to renewable resource flows, where vast quantities need to be available at a central point of consumption. Abundant, renewable carbon feedstocks are often structurally complex and recalcitrant, requiring costly pretreatment to harness their potential fully. As such, the heat integration of supercritical water gasification (SCWG) and aerobic gas fermentation unlocks the promise of renewable feedstocks such as lignin. This study models the technoeconomics and life cycle assessment (LCA) for the sustainable production of the commodity chemicals, isopropanol and acetone, from gasified Kraft black liquor. The investment case is underpinned by rigorous process modelling informed by published continuous gas fermentation experimental data. Time series analyses support the price forecasts for the solvent products. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo simulation frames an uncertain boundary for the technoeconomic model. The technoeconomic assessment (TEA) demonstrates that production of commodity chemicals priced at ~US$1000 per tonne is within reach of aerobic gas fermentation. In addition, owing to the sequestration of biogenic carbon into the solvent products, negative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are achieved within a cradle-to-gate LCA framework. As such, the heat integrated aerobic gas fermentation platform has promise as a best-in-class technology for the production of a broad spectrum of renewable commodity chemicals.

A sustained global effort is required over the next few decades to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in order to address global warming as society seeks to deliver the Paris Agreement temperature goals. The increasing availability of renewable electricity will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. However, some applications, such as long-haul aviation, are particularly challenging to decarbonise. The conversion of waste, biomass or existing CO₂ emissions into sustainable fuels via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis offers one solution to this problem. This paper describes some of the challenges associated with this route to these alternative fuels and how Johnson Matthey and bp have solved them.

There is a growing move away from so called first generation biorenewables (which use food crops as the feedstock) towards second generation biorenewables which use non-food sources of biomass. Biorenewable products have the potential to support growing resource needs while addressing concerns regarding climate change and energy security. Examples of second generation biorenewable...

This study aims to investigate the interactions between collagen and tanning processes performed by ecol-tan^®, phosphonium, EasyWhite Tan^®, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde-free replacement synthetic tannin (syntan), condensed (mimosa) and hydrolysed (tara) vegetable tanning agents as alternatives to conventional basic chromium sulfate, widely used in the leather industry. Collagen stabilisation with tanning agents was determined by comparative thermal analysis methods: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and conventional shrinkage temperature (T _s) measurement. Analysis techniques and tanning agents were compared and bonding characteristics were ranked by the thermal stabilisation they provided. Chromium tanning agent was also compared with the alternative tanning systems. The results provide a different perspective than the conventional view to provide a better understanding of the relationship between tanning and thermal stability of leather materials.

Introduction “Heavy Metals in Water: Presence, Removal and Safety” is published by the Royal Society of Chemistry and consists of 16 independent chapters. The chapters can be broadly divided into two groups: those covering the techniques and processes used to deal with heavy metal pollution and those discussing a particular pollutant or pollution problem. The chapters are divided...

Hydrogen production from methanol oxidation over silver-gold/zinc oxide (AgAu/ZnO) catalysts was investigated. Bimetallic catalysts produced higher hydrogen yield and lower carbon monoxide and water yields than Ag/ZnO catalyst without deactivation during 72 h on stream at 250°C. In addition, the presence of Au in the bimetallic catalyst facilitated the preferential oxidation of CO to CO₂. Structural analysis of bimetallic catalysts indicated that the strong interaction between Ag and Au particles in the nano-range (4.2 nm–7.2 nm) efficiently enhanced the reducibility of non-selective silver oxide (Ag₂O) species. Furthermore dispersion of metal particles in bimetallic AgAu/ZnO catalysts did not significantly change after reaction; however, dispersion of Ag species in Ag/ZnO catalyst was remarkably decreased.