Biomasa

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• Rolando Calero, Herrera Brunnet

  From waste to biopolymers: anaerobic fermentation as a sustainable pathway for polyhydroxyalkanoates production

  Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biopolymers gaining relevance due to their biodegradability and potential to replace conventional plastics, making them a promising solution to mitigate plastic pollution. The production of PHA from volatile fatty acids (VFA), generated through anaerobic waste treatment, offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional production routes. This article examines the anaerobic treatment of various waste substrates, such as glycerol, palm oil, fruit and vegetable bagasse, whey, and molasses, aiming to produce VFA. These substrates are evaluated based on their availability, low cost, and compatibility with sustainable biotechnological processes. Furthermore, the advantages and limitations of each substrate are discussed, along with the optimal operational conditions to maximize waste conversion into VFA. The research holds significant implications for the development of integrated biorefinery systems and waste valorization in the PHA industry.

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.3678

• Devi Saraí Orozco Fuentes, Ana Paula Velastegui Nuñez, Nicolas Vela-Garcia

  Design of a lignocellulosic waste conversion route for the production of butane as a substitute for liquefied petroleum gas

  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is essential, mainly for domestic use, representing 10.4% of Ecuador's energy demand. In the absence of mechanisms for the valorization of lignocellulosic waste in the country, a biomass-to-butane conversion route was proposed as a substitute for LPG through a computational design to evaluate its technical, economic and environmental feasibility. The optimal waste for the process was selected based on the annual generation rate and physical-chemical composition. The route configuration was designed in AspenPlus^® with an input of 77 t/h biomass. Based on the results, an economic and life cycle analysis was carried out using the openLCA^® software. Butane production reached seven tons per hour and an energy density of 26.7 MJ/L.

  Regarding the economic axis, the minimum sale price calculated was $1.03/kg, considering the sale of lignin as a co-product. In this way, the biofuel was competitive with the sale price of one dollar per kilogram of LPG. Finally, the total carbon footprint of the process was 102 g CO2-eq/MJ, higher than the European standard of 94 g CO2-eq/MJ. This research opens the door towards optimizing resources and transforming the country's energy matrix.

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v15i1.2884

• Borja Velázquez-Martí, Jorge Efraín Vega Chariguaman, Alberto Cristobal Gutiérrez Albán, Carlos Cazco-Logroño, Henry Rolando Chandi Mora

  Biomass Assessment of Peach Trees in the Ecuadorian Andes

  This work focused on the evaluation of four essential aspects of biomass based on peach trees grown in the Andean region of Ecuador. In one case, mathematical models have been developed allowing the amount of lignocellulosic material to be quantified from easily measurable parameters such as crown diameter, stem diameter and plant height. Performing quick surveys, these equations led to obtain the amount of biomass contained in a plot. In a second case, elemental analysis of biomass was performed in order to determine the amount of CO2 captured from the atmosphere through photosynthesis during its growth, and thus to assess the contribution of these plots in mitigating climate change. Afterwards, residual biomass from pruning was quantified and a proximal analysis was carried out. This allowed us to assess the suitability of these materials as solid biofuels. The models obtained to determine the volume of the branches gave determination coefficients of 0.98. Models to quantify the biomass of the whole plant had r2 of 70%. The
  density of the dried material was 0.92 g/cm3, obtaining an average dry wood weight of 44.8 kg per plant. This represents a content of 1682 moles of captured CO2 of a developed plant crop (3 years). The average ash on dry wood was 3%, fixed carbon content on dry wood was 7%, and volatile content dry wood was 78%. The moisture content of waste materials after pruning was 45.96%. The drying time in store for humidity below 10%, suitable for burning boiler, was 15 days. The higher heating value of peach wood was 18.92MJ/kg.

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v14i2.1920

• Juan Sebastián Proaño Avilés

  Waste Biomass as an energy and materials resource

  N/A

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v14i1.2653

• Bernardo del Campo, Thomas J. Brumm, Nir Keren

  Fast Pyrolysis Biochar Flammability behavior for Handling and Storage

  Biochar is a fairly new material in the research arena with limited information on safety aspects related to transportation, storage, disposal or field application methods. The objective of this research was to assess the flammability characteristics of fast pyrolysis biochars with test methods EPA 1030 and ASTM 4982. Results indicated that biochar is a non-flammable substance when tested with EPA 1030 ignitability of solids. However, when tested with ASTM D4982, a fast screening method, biochars showed potential risks of flammability. However, the addition of 20-50% moisture reduced any flammability concern.

  Fast pyrolysis biochar was more prone to be flammable than traditional charcoal and slow pyrolysis biochar tested in this study. Still, fast pyrolysis biochars presented lower flammability potential (ASTM 4982) in comparison to its precursor biomass. The flammability propagation measured with EPA 1030, had high correlations with oxygen content and surface area of the fast pyrolysis biochar. The combustion reaction of fast pyrolysis biochar is a flameless combustion process, with a slow burning rate, and most commonly exhibiting a hot ember smoldering propagation front.

  This paper illustrates the necessity of performing recurring tests due to biochar"™s intrinsic variability stemming from the different modes of production and feedstock used.

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v13i2.2314

• Carolina Yagual; Veroníca Hedoíza; Ana Cevallo, Veridian Zambrano, Pamela Llive, Francisco Carvajal

  Utilization of banana fiber for paper elaboration

  Ecuador is one of the biggest banana producers and exporters worldwide, so the amount of waste generated by this industry is enormous. This review analyzed the opportunity to reuse banana"™s (Musa sapientum) pseudostem fiber to make paper. The recollected information shows that the process to obtain the fiber starts with the separation of lignin from cellulose using a digester, followed by washing, bleaching, beating, pressing and drying. Its chemical composition, low lignin and high alpha-cellulose content allows its re-utilization for the fabrication of high quality, biodegradable, economical and non-toxic paper. The analysis of the information and the data collected shows that banana fiber has mechanical properties such as absorption, density, flexibility and resistance, similar to wood fiber. The reviewed process suggests that the banana production chain could become not only more efficient but also more effective, which leads to the reduction of the waste created during banana commercialization and the possibility of expanding towards a globalized world that requires more ecological operation systems. Due to the explanation above, it is expected to see this type of paper being manufactured in the near future.

  DOI: https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v13i1.1772