Valorization of peanut wastes into a catalyst in production of biodiesel

Abstract

Summary To offer an innovative way to valorize industrial crop waste into the diverse types of biofuels, the thermochemical process of peanut waste (PW) was investigated. In particular, this study laid a great stress on the use of PW‐derived biochar as a cheap catalytic material in the production of biodiesel. Specifically, biochar derived from the pyrolysis of PW was used as a catalytic and porous medium for biodiesel production to enhance reaction kinetics and lower reaction temperature, compared to conventional methods. Two PW‐derived biochars produced at 600°C (PWB‐600) and 700°C (PWB‐700) were effective on the transesterification of soybean oil, showing higher than 95 wt% of biodiesel yield after 1 minute of transesterification reaction at ≥210°C. As a comparison, a commercially used reaction, alkali‐catalyzed transesterification, was conducted at 60°C with a KOH catalyst. Biodiesel yield from the alkali‐catalyzed reaction was less than 90 wt% even after 6 hours of reaction. Given that the biochar formation process results in the generation of pyrolytic gases and oils, both pyrolysates at different temperatures were also monitored. Pyrolytic gases included syngas and C1‐2 hydrocarbons, whereas pyrolytic oils consisted of phenolic compounds that can be used as intermediates for the synthesis of value‐added chemicals. Thus, the results confirmed that the thermochemical upgrading of PW produces value‐added industrial chemicals (pyrolytic gases and oils) and biochars that are highly active for the biodiesel production process.

From Waste to Strength: Unveiling the Mechanical Properties of Peanut-Shell-Based Polymer Composites

“…Using groundnut shells as a biomass feedstock could potentially be economically beneficial for groundnut farmers, while also reducing the amount of waste produced by the food processing industry. Various useful compounds can be extracted from groundnut shell powder, including biochar [32], cellulose nanofibers [33], biofuels such as bioethanol or biodiesel [34][35][36][37][38], carbon nanoparticles [39,40], and silica nanoparticles [41]. Some of these extracts, including biochar, carbon nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, and peanut shell powder/fibers, can be used as filler material for developing polymer composites.…”

Thermokinetics of production of biochar from crop residues: an overview

“…that focus on removing biodegradable organic contaminants and pathogens, biochar-based technologies are capable of removing multiple contaminants simultaneously, including many contaminants that are typically resistant to chemical and biological degradation in conventional treatment processes. [12][13][14] Moreover, biochar-modified soils tend to have higher moisture content in both fine-textured and coarse-textured soils because the biochar particles form larger pores in fine-textured soils are improving water flow and water availability in the soil; while biochar in coarse-textured soils clogs the largest pores in the soil, preventing water flow and improving water retention. 15 Global warming and the impact of human activities on ecosystems destabilize the balance between inputs and outputs and lead to the loss of soil organic carbon, which in turn exacerbates climate change.…”

Valorization of sawdust biomass for biopolymer extraction via green method: Comparison with conventional process

“…This is an advantage for bioplastic products because it mitigates the problems of climate change and global warming. 7 Additional to bioplastics, valorization of organic biomass can led us to obtain sustainable and valuable materials, such as crosslinking agents, chemicals and fuels, 8 for example, raw materials for bio-hydrogen production, 9 solar cells, 10 wastewater treatment 11 and solar-steam-assisted desalination, 12 to name a few. In fact, biomass also has great potential in the functional materials field of high performance.…”