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- Abdelaziz, Omar Y., et al.
(author)
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Physicochemical Characterisation of Technical Lignins for Their Potential Valorisation
- 2017
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In: Waste and Biomass Valorization. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1877-265X .- 1877-2641. ; 8:3, s. 859-869
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer, has emerged as a potential alternative material to petroleum-based chemicals and renewable resource for the production of diverse forms of aromatics, biofuels, and bio-based materials. Thus, it is becoming important to understand its structure and properties to provide key features and insights for better/efficient lignin valorisation. In this work, the physicochemical characterisation of two types of industrial (technical) lignins, namely LignoBoost lignin and alkali-treated lignin was performed. Characterisation has been conducted using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller N2 adsorption, particle size distribution, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the pretreatment severity considerably influenced the lignin composition and functional properties. The measured physicochemical properties helped in proposing potential valorisation routes for these lignins in the context of a biorefinery, focusing on their depolymerisation and subsequent biological conversion to value-added chemicals and fuels.
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| 2. |
- Ali, Dalia A., et al.
(author)
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Co-gasification of coal and biomass wastes in an entrained flow gasifier: Modelling, simulation and integration opportunities
- 2017
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In: Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1875-5100. ; 37, s. 126-137
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Gasification processes convert carbon-containing material into syngas through chemical reactions in the presence of gasifying agents such as air, oxygen, and steam. Syngas mixtures produced from such processes consist mainly of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4); this gas can be directly utilised as a fuel to produce electricity or steam. Besides, it is regarded as a basic feedstock within the petrochemical and conventional refining industries, producing various useful products like methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, and acetic acid. In this work, a rigorous process model is developed to simulate the co-gasification of coal-biomass blends through an entrained flow gasifier. The proposed model is tested originally for American coal. The model validation is made against literature data and results show good agreement with these practical data, providing a robust basis for integration and retrofitting applications. Effects of critical parameters, comprising gasification temperature, steam/O2 ratio, and feedstock variability on the syngas composition and gasifier efficiency are studied. The developed model is further applied in a project to revamp an existing Egyptian natural gas-based power plant, replacing its standard fuel with coal-rice straw blends. The revamping project integrates the existing plant with a gasification unit burning a blend of coal and rice straw to replace the conventional fuel used. The feedstock used constitutes a dry Egyptian coal and a coal-rice straw blend (10 wt% rice straw), gathered locally. Different blending scenarios are investigated and the best performance is achieved with coal to rice straw ratio of 90:10 on weight basis, attaining 85.7% cold gas efficiency and significant economic savings. Results showed that the total annualised cost of the revamped process decreased by 52.7% compared with a newly built integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) unit.
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