The Reuse of Biomass and Industrial Waste in Biocomposite Construction Materials for Decreasing Natural Resource Use and Mitigating the Environmental Impact of the Construction Industry: A Review

Multifunctional performance assessment of waste-based bioplastic wall panels for acoustic thermal and structural efficiency in interior architecture

The study presents a comprehensive evaluation of bioplastic wall cladding units fabricated from organic and plant-based wastes, focusing on their acoustic, mechanical, and thermal performance. The research investigates various configurations, including solid, hollow, and carpet waste-covered tiles, to assess their multifunctional properties. Acoustic testing revealed that carpet waste-covered tiles provide superior sound insulation, achieving performance levels comparable to laminated gypsum boards. Mechanical testing demonstrated sufficient yield strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity, confirming their suitability for non-load-bearing interior applications. Thermal testing highlighted effective insulation capabilities, with linen bark and orange peel configurations showing optimal performance. By integrating recycled materials such as carpet waste, this study addresses critical environmental challenges while enhancing the properties of bioplastic cladding. The findings underscore the potential of these tiles as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional materials, offering architects and designers innovative solutions for sustainable and functional interior design. Future research directions include evaluating long-term durability, fire resistance, and advanced formulations to expand the applications of bioplastic cladding in modern architecture.

Agro-industrial residue torrefaction to bio-coal: Its physico-chemical characterization and potential applications in energy and environmental protection

Leveraging biofuel derived from biomass stands as a pivotal strategy in reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Biomass serves as a clean, renewable energy source, offering inherent benefits. However, despite its advantages, biomass encounters obstacles hindering its widespread industrial applications, including its relatively low calorific value, limited grindability, high water content, and susceptibility to corrosion. The torrefaction process has garnered significant attention as an effective method for enhancing the quality of raw biomass for energy production. In this review, we briefly discussed the mechanism of bio-coal preparation using biomass, physico-chemical characterization of different torrefied feedstocks, and the effect of torrefaction parameters, along with the effect of the different types of reactors on biomass torrefaction. Furthermore, bio-coal's emission characteristics and fuel quality throughout the thermal treatment have been covered. Thus, bio-coal finds a wide range of applications in sustainable energy generation, environmental remediation, agri-food development, polymer composites, and others.

Effects of Biochar Addition on the Properties of Alkali-Activated Materials

The addition of biochar to Portland cement composites has been proven to increase some of the material properties. The effect on alkali-activated materials has not been fully investigated. In this study, different recipes of metakaolin pastes at different biochar amounts are tested. Their physical and mechanical properties are analyzed to understand if any beneficial effects can be found even for alkali-activated binders. The results show that the addition of small amounts of biochar (<2 wt%) increases the compressive strength of metakaolin pastes (+15% after 28 days) and decreases the water absorption by capillarity, possibly leading to increased durability. Higher biochar content decreases the mechanical properties but provides higher dimensional stability and reduces the formation of efflorescence.

Polysaccharide biocomposites with tunable adsorption and antipathogen activity via surface immobilization of chitosan onto modified flax fibers

Flax fiber modified composite (FFMC) duplex systems with unique sorbent and antipathogen properties were developed by physisorption of chitosan onto modified flax fibers by a facile method. Complementary characterization of the FFMCs (Raman, NMR, and IR, SEM, XRD, TGA and BET analysis) revealed variable composite morphology with incremental chitosan doping and supramolecular interactions between the fiber substrate and immobilized chitosan. Dye adsorption profiles of FFMCs with Rose Bengal corroborated the role of physisorption with an adsorption capacity that rises to 17.9 mg/g, whereas the water sorption capacity reaches an impressive value ca. 11 g/g, which indicated the role of synergism upon chitosan immobilization. Anti-microbial/-fungal properties were supported by antipathogen tests. The FFMCs have high antimicrobial potency toward gram negative (E. coli), gram positive (S. aureus) and a fungal strain (C. albicans) based on the low FFMC dosages required to achieve 100 % microbial elimination. This versatile class of unique biocomposites displayed unique structure-function relationships related to synergistic water sorption and antipathogenic effects, as compared to available literature reports. FFMCs are a diversiform class of biocomposites with unique physicochemical and biological properties that are shown to extend the field of adsorption science and technology from environmental remediation to biomedical devices.

Environmental Impacts of Photovoltaic Energy Storage in a Nearly Zero Energy Building Life Cycle

Climate change, the economic crisis and the current geopolitical situation are the biggest challenges of today. They participate to a fundamental extent in the creation of international policies. Renewable energy sources are thus gaining worldwide popularity. The paper deals with the assessment of the impact of four selected stages of the life cycle of a NZEB building on the environment in 13 impact categories. The analysis is performed in accordance with the LCA method using the attributional modeling approach. The results show the partial and total shift of impacts on the environment of photovoltaic energy storage in comparison with photovoltaic energy export across the building life cycle. Along the climate change impact reduction as a positive effect on the environment, a substantial impact increase is observed on the depletion of abiotic resources. Results also show the total environmental impact of the building life cycle, considering the use of stored energy in a lithium-based battery as being beneficial in most categories despite the relatively high impact increment in the stage of replacement.

A Mini Review on Persulfate Activation by Sustainable Biochar for the Removal of Antibiotics

Antibiotic contamination in water bodies poses ecological risks to aquatic organisms and humans and is a global environmental issue. Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) are efficient for the removal of antibiotics. Sustainable biochar materials have emerged as potential candidates as persulfates (Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and Peroxydisulfate (PDS)) activation catalysts to degrade antibiotics. In this review, the feasibility of pristine biochar and modified biochar (non-metal heteroatom-doped biochar and metal-loaded biochar) for the removal of antibiotics in PS-AOPs is evaluated through a critical analysis of recent research. The removal performances of biochar materials, the underlying mechanisms, and active sites involved in the reactions are studied. Lastly, sustainability considerations for future biochar research, including Sustainable Development Goals, technical feasibility, toxicity assessment, economic and life cycle assessment, are discussed to promote the large-scale application of biochar/PS technology. This is in line with the global trends in ensuring sustainable production.