Energy storage using batteries offers a solution to the intermittent nature of energy production from renewable sources; however, such technology must be sustainable. This Review discusses battery development from a sustainability perspective, considering the energy and environmental costs of state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and the design of new systems beyond Li-ion. Images: batteries, car, globe: © iStock/Thinkstock.

Towards greener and more sustainable batteries for electrical energy storage

An overview of the chemical composition of biomass

Lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis mechanism: A state-of-the-art review

The carbonization of biomass residuals to char has strong potential to become an environmentally sound conversion process for the production of a wide variety of products. In addition to its traditional use for the production of charcoal and other energy vectors, pyrolysis can produce products for environmental, catalytic, electronic and agricultural applications. As an alternative to dry pyrolysis, the wet pyrolysis process, also known as hydrothermal carbonization, opens up the field of potential feedstocks for char production to a range of nontraditional renewable and plentiful wet agricultural residues and municipal wastes. Its chemistry offers huge potential to influence product characteristics on demand, and produce designer carbon materials. Future uses of these hydrochars may range from innovative materials to soil amelioration, nutrient conservation via intelligent waste stream management and the increase of carbon stock in degraded soils.

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Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass residuals: a comparative review of the chemistry, processes and applications of wet and dry pyrolysis

Currently, fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas represent the prime energy sources in the world. However, it is anticipated that these sources of energy will deplete within the next 40–50 years. Moreover, the expected environmental damages such as the global warming, acid rain and urban smog due to the production of emissions from these sources have tempted the world to try to reduce carbon emissions by 80% and shift towards utilizing a variety of renewable energy resources (RES) which are less environmentally harmful such as solar, wind, biomass etc. in a sustainable way. Biomass is one of the earliest sources of energy with very specific properties. In this review, several aspects which are associated with burning biomass in boilers have been investigated such as composition of biomass, estimating the higher heating value of biomass, comparison between biomass and other fuels, combustion of biomass, co-firing of biomass and coal, impacts of biomass, economic and social analysis of biomass, transportation of biomass, densification of biomass, problems of biomass and future of biomass. It has been found that utilizing biomass in boilers offers many economical, social and environmental benefits such as financial net saving, conservation of fossil fuel resources, job opportunities creation and CO 2 and NO x emissions reduction. However, care should be taken to other environmental impacts of biomass such as land and water resources, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and deforestation. Fouling, marketing, low heating value, storage and collections and handling are all associated problems when burning biomass in boilers. The future of biomass in boilers depends upon the development of the markets for fossil fuels and on policy decisions regarding the biomass market.

A review on biomass as a fuel for boilers

Migration behavior of chlorine during co-gasification of Shenmu coal and corn straw

Titanium dioxide coatings and zirconium dioxide were deposited on SiO2 underlayers by sol-gel method on stainless steel plates. The samples were treated at two different temperatures (500 and 700oC) in air. The morphology was examined by means of Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the phase composition by X-ray diffraction analyses. The corrosion resistance of the coatings were examined by evaluation of the weight loss in NaCl medium. The TiO2/SiO2 coatings possess relatively smooth surface with some crystallites on the surface, while ZrO2/SiO2 coatings are not so smooth. After treatment at higher temperature the ZrO2/SiO2 coatings become rougher. The weight loss measurement have proved that the TiO2/SiO2 coatings exhibit higher corrosion resistance in comparison to ZrO2/SiO2 coatings. The TiO2/SiO2 coatings, treated at 500oC after the corrosion test retain their characteristic grain structure without any cracks and other defects. Similar is the structure of these coatings, treated at 700oC. The better protective properties of TiO2/SiO2 could be attributed to their amorphous dense structure.

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Stanislav V. Vassilev

Papers

Migration behavior of chlorine during co-gasification of Shenmu coal and corn straw

EFFECT OF TREATMENT TEMPERATURE OF TiO2/SiO2 AND ZrO2/SiO2 COATINGS ON THEIR CORROSION STABILITY

A retrospection on the content, association, and significance of mercury in coals and coal ashes from Bulgarian thermoelectric power stations.

Content, modes of occurrence, and significance of phosphorous in biomass and biomass ash