Chemical engineering journal advances 

About: Chemical engineering journal advances is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Chemistry & Engineering. It has an ISSN identifier of 2666-8211. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 238 publications have been published receiving 916 citations.

Biodiesel production from mixed oils: A sustainable approach towards industrial biofuel production

Abstract: • Biodiesel synthesis from various mixed oil is reviewed. • Binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures of oils are employed for biodiesel synthesis. • Mixed oil improved the overall fuel properties of biodiesel. • Machine earning technology could efficiently optimize the process parameters. • Feedstock mixing promotes the possibility of low-cost and large-scale biodiesel production. Biodiesel is considered eco-friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic, and carbon-neutral fuel. It is made from edible or non-edible oil feedstocks including other triglyceride sources. The production of biodiesel depends on the availability of a particular feedstock and the cost of desired raw materials. Biodiesel is mainly produced by the transesterification process using a suitable catalyst preferably a heterogeneous catalyst as it is more beneficial in terms of reusability, recovery, product purity, and production cost as well. Various reactors are developed to produce cost-effective biodiesel at the commercial level. The latest trend in biodiesel synthesis is the application of the machine learning (ML) technique to optimize the process parameters. The application of a mixture of two or more oils as feedstock either non-edible or edible oil is emphasized for biodiesel synthesis and is presently getting more importance. In this paper, the production of biodiesel from various mixed oil (hybrid oil) is reviewed and the effects of mixed oil on the reaction, physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and fuel quality of the product are discussed. The study highlighted the activity of various catalysts in the reaction of mixed oil and the economic feasibility. It was found that the ratio of mixed oil is an important factor in terms of conversion and quality of biodiesel. It is also revealed that the application of the ML technique is essentially useful to optimize production efficiency. The utilization of mixed oils will overcome the issues related to the non-availability of feedstocks and reduce the overall cost with improved quality of biodiesel. This approach enhances the production possibility of biodiesel at a large-scale and may boost the biorefinery sector satisfying the future energy demand if the research at the advanced level goes in the right direction.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-based photocatalyst materials activity enhancement for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) degradation: In the light of modification strategies

Abstract: • Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have potential adverse effects. • TiO₂photocatalyst application drawbacks. • TiO₂ -based heterogeneous photocatalysts for solar driven AOPs. • Modification strategies for TiO₂-based photocatalyst composite materials. • Exploration of photocatalyst materials improvement for CECs degradation. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) as a photocatalyst has been ubiquitously studied for environmental applications. Though, readily available, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly; lower efficiency, less energy harvesting within the UV–Vis range with the ease of photogenerated charge recombination is still a concern for its full-scale deployment as a photocatalyst for environmental remediation applications. In the light of this, this mini review considers heteroatom doping, dye/metal sensitization, metal oxide/ semiconductor coupling, heterojunction constructions, surface morphology regulation as well carbonaceous and other nanomaterial hybrids for the improvement of TiO₂ photocatalytic activity performance efficiency in the removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from aqueous systems.

A review of recent advancements in pretreatment techniques of lignocellulosic materials for biogas production: Opportunities and Limitations

Abstract: To overcome the energy demand and environmental issues by applying ecofriendly techniques to produce green energy are getting high attentions in these days. Lignocellulosic materials are the most abundant resource of biomass on earth and these materials have become vital for anaerobic digestion. However, the structure of lignocellulosic materials is difficult to degrade during anaerobic digestion. Physical, thermal, chemical and thermochemical techniques have been widely used for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials, which might facilitate the degradation of pretreated lignocellulosic materials during anaerobic digestion. Further, in recent years many updated and advanced techniques have also been developed for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials. Therefore, this study systematically summaries the novel techniques and chemicals used for physical, thermal, chemical and thermochemical pretreatments of lignocellulosic materials for the enhancement of anaerobic digestion. In addition, the mechanism, applications, advantages and disadvantages and challenges of each type of the pretreatment have also been identified. Finally, this study will provide new ideas for the development of new pretreatment techniques.

A review of interactions of pesticides within various interfaces of intrinsic and organic residue amended soil environment

Abstract: Application of pesticides for enhancement in agricultural production has serious environmental and human health implications. Their inefficient and unregulated application is among main reasons for their contamination in soil, water and food systems. Application of organic resides for soil amendment is one of the low cost and sustainable option to avoid such pesticide contamination in the environment. However, the complexity of the interactions of the pesticide with soil interface that decide their fate and transport in soil environment needs comprehensive understanding. Therefore the focus of the review is to provide an in-depth elaboration of interactions of pesticides with various components of soil environment (both virgin soil and soil amended with organic residues). In addition, the factors (from the perspective of pesticide and soil) that influence the fate and transport of pesticides are discussed. This review will be useful for researchers and practitioners in understanding the fate and transport of pesticides within intrinsic and organic residue amended soil environment that is necessary to avoid / reduce the pesticide contamination in various environmental matrices.

Opportunities and Challenges in Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) based Sustainable Energy Generation Technologies: A Mini-Review

Abstract: Almost ten years after the publication of the first triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) paper in 2012, this review gives a brief overview of recent technological advances in applying TENG technology to key sustainable and renewable energy applications. The paper examines progress of TENG applications in four key areas such as wearables, wave, wind and transport. TENGs have advanced hugely since its inception and approaches to apply them to a host of freely available sources of kinetic energy have been developed. However, electrical output remains low (mostly less than 500 W/m2) compared to some other forms of energy generation and the main challenges for the future appear to be further boosting output power and current, fabricating advanced TENGs economically and designing TENGs for lifetime survival in various practical environments. It concludes with a discussion of pressing challenges for realizing the full potential of TENGs in these application areas particularly from the perspective of materials and fabrication. It is noted that considerable research and development should be required to enable large-scale manufacture of TENG based devices. TENGs will be instrumental in the future evolution of the Internet of Things (IoTs), human-machine interfacing, machine learning applications and ‘net-zero emission’ technologies.