Sustainable Biofuel Production from Brown and Green Macroalgae through the Pyrolysis

The escalating demand for energy coupled with environmental concerns necessitates exploring sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.The study explores the viability of using large ocean-based seaweeds as a source of thirdgeneration biomass,specifically focusing on their conversion to biofuel via the process of pyrolysis.Sargassum plagiophyllum and Ulva lactuca represent prevalent forms of macroalgae,posing significant discharge challenges for coastal regions globally.However,the exploration of their potential for bio-oil generation via pyrolysis remains limited.This study investigates the pyrolysis process of S.plagiophyllum and U.lactuca for biofuel production,aiming to provide valuable insights into their utilization and optimization.Pyrolysis experiments were conducted within temperature ranges of 400°C to 600°C and durations of 10 to 50 min using a batch reactor.The chemical analysis of the synthesized bio-oil indicated it contains critical compounds such as organic acid derivatives,furans,nitrogenous aromatics,and aliphatic hydrocarbons.The effectiveness of converting the initial biomass into bio-oil is significantly influenced by the pace at which the biomass undergoes decomposition,underscoring the importance of comprehending the kinetic aspects of this conversion.By applying the Arrhenius formula,we calculated the activation energies and frequency factors,with the findings for S.plagiophyllum being 15.27 kJ/mol and 0.477 s^(-1),and for U.lactuca,the values were 43.17 kJ/mol and 0.351 s^(-1),correspondingly.These findings underscore the potential of brown and green macroalgae as sustainable sources for biofuel production via pyrolysis,offering insights for further optimization and valorization efforts in the quest for renewable energy solutions.

Effectiveness of ultrafine bubbles and gamma irradiation treatments to improve seed viability and vigor of Albizia chinensis(Osbeck)Merr.

Ultrafine bubbles and low doses of gamma irradiation had a positive effect on seed germination.This research tested the effectiveness of ultrafine bubbles(UFB)water and gamma irradiation for improving the viability and vigor of Albizia chinensis(Osbeck)Merr.seeds that had been stored for four years.A completely randomized two-factor experiment,i.e.,UFB water and gamma irradiation treatments,were used to determine the best seed treatment.The UFB water treatment had a significant effect on all seed germination parameters;the gamma irradiation treatment did not have a significant effect on improving the viability and vigor of the seeds,with a very low initial germination(11.7%).Soaking the seeds in UFB water for 30 min gave the best germination(51.3%).These improvements also occurred in other germination parameters such as germination rate,germination value,radicle length and vigor index.The UFB water treatment has the potential to improve the germination of seeds with low physiological qualities.

External defects and severity level evaluation of potato using single and multispectral imaging in near infrared region Author links open overlay panel

Non-invasive potato defects detection has been demanded for sorting and grading purpose.Researches on the classification of the defects has been available,however,investigation on the severity level calculation is limited.For the detection of the common scab,it has been found that imaging in the infrared region provide an interesting characteristic that could distinguish defected area to normal area.Thus,investigations on this wavelength range is interesting to add more knowledge and for applications.In this research,the multispectral image has been obtained and investigated especially at three wavelengths(950,1150,1600 nm).Image pre-processing and pseudo-color conversion techniques were explored to enhance the contrast between defects,normal background skin area and soil deposits.Results show that external defects,such as common scab and some mechanical damage types,appear brighter in the near infrared region,especially at 1600 nm against the normal skin background.It has been found that pseudo-color images conversion provides more information regarding type if surface characteristics compared to grayscale single imaging.Image segmentation using pseudo-color images after multiplication operation pre-processing could be used for common scab and mechanical damage detection excluding soil deposits with a Dice Sorensen coefficient of 0.64.In addition,image segmentation using single image at 1600 nm shown relatively better results with Dice Sorensen coefficient of 0.72 with note that thick soil deposits will also be segmented.Defect severity level evaluation had an R2 correlation of 0.84 against standard measurements of severity.