Biomethane Production as an Alternative Bioenergy Source from Codigesters Treating Municipal Sludge and Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes

Energy recovery potential of a mesophilic co-digester treating OFMSW and primary sludge at an integrated biomethanization plant was investigated based on feasibility study results. Since landfilling is still the main solid waste disposal method in Turkey, land scarcity will become one of the most important obstacles. Restrictions for biodegradable waste disposal to sanitary landfills in EU Landfill Directive and uncontrolled long-term contamination with gas emissions and leachate necessitate alternative management strategies due to rapid increase in MSW production. Moreover, since energy contribution from renewable resources will be required more in the future with increasing oil prices and dwindling supplies of conventional energy sources, the significance of biogas as a renewable fuel has been increased in the last decade. Results indicated that almost 93% of annual total cost can be recovered if 100% renewable energy subsidy is implemented. Besides, considering the potential revenue when replacing transport fuels, about 26 heavy good vehicles or 549 cars may be powered per year by the biogas produced from the proposed biomethanization plant (PE = 100,000; XPS = 61 g TS/PE·day; XSS-OFMSW = 50 g TS/PE·day)

Two-year clinical evaluation of ormocer and nanofill composite with and without a flowable liner

Purpose: The aim of this clinical follow-up study was to determine the clinical performance of ormocer and a new nanofill composite material, lined or not lined with flowable composites, after 2 years

Effects of dietary acids on surface microhardness of various tooth-colored restoratives

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate if surface microhardness of Fuji IX GP, Vitremer, Dyract AP, and Prodigy is influenced by conditioning in aqueous solutions of lactic, orthophosphoric, citric, and acetic acids against bidistilled water (which was used as control). The pH values of acids used in this study were representative of dietary acids. All specimens were stored in bidistilled water for one week and then conditioned in the respective test solutions for another week. Citric (p<0.05) and acetic acids reduced, while lactic and orthophosphoric acids (p<0.05) increased the microhardness of both Fuji IX GP and Vitremer. On the other hand, microhardness of both Dyract AP and Prodigy was significantly reduced by all acidic media (p<0.05). The observed differences in the surface microhardness of various tooth-colored restorative materials conditioned in several media varied not only with the pH but also the nature of the acidic solution, and with the composition of the evaluated material

Energy production from biomass valorization

This article belongs to the Section A4: Bio-Energy.</p