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Revalorización de residuos de algas y fanerógamas marinas mediante tecnologías limpias

La eutrofización causa acumulación excesiva de algas y fanerógamas marinas en las costas de las playas ocasionando un aumento del número de insectos, nematodos y bacterias que pueden producir problemas sanitarios, medioambientales y económicos que afectan negativamente al turismo. Una alternativa sostenible a su recogida y eliminación es la reutilización como fuente renovable de celulosa para su posterior modificación y transformación en productos con valor añadido. La celulosa extraída mediante tecnologías limpias se modifica químicamente mediante reacciones de mercerización-cationización para obtener compuestos con capacidad floculante que puedan competir con los floculantes sintéticos empleados en el tratamiento de aguas residuales reduciendo la producción de lodos, principal problema medioambiental de las depuradoras. Proyecto: UPO-1381251, FEDERECOWAL Group, Molelular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Dpt. Universidad Pablo de Olavid

Resource recovery and reduction of tidal waste to produce cellulose through sulphur-free pulping

The transition towards a sustainable cellulose industry needs more environmentally friendly technologies, including the use of lignocellulosic waste as alternative raw materials. This work shows the potential of dead biomass from the Andalusian Mediterranean coastline to obtain cellulosic pulp. With this purpose, predominant species in onshore residues (mainly Posidonia oceanica) were prepared, characterized, and subjected to a soda-anthraquinone pulping process. A central composite design was defined in order to relate the process conditions to the composition and characteristics of the cellulose pulp. It was concluded that polynomial models encompassing linear, quadratic, and binary efect parameters reproduce the experimental results satisfactorily. Results allowed to choose high anthraquinone dosage, alkali charge and temperature, low liquid/solid ratio and short time as a compromise solution, by which the brightness, ethanol–benzene extractives content, kappa number, lignin content and viscosity were near their optimal. Low values of liquid/solid ratio reduce water consumption, which is of utmost importance in cellulose industries likewise short time treatments to save energyECOWAL Group, Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Department, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spai

Material revalorization of beach wrack comprising seaweed and marine phanerogams: Optimization of hydrothermal treatments

Tidal waste causes accumulation of seaweed and marine plants on coasts, resulting in an.eutrophication process and proliferation of insects, nematodes, and bacteria that negatively affect the beach ecosystem and local human economic activities. This work highlights the potential of beach wrack from the Andalusian Mediterranean coastline as cellulosic materials, in the frame of concepts such as waste management, revalorization, and reduction of hazardous chemicals. With this purpose, beach waste was harvested, washed with water, characterized, and subjected to chemical-free hydrothermal treatments. A central composite design was defined in order to relate the hydrothermal treatment conditions to the composition of the liquid and solid fractions. It was concluded that polynomial models encompassing linear, quadratic, and binary effect parameters reproduce the experimental results satisfactorily (e.g., R2 = 0.97–0.98 for saccharides released). As expected, severe conditions resulted in higher removal of hemicellulose, and of small amounts of lignin along with it, but at the expense of the yield. Results allowed us to choose high temperature (150 °C), short time (30 min) and low liquid/solid ratio (8) as a compromise solution, by which the yield and the outlet concentrations of glucose, xylose, and arabinose approached their optimal values. Although longer times grant further removal of non-fibrous materials, this small difference is compensated by energy savings and reduction on water consumption.ECOWAL Group, Molelular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Dpt. Universidad Pablo de Olavid

Revalorization of tidal waste as sustainable flocculants through clean technologies.

The current trend towards seeking renewable resources, as a consequence of the environmental impact triggered by the use of polluting raw materials, has led to an increase in research on cellulose. This natural polymer accounts for around 1.5×1012 tons of the total annual biomass production and is considered a virtually inexhaustible source of raw material for the growing demand for environmentally friendly products [1]. However, the cellulose industry relies heavily on lignocellulosic biomass such as wood, cotton, flax, hemp, etc., materials in which lignin removal poses a major challenge due to the harsh chemical treatment required, resulting in partial cellulose degradation and the production of highly polluting effluents. For this reason, readily accessible biomass with lower lignin content, such as seaweeds and marine phanerogams, represents a sustainable alternative source of cellulose [2]. Among the various industrial applications of this polymer, the production of flocculants has recently gained popularity for wastewater treatment, due to their non-toxicity and biodegradability compared to chemical flocculants derived from materials like petroleum [3].Therefore, this study examined the production capacity of flocculants using cellulose extracted from tidal waste (seaweeds and marine phanerogams) collected on a beach in Nerja (Malaga, Andalusia, Mediterranean Sea) aiming to revalue beach wrack that accumulate on the coasts causing environmental and economic damage, thus contributing to the framework of the circular economy. To achieve this, 28 experiments were designed with different cooking conditions using the "soda-anthraquinone"process for cellulose extraction. Lignin removal was performed with hydrogen peroxide and the morphologicalcharacterization of the product was carried out using the Morfi Lab equipment (Techpap) [4]. The results obtained revealed key properties in our cellulose fibers through statistical parameters, allowing the selection of the most interesting samples for satisfactory flocculation, highlighting the use of tidal waste as a sustainable alternative to traditionally used chemical flocculants

Revalorization of tidal waste in biofuel production.

Motivation: The increase of algal blooms due to eutrophication and climate change are leading to uncontrolled beach cast depositions. This biomass accumulation on the coasts deteriorates water quality and causes economic issues [1].Tidal waste exhibits a variable composition with a significant amount of carbohydrates. Biorefinery consists of extracting and using all the components of a material. In the case of agricultural waste, the carbohydrates resulting from cellulose extraction are used to produce renewable fuels, such as bioethanol. However, algae-based biorefineries face challenges, needing an integrated biorefinery approach [2]. Integrated biorefineries yield value-added products alongside the primary product, offer economic advantages and enhance process profitability [3].The aim of this work is to study the effectiveness and performance of bioethanol production under an integrated biorefinery approach. For this purpose, the chemical composition of the liquid fraction obtained after low environmental impact chemical extraction methods was analysed.Methods: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed to determine the concentration of dissolved products, specifically sugars (xylose, arabinose, and glucose). A Shodex SH1011 column with 5mM H2SO4 mobile phase, flow rate of 0.6 ml/min at 55°C, and refractive index detector at 50°C were utilized.Results: The results suggest that the studied sugars are present in sufficient concentrations for extraction via clean technologies, allowing their valorization into alcohols suitable for beverages, due to their characteristic organoleptic properties, or for fuels.Conclusions: The obtained results are promising, though further complementary studies are required for their application at an industrial scale

Development of porous silver nanoparticle/polycaprolactone/polyvinyl alcohol coatings for prophylaxis in titanium interconnected samples for dental implants

Stress shielding phenomenon, poor osseointegration, or bacterial infections of titanium dental implants are widely recognized as key problems that deeply affect their survival rate. In this work, a joint solution to solve these three limitations is proposed. The first two issues were minimized applying porous Ti samples. This substrate exhibits an appropriated biomechanical equilibrium (stiffness and mechanical resistance) and good biofunctionality (ability to promote bone ingrowth). On the other hand, the porous Ti disc was coated with biocompatible and non-toxic polymeric composites matrices using poly-ε-caprolactone and partially acetylated polyvinyl alcohol, combined with silver nanoparticles as a therapeutic antimicrobial agent. The optimization of the best blend composition and optimal nanoparticles concentration were investigated. Finally, the two composites with the best antimicrobial activity were infiltrated into porous Ti discs. The deposited coatings presented good adhesion and a honeycomb-like surface structure that could promote vascularization of the implant and enhance osseointegration.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-109371GB-I00Junta de Andalucía PAIDI 2020, P20_00671Universidad de Sevilla US-138087, PPI505/2020, PPI532/202

Development of porous silver nanoparticle/polycaprolactone/polyvinyl alcohol coatings for prophylaxis in titanium interconnected samples for dental implants

Stress shielding phenomenon, poor osseointegration, or bacterial infections of titanium dental implants are widely recognized as key problems that deeply affect their survival rate. In this work, a joint solution to solve these three limitations is proposed. The first two issues were minimized applying porous Ti samples. This substrate exhibits an appropriated biomechanical equilibrium (stiffness and mechanical resistance) and good biofunctionality (ability to promote bone ingrowth). On the other hand, the porous Ti disc was coated with biocompatible and non-toxic polymeric composites matrices using poly-ε-caprolactone and partially acetylated polyvinyl alcohol, combined with silver nanoparticles as a therapeutic antimicrobial agent. The optimization of the best blend composition and optimal nanoparticles concentration were investigated. Finally, the two composites with the best antimicrobial activity were infiltrated into porous Ti discs. The deposited coatings presented good adhesion and a honeycomb-like surface structure that could promote vascularization of the implant and enhance osseointegration.Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain grant PID2019-109371GB-I00Junta de Andalucía (Spain) PAIDI P20_00671FEDER Andalucía US-1380878Universidad de Sevilla, Spain PPI505/2020Universidad de Sevilla, Spain PPI532/202