Physio-Chemical Characterization of Biochar, Compost and Co-Composted Biochar Derived from Green Waste

Organic wastes are naturally biodegradable, but they contribute to environmental pollution and management issues. Composting and pyrolysis are widely used technologies for recycling these wastes into valuable organic products for soil health and crop production. In the current study, fruits vegetables waste (FVW) was converted to biochar, compost, and co-composted biochar. The microcrystal structure, functional groups, surface morphology, and nutrient contents of organic materials were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, AAS, multi C-N analyzer, and ICP-OES techniques. Heavy metals contamination was not detected in the biomass used for pyrolysis and compost preparation. FVW had an acidic pH (5.92), while biochar, compost, and co-composted biochar had an alkaline pH. Total macronutrient (K, Na, S) and micronutrient (Cu, Fe) concentrations were higher in compost and co-composted biochar, with the exception of K, which was higher in biochar. Biochar had the highest surface area (4.99 m(2)g), followed by FVW, compost, and co-composted biochar. Co-composted biochar had a porous structure. Si, Ca, and Al contents were common in all organic materials, while P, K, Mg, and S were found with lower concentrations in both biochar and compost. Iron was only found in compost and co-composted biochar. Quartz, sylvite, and calcite were common minerals found in all organic treatments. Biochar contained more aromatic carbon ring structure C=C/C=O and aromatic C-H bending as compared to FVW and compost, thus, making biochar a stable carbon rich material suitable for soil carbon sequestration

Effects of lignite-based sulphur fertilizer levels on soil properties and growth of Brassica napus

Lignite and sulphur are instrumental in enhancing the growth and yield-related traits of Brassica napus, commonly known as rapeseed. This study aimed to explore the effects of lignite-based sulphur fertilizers on Brassica napus production. Spanning two consecutive seasons, the experiment included treatments with a control group, three levels of elemental sulphur (30, 40, and 50 kg ha-1), and three levels of lignite-based sulphur fertilizer (30, 40, and 50 kg ha-1). Employing a randomized complete block design with four replications, the study revealed that applying lignite-based sulphur fertilizer at a rate of 50 kg ha-1 led to significant improvements in various growth parameters, such as plant height, primary and secondary branches per plant, pods per plant, pod length, seeds per pod, biological yield, seed yield, thousand seed weight, and oil yield. Notably, substantially higher seed and oil yields were achieved with the application of 50 kg ha-1 of lignite-based sulphur fertilizer. In semi-arid climates, to maximize rapeseed yield, yield components, and quality, it is advisable to utilize lignite-based sulphur fertilizer at a rate of 50 kg ha-1

Physio-Chemical Characterization of Biochar, Compost and Co-Composted Biochar Derived from Green Waste

Organic wastes are naturally biodegradable, but they contribute to environmental pollution and management issues. Composting and pyrolysis are widely used technologies for recycling these wastes into valuable organic products for soil health and crop production. In the current study, fruits vegetables waste (FVW) was converted to biochar, compost, and co-composted biochar. The microcrystal structure, functional groups, surface morphology, and nutrient contents of organic materials were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, AAS, multi C-N analyzer, and ICP-OES techniques. Heavy metals contamination was not detected in the biomass used for pyrolysis and compost preparation. FVW had an acidic pH (5.92), while biochar, compost, and co-composted biochar had an alkaline pH. Total macronutrient (K, Na, S) and micronutrient (Cu, Fe) concentrations were higher in compost and co-composted biochar, with the exception of K, which was higher in biochar. Biochar had the highest surface area (4.99 m2g), followed by FVW, compost, and co-composted biochar. Co-composted biochar had a porous structure. Si, Ca, and Al contents were common in all organic materials, while P, K, Mg, and S were found with lower concentrations in both biochar and compost. Iron was only found in compost and co-composted biochar. Quartz, sylvite, and calcite were common minerals found in all organic treatments. Biochar contained more aromatic carbon ring structure C=C/C=O and aromatic C-H bending as compared to FVW and compost, thus, making biochar a stable carbon rich material suitable for soil carbon sequestration

Design and Development of an Electric Remote-Controlled Road-Sweeper Vehicle

Dirty surroundings impose a detrimental effect on the beauty of our environment. Hiring and paying for a large workforce to clean the debris on the roads, parks, and streets is a costly and tiring job. This project has been carried out to design and fabricate a battery-powered road-sweeper vehicle (RSV), equipped with a scrubber system. The proposed machine, equipped with scrubbers, increases the operational time while decreasing the operational cost. In contrast with typical industrial counterparts, an eco-friendly road-sweeper machine is presented in this study

Power Resilience Through Deployment & Integration of Microgrid with Traditional Grid station

The microgrid technology development and deployment is emerging widely throughout the world as future of power system. Microgrid connectivity with currently installed utility grids in our environment to gain required power parameters including resilience, reliability and quality is the core subject analyzed here. This research is based on analyzing various microgrids installed around the world and their usefulness to the customers. Present power supply setup for different small to medium size industries in Multan Industrial Estate through traditional utility grid has been studied. Integration of current power sources available for individual industrial units with microgrid has been studied