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Researchers use orange peels to develop biofuel precursors

Hydrochar made from orange peels was used as a catalyst by IIT Mandi researchers to convert biomass-derived compounds into biofuel precursors. The research will help with the development of biomass-based fuels, which will help to alleviate the socio-political instability caused by decreasing petroleum resources. The findings of Venkata Krishnan’s study have just been published in the journal ‘Green Chemistry’.

Biomass-derived products from naturally existing materials are now India’s fourth most important energy source, after coal, oil, and natural gas. Lignocellulosic biomass derived from forestry and agricultural waste may be converted into a variety of valuable compounds using a variety of processes.

Catalysts for conversion are particularly useful among these technologies since they consume minimal energy and allow the control of the type of biomass product produced.

The simplest and most low-cost catalyst explored by researchers is hydrochar, which is normally created by heating biomass waste in the presence of water via a carbonization process. IIT Mandi researchers heated dried orange peel powder with citric acid under pressure in a hydrothermal reactor for several hours to catalyse the conversion of biomass-derived compounds into biofuel precursors.

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Why is the research significant?

This is the first study to look at the three distinct types of acid functionalization side by side. Researchers used green metric calculations and temperature-programmed desorption to learn more about the catalytic activity of sulfonic, nitrate, and phosphate functionalized hydrochar produced from orange peels.

Biofuel precursors were made without the use of solvents and at moderate temperatures, lowering the overall cost while also being ecologically benign. The finding of biomass conversion catalysts is also encouraging for the country’s biofuel industry.

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