Progettazione di impianto semi industriale da biogas potenziato a biometano mediante adsorbimento su materiale esaurito (PSA) a fini energetici integrato con conversione enzimatica della CO2 in precursori di materiali bioplastici.

ABSTRACT (Section-1) Biogas upgrading to biomethane is an alternative and renewable energy resource and a lot of research and industrial work has been done on it [1]. This work is related to adsorption in spent material and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technique is used. Hydro-char, which was obtained from residual lignocellulose biomass through hydrothermal carbonization process, has been used here as an adsorbent material to capture carbon dioxide from biogas. Biomass obtained from silver fir saw dust (carbon rich material) was hydrothermally treated at 200 °C and with a persistent water biomass proportion 7:1, and residence time 0 and 120 min, then the hydro-char was activated according to a well-known method: potassium hydroxide impregnation and subsequent thermal treatment at 600 °C for 1 hour. Hydro-char was then characterized from a physico-chemical point of view, using CHNS, BET & BJH analyses. Experimental adsorption tests were conducted to evaluate the possibility of using hydro-char in CO2 capture and range of pressure was selected from 2-5 bar. Finally, a selectivity test was carried out by processing a mixture consisting of CO2 and CH4, similar to typical biogas composition, to mimic the upgrading to biomethane product. The dynamic lab-scale tests allowed the evaluation of sorption capacity (4.96 mmol / g of CO2), selectivity (65%), purity (95.4%) and low recovery (68%) of CH4. The results were analyzed and compared with literature data.  ABSTRACT (Section-2) It is a new worldwide challenge to produce materials from renewable resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially of carbon dioxide, being the main cause of the increasing ambient temperature. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its latest special report on the impacts of global warming aims at a maximal temperature increase of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels as their main goal. The scope of the present study (PON 2014-2020 industrial PhD grant) is to upgrade biogas to bio-methane for energy purposes and to use the captured carbon dioxide, as a feed for biocatalytic production of potential monomers. This CO2 will be upgraded in a carboxylation reaction by the p-carboxylase 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid decarboxylase from Enterobacter cloacae (EcAroY) to produce polymer building blocks which may serve as a raw material for bioplastic. The reaction scheme of the study is given below: The biocatalyst was prepared and then the carboxylation reaction was engineered by considering different parameters such as pH, substrate concentration, temperature, time, co-solvent and the amount of KHCO3 in order to improve conversion. Furthermore, in-situ product removal systems were checked. ABSTRACT (Section-3) The new worldwide challenge is to increase energy power production, produce bio plastic and to reduce the atmosphere gas emission, especially Carbon dioxide that is the main cause of the ambient increasing temperature. The scope of the present study (PON 2014-2020 industrial PhD grant) is to upgrade the biogas to bio methane for energy and cooking purposes and also to optimize the process configuration for upgrading the biogas from a fermentation using the various technologies studied in L’Aquila University, Italy. To use the carbon dioxide, that is a pollutant gas, as a feed for bio plastic produce is the part of study in the University of the Graz, Austria. Lab-scale experimental results for CO2 capture from biogas by Pressure Swing Adsorption method using Hydro-char (activated and non-activated carbon) and the purity was 95 (vol %) and recovery was 68 (vol %) [87]. The process design of an industrial plant configuration has been developed in the APS, an Italian engineering company.