isabel Lima - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by isabel Lima

Agronomy

Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of c... more Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of container plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of mixed hardwood biochar (HB) and sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) to replace the bark-based commercial substrate. A bark-based commercial substrate was incorporated with either HB at 50% (vol.) or SBB at 50% and 70% (vol.), with a bark-based commercial substrate being used as the control. The total porosity (TP) and container capacity (CC) of all SBB-incorporated mixes were slightly higher than the recommended value, while, the others were within the recommended range. Both tomato and basil plants grown in the BC-incorporated mixes had a similar or higher growth index (GI), leaf greenness (indicated by soil-plant analyses development), and yield than the control. The leachate of all mixes had the highest NO3–N concentration in the first week after transplantation (1 WAT). All BC-incorporated mixes grown wit...

Sugar Industry

In recent years, there has been increased world-wide concern over residual (carry-over) activity ... more In recent years, there has been increased world-wide concern over residual (carry-over) activity of mostly high temperature (HT) and very high temperature (VHT) stable amylases in white, refined sugars from refineries to various food and end-user industries. HT and VHT stable amylases were developed for much larger markets than the sugar industry with harsher processing conditions. There is an urgent need in the sugar industry to be able to remove or inactivate residual, active amylases either in factory or refinery streams or both. A survey of refineries that used amylase and had activated carbon systems for decolorizing, revealed they did not have any customer complaints for residual amylase. The use of high performance activated carbons to remove residual amylase activity was investigated using a Phadebas® method created for the sugar industry to measure residual amylase in syrups. Ability to remove residual amylase protein was dependent on the surface area of the powdered activa...

Cogent Food & Agriculture

The Journal of Applied Poultry Research

The quantity of poultry manure generated each year is large, and technologies that take advantage... more The quantity of poultry manure generated each year is large, and technologies that take advantage of the material should be explored. At the same time, increased emphasis on the reduction of mercury emissions from coal-fired electric power plants has resulted in environmental regulations that may, in the future, require application of activated carbons as mercury sorbents. The sorbents could be injected into the flue gas stream, where they could adsorb the mercury. The sorbents (now containing mercury) would be removed via filtration or other means from the flue gas. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that activated carbon made from poultry manure can adsorb mercury from air with good efficiency. In laboratory experiments, an activated carbon made from turkey cake manure removed the majority of elemental mercury from a hot air stream. Other activated carbons made from chicken and turkey litter manure were also efficient. In general, unwashed activated carbons made from poultry manure were more efficient in removing mercury than their acid-washed counterparts. The results suggest that the adsorption of mercury was mainly due to chemisorption on the surface of the carbon. Other potential uses for the activated carbons are the removal of mercury from air and natural gas.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts

Sugar Tech, 2017

Sweet sorghum bagasse is an untapped resourceful carbon-rich material that can be thermochemicall... more Sweet sorghum bagasse is an untapped resourceful carbon-rich material that can be thermochemically converted into value-added biochars. These biochars can be applied to the field as soil amendment for soil health enhancement, improved soil carbon content, water holding capacity, soil drainage and aeration, and plant and sugar yields. This study looked at four different varieties of sweet sorghum and processed their bagasse into biochars at low and high temperature (350 °C and 700 °C). The feedstock materials and respective biochars were chemically characterized for their nutrient content. Several physicochemical and adsorptive properties were also determined to ascertain their potential use as either adsorbents, soil amendment materials or as fuel sources, and compared with other plant and refinery wastes. No major differences were observed among the varieties in terms of resulting properties of the biochar; however, pyrolysis temperature affected biochar properties. Fuel value, fixed carbon, ash content and surface area increased with pyrolysis temperature. However, low-temperature biochars were better candidates as copper ion sorbents. Benefits of using sweet sorghum bagasse as value-added material are expected to help both sweet sorghum growers and processors through the production of value-added pyrolysis products, as well as enhancing the sweet sorghum industry’s role in renewable energy markets.

Sugar Tech, 2016

With sweet sorghum production and subsequent accumulation of bagasse on the rise, it is important... more With sweet sorghum production and subsequent accumulation of bagasse on the rise, it is important to look for novel uses for its by-products. Bagasse, the solid fibrous product left after sweet sorghum stalks are crushed to remove juice, is partially reapplied to the field to enhance subsequent crops. The majority of bagasse remains largely underutilized because more is produced than can be practically applied to fields. This study determined sweet sorghum bagasse chemical and microbiological properties for use as a fuel source. It was determined that sweet sorghum variety had no major effect on fuel value. Microbes have the potential to consume sugars and other beneficial compounds in bagasse, but our analysis of microbial counts showed that microorganisms did not reduce the fuel value of the bagasse tested. Sweet sorghum bagasse was also found to have favorable fuel value when compared to sugarcane bagasse, due to its lower ash and higher fixed carbon contents.

Journal of Residuals Science & Technology, 2016

Poultry-litter activated biochars (PLAB) with enhanced metals adsorptionmay contain significant a... more Poultry-litter activated biochars (PLAB) with enhanced metals adsorptionmay contain significant amounts of inorganic material. This study traces key elements(Ca-Fe-K-Mg-Na-P) from litter to PLAB and selective fate upon acid/water treatments.Samples were pyrolyzed 1 hr/700°C, steam-activated 45 min/800°C, and acid washed/rinsed. Mineral composition concentrated during pyrolysis/activation. Acid wash/watertreatments removed unbound inorganics with highest extraction for K (37–100%) andNa (27–49%) and lowest for Fe (0–0.02%). Remaining elements leached significantlyless indicating selective removal as influenced by composition and pyrolysis/activationeffects on solubility. Heavy metals concentrated upon activation with negligent leachingregarding treatment. Post-activation treatments may improve usability of PLAB inwastewater applications by avoiding unwanted elemental leaching without compromisingfunctionality.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Davis, 1996. Degree granted in Engineering.

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015

ABSTRACT Characterization of biochars usually includes surface area and pore volume determination... more ABSTRACT Characterization of biochars usually includes surface area and pore volume determinations by nitrogen adsorption. In this study, we confirmed that there is a substantial pore volume in biochars created via slow pyrolysis from low- and high-ash almond shells that cannot be characterized in this fashion due to the narrow pore sizes. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide were used, in addition to nitrogen, to characterize these narrow micropores. All isotherms, when appropriately normalized, fell on the same characteristic curve which aided in the characterization and understanding of the pore structure. Based on the characteristic adsorption isotherm, the average pore size diameter was estimated to be 0.4–0.8 nm. When washed, the biochars’ pore volume increased but the narrow micropore structure remained. While the biochars were alkaline, the pH of the wash solution had no or little impact on the adsorption of CO2. Overall, the results suggest that N2 isotherms should be complemented with CO2 isotherms for proper characterization of biochars. Alignment of such normalized isotherms to characteristic curves can assist in generating a more complete understanding of the pore structure over the entire region of pore diameters.

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015

ABSTRACT Biochars were produced by pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (350◦C and 700◦C) and pine wood... more ABSTRACT Biochars were produced by pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (350◦C and 700◦C) and pine wood (400◦C)and are abbreviated BC350, BC700, and WC400, respectively. Metribuzin adsorption by batch equilibrium showed that BC700 had the greatest adsorption capacity followed by BC350 and WC400. The bagasse biochars were mixed with clay and a silt loam soil and the pine wood biochar with a loamy sand soil andfortified with the metribuzin and pendimethalin. The soils were incubated at 25◦C in the dark and were extracted with methanol after 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 63, 86, and 111 days. Parent compounds and metribuzin degradates were analyzed in extracts by HPLC – mass spectrometry. Increases in metribuzin half life (DT50)were indicated for all soil-biochar combinations. BC350 had the greatest impact, doubling the DT50in the silt loam soil. In contrast, BC700 had minimal impact on the DT50in the silt loam soil and contributed toa significant DT50decrease in the clay. The metribuzin degradate, metribuzin-desamino, was detected at rates proportional to metribuzin dissipation. For pendimethalin, biochar additions increased DT50in allsoil-biochar combinations. In contrast to metribuzin, BC700 and WC400 had the greatest impact with theBC700 increasing the DT50more than 2-fold. In the loamy sand soil, the 1–4% biochar rate contributed to an increased trend in palmer amaranth emergence. At the 8% rate, palmer amaranth emergence was statistically higher than the control (p = 0.072). In sum, how biochar impacted the activity and dissipation of these herbicides depended on soil, herbicide, and biochar properties.

Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2003

Page 1. 1 POULTRY BIOSOLIDS AS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBONS FOR METAL ION ADSORPTION Isabel M. Lima... more Page 1. 1 POULTRY BIOSOLIDS AS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBONS FOR METAL ION ADSORPTION Isabel M. Lima1, Wayne E. Marshall1, Kari B. Fitzmorris2 and Robert S. Reimers2 1United States Department of Agriculture ...

International Symposium on Air Quality and Waste Management for Agriculture, 16-19 September 2007, Broomfield, Colorado, 2007

Agronomy

Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of c... more Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of container plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of mixed hardwood biochar (HB) and sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) to replace the bark-based commercial substrate. A bark-based commercial substrate was incorporated with either HB at 50% (vol.) or SBB at 50% and 70% (vol.), with a bark-based commercial substrate being used as the control. The total porosity (TP) and container capacity (CC) of all SBB-incorporated mixes were slightly higher than the recommended value, while, the others were within the recommended range. Both tomato and basil plants grown in the BC-incorporated mixes had a similar or higher growth index (GI), leaf greenness (indicated by soil-plant analyses development), and yield than the control. The leachate of all mixes had the highest NO3–N concentration in the first week after transplantation (1 WAT). All BC-incorporated mixes grown wit...

Sugar Industry

In recent years, there has been increased world-wide concern over residual (carry-over) activity ... more In recent years, there has been increased world-wide concern over residual (carry-over) activity of mostly high temperature (HT) and very high temperature (VHT) stable amylases in white, refined sugars from refineries to various food and end-user industries. HT and VHT stable amylases were developed for much larger markets than the sugar industry with harsher processing conditions. There is an urgent need in the sugar industry to be able to remove or inactivate residual, active amylases either in factory or refinery streams or both. A survey of refineries that used amylase and had activated carbon systems for decolorizing, revealed they did not have any customer complaints for residual amylase. The use of high performance activated carbons to remove residual amylase activity was investigated using a Phadebas® method created for the sugar industry to measure residual amylase in syrups. Ability to remove residual amylase protein was dependent on the surface area of the powdered activa...

Cogent Food & Agriculture

The Journal of Applied Poultry Research

The quantity of poultry manure generated each year is large, and technologies that take advantage... more The quantity of poultry manure generated each year is large, and technologies that take advantage of the material should be explored. At the same time, increased emphasis on the reduction of mercury emissions from coal-fired electric power plants has resulted in environmental regulations that may, in the future, require application of activated carbons as mercury sorbents. The sorbents could be injected into the flue gas stream, where they could adsorb the mercury. The sorbents (now containing mercury) would be removed via filtration or other means from the flue gas. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that activated carbon made from poultry manure can adsorb mercury from air with good efficiency. In laboratory experiments, an activated carbon made from turkey cake manure removed the majority of elemental mercury from a hot air stream. Other activated carbons made from chicken and turkey litter manure were also efficient. In general, unwashed activated carbons made from poultry manure were more efficient in removing mercury than their acid-washed counterparts. The results suggest that the adsorption of mercury was mainly due to chemisorption on the surface of the carbon. Other potential uses for the activated carbons are the removal of mercury from air and natural gas.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts

Sugar Tech, 2017

Sweet sorghum bagasse is an untapped resourceful carbon-rich material that can be thermochemicall... more Sweet sorghum bagasse is an untapped resourceful carbon-rich material that can be thermochemically converted into value-added biochars. These biochars can be applied to the field as soil amendment for soil health enhancement, improved soil carbon content, water holding capacity, soil drainage and aeration, and plant and sugar yields. This study looked at four different varieties of sweet sorghum and processed their bagasse into biochars at low and high temperature (350 °C and 700 °C). The feedstock materials and respective biochars were chemically characterized for their nutrient content. Several physicochemical and adsorptive properties were also determined to ascertain their potential use as either adsorbents, soil amendment materials or as fuel sources, and compared with other plant and refinery wastes. No major differences were observed among the varieties in terms of resulting properties of the biochar; however, pyrolysis temperature affected biochar properties. Fuel value, fixed carbon, ash content and surface area increased with pyrolysis temperature. However, low-temperature biochars were better candidates as copper ion sorbents. Benefits of using sweet sorghum bagasse as value-added material are expected to help both sweet sorghum growers and processors through the production of value-added pyrolysis products, as well as enhancing the sweet sorghum industry’s role in renewable energy markets.

Sugar Tech, 2016

With sweet sorghum production and subsequent accumulation of bagasse on the rise, it is important... more With sweet sorghum production and subsequent accumulation of bagasse on the rise, it is important to look for novel uses for its by-products. Bagasse, the solid fibrous product left after sweet sorghum stalks are crushed to remove juice, is partially reapplied to the field to enhance subsequent crops. The majority of bagasse remains largely underutilized because more is produced than can be practically applied to fields. This study determined sweet sorghum bagasse chemical and microbiological properties for use as a fuel source. It was determined that sweet sorghum variety had no major effect on fuel value. Microbes have the potential to consume sugars and other beneficial compounds in bagasse, but our analysis of microbial counts showed that microorganisms did not reduce the fuel value of the bagasse tested. Sweet sorghum bagasse was also found to have favorable fuel value when compared to sugarcane bagasse, due to its lower ash and higher fixed carbon contents.

Journal of Residuals Science & Technology, 2016

Poultry-litter activated biochars (PLAB) with enhanced metals adsorptionmay contain significant a... more Poultry-litter activated biochars (PLAB) with enhanced metals adsorptionmay contain significant amounts of inorganic material. This study traces key elements(Ca-Fe-K-Mg-Na-P) from litter to PLAB and selective fate upon acid/water treatments.Samples were pyrolyzed 1 hr/700°C, steam-activated 45 min/800°C, and acid washed/rinsed. Mineral composition concentrated during pyrolysis/activation. Acid wash/watertreatments removed unbound inorganics with highest extraction for K (37–100%) andNa (27–49%) and lowest for Fe (0–0.02%). Remaining elements leached significantlyless indicating selective removal as influenced by composition and pyrolysis/activationeffects on solubility. Heavy metals concentrated upon activation with negligent leachingregarding treatment. Post-activation treatments may improve usability of PLAB inwastewater applications by avoiding unwanted elemental leaching without compromisingfunctionality.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Davis, 1996. Degree granted in Engineering.

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015

ABSTRACT Characterization of biochars usually includes surface area and pore volume determination... more ABSTRACT Characterization of biochars usually includes surface area and pore volume determinations by nitrogen adsorption. In this study, we confirmed that there is a substantial pore volume in biochars created via slow pyrolysis from low- and high-ash almond shells that cannot be characterized in this fashion due to the narrow pore sizes. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide were used, in addition to nitrogen, to characterize these narrow micropores. All isotherms, when appropriately normalized, fell on the same characteristic curve which aided in the characterization and understanding of the pore structure. Based on the characteristic adsorption isotherm, the average pore size diameter was estimated to be 0.4–0.8 nm. When washed, the biochars’ pore volume increased but the narrow micropore structure remained. While the biochars were alkaline, the pH of the wash solution had no or little impact on the adsorption of CO2. Overall, the results suggest that N2 isotherms should be complemented with CO2 isotherms for proper characterization of biochars. Alignment of such normalized isotherms to characteristic curves can assist in generating a more complete understanding of the pore structure over the entire region of pore diameters.

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015

ABSTRACT Biochars were produced by pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (350◦C and 700◦C) and pine wood... more ABSTRACT Biochars were produced by pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (350◦C and 700◦C) and pine wood (400◦C)and are abbreviated BC350, BC700, and WC400, respectively. Metribuzin adsorption by batch equilibrium showed that BC700 had the greatest adsorption capacity followed by BC350 and WC400. The bagasse biochars were mixed with clay and a silt loam soil and the pine wood biochar with a loamy sand soil andfortified with the metribuzin and pendimethalin. The soils were incubated at 25◦C in the dark and were extracted with methanol after 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 63, 86, and 111 days. Parent compounds and metribuzin degradates were analyzed in extracts by HPLC – mass spectrometry. Increases in metribuzin half life (DT50)were indicated for all soil-biochar combinations. BC350 had the greatest impact, doubling the DT50in the silt loam soil. In contrast, BC700 had minimal impact on the DT50in the silt loam soil and contributed toa significant DT50decrease in the clay. The metribuzin degradate, metribuzin-desamino, was detected at rates proportional to metribuzin dissipation. For pendimethalin, biochar additions increased DT50in allsoil-biochar combinations. In contrast to metribuzin, BC700 and WC400 had the greatest impact with theBC700 increasing the DT50more than 2-fold. In the loamy sand soil, the 1–4% biochar rate contributed to an increased trend in palmer amaranth emergence. At the 8% rate, palmer amaranth emergence was statistically higher than the control (p = 0.072). In sum, how biochar impacted the activity and dissipation of these herbicides depended on soil, herbicide, and biochar properties.

Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2003

Page 1. 1 POULTRY BIOSOLIDS AS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBONS FOR METAL ION ADSORPTION Isabel M. Lima... more Page 1. 1 POULTRY BIOSOLIDS AS GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBONS FOR METAL ION ADSORPTION Isabel M. Lima1, Wayne E. Marshall1, Kari B. Fitzmorris2 and Robert S. Reimers2 1United States Department of Agriculture ...

International Symposium on Air Quality and Waste Management for Agriculture, 16-19 September 2007, Broomfield, Colorado, 2007