Color Compounds Removal from Tequila Vinasses Using Silica Gel Adsorbents Functionalized with Thiol Moieties: Equilibrium and Kinetics Studies.

Tequila vinasses are organic wastes generated during ethanol fermentation at elevated temperatures (≥90 °C) and pH ≤ 4.0, making them hazardous to the environment. This paper describes a new, simplified UV-vis spectroscopy-based procedure for monitoring the adsorption of color compounds in tequila vinasses onto silica-based adsorbents, along with an optimized synthesis method to produce the most efficient sol-gel synthesized thiol-functionalized adsorbent.

Valorization of Sugarcane Straw for the Development of Sustainable Biopolymer-Based Composites.

Sugarcane straw (SCS) is a common agro-industrial waste that is usually incinerated or discarded in fields after harvesting, increasing the importance of developing added-value applications for this residue. In this study, sustainable biocomposites were produced, and the effect of sugarcane straw as a filler/reinforcement of commercial biopolymers was evaluated. Biocomposites were prepared using polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), or green polyethylene (Green-PE) with different fiber contents (20, 30, and 40 wt.

Plasma-enhanced modification of polysaccharides for wastewater treatment: A review.

In this work, novel polysaccharide-based sorbents modified with plasma technologies are discussed. Plasma selectively modifies the surface properties by generating specific moieties, enhancing adsorption performance, and the physical-chemical properties of the material without modifying its bulk properties. Among plasma technologies, cold plasma is more suitable and energy-efficient, since thermal-sensitive materials could be modified using this technology.