Pt-TiO Systems for Enhanced Hydrogen Production from Glycerol: Direct vs Sequential Incorporation Through Photodeposition.

Pt-TiO systems are the most widely used photocatalysts in the production of green hydrogen from glycerol photoreforming. To incorporate metals on the surface of materials, photodeposition is the most used method because it employs mild conditions. However, despite its use, there are some parameters that have not been deeply studied, such as the appropriate metal loading and the method itself, to obtain a better dispersion of Pt.

Biochars from Olive Stones as Carbonaceous Support in Pt/TiO-Carbon Photocatalysts and Application in Hydrogen Production from Aqueous Glycerol Photoreforming.

Several biochars were synthesized from olive stones and used as supports for TiO, as an active semiconductor, and Pt as a co-catalyst (Pt/TiO-PyCF and Pt/TiO-AC). A third carbon-supported photocatalyst was prepared from commercial mesoporous carbon (Pt/TiO-MCF). Moreover, a Pt/TiO solid based on Evonik P25 was used as a reference.

Advanced Biofuels from ABE (Acetone/Butanol/Ethanol) and Vegetable Oils (Castor or Sunflower Oil) for Using in Triple Blends with Diesel: Evaluation on a Diesel Engine.

From a technical and economic point of view, our aim is to provide viable solutions for the replacement of fossil fuels which are currently used in internal combustion diesel engines. In this research, two new biofuels composed of second-generation vegetable oils (SVO),used oil sunflower (SO) or castor oil (CO), and the ABE blend (acetone/butanol/ethanol) were evaluated. ABE is an intermediate product from the fermentation of carbohydrates to obtain bio-butanol.

Acetone Prospect as an Additive to Allow the Use of Castor and Sunflower Oils as Drop-In Biofuels in Diesel/Acetone/Vegetable Oil Triple Blends for Application in Diesel Engines.

The present paper investigates the feasibility of using acetone (ACE) in triple blends with fossil diesel (D) and straight vegetable oils (SVOs) as alternative fuel for diesel engines. In this respect, ACE is selected as an oxygenated additivedue to its favorable propertiesto be mixed with vegetable oils and fossil diesel. In fact, the very low kinematic viscosity allows reduces the high viscosity of SVOs.

Olive Leaves as Biotemplates for Enhanced Solar-Light Harvesting by a Titania-Based Solid.

Olive leaves (by-product from olive oil production in olive mills) were used as biotemplates to synthesize a titania-based artificial olive leaf (AOL). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of AOL showed the successful replication of trichomes and internal structure channels present in olive leaves. The BET surface area of AOL was 52 m·g.

Microwave-Assisted Glycerol Etherification Over Sulfonic Acid Catalysts.

Glycerol is the main by-product of biodiesel production. For this reason, its valorization into value-added products, by using green procedures, represents an important goal. Different sulfonic acid silica- or titania-based catalysts were prepared, characterized and tested in the glycerol etherification process, assisted by microwaves, in order to obtain biodiesel additives.

Calibration of a Cohesive Model for Fracture in Low Cross-Linked Epoxy Resins.

Polymer-based composites are becoming widely used for structural applications, in particular in the aeronautic industry. The present investigation focuses on the mechanical integrity of an epoxy resin of which possible damage results in limitation or early stages of dramatic failure. Therefore, a coupled experimental and numerical investigation of failure in an epoxy resin thermoset is carried out that opens the route to an overall micromechanical analysis of thermoset-based composites.

Sulfonic Acid Functionalization of Different Zeolites and Their Use as Catalysts in the Microwave-Assisted Etherification of Glycerol with tert-Butyl Alcohol.

The etherification of glycerol with -butyl alcohol in the liquid phase, over different sulfonic acid functionalized zeolites, has been studied. The reaction was carried out using microwaves as a way of heating, measured at autogenous pressure and without any solvent. Dealuminated HY and HZSM-5 zeolites by acid treatment were functionalized with two different organosilica precursors: 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (), which incorporates thiol groups, and 2-(4-chlorosulfonylphenyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane (), which incorporates the sulfonic acid groups directly.

Application of Enzymatic Extracts from a CALB Standard Strain as Biocatalyst within the Context of Conventional Biodiesel Production Optimization.

The application of biocatalysts in the transesterification process of triglycerides (TG) allows integrating the glycerol in the form of monoglyceride (MG), sharply increasing the yield and the environmental sustainability of the conventional biodiesel production process. This is known as Ecodiesel. To overcome the inconvenient of the high cost of the currently employed highly purified commercial enzymes, the use of scarcely purified extracts obtained from standard strains of the same species of commercial lipases currently applied in this process is being investigated.