Enabling Progress in Recycling and Sustainability

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Sulfur determination in biomass is crucial for understanding the composition and potential value of this product. The biomass can be used in different ways such as, for example biofuel. The best solution to provide precise and reliable determination of carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur in biomass is ELEMENTRAC CHS-r analyzer by ELTRA. It is primarily used as a soil amendment to improve soil health, increase water retention, and sequester carbon. This system can assure:

1.  High Precision and Accuracy using a horizontal resistance furnace with a ceramic tube, operating at temperatures up to 1550°C.
2.  Wide Measuring Range from 20 ppm to 100%, perfect for all the variety of biomass samples.
3.  High Sample Weight up to 500mg for analyzing heterogeneous biomass samples.
4.  Compliance with most common Standards ASTM, DIN, EN, and ISO.
5.  TIC module available for TIC determination 

To evaluate the content of Nitrogen and Carbon in biomass or either in biochar the Dumas Method can provide high-throughput, fast and reliable results.
The analyzer ensures complete combustion of all sample components, thanks to the use of a pure oxygen atmosphere and a highly efficient, chromium-free catalyst. This prevents the formation of soot and liquid tin, contributing to the stability and accuracy of the results.
The analyzer is designed to be economical, with intelligent gas-saving functions and efficient use of consumables, leading to low costs per sample.
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Determining the moisture content in biomass or in biochar samples is crucial for several reasons. The moisture content directly affects the energy content of biomass. Higher moisture levels reduce calorific value, meaning less energy is produced when the biomass is burned.
Moisture content influences the storage and handling of biomass. High moisture levels can lead to microbial growth, decomposition, and spoilage, making the biomass less suitable for energy production. Not less important, for efficient combustion, biomass needs to have an optimal moisture content.
In industrial processes, knowing the moisture content helps in optimizing drying and processing steps, leading to better efficiency and cost savings.
Thermogravimetric analyzer TGA Thermostep is designed to measure the weight loss of a sample as it is heated, providing valuable data on various parameters such as moisture, volatiles, and ash content in biomass and biochar as well.

Recycling biomass involves converting organic materials like wood, leaves, and agricultural residues into valuable products such as biochar. Pyrolysis reactors are essential for this process, heating biomass at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen to produce biochar.

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Ashing biomass is a process where organic material is burned to produce ash. This ash contains valuable nutrients and minerals that can be recycled and used in various applications. The temperature at which the biomass is ashed can significantly affect the properties of the resulting ash. Higher temperatures tend to increase the ash’s slagging and fouling tendencies, while lower temperatures may retain more carbon content.

Surface area and pore distribution are critical properties of biochar that significantly influence its effectiveness in various applications. The high surface area of biochar is primarily due to its porous structure, which is developed during the pyrolysis process.
Microtrac Belsorp Series is designed to measure the specific surface area and pore size distribution of materials like biochar. These instruments use gas adsorption techniques to provide accurate and detailed analyses. For example, the BELSORP MINI X is a highly precise analyzer that measures specific surface area, pore size distribution, and pore volume with extreme accuracy. It is equipped with multiple measurement ports and advanced software, making it ideal for characterizing the porous structure of biochar.

Particle size and shape of different biomass are crucial factors in evaluating waste materials. Depending on the final purpose, understanding either the shape or the size of the particles may be more important.
2D dynamic imaging is a highly convenient method for particle characterization, providing detailed information on both shape and size. Additionally, size distribution is essential for understanding the physical properties of biomass, which are critical for processes such as combustion, gasification, and biofuel production
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The Adsorption breakthrough curve (BTC) measurement is widely used as an assay method to examine design parameters and adsorption rates for adsorption process. Aiming at single component gas recovery of CO₂, which is one of the greenhouse gases. CO₂ breakthrough curve measurement and helium purge and Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) measurement are conducted simultaneously with BELCAT II to observe the regeneration treatment process.

Water vapor is present as a raw material or byproduct in many processes, and when using adsorption process, it is known that the adsorption performance of the target component changes depending on the presence or absence of water vapor. This is due to the competitive adsorption of each component into the adsorbent, and by evaluating adsorbents under the coexistence of multiple components, it is possible to evaluate their performance more closely under practical conditions. With BELCAT II is possible to measure the adsorption breakthrough curve of CO₂ in the presence of low and high concentrations of water vapor and using CO₂ and humidity sensors as detectors.

CCUS involves capturing CO₂ from power plants and industrial facilities, then either utilizing it in various applications or storing it in deep geological formations. This process helps reduce emissions from sectors that are difficult to decarbonize.
CCU focuses on the reuse of captured CO₂ in products such as concrete, fuels, and chemicals. By incorporating CO₂ into these products, CCU can reduce the need for additional fossil fuels and lower overall emissions. Both CCUS and CCU are crucial for achieving carbon neutrality and supporting the transition to a sustainable future.

To achieve carbon neutrality the development of Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) such as direct air capture (DAC) which directly captures dilute CO₂of approximately 400 ppm in the atmosphere, as well as technology which captures relatively high concentrations of CO₂(approximately 20%) emitted from factories are underway. As one of these technologies, the separation and recovery of CO₂ can be achieved by pressure swing adsorption (PSA), in which CO₂ is adsorbed at higher pressure and desorbed at lower pressure, and temperature swing adsorption (TSA), in which CO2 is adsorbed at around room temperature (25 °C) and desorbed at around 80-100°C, and pressure and temperature swing adsorption (PTSA), in which both processes are taken into account. Belsopr Mini X is the perfect solution to evaluate the CO₂absorption capacity in different material like Zeolite, MOF/PCP or porous carbon at different temperature. Interested? Request our support:

The construction industry is increasingly focused on sustainability, and one promising approach is the use of waste materials in cement production.

Hardened cement, as HCP, is a key component of concrete and can benefit significantly from the incorporation of various waste materials, both in terms of environmental impact and performance.

Hardened cement paste (HCP) is a porous, heterogeneous material mainly composed of Calcium Silicate Hydrates (C-S-H). Its properties and structure are influenced by moisture content, with pore size distribution being nonlinear and affected by relative humidity. Surface forces and capillary condensation play significant roles in HCP behavior.

The BELPORE mercury porosimeters, available in three models (LP, MP, HP), measure pore diameters from 3.6 nanometers to 1 millimeter using the P.A.S.C.A.L. principle for optimized pressure control, enabling rapid, precise measurements with low running costs and comprehensive data analysis capabilities.

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The particle size distribution of Portland green cement is a critical factor that influences its performance and properties. Accurate measurement and control of particle size are essential for optimizing the cement's reactivity, strength, and durability.
Particle size can affect the efficiency of process grinding and quality of the final product. While there is continuing progress in automated process control, many plants throughout the world control grinding manually and measuring particle size by Blaine air permeability, Wagner photo-sedimentation, and sieve particle size techniques.
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Surface area analysis, particularly through BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) specific surface area measurements, plays a crucial role in understanding the reactivity and strength of green cement. This analysis helps in optimizing the mix design and ensuring the desired properties of the final product.
BET analysis provides accurate measurements of the specific surface area of cementitious materials. A higher surface area indicates more reactive sites, which can enhance the hydration process and improve the strength and durability of the concrete.
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Carbonaceous material is converted into uniform, stacked layers by subjecting it to high-temperature processing. The resulting nanostructures are held together by Van der Waals forces, which are weak intermolecular forces that occur between molecules or atoms. The HTK and GLO furnace series are specifically designed to optimize temperature control for the production of consistent and uniform materials and can be used also in case of recycling material.

Thermal processing is one process step that can be used in research applications for processing batches of material to recover recyclable elements and precious metals under modified atmosphere and in air. Off gas handling systems are available to ensure environmental impact is minimized. Under European Directive 2013/56/EU 50% by mass of battery materials need to be recycled.

In the recycling process, shredding dismantled or complete batteries is one of the initial steps. RETSCH cutting mills are used to shred batteries or components on a laboratory scale which helps researchers to develop new recycling routes. RETSCH sieving machines are employed to separate the different material fractions, for example black mass from polymeric and metallic parts.

In a battery recycling process, the exhausted batteries are assorted in different material fractions. To evaluate the efficiency of a recycling process and to investigate the purity of each fraction, samples are homogenized and analyzed. The market value of the black mass, for example, depends on its content of valuable metals, like lithium or cobalt. Black mass can be homogenized in a ball mill. To avoid cross contamination, metallic or ceramic grinding tools should be chosen, respectively. The polymeric material fraction and metallic foils are first pre-cut with a cutting mill and then pulverized, usually at cryogenic temperatures, for example with RETSCH’s CryoMill.

The density (g/cm³) is a crucial factor in characterizing and evaluating battery active materials. A gas pycnometer determines the density of electrode materials by measuring the amount of displaced gas (helium).
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The particle size of anode, cathode, and separator material affects the electrochemical performance of batteries. A smaller particle size will lead to shorter pathways in solid materials and decreased over potential leading to improvements in the charge/discharge rate.
Also in the process of recovery battery compound the Particle characterization is one of the most important factor.
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The specific surface area and a pore size distribution of electrode materials can be derived from the measured gas sorption isotherm. The surface area related to the mass as specific surface area (m²/g) is an important parameter in the characterization and evaluation of battery active materials, as their morphology has a direct impact on the battery performance.