Volume 40, Issue 3

The massive availability of biomass generated by the common giant reed ( Arundo donax L.) motivates the search for its possible industrial use for the generation of high added-value products through implementing a biorefinery approach. The literature demonstrates the potential of common cane to obtain different high-value compounds, such as levulinic acid, oligosaccharides, fermentable sugars, highly digestible fiber for animal feed, polyphenols, and natural fibers for composite materials, among others. The data shows the upward trend in Europe toward the generation of new green industries, grouped under the biorefinery concept. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge on the use of Arundo to produce materials, fibers, and chemicals. Major environmental concerns related to this plant are also reviewed. Special attention has been paid to the potential use of Arundo to produce chemicals using green chemistry approaches, as a way to contribute to and advance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Recommendations for future research are also outlined.

Led by the manufacturing industry, virtual replicas of production systems also known as digital twins (DTs) are gradually moving into all areas of industry. Their advantages are characterized by the possibility of product optimization, simulations, improved monitoring and prediction of downtimes and optimized maintenance, to name just a few. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of process plants as mechatronic systems is characterized by a high degree of project-specific modifications and interdisciplinary engineering effort with low reusability, in contrast to unit-production-driven areas such as automotive. This results in a high cost-benefit ratio for the creation of DTs over the life cycle of process plants, especially when suppliers are integrated into the value chain. The objective of this paper is to analyze the state of plant lifecycle management, data exchange and the possibilities of optimized supplier integration during the planning and EPC of process plants regarding DT creation and usage. Three research questions (RQs) were used to narrow down a total of 356 identified publications to 54, which were then examined. The papers covered a variety of topics, including combining discipline-specific models, plant management approaches and the combination of both.

Catalytic dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons to corresponding alkenes by the release of the stoichiometric amount of hydrogen is the paramount solution for safe storage of hydrogen. The utilization of a catalytic membrane reactor for this process enhances the reaction yield beyond thermodynamic equilibrium by selectively and simultaneously removing the produced H 2 during the reaction. To this end, the present review is focused on the integration of H 2 permeable membranes with the catalysts for dehydrogenation of lighter alkanes for coproduction of olefins and high-purity hydrogen in a single step. Besides, this review also covers dehydrogenation of liquid organic hydrogen carriers for safe storage of hydrogen. Herein, different types of H 2 perm-selective membranes used for the dehydrogenation reaction are highlighted and the effect of hydrocarbon on H 2 permeation through these membranes are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the simulation studies along with the experimental investigation performed on the membrane reactors for dehydrogenation of linear and cyclic alkanes are critically reviewed to find the coherence between simulation and experimental findings. Systematic discussion is done on the different types of alkane dehydrogenation reactions and the parameters affecting the reaction performance. Finally, directions are provided to prepare a cheaper and large industrial scale membrane reactor for dehydrogenation reaction. The concept of coupling an exothermic reaction with the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction is provided as a future direction study to enhance the overall yield and energy efficiency of the integrated membrane reactor.

Hollow microgels and their hybrids have gained much attention in modern-day research because of their fascinating properties and potential applications. This article gives classification, preparation methods, properties and applications of hollow microgels and their hybrids in modern research. Some of the hollow microgels and their hybrids respond to change in specific environmental stimuli like pH, ionic strength and temperature of the medium. They are called smart polymer hollow microgels and smart hybrid microgels, respectively. This peculiar behaviour makes them a suitable candidate for their use in drug delivery, sensing, catalysis and many other fields. This review represents the current advancement along with future perspectives and suggestions for further research in this particular area.

Microfluidics has been applied in the preparation of monodisperse droplets and microcapsules due to its high encapsulation efficiency, its ability to create uniform particle sizes, and its capacity to control core–shell ratio and structure. To bring to the fore methodologies for the fabrication and application of monodisperse microcapsules using microfluidics, we present a review of the design, structure, materials, and surface modification techniques of various microfluidic chips. The review also covers fabrication methods, operating parameters and regulation methods of single and multiple monodisperse emulsion droplets fabricated from various microfluidic devices. Our findings show that particle size of monodisperse droplets depend mainly on microchannel characteristic size and flow rate, with particle size increasing with larger microchannel but decreasing with higher continuous phase flow rate. We additionally reviewed and compared various fabrication methods for monodisperse microcapsules, such as interfacial polymerization, free-radical polymerization, ionic cross-linking, and solvent evaporation. We further reviewed and examined the application of monodisperse microcapsules in biology applications, food engineering, composite materials development, and pharmaceutical industry. We found that high-throughput microfluidics for scale-up monodisperse microcapsule preparation towards uniform degradation and targeted release properties of monodisperse microcapsules would be key innovative direction for future applications.