Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy

This study highlights a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management by transforming residues into value-added products through granulation and pyrolysis. Agricultural biomass, a prevalent waste stream, holds great potential as a key ingredient for enhancing soil health. However, the common...

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Main Authors: Maryna Zhylina, Andrei Shishkin, Denis Miroshnichenko, Vita Sterna, Jurijs Ozolins, Linda Ansone-Bertina, Maris Klavins, Gaurav Goel, Saurav Goel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Results in Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025009958
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author Maryna Zhylina
Andrei Shishkin
Denis Miroshnichenko
Vita Sterna
Jurijs Ozolins
Linda Ansone-Bertina
Maris Klavins
Gaurav Goel
Saurav Goel
author_facet Maryna Zhylina
Andrei Shishkin
Denis Miroshnichenko
Vita Sterna
Jurijs Ozolins
Linda Ansone-Bertina
Maris Klavins
Gaurav Goel
Saurav Goel
author_sort Maryna Zhylina
collection DOAJ
description This study highlights a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management by transforming residues into value-added products through granulation and pyrolysis. Agricultural biomass, a prevalent waste stream, holds great potential as a key ingredient for enhancing soil health. However, the common practice of incineration diminishes this opportunity by wasting valuable resources. This investigation sought to demonstrate that low-temperature slow pyrolysis of biomass can be used to create value-added products such as animal feed, biochar, and heating briquettes. The study involved a comparative analysis of wheat straw, barley straw, and oat husk for biochar production, examining key properties like moisture content, ash content, and fiber composition. The optimal granulation process for combining these materials with peat was established, resulting in robust pellets consisting of 85 % biomass and 15 % peat. Pyrolysis was conducted at 500 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C per minute. The resulting granules were evaluated for their strength, density, and moisture absorption. The barley straw pellets were found to have the best mechanical strength of 89.40 N, the best moisture absorption capacity of 49.50 % and the highest product yield of 54.1 % after pyrolysis. When used in lettuce cultivation, the combination of peat with barley straw as a binder yielded the most promising results. Introducing circularity in biomass reduces waste, enhances soil health and creates economic opportunities, reinforcing the principles of a circular economy. This approach promotes resource efficiency, minimizes environmental impact and contributes to a more sustainable agricultural sector.
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spelling doaj-art-b710e45ddba044459d0bed53cd29433b2025-08-20T03:18:11ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302025-06-012610491910.1016/j.rineng.2025.104919Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economyMaryna Zhylina0Andrei Shishkin1Denis Miroshnichenko2Vita Sterna3Jurijs Ozolins4Linda Ansone-Bertina5Maris Klavins6Gaurav Goel7Saurav Goel8Riga Technical University, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Paula Valdena Street 3, K-1, Riga, LV-1048, Latvia; Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics, Stende Research Centre, Dizzemes, Dizstende, Libagu parish, Talsu County, LV-3258, LatviaRiga Technical University, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Paula Valdena Street 3, K-1, Riga, LV-1048, LatviaDepartment of Oil, Gas and Solid Fuel Processing Technology, National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, 2, Kyrpychova str., 61002, Kharkiv, Ukraine; Coal Department, State Enterprise Ukrainian State Research Institute for Carbochemistry (UKHIN), Kharkiv, 61023, Ukraine. 2Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics, Stende Research Centre, Dizzemes, Dizstende, Libagu parish, Talsu County, LV-3258, LatviaRiga Technical University, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Paula Valdena Street 3, K-1, Riga, LV-1048, LatviaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Latvia, Raina blvd. 19, LV 1586, Riga, LatviaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Latvia, Raina blvd. 19, LV 1586, Riga, LatviaDepartment of Energy and Environment, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, Punjab, 147004, IndiaSchool of Engineering and Design, London South Bank University, London, SE10AA, UK; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, 248007, India; Corresponding author.This study highlights a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management by transforming residues into value-added products through granulation and pyrolysis. Agricultural biomass, a prevalent waste stream, holds great potential as a key ingredient for enhancing soil health. However, the common practice of incineration diminishes this opportunity by wasting valuable resources. This investigation sought to demonstrate that low-temperature slow pyrolysis of biomass can be used to create value-added products such as animal feed, biochar, and heating briquettes. The study involved a comparative analysis of wheat straw, barley straw, and oat husk for biochar production, examining key properties like moisture content, ash content, and fiber composition. The optimal granulation process for combining these materials with peat was established, resulting in robust pellets consisting of 85 % biomass and 15 % peat. Pyrolysis was conducted at 500 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C per minute. The resulting granules were evaluated for their strength, density, and moisture absorption. The barley straw pellets were found to have the best mechanical strength of 89.40 N, the best moisture absorption capacity of 49.50 % and the highest product yield of 54.1 % after pyrolysis. When used in lettuce cultivation, the combination of peat with barley straw as a binder yielded the most promising results. Introducing circularity in biomass reduces waste, enhances soil health and creates economic opportunities, reinforcing the principles of a circular economy. This approach promotes resource efficiency, minimizes environmental impact and contributes to a more sustainable agricultural sector.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025009958BiomassPeatGranulationPyrolysisBiocharSoil quality
spellingShingle Maryna Zhylina
Andrei Shishkin
Denis Miroshnichenko
Vita Sterna
Jurijs Ozolins
Linda Ansone-Bertina
Maris Klavins
Gaurav Goel
Saurav Goel
Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
Results in Engineering
Biomass
Peat
Granulation
Pyrolysis
Biochar
Soil quality
title Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
title_full Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
title_fullStr Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
title_full_unstemmed Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
title_short Granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
title_sort granulation and pyrolysis of agricultural residues for an enhanced circular economy
topic Biomass
Peat
Granulation
Pyrolysis
Biochar
Soil quality
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025009958
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AT vitasterna granulationandpyrolysisofagriculturalresiduesforanenhancedcirculareconomy
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