Granulates Based on Bio and Industrial Waste and Biochar in a Sustainable Economy

Abstract

This review presents the latest research works detailing granulation processes and granulates, including and based on waste (bio and industrial) as a biofuel/energy source and the possible usage of granulates from and/or based on biochar. The innovative aspect is that the article focuses on the broadest possible environmental aspect understood in minimizing the burden related to the amount and composition of waste generated by various industries. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the processes as an effective method of waste management and also as energy sources. Based on various sources, a brief summary of why granulation is an important area of both scientific research and industrial applications is provided. The review also presents a summary of basic concepts and definitions in the topic of granulation—types of processes, apparatuses used, and examples of research results in the literature. The main part of the review is the analysis of the literature providing numerous examples on the usage of granules based on bio and industrial waste and various biochar granulates. The conclusions present the aspect of economical sustainability of granulation processes and the use of granulates as effective solutions for energy sources (fuel, biofuel), waste management, and applications in agriculture (soil additives, fertilizers).

Keywords

• granulation
• granules
• biomass waste
• industrial waste
• biochar
• biofuels