Sustainability

Enhancing the efficiency of material processing, utilization, and recycling is pivotal for advancing sustainability in modern society. The objective of this study is to create sustainable methods for converting non-food biomass into recyclable polymers. One key compound, 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid (BPDA), is used as an additive in copolymer production and as a blending agent to improve the properties of polyester. BPDA was synthesized through the oxidation of 4,4'-dimethylbiphenyl (DMBP), a compound that can be efficiently derived from biomass-sourced 2-methylfuran.

Refrigerants, essential to heating and cooling systems, are estimated to be used in large quantities daily (approximately 850 million kilograms). While advancements on past generations of refrigerants have reduced toxicity and flammability, current hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants are being phased out due to their high global warming potential (GWP). Recycling and repurposing HFCs is challenging, as many are azeotropic mixtures that cannot be separated using conventional distillation.

This study aimed to evaluate sugarcane bagasse as a precursor for the synthesis of magnetic carbonaceous material (MC) produced at 230 °C via hydrothermal carbonization, followed by an activation process with KOH (1:2 and 1:4; m:m) at 700 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere (MAC). The study assessed the structure, texture, and adsorption capacity of MC and MAC for the dye methylene blue (MB). FTIR analysis was performed to investigate the structural properties, while BET and BJH analyses were conducted to determine the specific surface area and pore volume.