What is the right pathway to be sustainable? Case of biofuels and bioproducts in Europe

Conference (2013, May 15)

Convective drying of wastewater sludge: Introduction of shrinkage effect in mathematical modeling

in Drying Technology (2013), 31(6), 643-654

Use of Life Cycle Assessment to determine the environmental impact of thermochemical conversion routes of lignocellulosic biomass: The gasification step

Poster (2013, April 22)

L’Analyse du Cycle de vie : quoi, pourquoi, comment ?

Scientific conference (2013, March 22)

Importance of LUC and ILUC on the carbon footprint of bioproduct:case of bio-HDPE

Conference (2013)

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, solutions are needed to replace petrol based products. As a consequence, the number of biobased products developed using ... [more ▼]

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, solutions are needed to replace petrol based products. As a consequence, the number of biobased products developed using agricultural feedstock is continuously increasing. This study focuses on the carbon footprint of bio-HDPE produced either from Brazilian sugar cane or Belgian sugar beet. The goal of this study is to compare the carbon footprint of bio-HDPE with the fossil one, taking into account the effect of land use change. Common boundaries of the agricultural systems comprise the cultivation step for both crops, i.e. sugar cane and sugar beet, with all associated energy and fertilizer consumptions, the transportation step from field to the industrial plant, the sugar crops transformation into hydrate bioethanol, the by-products valorisation, the dehydration and polymerization steps and the HDPE incineration as end of life issue. Fossil scenario includes the production of ethylene, its polymerization and its incineration. When comparing the entire life cycle of bio and fossil HDPE, the GHG emissions are lower for the biobased product which is the willing effect. This result is only valid if no Land Use Change (LUC) or Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) effect appears. To assess the environmental impact of the deforestation or of the transformation of a pasture into a field, the EC-Guidelines from the European Union were used in order to calculate the CO2 emissions depending on several parameters. For sugar cane, LUC consists in the transformation of pastures into fields in the region of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Three scenarios can be developed based on different agricultural practices for pasture and field (tillage and fertilizers inputs): the best, the worst and the average. The best case leads to a supplementary environmental gain. The worst and average achieve additional emissions. A payback time, considering the time needed to find again an environmental gain compared to the fossil counterpart, was calculated for the average scenario which is equal to 12 years. The ILUC effect for sugar cane is assumed to be deforestation due to the transformation of forest into pasture induced by the previous LUC effect. The rate of deforestation can vary between 16% or 100% depending on used statistics and leads to a payback time of respectively 26 and 101 years. For sugar beet, no LUC is considered. Indeed, no land expansion is available in Belgium due to small available areas. In the case of an increase of bioplastics production, Belgium should import sugar beet from neighboring countries which can induce ILUC. In this study, sugar beet is assumed to be provided by the Netherlands on pastures previously transformed into fields. The average scenario implies a payback time of 8 years. This study permits to highlight the importance of LUC and ILUC especially for energetic crops dedicated to replace fossil products. This effect can reverse expected results and induce long payback times. [less ▲]

A comparison of three calcium phosphate based space fillers in sinus elevation: a study in rabbits

in International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants (2013)

Aim: Sub-sinusal bone regeneration procedures are reliable procedures that are known to be efficient with the use of biomaterials alone. Nevertheless, many types of biomaterials are available, and their ... [more ▼]

Aim: Sub-sinusal bone regeneration procedures are reliable procedures that are known to be efficient with the use of biomaterials alone. Nevertheless, many types of biomaterials are available, and their efficacy in terms of bone formation and resorption rate have rarely been compared. This study aimed to compare the bone formation, resorption rate, osteoconductivity and 3D volume changes of three biomaterials often used for alveolar ridge augmentation. Materials and Methods: Rabbits underwent a double sinus lift procedure using three different types of space fillers: bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA), beta calcium phosphate (ß-TCP) and biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP). Animals were sacrificed at 1 week, 5 weeks and 6 months. Samples were subjected to X-ray microtomography and histology. Qualitative analysis was performed on non-decalcified sections, and quantitative histomorphometric analysis was conducted using SEM. Volume variations of bone augmentations were calculated at different time points. Results: All three particulated biomaterials proved to be effective in promoting osteogenesis. At 6 months, biomaterial resorption rates were significantly different across the 3 groups (p<0.0001). The highest resorption rate was found with β-TCP, in which only 6.7% of the baseline particle surface remained. At 6 months, bone was in close contact with the BHA particles, constituting a composite network; in contrast, BCP particles were often surrounded by soft tissues. In each group, no significant difference in volume variations were found at the different time point. Conclusions and clinical implications: Despite the limitations of the study, the three particulated space-filling biomaterials proved to be efficient to promote osteogenesis. High resorption rates and complete replacement of the biomaterials by bone seemed to withstand intrasinusal pressure. Further investigations in humans should consider longer follow-up periods. [less ▲]

Use of Life Cycle Assesment to determine the environmental impact of thermochemical conversion routes of lignocellulosic biomass: state of the art.

Poster (2012, November 07)

Abstract: The biomass is a promising way to substitute fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass valorisation is part of second generation technologies. They are interesting in that they imply less ... [more ▼]

Abstract: The biomass is a promising way to substitute fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass valorisation is part of second generation technologies. They are interesting in that they imply less competition with food crops for land and water, and they allow for the whole plant to be processed. Moreover, lignocellulose is abundant in cheap and non-food materials extracted from plants such as wood and energy crops. The thermo-chemical route is being considered more extensively, especially the gasification process. This process converts carbonaceous biomass into combustible gases (CO, H2, CO2, CH4, and impurities) called syngas in the presence of a suitable oxidant. The syngas can be converted into a large range of products, such as diesel, via a Fischer-Tropsch process, or methanol, used for producing DME (dimethyl ether), both of which can serve as fuels in traditional motors. Syngas can also be used to produce ethylene and propylene, two building blocks for the chemical industry. Production of these four compounds is specifically investigated. In order to insure that, under the principle of sustainability, the use of lignocellulosic biomass is a viable alternative, its environmental impact must be accurately quantified. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology will be used in this regard for the gasification process. The gasification technology will be described, and a state of the art in LCA of the gasification process will be presented. Finally, the need for new research will be established. [less ▲]

Life Cycle Assessment of an artisanal Belgian blond beer

in [avniR] editions (Ed.) Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on life cycle approaches (2012, November 06)

MODELING OF A GLASS WOOL PROCESS IN VIEW OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (L.C.A.)

Poster (2012, November)

Taking into account the environmental aspects in the building sector has become unavoidable. In France, environmental and sanitary statements for building products (“Fiches de Déclarations ... [more ▼]

Taking into account the environmental aspects in the building sector has become unavoidable. In France, environmental and sanitary statements for building products (“Fiches de Déclarations Environnementales et Sanitaires” (FDE&S)) have been developed. The environmental part of the statement is based on Life Cycle Assessment. So, KnaufInsulation, glass wool producer for the French market, has started to evaluated the environmental impacts of it process in view of FDE&S realization. The process has been modeling in GaBi with industrial data. Adjustable parameters have been introduced to allow to study the environmental impacts of almost all the KnaufInsulation products. So the FDE&S can be easily done for the different products. This model is also used for eco-conception. The LCA results allow to show the life cycle leaks. More, in modifying the model, the impact of a change in the process on its environmental performances will be highlighted. So relevant improvement will be brought out. The model and the mains results as the eco-conception strategy will be presented. The interest of making a modeling based on the step and process of the life cycle of a product or a product range will be clearly understood. [less ▲]

MODELING OF A GLASS WOOL PROCESS IN VIEW OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (L.C.A.)

in LCA conference 2012 - Proceeding of the 2nd international conference on life cycle approaches (2012, November)

Taking into account the environmental aspects in the building sector has become unavoidable. In France, environmental and sanitary statements for building products (“Fiches de Déclarations ... [more ▼]

Taking into account the environmental aspects in the building sector has become unavoidable. In France, environmental and sanitary statements for building products (“Fiches de Déclarations Environnementales et Sanitaires” (FDE&S)) have been developed. The environmental part of the statement is based on Life Cycle Assessment. So, KnaufInsulation, glass wool producer for the French market, has started to evaluated the environmental impacts of it process in view of FDE&S realization. The process has been modeling in GaBi with industrial data. Adjustable parameters have been introduced to allow to study the environmental impacts of almost all the KnaufInsulation products. So the FDE&S can be easily done for the different products. This model is also used for eco-conception. The LCA results allow to show the life cycle leaks. More, in modifying the model, the impact of a change in the process on its environmental performances will be highlighted. So relevant improvement will be brought out. The model and the mains results as the eco-conception strategy will be presented. The interest of making a modeling based on the step and process of the life cycle of a product or a product range will be clearly understood. [less ▲]