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ChemEngineering
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Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering
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Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering

A special issue of ChemEngineering (ISSN 2305-7084).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 8380

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria del Carmen Marquez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Salamanca, Plaza de los Caídos 1-5, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: environmental biotechnology; waste; environmental science chemical engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chemical Engineering (CE) has proven to be a powerful instrument to solve important environmental problems. Conventional subjects of CE have been extensively used for traditional and emerging environmental technologies, but because environmental technology is developing so quickly, a CE approach is still necessary for some processes. Hence, this Special Issue is dedicated to advances and new trends in Environmental Chemical Engineering (ECE). Research areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, air, water, wastewater, and soil decontamination; waste valorisation and management; pollution prevention, monitoring, and control; resource recovery (nutrients, energy, materials, water); new materials for ECE and sustainable energy solutions; and emerging environmental contaminants removal.

Dr. Maria del Carmen Marquez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. ChemEngineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air, water, wastewater, and soil decontamination
  • waste valorisation and management
  • pollution prevention, monitoring, and control
  • resource recovery
  • new materials for environmental chemical engineering and sustainable energy solutions
  • emerging environmental contaminants removal

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 10370 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Chloride and Calcium Ion Extraction from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash from Zhoushan, China: Effects of Leaching Conditions and Industrial Applications
by Kaicheng Zhang, Yecheng Xue, Dongyan Liu, Jianfu Zhao, Marta Sibhat and Yang Tong
ChemEngineering 2025, 9(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering9010006 - 6 Jan 2025
Viewed by 643
Abstract
Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash, containing substantial amounts of calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), and other valuable elements, offers promising potential as a raw material for carbon capture, utilization (CCU), and alkali production. Despite numerous approaches being explored to enhance calcium ion [...] Read more.
Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash, containing substantial amounts of calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), and other valuable elements, offers promising potential as a raw material for carbon capture, utilization (CCU), and alkali production. Despite numerous approaches being explored to enhance calcium ion leaching from fly ash, the combined effects of salt and leaching conditions on ion extraction have not been thoroughly investigated. This study provides a comprehensive examination of various leaching conditions, including primary leaching—optimal for efficiency—secondary leaching, which achieved the highest leaching rate, and reverse secondary leaching, focusing on their impact on calcium extraction efficiency. Considering optimal leaching efficiency and resource utilization, this study identifies the most favorable industrial conditions as a 15 min leaching time, a stirring speed of 200 rpm, a temperature of 25 °C, and a 1:10 liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S ratio). The application of a 6% NaCl solution in salt-assisted leaching elevated the calcium ion concentration from 4101.5 mg/L to 4662.6 mg/L, indicating a substantial improvement in leaching performance. Additionally, in carbonate-assisted and ultrasound-assisted leaching, the introduction of CO2 further increased calcium extraction amounts, but it did not enhance efficiency, while ultrasonic intervention had minimal impact. This research investigates enhanced efficiencies through multiple optimized and assisted leaching conditions, advancing MSWI fly ash utilization in carbon capture applications while paving new pathways for sustainable industrial practices that could revolutionize waste management and support global environmental objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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16 pages, 1544 KiB  
Article
Statistical Correlations Between Various Drivers of Energy Demand in Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Retrofitted Power Plants
by Dalal Alalaiwat and Ezzat Khan
ChemEngineering 2025, 9(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering9010003 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 687
Abstract
Power plants are one of the main sources emitting the CO2 that is responsible for climate change consequences. Post-combustion carbon capture (PCC), particularly using an aqueous solution, is highly recommended to be used as a mitigation solution to reduce the emissions of [...] Read more.
Power plants are one of the main sources emitting the CO2 that is responsible for climate change consequences. Post-combustion carbon capture (PCC), particularly using an aqueous solution, is highly recommended to be used as a mitigation solution to reduce the emissions of CO2 from power plants. Although PCC is a promising solution, the process still needs further development to reduce the energy demand for solvent regeneration. This paper reviews the challenges related to the post-combustion processes and finds the correlations between selected variables addressed by several researchers. Moreover, this study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing the reduction in energy demand and efficiency penalties. The research findings highlight the importance of considering two key drivers during the design of the PCC process. These are the absorber temperature and the type and amount of the selected solvent. Indeed, statistical analyses show that there is a correlation between the identified drivers’ values and the energy demand of solvent regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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21 pages, 4425 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties of Faecal Sludge and Its Influence on Moisture Retention
by Arun Kumar Rayavellore Suryakumar, Sergio Luis Parra-Angarita, Angélique Léonard, Jonathan Pocock and Santiago Septien
ChemEngineering 2025, 9(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering9010002 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 757
Abstract
The mechanical properties of faecal sludge (FS) influence its moisture retention characteristics to a greater extent than other properties. A comprehensive fundamental characterisation of the mechanical properties is scarcely discussed in the literature. This research focused on bulk and true densities, porosity, particle [...] Read more.
The mechanical properties of faecal sludge (FS) influence its moisture retention characteristics to a greater extent than other properties. A comprehensive fundamental characterisation of the mechanical properties is scarcely discussed in the literature. This research focused on bulk and true densities, porosity, particle size distribution and zeta-potential, extracellular polymeric substances, rheology and dilatancy, microstructure analysis, and compactibility in the context of using the FS as a substitute for soil in land reclamation and bioremediation processes. FSs from different on-site sanitation systems were collected from around Durban, South Africa. The porosity of the FSs varied between 42% and 63%, with the zeta-potential being negative, below 10 mV. Over 95% of the particles were <1000 µm. With its presence in the inner part of the solid particles, tightly bound extra-cellular polymeric substances (TB-EPSs) influenced the stability of the sludge by tightly attaching to the cell walls, with the highest being in the septic tank with the greywater sample. More proteins than carbohydrates also confirmed characterised the anaerobic nature of the sludge. The results of the textural properties using a penetrometer showed that the initial slope of the positive part of the penetration curve was related to the stiffness of the sludge sample and similar to that of sewage sludge. The dynamic oscillatory measurements exhibited a firm gel-like behaviour with a linear viscoelastic behaviour of the sludges due to the change in EPSs because of anaerobicity. The high-TS samples exhibited the role of moisture as a lubricating agent on the motion of solid particles, leading to dilatancy with reduced moisture, where the yield stress was no longer associated with the viscous forces but with the frictional contacts of solid–solid particle interactions. The filtration–compression cell test showed good compactibility, but the presence of unbound moisture even at a high pressure of 300 kPa meant that not all unbound moisture was easily removable. The moisture retention behaviour of FS was influenced by its mechanical properties, and any interventional changes to these properties can result in the release of the bound moisture of FS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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18 pages, 5734 KiB  
Article
Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Measure the Energetic Properties of Residual Sludge and Catalysts from the Textile, Tannery, and Galvanic Industries
by Ghem Carvajal-Chávez, Josselyn Cazar, Gilda Gordillo, Andrés De-La-Rosa, Gonzalo Chiriboga and Carolina Montero-Calderón
ChemEngineering 2024, 8(6), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering8060123 - 3 Dec 2024
Viewed by 795
Abstract
This research delved into the energetic properties of catalysts synthesized from residual sludge from the textile, galvanic, and tannery industries. The experimental process consisted of an initial heat treatment to activate their catalytic properties and a thermal analysis employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). [...] Read more.
This research delved into the energetic properties of catalysts synthesized from residual sludge from the textile, galvanic, and tannery industries. The experimental process consisted of an initial heat treatment to activate their catalytic properties and a thermal analysis employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This technique permitted the investigation of the materials’ thermal behavior as a function of temperature, ranging from 142 to 550 °C, effectively controlling the heating rates and pressure conditions. The data gathered were the input for constructing specific heat models through polynomial regression employing the least squares method. These models were subsequently used to estimate variations in the enthalpy and entropy for both the sludge and catalysts through integration. Third-degree polynomials primarily characterized the specific heat models that accurately represented the samples’ thermal behavior, considering variations in their physicochemical properties that influenced it. The catalysts derived from residual sludge from the textile industry exhibited the models with the most robust statistical fit. Concurrently, the catalysts from the galvanic industry displayed noteworthy similarities with the bibliographic data across various temperature points. The mathematical models determined the specific heat (Cp) as a function of temperature, which, in turn, was used to estimate the enthalpy and entropy variations in the sludge and catalysts under study. The highest enthalpy value corresponded to the sludge and catalyst obtained from the tannery industry, with a Cp of 5.60 J/g-K at 603 K and 2.45 J/g-K at 445.6 K. Finally, the third-degree polynomials showed the best mathematical models since (1) they considered the variations in the physicochemical properties that intervened in the behavior of Cp as a function of temperature; (2) they presented a better statistical fit; and (3) they showed consistency with the existing information in the literature for the textile industry and the galvanic industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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14 pages, 2389 KiB  
Article
Volatile Fatty Acids from Household Food Waste: Production and Kinetics
by Rosa E. Ramos and Mª Carmen Márquez
ChemEngineering 2024, 8(5), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering8050084 - 25 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
Household food waste (HFW), which is rich in organic matter, is a good candidate for producing added-value bio-based chemicals, such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), by acidogenic fermentation processes. However, the lack of design tools, such as appropriate kinetic models, hinders the implementation [...] Read more.
Household food waste (HFW), which is rich in organic matter, is a good candidate for producing added-value bio-based chemicals, such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), by acidogenic fermentation processes. However, the lack of design tools, such as appropriate kinetic models, hinders the implementation of this technology because the results of these processes are affected by operational factors. In this work, VFA production by the acidogenic fermentation of HFW under uncontrolled pH levels (4–5) was studied at thermophilic (55 °C) and mesophilic (35 °C) temperature conditions. Batch reactors were used to digest HFW, and VFA production and the individual acid distributions were measured at different fermentation times from 0 to 624 h. The results showed higher individual and total VFA production at 35 °C and 120 h of fermentation time as a consequence of the competition between the VFA production and decomposition reactions. Acetic and valeric acids were VFAs mainly produced as a result of a high content of proteins in the initial substrate, and a small amount of propionic and butyric acids were present. A simplified kinetic model was successfully developed to represent the complex process of VFA formation from the acidogenic fermentation of HFW. A simple mechanism for the production–decomposition of VFAs, corresponding to a zero-order reaction for the first 48 h and a single consecutive reaction from that time on, was proposed. For both mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, the suggested kinetic model was able to predict the individual and total concentrations of VFAs along the fermentation time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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Review

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32 pages, 1378 KiB  
Review
Investigating the Routes to Produce Cellulose Fibers from Agro-Waste: An Upcycling Process
by Sofia Plakantonaki, Kyriaki Kiskira, Nikolaos Zacharopoulos, Vassiliki Belessi, Emmanouela Sfyroera, Georgios Priniotakis and Chrysoula Athanasekou
ChemEngineering 2024, 8(6), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering8060112 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2983
Abstract
The agriculture and agri-food sectors produce substantial amounts of plant-based waste. This waste presents an identifiable research opportunity to develop methods for effectively eliminating and managing it in order to promote zero-waste and circular economies. Plant-based waste and by-products are acknowledged as valuable [...] Read more.
The agriculture and agri-food sectors produce substantial amounts of plant-based waste. This waste presents an identifiable research opportunity to develop methods for effectively eliminating and managing it in order to promote zero-waste and circular economies. Plant-based waste and by-products are acknowledged as valuable sources of bioactive compounds, including cellulose fibers. Direct application of these fibers in non-food sectors such as textiles can reduce the environmental impact of secondary raw materials. This review aims to provide an overview of novel concepts and modern technologies for efficiently utilizing plant-based waste and by-products from the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors to extract fibers for a variety of final applications, including the fashion industry. Two major routes are identified to produce cellulose fibers: the extraction and purification of natural cellulose fibers and the extraction and purification of cellulose pulp that is further processed into manmade cellulosic fibers. Scalability of experimental results at the laboratory or pilot level is a major barrier, so it is critical to develop closed-loop processes, apply standardization protocols, and conduct life cycle assessments and techno-economic analyses to facilitate large-scale implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches for the Environmental Chemical Engineering)
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