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Processes
Special Issues
2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design
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2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2025 | Viewed by 11905

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberta Campardelli

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Interests: emulsions; nanoparticles; microparticles; nanofibers; drug delivery; biopolymers; food packaging; natural bioactive compounds; innovative technologies; chemical engineering; processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paolo Trucillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Sustainable Technologies for Pollution Control Laboratory (STPC Laboratory), Department of Chemical, Material and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: drug delivery systems; foams; material science; pharmaceutical material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first edition of this Special Issue “Innovation in Chemical Plant Design” collected 11 interesting papers (i.e., 10 articles and 1 review), attracting many potential authors and readers with more than 18,000 views. Due to the large success of the first volume and the high interest in this topic, we decided to propose a second edition of this Special Issue, entitled “2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design.

Chemical engineering can develop solutions for most important problems, providing food, pharmaceutics, potable water, goods, and energy to a growing population. Satisfying these needs via conventional methods would be impossible and potentially disastrous for the planet. Therefore, significant research has been undertaken to improve the productivity and yield of crops, reduce environmental impact, improve energy and water consumption, and enable sustainable use of resources and raw materials.

Generally, the field of application in chemical processes is not considered as innovative as the electronics, communications, and technology sectors. However, in recent years, chemical engineering has experienced serious innovations in areas such as:

  • process intensification;
  • alternative and clean energy systems;
  • sustainable production processes (reduction of waste generation and water consumption, greater energy efficiency and higher yields of the desired product);
  • automation systems that can optimize production and quality, reducing production costs;
  • nanotechnology and nanomaterials;
  • food and agriculture;
  • advanced pharmaceuticals;
  • more sustainable building and construction materials.

The aim of this Special Issue of Processes on the topic “Innovation in Chemical Plant Design” is to highlight recent innovation in chemical engineering process design and to point out trends and perspectives. Research works about process intensification, alternative and clean energy systems, sustainable production processes, process optimization, novel nanotechnology and nanomaterials, innovation in food production and products for agriculture, novel pharmaceuticals, and innovative materials for buildings are welcome.

Dr. Roberta Campardelli
Dr. Paolo Trucillo
Guest Editors

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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

  • innovative solutions for chemical processes
  • clean energy processes
  • process optimization
  • novel nanotechnologies
  • materials for innovative applications
  • innovations in food production
  • novel agriculture solutions
  • life cycle assessment
  • novel pharmaceutical formulations process intensification

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3660 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Polymeric Nanoparticles Using Fungal Biosurfactant as Stabilizer
by Angélica Ribeiro Soares, Juliano Camurça de Andrade, Caroline Dutra Lacerda, Sidney Gomes Azevedo, Maria Tereza Martins Pérez, Lizandro Manzato, Sergio Duvoisin Junior and Patrícia Melchionna Albuquerque
Processes 2024, 12(12), 2739; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12122739 - 3 Dec 2024
Viewed by 658
Abstract
Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) are highly valuable across various industries due to their advantageous properties, including biocompatibility and enhanced release control, which are particularly important for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Fungi, through secondary metabolism, are capable of producing biosurfactants (BSs)—amphiphilic molecules that reduce surface [...] Read more.
Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) are highly valuable across various industries due to their advantageous properties, including biocompatibility and enhanced release control, which are particularly important for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Fungi, through secondary metabolism, are capable of producing biosurfactants (BSs)—amphiphilic molecules that reduce surface tension and can therefore substitute synthetic surfactants in PNP stabilization. In this study, we investigated the production of biosurfactants by the endophytic fungus Aspergillus welwitschiae CG2-16, isolated from the Amazon region, as well as its use as a PNP stabilizer. The fungus exhibited a 36% reduction in the surface tension of the culture medium during growth, indicative of BS production. The partially purified biosurfactant demonstrated an emulsification of 24%, a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 280 mg/L, and an FTIR spectrum suggesting a lipopeptide composition. The biosurfactant was employed in the synthesis of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles via nanoprecipitation and emulsion/diffusion methods. Nanoprecipitation yielded spherical nanoparticles with a low polydispersity index (0.14 ± 0.04) and a high zeta potential (−29.10 ± 8.70 mV), indicating suspension stability. These findings highlight the significant role of biosurfactants in polymeric nanoparticle formation and stabilization, emphasizing their potential for diverse applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other industrial sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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35 pages, 11982 KiB  
Article
Integration of Thermal Solar Power in an Existing Combined Cycle for a Reduction in Carbon Emissions and the Maximization of Cycle Efficiency
by Adham Mohamed Abdelhalim, Andrés Meana-Fernández and Ines Suarez-Ramon
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2557; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112557 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 902
Abstract
The energy transition towards renewable energy sources is vital for handling climate change, air pollution, and health-related problems. However, fossil fuels are still used worldwide as the main source for electricity generation. This work aims to contribute to the energy transition by exploring [...] Read more.
The energy transition towards renewable energy sources is vital for handling climate change, air pollution, and health-related problems. However, fossil fuels are still used worldwide as the main source for electricity generation. This work aims to contribute to the energy transition by exploring the best options for integrating a solar field within a combined cycle power plant. Different integration positions at the gas and steam cycles for the solar field were studied and compared under several operating conditions using a thermodynamic model implemented in MATLAB R2024a. Fuel-saving and power-boosting (flowrate and parameter boosting) strategies were studied. The results revealed that, for a maximum fuel savings of 7.97%, the best option was to integrate the field into the steam cycle before the economizer stage. With an integrated solar thermal power of 3 MW, carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion were reduced to 8.3 g/kWh. On the other hand, to maximize power plant generation, the best option was to integrate the field before the superheater, increasing power generation by 24.2% for a solar thermal power of 4 MW. To conclude, guidelines to select the best integration option depending on the desired outcome are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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15 pages, 2979 KiB  
Article
Design and Technical-Economic-Environmental Evaluation of a Biorefinery Using Non-Marketable Edible Mushroom Waste
by Brenda Lazaro-Molina and Teresa Lopez-Arenas
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112450 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1061
Abstract
Edible mushrooms are gaining popularity as functional foods, not only for their distinctive taste and subtle flavor but also for their potential health benefits. They are rich in essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. However, it is estimated that up [...] Read more.
Edible mushrooms are gaining popularity as functional foods, not only for their distinctive taste and subtle flavor but also for their potential health benefits. They are rich in essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. However, it is estimated that up to 30% of total mushroom production generates non-marketable waste, which is currently used as animal feed, fertilizer, or compost. From a circular economy perspective, the objective of this work is to propose a conceptual design for a biorefinery to produce high-value-added products from non-marketable edible mushroom waste and to conduct a comprehensive assessment using modeling and simulation tools for process engineering. The general approach first involves identifying high-potential products, then determining the best processing routes, followed by developing a process flowsheet diagram for a case study (A. bisporus), and ultimately conducting a comprehensive assessment of the biorefinery to evaluate its sustainability. As a result, the proposed biorefinery may produce chitin, citric acid, and fertilizer, demonstrating the technical feasibility of waste valorization in terms of product yields, with positive profitability in terms of the rate of return on investment and payback period, and low environmental impact in terms of water and energy consumption as well as CO2 emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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17 pages, 3974 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Polyvinyl Alcohol–Chitosan Nanocellulose–Biochar Nanosilver Composite Hydrogel and Its Antibacterial Property and Dye Removal Capacity
by Licheng Xie, Zhichao Zhang, Yucai He and Yan Jiang
Processes 2024, 12(10), 2277; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102277 - 18 Oct 2024
Viewed by 856
Abstract
In this research, silver-loaded biochar (C-Ag) was acquired from a waste fish scale, and nanocellulose (CNF) was prepared from the waste wheat stalk. Then C-Ag was loaded into chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (CTS-PVA) with CNC as a reinforcement agent, and a novel nanocomposite material [...] Read more.
In this research, silver-loaded biochar (C-Ag) was acquired from a waste fish scale, and nanocellulose (CNF) was prepared from the waste wheat stalk. Then C-Ag was loaded into chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (CTS-PVA) with CNC as a reinforcement agent, and a novel nanocomposite material was acquired, which could be efficiently applied for antibacterial and dye removal. By plate diffusion analysis, the inhibition areas of C-Ag-CTS-PVA-CNF (C/CTS/PVA/CNF) hydrogel against E. coli ATCC25922, S. aureus ATCC6538, and P. aeruginosa ATCC9027 could reach 22.5 mm, 22.0 mm, and 24.0 mm, respectively. It was found that the antibacterial rate was 100% in the water antibacterial experiment for 2 h, and the antibacterial activity was more than 90% within 35 days after preparation, and the antibacterial rate was more than 90% after repeated antibacterial tests for five times. Through swelling, water adsorption, water loss rate, and water content tests, the hydrogel manifested good moisturizing properties and could effectually block the loss of water and improve the stability of the C/CTS/PVA/CNF hydrogel. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models were built, and the adsorption capacity of hydrogel to dye was analyzed, and the dye removal was more consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The best removal effect for Congo red was 96.3 mg/g. The C/CTS/PVA/CNF hydrogel had a remarkable removal efficacy on Malachite green, Methyl orange, Congo red, and Methylene blue. As a result, the C/CTS/PVA/CNF hydrogels had robust antibacterial properties and reusability. In addition, the present research developed a facile strategy for effectual dyes removal from the aqueous medium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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24 pages, 2435 KiB  
Article
Production and Application of a New Biosurfactant for Solubilisation and Mobilisation of Residual Oil from Sand and Seawater
by Ivison Amaro Silva, José Gabriel Lima Alcântara Fortunato, Fabíola Carolina Gomes Almeida, Romulo Nepomuceno Alves, Maristela Casé Costa Cunha, Raquel Diniz Rufino, Mucio Luiz Banja Fernandes and Leonie Asfora Sarubbo
Processes 2024, 12(8), 1605; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081605 - 31 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2012
Abstract
Significant research has been conducted to minimise environmental impacts and promote the sustainable use of resources and raw materials. Microbial surfactants are an example of advanced materials obtained from sustainable production processes. In the present study, a biosurfactant was produced by the yeast [...] Read more.
Significant research has been conducted to minimise environmental impacts and promote the sustainable use of resources and raw materials. Microbial surfactants are an example of advanced materials obtained from sustainable production processes. In the present study, a biosurfactant was produced by the yeast Starmerella bombicola ATCC 22214 grown in a previously selected low-cost mineral medium containing 10% sucrose, 1.2% canola oil, and 0.5% corn steep liquor. The biosurfactant reduced surface tension from 72 ± 0.1 to 32.76 ± 0.3 mN/m. The yield was 23 g/L, and the critical micelle concentration was 0.6 g/L. The biosurfactant emulsified 96.25 ± 0.08% of used motor oil, was characterised as a sophorolipid, and exhibited stability under extreme conditions with no significant loss of its properties. Toxicity was assessed by exposing the microcrustacean Artemia salina and the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to the biosurfactant. The biosurfactant proved efficient for use in remediation processes, removing 97.8% and 69.2% of the petroleum derivative from sand in kinetic and static tests, respectively, and removed 91.5% of the contaminant from seawater. The results indicate the potential of this new biosurfactant for the mobilisation and solubilisation of hydrocarbons in the marine environment. This green biomolecule is a promising technology for the replacement of chemical dispersants in the remediation of aquatic and soil systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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8 pages, 984 KiB  
Communication
Study on Removal of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocyclic Compounds Contained in Crude Methylnaphthalene Oil by Formamide Extraction
by Su Jin Kim
Processes 2024, 12(8), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081550 - 25 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 643
Abstract
This study examined the effect of experimental factors and conditions on the removal of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds (NCHCs) by performing equilibrium extraction using formamide or formamide aqueous solution as a solvent to remove NCHCs contained in crude methylnaphthalene oil (CMNO). The CMNO used [...] Read more.
This study examined the effect of experimental factors and conditions on the removal of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds (NCHCs) by performing equilibrium extraction using formamide or formamide aqueous solution as a solvent to remove NCHCs contained in crude methylnaphthalene oil (CMNO). The CMNO used as a raw material in this study contained three types of NCHCs (quinoline, isoquinoline, and indole) classified as group A, and six kinds of non-NCHCs (naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, biphenyl, dibenzofuran, and fluorene) classified as group B. Increasing the volume fraction of water to the solvent before the extraction run increased the raffinate residual rate but conversely decreased the removal rate of group A. The increase in the volume fraction of solvent to feed before the extraction run and operating temperature decreased the residual rate of raffinate but conversely increased the removal rate of group A. Over the entire range of extraction conditions performed in this study, the removal rate of group A ranged from 10.8% to 70.7%. Considering that these experimental results were obtained using only a single stage of batch equilibrium extraction, the formamide extraction method applied in this study showed excellent performance in terms of the residual rate of raffinate and the removal rate of group A. Therefore, it was expected to be an alternative to the reaction extraction method using acids and bases applied so far to separate NCHCs in the distillation residue of coal tar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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17 pages, 5774 KiB  
Article
Adsorption–Desorption Process to Separate Dyes from Tanning Wastewaters
by Paolo Trucillo, Amedeo Lancia and Francesco Di Natale
Processes 2023, 11(10), 3006; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11103006 - 19 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Wastewater production is a major environmental issue for the leather and textile industries: in a modern plant, several synthetic dyes are used in separated coloring batches whose wastewaters are usually mixed, diluted with other process water streams, and sent to a unique wastewater [...] Read more.
Wastewater production is a major environmental issue for the leather and textile industries: in a modern plant, several synthetic dyes are used in separated coloring batches whose wastewaters are usually mixed, diluted with other process water streams, and sent to a unique wastewater treatment plant. This includes specific physical and biochemical tertiary treatments to remove dyes efficiently. One of the main difficulties of these processes is the presence of multiple dyes, which cannot be treated with the same efficiency as a “wide-spectrum” process. This work explores the possibility of using conventional granular activated carbon (GAC) and a new polyurethane foam (PUF) for the adsorption of an acid red dye in the wastewater of a specific coloring batch of the tanning industry. The aim of this work is twofold: on the one hand, we aim to explore the performance of the new PUF sorbent; on the other hand, we aim to explore the possibility of using adsorption as an optimized pre-treatment for single-dye batches, which may take advantage of the presence of a single type of target dye and its higher concentration. The effluent is then sent to the wastewater treatment plant for further depuration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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Review

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22 pages, 1760 KiB  
Review
A Critical Review of Systems for Bioremediation of Tannery Effluent with a Focus on Nitrogenous and Sulfurous Species Removal and Resource Recovery
by Philadelphia V. Ngobeni, Ashton B. Mpofu, Amrita Ranjan and Pamela J. Welz
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1527; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071527 - 20 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1215
Abstract
Tanneries generate copious amounts of potentially toxic sludge and effluent from the processing of skins and hides to leather. The effluent requires remediation before discharge to protect the receiving environment. A range of physicochemical methods are used for pre- and post-treatment, but biological [...] Read more.
Tanneries generate copious amounts of potentially toxic sludge and effluent from the processing of skins and hides to leather. The effluent requires remediation before discharge to protect the receiving environment. A range of physicochemical methods are used for pre- and post-treatment, but biological secondary remediation remains the most popular choice for the reduction of the organic and macronutrient fraction of tannery effluent. This review provides an update and critical discussion of biological systems used to remediate tannery effluent. While the conventional activated sludge process and similar technologies are widely used by tanneries, they have inherent problems related to poor sludge settling, low removal efficiencies, and high energy requirements. Treatment wetlands are recommended for the passive polishing step of beamhouse effluent. Hybrid systems that incorporate anoxic and/or anaerobic zones with sludge and/or effluent recycling have been shown to be effective for the removal of organics and nitrogenous species at laboratory scale, and some have been piloted. Novel systems have also been proposed for the removal and recovery of elemental sulfur and/or energy and/or process water in support of a circular economy. Full-scale studies showing successful long-term operation of such systems are now required to convince tanneries to modernize and invest in new infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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27 pages, 4239 KiB  
Review
Advancing Wastewater Treatment: A Comparative Study of Photocatalysis, Sonophotolysis, and Sonophotocatalysis for Organics Removal
by Szabolcs Bognár, Dušica Jovanović, Vesna Despotović, Nina Finčur, Predrag Putnik and Daniela Šojić Merkulov
Processes 2024, 12(6), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061256 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1515
Abstract
Clear and sanitarily adequate water scarcity is one of the greatest problems of modern society. Continuous population growth, rising organics concentrations, and common non-efficient wastewater treatment technologies add to the seriousness of this issue. The employment of various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in [...] Read more.
Clear and sanitarily adequate water scarcity is one of the greatest problems of modern society. Continuous population growth, rising organics concentrations, and common non-efficient wastewater treatment technologies add to the seriousness of this issue. The employment of various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in water treatment is becoming more widespread. In this review, the state-of-the-art application of three AOPs is discussed in detail: photocatalysis, sonophotolysis, and sonophotocatalysis. Photocatalysis utilizes semiconductor photocatalysts to degrade organic pollutants under light irradiation. Sonophotolysis combines ultrasound and photolysis to generate reactive radicals, enhancing the degradation of organic pollutants. Sonophotocatalysis synergistically combines ultrasound with photocatalysis, resulting in improved degradation efficiency compared to individual processes. By studying this paper, readers will get an insight into the latest published data regarding the above-mentioned processes from the last 10 years. Different factors are compared and discussed, such as degradation efficiency, reaction kinetics, catalyst type, ultrasound frequency, or water matrix effects on process performance. In addition, the economic aspects of sonophotolysis, photocatalysis, and sonophotocatalysis will be also analyzed and compared to other processes. Also, the future research directions and potential applications of these AOPs in wastewater treatment will be highlighted. This review offers invaluable insights into the selection and optimization of AOPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Innovation in Chemical Plant Design)
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