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The continuous accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere represents one of the greatest challenges to achieving a sustainable and circular carbon economy. Traditional capture technologies based on aqueous amines are effective but suffer from high energy penalties, corrosion, and environmental toxicity. In contrast, bio-based polymers offer renewable, low-impact alternatives for CO2 capture and subsequent transformation. Chitin and its deacetylated derivative chitosan emerge as particularly promising d...

This research aims to develop a new strategy to valorize wasted COVID-19 masks based on pyrolysis to convert them into useful products. First, surgical and FFP2 masks were thermally pyrolyzed at temperatures of 450-550 ?C with the purpose of determining gas, liquid (oil) and solid (char) yields. At low temperatures, solid yield was high, while at high temperatures the gas product was enhanced. The highest yield of liquid was found at an operating temperature of 500 ?C in both surgical and FPP2 masks pyrolysis. The...

Biomethane and other renewable gases will enable to thrive on a fully renewable energy system. Biomethane has similar qualities to natural gas, so it can be injected into existing natural gas infrastructure or used as a biofuel for transport. Also, its use means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. This work is part of the LIFE LANDFILL BIOFUEL project that aims to implement a cost-effective system based on new techniques to improve the recovery of landfill biogas and the product...

Au mineralizations of Jales and Gralheira, located in Tras-os-Montes, near Vila Pouca de Aguiar (northern Portugal), belong to the Jales Mining District, the main historic producer of gold in Portugal. Mineralizations are hosted by syn- to late-tectonic Variscan granites and by Palaeozoic metasediments ranging in age from Ediacaran to Devonian. The studies carried out consisted of the analysis of samples from drill cores (provided by the Consortium AM- Almada Mining, S.A. and EDM, Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineir...

The town of Northwich in Cheshire, England has played host to the salt mining industry for 300 years and was the cradle of the modern heavy chemical industry with which it has been associated for approximately 200 years. Historically, the dumping of waste from these industries on adjacent land was unregulated leading to substantial accumulations of ‘legacy industrial solid waste’ (LISW) arising from many processes including brine evaporation and the Leblanc and Solvay processes for soda ash production. This pr...