Explore the vast range of titles available.

The uncontrolled production of waste is a daily phenomenon that is experienced by most global communities, and the situation worsens due to the lack of effective waste management procedures. Solid waste such as sawdust is primarily produced by the forestry industry and although it is utilized by certain countries as briquettes to make fire or as an absorbent to clean fluid spillage as well as a component of ceilings, most of the sawdust along the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria is left unattended as waste, contributing to environmental pollution. Cellulose, composed of glucose units is a structural component of sawdust and when saccharified the resulting glucose can be fermented into renewable substances such as bio-ethanol. The cellulose degradation process can be performed with a cellulase enzyme such as available in the fungus Aspergillus niger and during the current investigation, this enzyme system was used to bio-convert the cellulose component of sawdust from ten different trees along the Lagoon into glucose. To increase the cellulase action all sawdust materials were delignified before cellulase action with the main aim of determining the optimum pH value for maximum degradation of the various sawdust materials. The pH-related saccharification profile of each type of sawdust was constructed as well as the relative percentage of saccharification and it was concluded that all the materials were optimum degraded at acidic pH-values which varied between pH 5.0 and pH 6.0 that are like optimum pH-values reported for the other types of cellulose materials.

This study presents the use of sawdust ash as a substitute in the production of sustainable building materials. Inappropriate dispose of wood-waste causes serious environmental problems as it results in atmospheric degradation, emissions of greenhouse gases and the destruction of aquatic and organic products. This review article combines research results from past studies into the usage of sawdust as an alternative for essential elements in construction composites. The result of this study shows that structural concrete can be manufactured with compressive strengths more than 20 MPa by replacing moderately 5–17% of the sand with sawdust or 5–15% of the cement with sawdust ash. By partially substituting sawdust that ranges between 10 and 30% of sand used in the production of blocks and bricks, sawdust blocks and bricks having compressive strengths greater than 3 MPa can be created. According to the findings of this study, sawdust has the potential to make construction composites that are strong, absorb water, and have an elastic modulus that meet international standards. The study concludes that sawdust composites are intriguing due to having hushed heat conductivity, a prominent sound absorption, as well as efficient sound wadding. From the findings, it is demonstrated that an increase in the utilization of sawdust for construction purposes will reduce the possibility of sawdust as a pollution to the environment, and will also ease the costs of disposal. Article Highlight: Key findings and implications of the paper Utilization of sawdust composite in construction is relevant because it can serve as a sustainable material; Sawdust been a byproduct of the timber industry is often considered waste. However, by utilizing sawdust in composite materials, it provides a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials such as concrete or steel. Also, it helps improve insulation because sawdust composites have excellent insulation properties due to their low thermal conductivity, making them ideal for use in walls, floors, and roofs. Additionally, it helps reduce cost of construction because composites of sawdust are typically less expensive than traditional building materials, thus making them an attractive option for cost-conscious builders. Sawdust composites are lightweight and easy to handle, thus making them ideal for use in structures where weight is a concern. Also, it helps improved durability; Sawdust is highly durable and resistant to decay, making them a long-lasting alternative to traditional building materials. By utilizing sawdust in construction, the carbon footprint of the construction process can also be reduced. This is because sawdust composites require less energy to produce and have a lower carbon footprint than traditional building materials. Also, in terms of design flexibility, Sawdust composite can be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes, making it a versatile material for construction. This allows for greater design flexibility and the creation of unique building designs. The use of sawdust composite in construction can improve the health and safety of workers and occupants of the building because sawdust composite does not produce the same level of harmful dust and chemicals as traditional building materials, which can be harmful to human health. Overall, the utilization of sawdust composite in construction has numerous positive implications, which includes, providing an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and durable solution for building construction, improved energy efficiency, greater design flexibility, and improved health and safety.

In the submitted research work, adsorption characteristic of magnetized Tectona grandis sawdust for methylene blue from aqueous media was explored. The prepared adsorbent was characterized by SEM/EDXS, TEM, BET, XRD, FTIR, TGA-DTG/DTA, VSM, and point of zero charge. To investigate the adsorption capacity and mechanisms prevailing for the adsorption of methylene blue, batch adsorption studies were performed by changing adsorbate/adsorbent contact time, pH, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The removal efficiency was found to be 90.8% under the optimized adsorption conditions. The optimal process parameters were 1 g/L of magnetized adsorbent, 60 min contact time, pH 8, and temperature of 30 °C for 100 mg/L MB solution. The laboratory generated adsorption data was best conformed by pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was determined to be 172.41 mg/g. The adsorption process was established to be thermodynamically feasible and accompanying with the absorption of heat and escalation of entropy. Regeneration study revealed that magnetized Tectona grandis sawdust could be reused efficaciously up to four repeated adsorption–desorption cycles using HCl as the best desorbing agent. The magnetized Tectona grandis sawdust has been proved to be novel, efficient, and cost-effective adsorbent. The combined advantages of easy preparation, good affinity towards dyes, excellent separability, reusability, and cost-effectiveness of magnetized Tectona grandis sawdust make it a novel adsorbent.

Grajen Batik is batik which coloring process uses natural dyes from grajen (sawdust) waste. Batik Grajen was developed by batik artisans in the Bulakan area, Sukoharjo, Central Java. The development of Batik Grajen is ecologically alluring since the Bulakan community processes sawdust from the sawmill industry into eco-friendly batik dyes. Sawdust (grajen) waste is used as batik dye because of the pigment contained. The dyes produced are safer and more eco-friendly than synthetic dyes. The effort made by the Bulakan community through Batik Grajen products is a creative solution to respond to environmental problems, especially waste problems that can be recycled into creative products with economic value.

The adsorption properties of magnetically modified Azadirachta indica sawdust (MAIS) on cationic methylene blue (MB) dye were studied. A number of conventional and modern analytical methods, viz., SEM/EDXS, TEM/SAED, BET, XRD, Raman, FTIR, TGA-DTG /DTA, VSM, and point of zero charge (Pozc) were used for characterization of the developed adsorbent. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to determine how adsorption was affected by various factors like adsorbate/adsorbent contact time, medium pH, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and starting dye concentration. The experimental data were analyzed in the light of various isotherm and kinetic models. The data accompanying the adsorption of MB by MAIS were found to be best obeyed by Langmuir isotherm and Pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The maximum adsorption capacity for the Langmuir monolayer coverage was calculated to be 169.491 mg/g. The remediation of MB was found to be thermodynamically spontaneous, endothermic, and accompanied by an entropy increase. Desorption experiments suggested that HCl is an effective desorbing agent, and MAIS can be reused successfully for up to seven repeated adsorption–desorption cycles. The combined benefit of facile synthesis, low-cost, outstanding binding ability for decontaminating dye, easy separability from aqueous media, and reusability suggest that the MAIS is a cost-effective and efficient novel adsorbent.

The circular economic approach in polymer composite research has gained acceptance for offering low-cost, high-performance solutions. Sawdust-derived composites have drawn interest as alternatives in concrete and composite fabrication, addressing housing shortages and resource depletion. Sawdust concrete (SDC) and sawdust polymer composites (SDPC) are key areas under investigation, with SDC additionally aiding in carbon reduction in building materials. However, challenges arise due to sawdust’s inherent hydrophilicity, porosity, and lower strength. This study introduces a novel approach by identifying specific chemical treatments, including alkali and silane, which effectively enhance sawdust’s compressive and tensile strengths, moisture resistance, and durability, optimizing it for structural applications. The study evaluates SDC’s compressive strength based on treatment type, concentration, and curing time, examining physical properties such as water absorption, moisture sensitivity, and fiber-matrix adhesion. The unique contribution lies in a detailed optimization analysis, revealing conditions under which sawdust reaches structural-grade performance, expanding its potential in sustainable construction. For SPDC, tensile strength improvements are assessed under various chemical compositions, showing that specific polymers form stronger fiber-matrix bonds for greater stability. Morphological studies further explore fiber-matrix compatibility, hydrophobicity, and failure mechanisms. By advancing the understanding of treatment efficacy, this review positions sawdust as a viable, low-cost material alternative, establishing a foundation for sustainable innovation in construction and bio-composite research. These findings contribute to sawdust’s potential as a practical, eco-friendly building material.

To compress and compact the crushed biomass material into a honeycomb shape and improve the combustion efficiency of biomass solidified fuel, a gear-rack biomass honeycomb coal forming machine was designed. This forming machine adopts a gear-rack meshing system, which can efficiently compress biomass materials such as sawdust, straw, and rice husks into standard honeycomb coal shapes, suitable for the production and processing of various biomass materials. The biomass solidification forming method proposed in this article has certain theoretical value and practical significance for promoting the promotion and application of biomass solidification forming equipment and fuels.

The aim of the presented research was to determine the influence of the pulsating electric field on the time-temperature characteristics of the combustion heat of birch wood sawdust. Two variants of the electric field were used in the research - with a field strength of 25 kV·cm -1 and 30 kV·cm -1 and in both cases the number of 300 capacitor discharges (pulses). The results were compared to the untreated PEF sample. The parameters selected for the study were the result of previously conducted pilot experiments. As a result of the conducted experiments, it was shown that the pulsating electric field influences the time-temperature characteristics of birch wood. The changes mainly concern the duration of individual process stages and are focused on the main and final period. The decisive factor in changing the properties of sawdust is the intensity of the electric field.

Alkali activated concretes have emerged as a prospective alternative to conventional concrete wherein diverse waste materials have been converted as valuable spin-offs. This paper presents a wide experimental study on the sustainability of employing waste sawdust as a fine/coarse aggregate replacement incorporating fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) to make high-performance cement-free lightweight concretes. Waste sawdust was replaced with aggregate at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 vol% incorporating alkali binder, including 70% FA and 30% GBFS. The blend was activated using a low sodium hydroxide concentration (2 M). The acoustic, thermal, and predicted engineering properties of concretes were evaluated, and the life cycle of various mixtures were calculated to investigate the sustainability of concrete. Besides this, by using the available experimental test database, an optimized Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed to estimate the mechanical properties of the designed alkali-activated mortar mixes depending on each sawdust volume percentage. Based on the findings, it was found that the sound absorption and reduction in thermal conductivity were enhanced with increasing sawdust contents. The compressive strengths of the specimens were found to be influenced by the sawdust content and the strength dropped from 65 to 48 MPa with the corresponding increase in the sawdust levels from 0% up to 100%. The results also showed that the emissions of carbon dioxide, energy utilization, and outlay tended to drop with an increase in the amount of sawdust and show more the lightweight concrete to be more sustainable for construction applications.

The development of plant adhesive with good bonding strength, water resistance and thermal stability remains challenging to replace formaldehyde-based adhesive resins that usually release toxic formaldehyde. Herein, an environmentally friendly bioadhesive derived from cottonseed meal waste and cellulose sawdust was successfully prepared, verified by FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detailed analysis. Pretreatment of cottonseed meal and sawdust at mild conditions was made to obtain cottonseed protein, purified and oxidized cellulose. Structure of these treated samples was characterized by particle size distribution, FTIR and wide angle X-ray diffraction. When adding 15% of the oxidized cellulose into cottonseed protein, the dry bonding strength of the resulting adhesive reached 2.4 MPa on average; and the highest wet bonding strength of 1.1 MPa was found when 10% dialdehyde starch was used. The improvements of bonding strength as well as thermal stability of the prepared oxidized cellulose/cottonseed protein adhesives are largely ascribed to the formation of strong chemical bonds and their mechanical interlocking with plywood substrates. Both protein-oxidized cellulose and protein-oxidized starch cross-linking networks are formed in the adhesive system, combining tightly the adhesive components. The biodegradable adhesive fabricated in work provides a new approach for the development of all-biomass derived adhesives with properties comparable to the state-of-the-art protein derived bioadhesives, thus holding great potential as an alternative to formaldehyde-based resins in wood board and indoor panel bonding industries. Graphical abstract