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Abstract In the present study, Loblolly pine biomass residue was converted to bio-oil in a two-step process, consisting of 1) fast pyrolysis in the presence of zeolite ZSM-5 as a catalyst to produce pyrolysis oil, 2) hydrogenation of pyrolysis oil using formic acid as the hydrogen source in presence of Ru/activated carbon catalyst. Pyrolysis oils were analyzed by 13C, 31P and HSQC-NMR and the results revealed that the zeolite-induced catalytic fast pyrolysis process led to effective demethoxylation, producing more catechol and p-hydroxy-phenyl hydroxyl groups in the bio-oils, resulting in a decrease in the methoxyl group content by about 85 % and rich aromatic structures in the pyrolysis oils. The properties of pyrolysis oil with and without zeolite were in the bio-oil range. Hydrogenated pyrolysis oil showed that 79 % of the aromatic protons are eliminated and 87 % of protons are aliphatic in nature, with no oxygen attached to the α-carbon.

The ‘4 per mille Soils for Food Security and Climate’ was launched at the COP21 with an aspiration to increase global soil organic matter stocks by 4 per 1000 (or 0.4 %) per year as a compensation for the global emissions of greenhouse gases by anthropogenic sources. This paper surveyed the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock estimates and sequestration potentials from 20 regions in the world (New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, India, China Taiwan, South Korea, China Mainland, United States of America, France, Canada, Belgium, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Russia). We asked whether the 4 per mille initiative is feasible for the region. The outcomes highlight region specific efforts and scopes for soil carbon sequestration. Reported soil C sequestration rates globally show that under best management practices, 4 per mille or even higher sequestration rates can be accomplished. High C sequestration rates (up to 10 per mille) can be achieved for soils with low initial SOC stock (topsoil less than 30 t C ha− 1), and at the first twenty years after implementation of best management practices. In addition, areas which have reached equilibrium will not be able to further increase their sequestration. We found that most studies on SOC sequestration only consider topsoil (up to 0.3 m depth), as it is considered to be most affected by management techniques. The 4 per mille number was based on a blanket calculation of the whole global soil profile C stock, however the potential to increase SOC is mostly on managed agricultural lands. If we consider 4 per mille in the top 1m of global agricultural soils, SOC sequestration is between 2-3 Gt C year− 1, which effectively offset 20–35% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As a strategy for climate change mitigation, soil carbon sequestration buys time over the next ten to twenty years while other effective sequestration and low carbon technologies become viable. The challenge for cropping farmers is to find disruptive technologies that will further improve soil condition and deliver increased soil carbon. Progress in 4 per mille requires collaboration and communication between scientists, farmers, policy makers, and marketeers.

Supplementary Materials of the paper published in Open Research Europe : Connecting complex and simplified models of tipping elements: a nonlinear two-forcing emulator for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Publication : https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.19479.1

Flare stacks are a key element in the safety of petrochemical and refinery industries; the correct operating conditions thereof must be ensured through a schedule for the periodic reviewing of all parts thereof. Advances in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) in recent years and the application thereof to this field allow reliable, objective information to be obtained. This article describes and groups together the main applicable NDT techniques, analysing their advantages and disadvantages, updated with the new possibilities offered by unmanned aircraft or drones.

Spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as one of the high-energy positive electrode materials for next generation Li-ion batteries has attracted significant interest due to its economic and environmental advantages. However, the sensitivity of this type of material upon short to long term ambient storage conditions and the impact on the electrochemical performances remains poorly explored. Nevertheless, this remains an important aspect for practical large-scale synthesis, storage and utilization. Herein, we study and compare the evolution of surface chemistry, bulk crystal structure and elemental content evolution and distribution of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 using a variety of characterization techniques including XPS and STEM-EDS-EELS, as well as electrochemical analysis. We show that Mn species dominate the outer surface (0–5 nm), while Ni and Li are preferentially located further away and in the bulk. The studied LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material is found to be stable, with minor changes in surface or bulk characteristics detected, even after 12 months of storage under ambient air conditions. The low surface reactivity to air also accounts for the minor changes to the electrochemical performance of the air-exposed LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, compared to the pristine material. This study provides guidance for the appropriate storage, handling and processing of this high-performance cathode material.

Abstract In the next 25 years an unprecedented number of new marine artificial structures, over 75,000 offshore wind turbines alone, are planned to meet global net zero targets. Structures are required to last for multiple decades in the hostile marine environment; where the largest cost across their whole lifecycle is on operations and maintenance dependent on accessibility in calm seas. However, the role of climate change on accessibility, and thus operational cost, has not been resolved. Here we provide the first study of future accessibility; evaluated from global climate model driven wave modelling, using the high emission scenario (RCP8.5). We found that climate change drives significant regional variation in accessibility, with the northern hemisphere benefiting from a 6% increase in operating windows whilst accessibility in parts of the southern hemisphere is reduced by 6-9%. These findings will help offshore developers and stakeholders incorporate adaptions to climate change as part of strategic planning practices.

Most of the world’s mountain glaciers have been retreating for more than a century in response to climate change. Glacier retreat is evident on all continents, and the rate of retreat has accelerated during recent decades. Accurate, spatially explicit information on the position of glacier margins over time is useful for analyzing patterns of glacier retreat and measuring reductions in glacier surface area. This information is also essential for evaluating how mountain ecosystems are evolving due to climate warming and the attendant glacier retreat. Here, we present a non-comprehensive spatially explicit dataset showing multiple positions of glacier fronts since the Little Ice Age (LIA) maxima, including many data from the pre-satellite era. The dataset is based on multiple historical archival records including topographical maps; repeated photographs, paintings, and aerial or satellite images with a supplement of geochronology; and own field data. We provide ESRI shapefiles showing 728 past positions of 94 glacier fronts from all continents, except Antarctica, covering the period between the Little Ice Age maxima and the present. On average, the time series span the past 190 years. From 2 to 46 past positions per glacier are depicted (on average: 7.8).