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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382577
Research Project: Bioproducts and Biopolymers from Agricultural Feedstocks

Location: Bioproducts Research

Title: More than just the kernel

Author
item Wood, Delilah - De
item Torres, Lennard
item McCaffrey, Zachariah - Zach
item Williams, Tina
item Chiou, Bor-Sen
item McMahan, Colleen
item Orts, William

Submitted to: Nutfruit Magazine
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2021
Publication Date: 7/1/2021
Citation: Wood, D.F., Torres, L.F., Mc Caffrey, Z., Williams, T.G., Chiou, B., Mc Mahan, C.M., Orts, W.J. 2021. More than just the kernel. Nutfruit Magazine. https://www.nutfruit.org/industry/publications/inc-magazine/articles/detail/.

Interpretive Summary: Agricultural residues are a sustainable, renewable, and economically viable source of high-value carbon. This carbon may be used to make products including single-use, bio-degradable packaging, composite automotive or construction panels, water filtration, energy storage and gas capture materials, and supports for catalyst synthesis. In response to the demand for bio-based materials, our USDA-ARS team developed the “Zero Waste” program to develop technologies enabling conversion of nut shells and hulls into consumer goods. We apply thermal conversion methods as a treatment method to remove water from biomass and to make the biomass hydrophobic so that is it more miscible with plastics as a filler. Thermal conversion is also applied to biomass in order to produce activated carbon from which high value products may be derived. The benefits of this accomplishment reduce the amount of material going into landfills and provide value-added market niches for American farmers.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural residues are a sustainable, renewable, and economically viable source of high-value carbon. This carbon may be used to make products including single-use, bio-degradable packaging, composite automotive or construction panels, water filtration, energy storage and gas capture materials, and supports for catalyst synthesis. In response to the demand for bio-based materials, our USDA-ARS team developed the “Zero Waste” program to develop technologies enabling conversion of nut shells and hulls into consumer goods