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Upgrading biomass wastes in chemical technology. Humic acid‐like matter isolated from compost as chemical auxiliary for textile dyeing
Author(s) -
Savarino Piero,
Montoneri Enzo,
Biasizzo Miriam,
Quagliotto Pierluigi,
Viscardi Guido,
Boffa Vittorio
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.1767
Subject(s) - dyeing , environmentally friendly , compost , context (archaeology) , pulp and paper industry , waste management , chemical industry , biomass (ecology) , green waste , humic acid , textile , renewable energy , environmental science , chemistry , materials science , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , composite material , ecology , paleontology , fertilizer , oceanography , electrical engineering , biology , geology
BACKGROUND: In the context of the modern concern regarding rapid consumption and low availability of fossil sources of energy and chemicals, urban and agro‐industrial sources of chemicals represent interesting environmentally friendly alternatives. A recent paper has shown that a humic acid‐like material extracted from urban and green wastes compost exhibits very good surfactant properties. A large number of technological applications could possibly use this material as a chemical auxiliary. This paper reports on the performance of the material as a chemical auxiliary in textile dyeing. RESULTS: The compost‐isolated humic acid‐like bio‐surfactant is shown to perform in nylon 6 microfiber dyeing by water soluble and insoluble dyes as well as and more conveniently than commercial sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). With both types of dye the bio‐surfactant allows the same quality of dyed product as the synthetic surfactants do, but at lower additive concentration. From process cost and environmental impact points of view, the bio‐surfactant has the advantages of operating at much lower additive concentrations and should be available at significantly lower cost than the synthetic surfactants. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that biomass wastes may be a low cost renewable source of chemicals with friendly environmental impact. Such a perspective implies economic and environmental benefits deriving from a new waste management technology that considers biomass waste as a source of chemicals, and from lower oil consumption in the manufacture of synthetic surfactants. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry