Teléfono: +34 974 292 649
Email: joanjoma@unizar.es
Address: Escuela Politécnica Superior Crta de Cuarte, s/n. E-22071 Huesca – Spain
SOBRE MÍ
Research Interests
My research interests lie primarily in producing biomass-derived carbon materials through thermochemical conversion processes. These renewable-based carbons, which can replace the currently dominant fossil fuel-intensive materials, and then drive innovative and sustainable technologies with circular economy practices.
I began my research career by working on thermochemical conversion of biomass, with a special focus on the behaviour and kinetics of biomass pyrolysis and gasification. In the last years, however, I directed my research activity towards the production of biomass-derived chars for biochar (i.e., char added to soil) and other value-added applications. Since the economic feasibility of large-scale biochar production systems is still unclear (the potential agronomic and environmental benefits of biochar in terms of profit are difficult to quantify), developing biochar-derived engineered carbons for alternative uses other than soil amendment can significantly increase the value chain of the whole system, as well as generate new technologies for biomass upcycling. Among the potential uses of biochar-derived carbons, I particularly centred my attention on three research topics: adsorption in gas phase (e.g., CO2 adsorption in postcombustion conditions), heterogeneous catalysis (e.g., ex situ pyrolysis vapours upgrading), and carbon-based electrodes for energy storage applications (e.g., post-lithium Na- and K-ion batteries).
PUBLICATIONS
2016
Azuara, Manuel; Baguer, Bárbara; Villacampa, José I; Hedin, Niklas; Manyà, Joan Josep
Influence of pressure and temperature on key physicochemical properties of corn stover-derived biochar Artículo de revista
En: Fuel, vol. 186, pp. 525–533, 2016, ISSN: 00162361.
@article{Azuara2016,
title = {Influence of pressure and temperature on key physicochemical properties of corn stover-derived biochar},
author = {Manuel Azuara and Bárbara Baguer and José I Villacampa and Niklas Hedin and Joan Josep Manyà},
doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2016.08.088},
issn = {00162361},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-12-01},
journal = {Fuel},
volume = {186},
pages = {525--533},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {This study focuses on analyzing the effect of both the peak temperature and pressure on the properties of biochar produced through slow pyrolysis of corn stover, which is a common agricultural waste that currently has little or no value. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at different peak temperatures (400, 525 and 650 °C) and absolute pressures (0.1, 0.85 and 1.6 MPa). The inert mass flow rate (at NTP conditions) was adjusted in each test to keep the gas residence time constant within the reactor. The as-received corn stover was pyrolyzed into a biochar without any physical pre-treatment as a way to reduce the operating costs. The properties of biochars showed that high peak temperature led to high fixed-carbon contents, high aromaticity and low molar H:C and O:C ratios; whereas a high pressure only resulted in a further decrease in the O:C ratio and a further increase in the fixed-carbon content. Increasing the operating pressure also resulted in a higher production of pyrolysis gas at the expense of water formation.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study focuses on analyzing the effect of both the peak temperature and pressure on the properties of biochar produced through slow pyrolysis of corn stover, which is a common agricultural waste that currently has little or no value. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at different peak temperatures (400, 525 and 650 °C) and absolute pressures (0.1, 0.85 and 1.6 MPa). The inert mass flow rate (at NTP conditions) was adjusted in each test to keep the gas residence time constant within the reactor. The as-received corn stover was pyrolyzed into a biochar without any physical pre-treatment as a way to reduce the operating costs. The properties of biochars showed that high peak temperature led to high fixed-carbon contents, high aromaticity and low molar H:C and O:C ratios; whereas a high pressure only resulted in a further decrease in the O:C ratio and a further increase in the fixed-carbon content. Increasing the operating pressure also resulted in a higher production of pyrolysis gas at the expense of water formation.
Manyà, Joan Josep; Alvira, Darío; Azuara, Manuel; Bernin, Diana; Hedin, Niklas
Effects of Pressure and the Addition of a Rejected Material from Municipal Waste Composting on the Pyrolysis of Two-Phase Olive Mill Waste Artículo de revista
En: Energy and Fuels, vol. 30, no 10, pp. 8055–8064, 2016, ISSN: 15205029.
@article{Manya2016,
title = {Effects of Pressure and the Addition of a Rejected Material from Municipal Waste Composting on the Pyrolysis of Two-Phase Olive Mill Waste},
author = {Joan Josep Manyà and Darío Alvira and Manuel Azuara and Diana Bernin and Niklas Hedin},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/sharingguidelines},
doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01579},
issn = {15205029},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-10-01},
journal = {Energy and Fuels},
volume = {30},
number = {10},
pages = {8055--8064},
publisher = {American Chemical Society},
abstract = {This work examines the effect of the absolute pressure (0.1 or 1.0 MPa) and the addition of a high-ash rejected material from municipal solid waste (MSW) composting (RC) on the slow pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste (OW). The experiments were conducted in a batch pyrolysis system using an initial mass of 750 g of feedstock. Three types of initial materials were tested: the OW alone, a mixture of OW and pure additives (5 wt % K2CO3 and 5 wt % CaO), and a mixture of OW and RC (10 wt %). For the OW without any additive, an increased pressure led to a market increase in the carbonization efficiency (i.e., fixed carbon yield). At atmospheric pressure, the addition of either additives (CaO + K2CO3) or RC led to important changes in the pyrolysis behavior as a result of the catalytic role of the alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs). However, this catalytic effect, which is translated into an enhancement of the decomposition of both the hemicellulose and cellulose fractions, was not observed at 1.0 MPa. The potential stability of all of the produced biochars appeared to be very high, given the results obtained from both proximate and ultimate analyses. This high stability was confirmed by 13C and 1H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, which showed that the carbon contained in the biochars was composed mainly or entirely of highly condensed aromatic structures. However, the highest values of stable C (Edinburgh stability tool) and R50,x (recalcitrance index) were obtained for biochars produced from the OW + RC mixtures at any pressure. In summary, the addition of the rejected material from MSW composting appears to be a very cost-effective measure to obtain a potentially high-stable biochar, even at atmospheric pressure.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This work examines the effect of the absolute pressure (0.1 or 1.0 MPa) and the addition of a high-ash rejected material from municipal solid waste (MSW) composting (RC) on the slow pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste (OW). The experiments were conducted in a batch pyrolysis system using an initial mass of 750 g of feedstock. Three types of initial materials were tested: the OW alone, a mixture of OW and pure additives (5 wt % K2CO3 and 5 wt % CaO), and a mixture of OW and RC (10 wt %). For the OW without any additive, an increased pressure led to a market increase in the carbonization efficiency (i.e., fixed carbon yield). At atmospheric pressure, the addition of either additives (CaO + K2CO3) or RC led to important changes in the pyrolysis behavior as a result of the catalytic role of the alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs). However, this catalytic effect, which is translated into an enhancement of the decomposition of both the hemicellulose and cellulose fractions, was not observed at 1.0 MPa. The potential stability of all of the produced biochars appeared to be very high, given the results obtained from both proximate and ultimate analyses. This high stability was confirmed by 13C and 1H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, which showed that the carbon contained in the biochars was composed mainly or entirely of highly condensed aromatic structures. However, the highest values of stable C (Edinburgh stability tool) and R50,x (recalcitrance index) were obtained for biochars produced from the OW + RC mixtures at any pressure. In summary, the addition of the rejected material from MSW composting appears to be a very cost-effective measure to obtain a potentially high-stable biochar, even at atmospheric pressure.
2015
Manyà, Joan Josep; García-Ceballos, Fernando; Azuara, Manuel; Latorre, Nieves; Royo, Carlos
Pyrolysis and char reactivity of a poor-quality refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from municipal solid waste Artículo de revista
En: Fuel Processing Technology, vol. 140, pp. 276–284, 2015, ISSN: 03783820.
@article{Manya2015,
title = {Pyrolysis and char reactivity of a poor-quality refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from municipal solid waste},
author = {Joan Josep Manyà and Fernando García-Ceballos and Manuel Azuara and Nieves Latorre and Carlos Royo},
doi = {10.1016/j.fuproc.2015.09.014},
issn = {03783820},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-12-01},
journal = {Fuel Processing Technology},
volume = {140},
pages = {276--284},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {The present study focuses on analyzing the pyrolysis and combustion behaviors of a refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which is generated in a MSW treatment plant located in Zaragoza (Spain). Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a TGA apparatus and a fixed-bed reactor at different peak temperatures (400 and 600 °C) and heating rates (5 and 40 °C min- 1). The reactivity towards oxygen of produced chars was also measured in the same TGA device at a heating rate of 10 °C min- 1 and a final temperature of 800 °C. Pyrolysis results were significantly affected by peak temperature and heating rate. The found effect of peak temperature on char and fixed-carbon yields as well as on measured properties (H:C and O:C ratios, BET surface area and average pore diameter) was in agreement with previous studies. However, the effect of heating rate, especially on the release rate of volatiles, could be explained by a change in the pyrolysis reaction scheme. The RDF-derived chars obtained at the highest heating rate showed a higher reactivity in air. In addition, an increase in peak temperature also led to a higher reactivity. This result can indicate that the carbon present in the RDF-derived char is dispersed within an ash matrix containing a high number of active sites, the distribution of which could be improved when heating rate (and, to a lesser extent, peak temperature) is increased. The addition of 10 wt.% RDF to two-phase olive mill waste prior to slow pyrolysis led to an apparent increase in the carbonization efficiency as well as to an enhancement of the resultant char's reactivity in air.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The present study focuses on analyzing the pyrolysis and combustion behaviors of a refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which is generated in a MSW treatment plant located in Zaragoza (Spain). Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a TGA apparatus and a fixed-bed reactor at different peak temperatures (400 and 600 °C) and heating rates (5 and 40 °C min- 1). The reactivity towards oxygen of produced chars was also measured in the same TGA device at a heating rate of 10 °C min- 1 and a final temperature of 800 °C. Pyrolysis results were significantly affected by peak temperature and heating rate. The found effect of peak temperature on char and fixed-carbon yields as well as on measured properties (H:C and O:C ratios, BET surface area and average pore diameter) was in agreement with previous studies. However, the effect of heating rate, especially on the release rate of volatiles, could be explained by a change in the pyrolysis reaction scheme. The RDF-derived chars obtained at the highest heating rate showed a higher reactivity in air. In addition, an increase in peak temperature also led to a higher reactivity. This result can indicate that the carbon present in the RDF-derived char is dispersed within an ash matrix containing a high number of active sites, the distribution of which could be improved when heating rate (and, to a lesser extent, peak temperature) is increased. The addition of 10 wt.% RDF to two-phase olive mill waste prior to slow pyrolysis led to an apparent increase in the carbonization efficiency as well as to an enhancement of the resultant char’s reactivity in air.
2013
Manyà, Joan Josep; Laguarta, Sergio; Ortigosa, Miguel A
Study on the Biochar Yield and Heat Required during Pyrolysis of Two-Phase Olive Mill Waste Artículo de revista
En: Energy & Fuels, vol. 27, no 10, pp. 5931–5939, 2013, ISSN: 0887-0624.
@article{Manya2013,
title = {Study on the Biochar Yield and Heat Required during Pyrolysis of Two-Phase Olive Mill Waste},
author = {Joan Josep Manyà and Sergio Laguarta and Miguel A Ortigosa},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ef4012388},
issn = {0887-0624},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-10-01},
journal = {Energy & Fuels},
volume = {27},
number = {10},
pages = {5931--5939},
publisher = {American Chemical Society},
abstract = {The present study analyzes the effect of several operating factors (initial sample mass, heating rate, conditions of the crucible, and inorganic matter content) on the pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste. Simultaneous TGA?DSC measurements were performed according to a one-half fractional factorial design to obtain statistically significant conclusions. The results from this screening design pointed out that the behavior of the TPOMW pyrolysis process is statistically affected to a greater or lesser extent by the four factors analyzed. The factors related to the promotion of secondary charring reactions (the initial sample mass and the conditions of the crucible) had the main influence on both the apparent heat and charcoal yield. The enhancement of the charring reactions implies a dramatic decrease in the apparent heat of pyrolysis from highly endothermic (2559 ± 100 kJ kg?1) to slightly exothermic (?44.2 ± 49 kJ kg?1). On the other hand, a new approach for modeling the apparent kinetics of TPOMW pyrolysis (both primary decomposition and secondary charcoal production) is proposed. The performance of this approach is good enough to provide satisfactory estimations of a large number of unknown kinetic parameters in very short computational times. The present study analyzes the effect of several operating factors (initial sample mass, heating rate, conditions of the crucible, and inorganic matter content) on the pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste. Simultaneous TGA?DSC measurements were performed according to a one-half fractional factorial design to obtain statistically significant conclusions. The results from this screening design pointed out that the behavior of the TPOMW pyrolysis process is statistically affected to a greater or lesser extent by the four factors analyzed. The factors related to the promotion of secondary charring reactions (the initial sample mass and the conditions of the crucible) had the main influence on both the apparent heat and charcoal yield. The enhancement of the charring reactions implies a dramatic decrease in the apparent heat of pyrolysis from highly endothermic (2559 ± 100 kJ kg?1) to slightly exothermic (?44.2 ± 49 kJ kg?1). On the other hand, a new approach for modeling the apparent kinetics of TPOMW pyrolysis (both primary decomposition and secondary charcoal production) is proposed. The performance of this approach is good enough to provide satisfactory estimations of a large number of unknown kinetic parameters in very short computational times.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The present study analyzes the effect of several operating factors (initial sample mass, heating rate, conditions of the crucible, and inorganic matter content) on the pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste. Simultaneous TGA?DSC measurements were performed according to a one-half fractional factorial design to obtain statistically significant conclusions. The results from this screening design pointed out that the behavior of the TPOMW pyrolysis process is statistically affected to a greater or lesser extent by the four factors analyzed. The factors related to the promotion of secondary charring reactions (the initial sample mass and the conditions of the crucible) had the main influence on both the apparent heat and charcoal yield. The enhancement of the charring reactions implies a dramatic decrease in the apparent heat of pyrolysis from highly endothermic (2559 ± 100 kJ kg?1) to slightly exothermic (?44.2 ± 49 kJ kg?1). On the other hand, a new approach for modeling the apparent kinetics of TPOMW pyrolysis (both primary decomposition and secondary charcoal production) is proposed. The performance of this approach is good enough to provide satisfactory estimations of a large number of unknown kinetic parameters in very short computational times. The present study analyzes the effect of several operating factors (initial sample mass, heating rate, conditions of the crucible, and inorganic matter content) on the pyrolysis of two-phase olive mill waste. Simultaneous TGA?DSC measurements were performed according to a one-half fractional factorial design to obtain statistically significant conclusions. The results from this screening design pointed out that the behavior of the TPOMW pyrolysis process is statistically affected to a greater or lesser extent by the four factors analyzed. The factors related to the promotion of secondary charring reactions (the initial sample mass and the conditions of the crucible) had the main influence on both the apparent heat and charcoal yield. The enhancement of the charring reactions implies a dramatic decrease in the apparent heat of pyrolysis from highly endothermic (2559 ± 100 kJ kg?1) to slightly exothermic (?44.2 ± 49 kJ kg?1). On the other hand, a new approach for modeling the apparent kinetics of TPOMW pyrolysis (both primary decomposition and secondary charcoal production) is proposed. The performance of this approach is good enough to provide satisfactory estimations of a large number of unknown kinetic parameters in very short computational times.
2012
Manyà, Joan Josep
Pyrolysis for biochar purposes: a review to establish current knowledge gaps and research needs. Artículo de revista
En: Environmental science & technology, vol. 46, no 15, pp. 7939–54, 2012, ISSN: 1520-5851.
@article{Manya2012,
title = {Pyrolysis for biochar purposes: a review to establish current knowledge gaps and research needs.},
author = {Joan Josep Manyà},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es301029g},
issn = {1520-5851},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-08-01},
journal = {Environmental science & technology},
volume = {46},
number = {15},
pages = {7939--54},
publisher = {American Chemical Society},
abstract = {According to the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), biochar is a charcoal which can be applied to soil for both agricultural and environmental gains. Biochar technology seems to have a very promising future. Nevertheless, the further development of this technology requires continuing research. The present paper provides an updated review on two subjects: the available alternatives to produce biochar from a biomass feedstock and the effect of biochar addition to agricultural soils on soil properties and fertility. A high number of previous studies have highlighted the benefit of using biochar in terms of mitigating global warning (through carbon sequestration) and as a strategy to manage soil processes and functions. Nevertheless, the relationship between biochar properties (mainly physical properties and chemical functionalities on surface) and its applicability as a soil amendment is still unclear and does not allow the establishment of the appropriate process conditions to produce a biochar with desired characteristics. For this reason, the need of enhancing the collaboration among researchers working in different fields of study is highlighted: production and characterization of biochar on one hand, and on the other measurement of both environmental and agronomical benefits linked to the addition of biochar to agricultural soils. In this sense, when experimental results concerning the effect of the addition of biochar to a given soil on crop yields and/or soil properties are published, details regarding the properties of the used biochar should be well reported. The inclusion of this valuable information seems to be essential in order to establish the appropriate process conditions to produce a biochar with more suitable characteristics.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
According to the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), biochar is a charcoal which can be applied to soil for both agricultural and environmental gains. Biochar technology seems to have a very promising future. Nevertheless, the further development of this technology requires continuing research. The present paper provides an updated review on two subjects: the available alternatives to produce biochar from a biomass feedstock and the effect of biochar addition to agricultural soils on soil properties and fertility. A high number of previous studies have highlighted the benefit of using biochar in terms of mitigating global warning (through carbon sequestration) and as a strategy to manage soil processes and functions. Nevertheless, the relationship between biochar properties (mainly physical properties and chemical functionalities on surface) and its applicability as a soil amendment is still unclear and does not allow the establishment of the appropriate process conditions to produce a biochar with desired characteristics. For this reason, the need of enhancing the collaboration among researchers working in different fields of study is highlighted: production and characterization of biochar on one hand, and on the other measurement of both environmental and agronomical benefits linked to the addition of biochar to agricultural soils. In this sense, when experimental results concerning the effect of the addition of biochar to a given soil on crop yields and/or soil properties are published, details regarding the properties of the used biochar should be well reported. The inclusion of this valuable information seems to be essential in order to establish the appropriate process conditions to produce a biochar with more suitable characteristics.