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Valorization of Waste Apple Pomace for Production of Platform Biochemicals: A Multi-Objective Optimization Study

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Abstract

In line with the prevailing global interest in value extraction from biomass waste streams, the current study explored the technical feasibility of valorizing waste apple pomace (WAP) to produce high-value biochemicals of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), lactic acid, and xylitol. Technical feasibility was demonstrated via a process simulation study that employed experimental data and incorporated previously reported approaches in the literature. Economic and environmental performances of the WAP based biorefinery were assessed using the internal rate of return (IRR) and the mass of greenhouse gas emission per unit mass of feedstock (GF) as sufficient performance indicators, respectively. The study was able to show that as the IRR value increased (better economic performance), the GF increased (poorer environmental performance). This suggested that the determination of the optimal condition of the environmental and economic performances would require the imposition of trade-offs. The preferred trade-off condition for enhanced economic and environmental performances was subsequently determined via multi-objective optimization, with a Pareto front containing non-dominated equally optimal solutions subsequently developed. The present work, therefore, provides an in-depth performance analysis of WAP based biorefinery as a waste management strategy. Notably, the proposed strategy of multiple product generation from biomass may be extended to other organic waste based biorefineries.

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Acknowledgements

The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Wallonia-Brussels International via the Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) excellence Postdoctoral fellowship. Materne company is also acknowledged for their expert information input.

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  1. BioMatter Unit - École Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50 - CP 165/61, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Oseweuba Valentine Okoro, Parinaz Hobbi & Amin Shavandi

  2. College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University (XYNU), Xinyang, 464000, China

    Lei Nie

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Okoro, O.V., Nie, L., Hobbi, P. et al. Valorization of Waste Apple Pomace for Production of Platform Biochemicals: A Multi-Objective Optimization Study. Waste Biomass Valor 12, 6887–6901 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-021-01487-x

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