Browsing by Author "Delgado, Yelitza"

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    Effect of hydrochar-doping on the performance of carbon felt as anodic electrode in microbial fuel cells
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Delgado, Yelitza; Tapia Flores, Natalia Fernanda; Muñoz-Morales, Martín; Ramírez, Álvaro; Llanos, Javier; Vargas Cucurella, Ignacio Tomás; Fernández-Morales, Francisco Jesús; CEDEUS (Chile)
    In this study, the feasibility of using hydrochars as anodic doping materials in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was investigated. The feedstock used for hydrochar synthesis was metal-polluted plant biomass from an abandoned mining site. The hydrochar obtained was activated by pyrolysis at 500 °C in N2 atmosphere. Under steady state conditions, the current exerted by the MFCs, as well as the cyclic voltammetry and polarization curves, showed that the activated hydrochar-doped anodes exhibited the best performance in terms of power and current density generation, 0.055 mW/cm2 and 0.15 mA/cm2, respectively. These values were approximately 30% higher than those achieved with non-doped or doped with non-activated hydrochar anodes which can be explained by the highly graphitic carbonaceous structures obtained during the hydrochar activation that reduced the internal resistance of the system. These results suggest that the activated hydrochar materials could significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of bioelectrochemical systems. Moreover, this integration will not only enhance the energy generated by MFCs, but also valorize metal polluted plant biomass within the frame of the circular economy.
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    Effect of hydrochar-doping on the performance of carbon felt as anodic electrode in microbial fuel cells
    (2024) Delgado, Yelitza; Tapia Flores, Natalia Fernanda; Muñoz-Morales, Martín; Ramírez, Álvaro; Llanos, Javier; Vargas Cucurella, Ignacio Tomás; Fernández-Morales, Francisco Jesús
    In this study, the feasibility of using hydrochars as anodic doping materials in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was investigated. The feedstock used for hydrochar synthesis was metal-polluted plant biomass from an abandoned mining site. The hydrochar obtained was activated by pyrolysis at 500 °C in N2 atmosphere. Under steady state conditions, the current exerted by the MFCs, as well as the cyclic voltammetry and polarization curves, showed that the activated hydrochar-doped anodes exhibited the best performance in terms of power and current density generation, 0.055 mW/cm2 and 0.15 mA/cm2, respectively. These values were approximately 30% higher than those achieved with non-doped or doped with non-activated hydrochar anodes which can be explained by the highly graphitic carbonaceous structures obtained during the hydrochar activation that reduced the internal resistance of the system. These results suggest that the activated hydrochar materials could significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of bioelectrochemical systems. Moreover, this integration will not only enhance the energy generated by MFCs, but also valorize metal polluted plant biomass within the frame of the circular economy.
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    Energy and copper recovery from acid mine drainage by microbial fuel cells. Effect of the hydrochar doping on carbon felt anodes
    (2025) Delgado, Yelitza; Tapia, Natalia; Lopez, Ester; Llanos, Javier; Vargas, Ignacio; Fernandez-Morales, Francisco Jesus; CEDEUS (Chile)
    This work investigates the performance of a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment using bare and hydrochar-doped carbon felt (CF) anodes. Hydrochar was synthesized through hydrothermal carbonization of Spergularia rubra, followed by activation at 500 degrees C, resulting in improved O/C and H/C ratios of 0.26 and 0.78, respectively. The study reveals that doping CF anodes with non-activated and activated hydrochar significantly enhances copper recovery and electricity generation. The highest copper recovery rate of 16.0 mg/L h- 1 was achieved with activated hydrochar-doped CF (CFaH) anodes, followed by 10.6 mg/L h- 1 with nonactivated hydrochar-doped CF (CFnaH) anodes, and 7.1 mg/L h- 1 with bare CF anodes. Hydrochar doping also improved the maximum current density to 0.21 mA cm- 2 compared to 0.16 mA cm- 2 with bare CF anodes. These results demonstrate the potential of hydrochar-doped CF anodes for efficient metal and energy recovery from AMD, offering a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional methods.