green technologies thematic file -dossiers d'agropolis international-

7/28/2019 Green Technologies Thematic File -Dossiers d'Agropolis International-

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Number 16

Greentechnologies

Expertise of the scientific communityin the Languedoc-Roussillon region

agriculture

energy

productswater& waste

environmentalmonitoring

evaluationmethods


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Greentechnologies

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Agropolis is an international campus devoted to agricultural and

environmental sciences. There is significant potential for scientific

and technological expertise: more than 2,200 scientists in over80 research units in Montpellier and Languedoc-Roussillon,

including 300 scientists conducting research in 60 countries.

Agropolis International is structured around a broad range of research

themes corresponding to the overall scientific, technological and

economic issues of development:

Agronomy, cultivated plants and cropping systems

Animal production and health

Biodiversity and Aquatic ecosystems Biodiversity and Land ecosystems

Economics, societies and sustainable development

Environmental technologies

Food: nutritional and health concerns

Genetic resources and integrative plant biology

Grapevine and Wine, regional specific supply chain

Host-vector-parasite interactions and infectious diseases

Modelling, spatial information, biostatistics

Water: resources and management

Agropolis International promotes the capitalization and enhancement

of knowledge, personnel training and technology transfer. It is a hub for

visitors and international exchanges, while promoting initiatives based

on multilateral and collective expertise and contributing to the scientific

and technological knowledge needed for preparing development

policies.

Agropolis Internationalbrings together institutions of

research and higher educationin Montpellier and Languedoc-Roussillon in partnership withlocal communities, companies

and regional enterprises andin close cooperation with

international institutions.This scientific community

has one main objectivethe economic and social

development of Mediterraneanand tropical regions.

Agropolis Internationalis an international space opento all interested socioeconomic

development stakeholdersin fields associated with

agriculture, food production,biodiversity, environment and

rural societies.

AGROPOLISINTERNATIONALagriculture food biodiversity environment


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Research skills of Montpellierand the Languedoc-Roussillon

region in the fieldof green technologies

A growing awareness of the need to preserve

the environment has increasingly led to the

desire to develop intervention techniques

and methods aimed at reducing pollution or,

more generally, environmental impact, thus

generating new areas of activity.

The scientific community gathered by

Agropolis International has taken up the

research issues raised by the development of

these new approaches and new investigation

fields. The purpose of this Dossieris to outline

the areas of expertise it has been able to

develop, both in the field of agricultural

techniques as such and in water and waste

recycling and recovery (beyond the pollution

mitigation aspects), product enhancement

in the form of new bio-based materials, and

new forms of bioenergy. This research is not

solely confined to the development of new

technologies but has a broader scope, takingin as well product and process evaluation and

eco-design, industrial or territorial ecology,

and environmental monitoring. This Dossier

also presents the joint efforts of the research

and business communities, in particular

through competitiveness clusters, to promote

the development and dissemination of

innovations to spur economic development.

The topics presented in this issue are of

particular concern to the nine research units

or teams that have made environmental

technologies an essential part of their work,comprising some 150 senior scientists

and 100 doctoral students.

Green technologies

4ForewordGreen technologies

for sustainable development

32Assessment methods: Life cycle analysis,

eco-design, industrial and territorial ecology

6Topics covered by the research teams

and innovation partners

8Green technologies for agriculture

12Bio-based products and materials

20Water and waste recycling and recovery

28Bioenergy

36Environmental monitoring

46List of acronyms and abbreviations

40Innovation stakeholders mobilizearound green technologies

44Training at Agropolis International

Cover & chapters: from Irish_design Shutterstock

The information contained in this dossier is valid as of 01/12/2012.


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id you know?Ten years ago the termgreen technologies or

environmental technologies wasalmost unknown. The concept wasformalized in 2004 by the European

Community in its EnvironmentalTechnologies Action Plan (ETAP)*,which defines environmentaltechnologies as: that set of technologies thatprovide the same service asconventional technologies but haveless impact on the environment(including renewable energy); end-of-pipe technologies:pollution and waste treatment; pollution measurementtechnologies.

Another important point is that theconcept of green technologies doesnot merely pertain to technologicalobjects, but includes all processes,products and services that make forgreater environmental efficiency.

The formalization of that concept,and the European and nationaldevelopment plans that ensued,helped drive a minor revolutionin the field of design/productionand consumption, paving the wayfor hitherto neglected innovations

and affording opportunities

Thus, to protect consumers fromgreenwashing (a marketingtechnique whereby productsare given an artificial veneer ofgreenness) and ensure thatthey can actually shop in an eco-

innovative way, it is essential forscientifically valid environmentalassessment methods to be devised.

The development of greentechnologies is a challengethat the Agropolis scientificcommunity has striven to take upin its specific fields, namely agro-biological processes and land usemanagement, relying on the supportof the EcoTech-LR regional platformand the strength and vitality of theregions research efforts.

Prof. Vronique Bellon-Maurel,Deputy Director of Strategy and Research

at IRSTEA, Director of the EcoTech-LR

regional platform

* European Commission, 2004. Stimulatingtechnologies for sustainable development: an

environmental technologies action plan of theEuropean Union. COM (2004) 38, 28 January 2004.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm

for growth. The result has beenincreasing integration of eco-design methods into productdesign and development processes,not only through the search oftechnological approaches or raw

materials whose use is not soheavy from the environmentalstandpoint, but also through systemmanagement optimization; whichhas now become possible thanksto information technology (smartgrids).

Another result has been thereclassification of much waste,which is now looked at as a source ofraw materials from which valuablecompounds (e.g., phosphates fromsewage) or energy may be obtained.

At the level of development(especially for industrial zones)or process creation (e.g. fortreatment), the crux of this newvision is an attempt to re-use by-products and waste as near at handas possible in a circular economyapproach: industrial ecology, ora way of applying the concept ofenvironmental technology in agiven territory. On the consumerside, people are becoming moreaware of the environmental impactof the goods and services they use,

and an actual market is emerging.

F o r e w o r d

Green technologies for

sustainable development

D


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Photobioreactors forcontrolled production of microalgae.

INRA-L

BE

5

Greentechnologies


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Topics coveredby the research teams

and innovation partners(November 2012)

he various research unitsand teams and innovationpartners appearing in the

text of this dossier are shown in thetable below.

1. Green technologies for agriculture2. Bio-based products and materials3. Water and waste recycling and

recovery4. Bioenergy5. Assessment methods: Life cycle

analysis, eco-design, industrialand territorial ecology

6. Environmental monitoring

The Page column shows wherethe introductory text on the unitor partner appears. The red dot (

)

shows the topic in which the unitor partner primarily pursues itsactivities, while the black dots ()indicate topics they are alsoinvolved in.

Units page 1 2 3 4 5 6

UMR ITAP - Information/Technologies/Environmental Analysis/Agricultural Processes(Montpellier SupAgro/IRSTEA)Director: Tewfik Sari, [email protected]://itap.irstea.fr

8

UMR IATE - Agro-polymer Engineering and Emerging Technologies(CIRAD/INRA/Montpellier SupAgro/UM2)Director: Hugo de Vries, [email protected]://umr-iate.cirad.fr

12

IAM Team - Engineering and Macromolecular ArchitecturesUMR ICGM - Institut Charles Gerhardt, Montpellier(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2/UM1)IAM Team Director: Jean-Jacques Robin, [email protected] Director: Franois Fajula, [email protected]

13

UPR CMGD Materials Research Centre(EMA)Director: Jos-Marie Lopez Cuesta, [email protected] / cmgd@ mines-ales.frwww.mines-ales.fr/pages/centre-de-recherche-cmgd-0

14

UMR IEM European Membrane Institute(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2)Director: Philippe Miele, [email protected]

20 UPR Recycling and Risk(CIRAD)Director: Jean-Marie Paillat, [email protected]://ur-recyclage-risque.cirad.fr

21

UR LBE Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology(INRA)Director: Jean-Philippe Steyer, [email protected]/narbonne

22

UR Biomass & Energy(CIRAD)Director: Rmy Marchal, [email protected]/ur/biomasse_energie

28

UPR LGEI Laboratory for Industrial Environment Engineering and Natural and Industrial Risks

(EMA)Director: Miguel Lopez-Ferber, [email protected]://lgei.mines-ales.fr

36

ELSA cluster Environmental Lifecycle and Sustainability Assessment(IRSTEA/CIRAD/EMA/Montpellier SupAgro/INRA)Contact: Vronique Bellon-Maurel, [email protected]

32

T


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Greentechnologies

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reen

ec

nologies

Standardized digestibility tests for

various types of waste, to estimatethe potential quantity of recoverable methane.

INRA-L

BE

Innovation stakeholders page 1 2 3 4 5 6

Institute of Excellence for Carbon-free Energy (IEED) GreenstarsContact: Jean-Philippe Steyer, [email protected]/narbonne/

42

EcoTech LR PlatformContact: Vronique Bellon-Maurel, [email protected]

42

DERBI Competitiveness cluster Development of Renewable Energy/Building/IndustryPresident: Andr JoffreDirector: Gilles Charier, [email protected]

41

WATER competitiveness clusterPresident: Michel DutangDirector General: Jean-Loc Carr, [email protected] / [email protected]

40

Qualimditerrane competitiveness clusterPresident: Guillaume DuboinDirector: Isabelle Guichard, [email protected]

40

Risks competitiveness cluster Territorial risk and vulnerability managementPresident: Jol ChenetDirector: Richard Biagioni, [email protected]

43

Trimatec competitiveness clusterPresident: Jrme BlancherContact: Laura Lecurieux-Belfond, [email protected]

43

BIONERGIESUD NetworkOfficer in charge: Aurlie Beauchart, [email protected] / [email protected]

41

Transferts LRPresident: Christophe CarnielDirector: Anne Lichtenberger, [email protected]

42


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Green technologiesfor agriculture

Investigaciones Agropecuarias(Chile),Finnish Environment Institute(Finland), etc.

The UMRs main scientific facilitiesinclude:

a 200-m optical laboratory: opticalsensors, spectrometers (ultraviolet(UV)/visible/near-infrared),hyperspectral and multispectralvision test benches; a platform for the study of pesticide

sprays and their impacts on theenvironment and health (1,600 m): a large-scale experimental wind

tunnel; an under-boom patternator; a laser particle sizer and velocity

sensor; full metrological gear to evaluate

sprayers. an LCA software package; an electronic and mechanical

prototyping platform (300 m).

Reduction in pesticide pollutionthrough a study of sprayingtechniques, from the nozzle to thetransport of pesticides over an entirewatershed or territory, making useof unique experimental means. As a

reference centre for the assessmentof pesticide application technologies,keen to reduce their impact on theenvironment and human health,it hosts a team from the InstitutFranais de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV)[French Vine and Wine Institute],with whom it is working closelyunder the ECOPHYTO 2018 plan.

Eco-assessment and eco-designthrough the development of toolsto evaluate the environmental andsocial impact of products, processes

and industries based on life cycleassessment (LCA). The chosen areasof study are water and land usemanagement. This UMR formed thekernel of the Environmental Lifecycleand Sustainability Assessment cluster(ELSA, cf. p. 32), Frances largestgroup of LCA researchers.

It is also part of LabEx Agro and theregional platform Environmentaltechnologies for agro-bioprocesses(EcoTech-LR, cf. p. 43). It works inpartnership with French private

sector stakeholders such as PellencSA, Pellenc ST, Ondalys, Envilys, etc.)and scientific researchers (NationalInstitute of Agricultural Research[INRA], Centre for InternationalCooperation in Agricultural Research[CIRAD], cole des Mines dAls[EMA], Montpellier Laboratoryof Informatics, Robotics andMicroelectronics [LIRMM], etc.).

Abroad, it has collaborated, inparticular, with the Institutode Investigacin y Tecnologa

Agroalimentaria and the AutonomousUniversity of Barcelona (Spain),the international private groupGEOSYS, the Universities of Turinand Florence (Italy), Talca (Chile),Sydney (Australia), the Instituto de

Develop green technologiesfor sustainable agriculturalproduction

In order to design green technologiesfor more sustainable agro- and

bioprocesses and for environment-related services, the Joint ResearchUnit (UMR) Information-Technologies-Environmental

Analysis-Agricultural Processes(UMR ITAP, Montpellier SupAgro/IRSTEA) develops scientific andtechnical baselines for:

Characterization of agro-ecosystems through the developmentof optical sensors (mainlyhyperspectral artificial visionand near-infrared spectroscopy).

Because of the special propertiesof the environments being studied(optically scattering media, objectswith identical spectral characteristics,presence of water), the researchtopics include the understanding ofradiation-matter interaction and dataprocessing methods (chemometrics,analysis of hyperspectral images).

Modelling for agroenvironmentaldecision-making through thedevelopment of decision supportsystems to diagnose system condition

or through the implementation oflower-impact precision farmingapproaches. Various methodologiesare under review: fuzzy logic, discreteevent systems, geostatistics. Thechosen implementation field is wine-growing.

The main team

UMR ITAPInformation/Technologies/Environmental

Analysis/Agricultural Processes(Montpellier SupAgro/IRSTEA)

27 scientists

Other team involvedin this topic

UPR Recycling and Risk(CIRAD)

13 scientists

Collectionnetwork

Air emissions

Resourceconsumption

Waste, sludge,leachate

Water discharges

WWTP

NH3

NOX

N2O

CO2...

PerformancelevelSecond discharge

to soil, air, water

N, P, ETM, CTO, DBO5...

The sanitation system LCA answers thequestion What environmental costs for what

discharge intensity? [ongoing endeavour ofONEMA (French National Agency for Water and

Aquatic Environments) and IRSTEA].


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In the face of moreand more frequentwater shortagesand growingenvironmentaldegradation,irrigated agriculture

must now avoid overuse of water resources as well as water andsoil pollution while maintaining excellent performance levels.At the level of the agricultural plot, the subsurface drip irrigation(SDI) technique is a recent innovation adopted for field cropsby a growing number of farmers subject to water restrictions.Water and dissolved nitrogen are supplied close to the roots bypolyethylene tubing buried 35 to 40 cm deep and equipped withemitters spaced 15 to 50 cm apart that deliver flow rates from0.5 to 3.0 l/h under a pressure of 0.5 to 1.5 bars. IRSTEA hasfor some years now been doing agronomic tests to measure thehydraulic and agronomic performance of SDI compared to gun

irrigation.

After four years operating the equipment, SDIs wateringuniformity coefficient remains above 95%. When tested on maizecrops, SDI had better agronomic performance than gun irrigation:depending on the gap between tubes (80, 120 or 160 cm), theproductivity of irrigation water varies from 3.50 to 4.25 kg ofgrain produced per m3 of water delivered, as against only 2.70to 3.20 in the gun irrigation model, or an average improvementof 18%; nitrogen productivity in 2011 (fertigation) was between30 and 38 kg of grain produced per unit of nitrogen applied,as against only 19 to 23 kg in the case of spraying (+60%).On the economic front, even though some authors concedebetter performance is obtained, it is recommended, given itsrelatively high sunk costs (between 3,000 and 5,000/ha), thatSDI be introduced only when crops are rotated, with particularattention to whether high-added-value crops (vegetables) areinvolved.

Contact: Patrick Rosique, [email protected]

Subsurface drip irrigationa proven innovative solution for field crop irrigation

Patrick Rosique (IRSTEA) & Jean-Marie Lopez (CIRAD)

Filtration and fertigation station.Subsoiler suitable for duct burial.

Greentechnologies

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LEVEL1OBJECTS

ISARD projectgreening of agricultural production systemsthrough waste recycling

Composted poultry litter.

R

.CayrolRgionRunion

Organic waste products (OWPs) generated through human activity are constantlyincreasing. Farming produces them in great quantities (livestock, agro-industries).Wastewater production too increases owing to urban growth and denser urbanpopulations. Wastewater or sludge from wastewater treatment is often spread onagricultural land on the outskirts of cities. These OWPs are sources of organicmatter that may increase soil fertility and, as a corollary, allow sustainable agriculturalproduction to be carried on. In studying how best to use them, a number of things needto be taken into account, viz. the many types of waste and the wide variation in wherethey are found and what they can be used for.

The ISARD project is developing a comprehensive approach to the integration ofapplied knowledge in this field. Where it breaks new ground is in considering theorganic matter produced by agricultural and other activities. That consideration is attwo organizational levels:

the first level deals with the OWPs, the soils on which they are used and the cropsgrown; the processes studied are essentially the biogeochemical cycles; the second level looks at units producing, processing and using organic matter, as

well as stakeholder groups; the processes studied are the transformations and flowsof organic matter, regulations and costs.

At both levels, many tools exist to ensure a timely response to the needs of integratedmanagement. The project makes use of those tools, with the goal of improving them bytaking into account the risk/benefit ambiguity and by defining helpful indicators.

The project involves nine partners in four areas: the Versailles plain (France), RunionIsland, the Dakar metropolitan area (Senegal), and the Mahajanga region (Madagascar).Its attention to the situation in developing countries affords a more nuanced view ofthe composition of OWPs, treatment facilities, societal demands and existing regulatory

frameworks.

Contact: Herv Saint Macary, [email protected]

Industrial waste/OM

Pre-processing

Urban waste

Agricultural OM

Agricultural OM

Animal feed, fertilizer,minerals

LEVEL 2 - TERRITORY

InflowGasdischarge

Runoff

Soil interaction

Leaching

Absorptionby plant

Advice, guidance,decision support

Understanding,diagnosis,indicators

Material flowsof value to agriculture

Polluant flows

Green technologiesfor agriculture

Representation of recyclingsystems in ISARD.


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A workflow is a model of a working process, generally takingthe form of a software package or information system. TheMildium workflow was developed by INRA, UMR VineyardHealth and Agroecology (INRA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro)and the French National Research Institute of Science andTechnology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA,UMR ITAP). It sets out how to decide whether, and when,a fungicide against powdery mildew should be applied. Thedecision-making process was mapped using the Statechartscomputer language. The decision is based on informationcollected for specific vegetative stages on the plot and onan expert assessment of local bioclimatic risk.

Over a number of years, in various regions, the experimentsdone under the Mildium workflow have shown that the

system is effective in reducing pesticide treatments at plotlevel (by 30 to 50% depending on the diseases and situationsencountered). That result was obtained by comparing thetreatments done and the health status of a plot managedunder Mildium and those of a similar plot, nearby, thatwas managed in a conventional manner by the sameestablishment.

As a modelling specialist, UMR ITAP was also involved inexperiments with its partners on how best to benefit fromfeedback and guide theoretical choices with respect to formalrepresentation. It is also working with Arvalis to developworkflows for fungicide protection in wheat.

The Mildium workflow provides plot-level decision support.Research is underway on how to manage an entireoperation. The workflow process also involves knowledgeconsolidation. In providing a service that reduces the numberof crop protection applications, the workflow acts as anenvironmental technology suited to a sustainable approach toagriculture.

Contact: Olivier Naud, [email protected]

A decision workflow to reduce fungicidetreatments on grapevines

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11

The Mildium workflow reduces pesticidetreatments on grapevines.

Photo from MorgueFile

Automation (workflow) & variables

Tactical and thresholds described in phases

POD

Strategic principles broken down into tactical phases based

on epidemiology and expertise

Objectives

Specification


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The LipPol-Green** platform (aninternational partnership) offersscientific support and very high-level instruments for studies at theinterface between plant scienceand environmental chemistry, inthe fields of lipid biotechnology,physical chemistry of polymers andthe exploration and use of plantsmolecular diversity, to produce

molecules, materials and fuels frombiomass.

UMR IATE is a participant in the3BCAR Carnot Institute (Bioenergy,Biomaterials and Biomoleculesfrom Renewable Carbon) andLabEx Agro and is also involved inmany partnerships, both academicand industrial (Alland & Robert,Panzani, BASF, Michelin), inparticular with partners from thecountries of the South: The European project

ECOefficient BIOdegradableComposite Advanced Packaging(2011-2015) seeks to supply thefood industries with flexible,biodegradable packaging (fundedby the 7th Framework Programmefor Technological Research andDevelopment [FPTRD]. Since 2008, research activitieson natural rubber in SoutheastAsia have been carried onunder the aegis of the platformHevea Research Programme inPartnership.

The METAGLYC 2 project(German fund to finance renewableresources, 2012-2015) is developingnew ways of obtaining glycerolderivatives by chemical catalysisand biocatalysis.

scales, on structures and targetfunctionalities.

Its research activities are organizedinto five complementarymultidisciplinary and multi-scaleareas: Fractioning of agroresources Structuring of agro-polymers

under stress and powder reactivity

Matter transfers and reactions infood/packaging systemsMicrobial biotechnology and lipid

and agro-polymer Knowledge representation and

reasoning to improve food qualityand safety

These research foci are concernedwith green technologies in termsof a way of acquiring knowledgeto design, develop and manageeco-efficient procedures forbiomass deconstruction to produce

polymers, useful molecules andsynthons from which to regeneratebiomaterials. The research is basedon two platforms and severaltechnical support centres:

The plant fractioning platform*(low to intermediate moisture)focuses mainly on primaryprocessing of cereals andlignocellulosic biomass and onforming materials from agro-polymers. It operates in two stages:first, mechanical separation and

sorting of raw plant materials(mills, grinders), then formingof materials by reconstruction andassembly under pressure (kneading,rolling).

Physical, physicochemicaland biotechnologicalmeans of processing agro-molecules, agro-polymersor complex matrices

The goal of the Agro-polymerEngineering and EmergingTechnologiesUMR (UMR IATE,

CIRAD/INRA/Montpellier SupAgro/UM2) is to help increase knowledgeof the functionalities of plantproducts and their constituents, toimprove their performance in foodand non-food uses.

It conducts research onphysical, physicochemical andbiotechnological means ofprocessing agro-molecules, agro-polymers and complex matrices,in an effort to understand theimpact of these changes, at different

The main team

IAM team Engineering andMacromolecular Architectures

ICGM - Institut Charles Gerhardt,Montpellier UMR CNRS 5253

(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2/UM1)60 scientists

UMR IATEAgro-polymer Engineeringand Emerging Technologies

(CIRAD/INRA/Montpellier SupAgro/UM2)49 scientists

UPR CMGDMaterials Research Centre

(EMA)40 scientists

...continued on page 14

Bio-based productsand materials


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The STOCKACTIF project of theFrench National Research Agency(ANR) (biomaterials & energyprogramme, 2011-2014) is looking atactive storage of biomass to facilitateindustrial processing. The SPECTRE project (internationalFrance-Mexico Programme Blanc[non-thematic programme], 2011-2014) focuses on the evaluation andcontrol of industrial biotechnologyprocedures. The 3BCAR PEACE project (with

the Environmental BiotechnologyLaboratory [LBE], 2011-2013) isstudying the effect of cell wallcomposition and thermomechanicalpre-treatment techniques on theefficiency of the conversion of modelbiomass into energy products. The project on Epoxidation ofPolyphenols by a Chemo-enzymaticApproach is aimed at obtainingbio-based epoxy resins (with UMRScience For Oenology, [INRA,Montpellier SupAgro, UM1], 20102012 . Various projects supported by theLipPol-Green and Plant ProductProcessing platforms.

order to offer solutions for high-performance applications. For manyyears, too, it has been developinga chemistry based on simpleand clean processes (emulsionpolymerization, supercritical fluids)and on sustainable development(biodegradable polymers, polymerrecycling, optimum use ofagricultural resources). The teamis also recognized for its expertise inmacromolecular chemistry involvingthe heteroatoms Si, P and F.

The bio-based polymers themewas begun more recently, based onlaboratory skills in polycondensation,thiol-ene chemistry and chainpolymerization. One of the objectivesof the current work is to replacedangerous molecules with bio-based ones in the development ofpolyurethanes, phenol-formaldehyderesins, epoxy resins and unsaturatedpolyesters. The scientific issuesinvolved relate to the use of renewableresources through the development

of a reduction chemistry process thatwill enable the use of oxygenatedraw materials and the developmentof depolymerization techniques(natural polymers such as chitosan,lignin, etc., often have very high

Monomers to polymers:integrated solutions forsynthetic materials

The Engineering andMacromolecular Architectures(IAM) team of the Institut CharlesGerhardt of Montpellier (ICGM),UMR CNRS 5253 (ENSCM/CNRS/UM2/UM1) has since itsinception been developing achemistry based on the synthesisof controlled-architecture

polymers, macromonomers,telechelic oligomers, graft orblock copolymers, and telomers.In particular, the team has beenstudying particular applications ofsuch telomers as reactive oligomersin photocrosslinkable compounds oras additives for coatings, surfactantsor composite matrices, etc., allapplications where low viscositiesand controlled reactivities aresought.

The IAM team, whose core

endeavour is the application oforganic chemistry to polymers,is recognized for its expertise indeveloping integrated technologicalsolutions for materials synthesis,from monomers to polymers, in

* www.3bcar.r/~abcar/images/stories/pd_3bcar/fche_iate_plateorme_ractionnement_des_vegetaux_v3.pd** www.supagro.r/plantlippol-green

POMEWISO projectsolvent-free membrane preparation from biopolymers

Porous polymeric membranes for use in water treatmentare developed on an industrial scale from synthetic polymersdissolved in an organic solvent (acetone, DMF, NMP...). Porosityis generated by a phase inversion process, usually induced byimmersion of the homogeneous polymer solution in a bath ofnon-solvent (water). Apart from the fact that the raw materialis derived from a non-renewable land resource, large amountsof organic solvents are used, with the risk of generatingenvironmental pollution and health problems.

The goal of the POMEWISO project (an IEM/IRSTEAcollaboration) is to develop a new porous membraneproduction process that relies on clean, green chemistry,(i) using polymers from natural rather than synthetic resourcesand (ii) substituting water (the solvent for water-solublepolymers) for traditional organic solvents. Hence, the scientificproblem is to fine-tune the process of developing membranesfrom different water-soluble polymers (polyvinyl alcohol

[PVA], cellulose ethers, chitosan) with a low critical solutiontemperature (LCST), thereby controlling their morphologicaland functional properties. Once the phase inversion is inducedby increasing the temperature (TIPS-LCST procedure),crosslinking of the polymer chains will be necessary tostrengthen the film thus formed. This crosslinking will preferablybe done by irradiation or heat treatment to avoid the use ofchemical crosslinkers.

A multi-scale analysis will be conducted to better understandthe phenomena of phase separation, structure growth, and

the final morphology of the membranes as well as theirfiltration properties. The experimentation will be done usinglight scattering methods, optical microscopy, near-infrared andconfocal Raman spectroscopy, and dead-end filtration. It shouldbe possible, using a modelling approach and solving the modifiedCahn-Hilliard equation, to predict the evolution of structuresover time until the final morphology is obtained.

Contact: Denis Bouyer, [email protected]

LCST

T

vol

Diphasic

Monophasic

Spinodalregion

Binodalregion

Spinodal curve Binodal curve

Influence of temperature riseduring the TIPS-LCST process.


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Life cycle assessment ofpolymers and composites:integration of materials fromrecycling and renewableresource channels into thedevelopment of innovativematerials

The Materials Research Centre(Internal Research Unit [UPR],CMGD) is one of three internallaboratories of the cole des MinesdAls(EMA), which is a nationalpublic administration (EPA) reportingto the Ministry of Industry. Because

it places great emphasis on relationswith the economic sector, CMGDis part of the M.IN.E.S. CarnotInstitute (Innovative Methods forBusiness and Society), which bringstogether all French coles des Mines

paths to compensate for changesin biomass composition. Thus,

new ways of accessing bio-basedepoxy resins based on tannins fromforestry or viticulture by-productshave been developed.

In addition, the IAM team hasdeveloped new reactive functionalsynthons from vegetable oilsand fatty acids bearing amine,alcohol or acid functions that giveaccess to new bio-based polymers(polyurethanes, polyesters).

Many industrial collaborations

are underway, with national andinternational companies. In 2010,the team was awarded the Pollutecaward Innovative Techniquesfor the Environment (cf. projectGreenResins).

molar masses, making it impossibleto use them directly), a return to

polycondensation rather than freeradical polymerization to makethe best use of biomass reactivefunctions (acid, alcohol) andthe development of reliable access

GreenResins projectnew bio-based epoxy resins free of bisphenol A

Because of their versatility and ease of use, epoxy resins are

very widely used. They include a great variety of materials witha wide range of physical properties. However, they are mostlyderived from bisphenol A (BPA), a compound classified as CMR(carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic).

The GreenResins project involves the use of natural, non-toxicaromatic and polyaromatic compounds derived from renewableresources as reagents for use in developing thermosetting epoxyresins as a BPA substitute.

The source of these natural phenolic compounds is tannins fromforestry or viticulture by-products, so there is no competitionwith food crops. Among the phenolic compounds being studiedby the IAM (ICGM) team, in collaboration with the UMRScience for Oenology (INRA, Montpellier SupAgro et UM1),is catechin, a molecule with four phenolic groups. Catechinis epoxidized with epichlorohydrin. The phenols in catechinstwo aromatic rings display different levels of reactivity, leadingto two products: one molecule with four epoxy groups anda cyclized by-product with two epoxy groups. The averagefunctionality is 2.7 epoxy groups per molecule. The mixture isused unpurified to prepare epoxy resins with amine hardenerssince both products obtained are functionalized and contributeto network development. Resins derived from functionalizednatural compounds possess thermal and mechanical propertiescomparable to those of conventional fossil-fuel-derived resinssuch as the diglycidyl ether of BPA.

The possibility of obtaining bio-based aromatic resins that aremore rigid and perform better than aliphatic resins is whatdistinguishes this work, which won the 2010 Pollutec Awardforinnovative environmental techniques.

Contacts: Sylvain Caillol, [email protected] Boutevin, [email protected]& Hlne Fulcrand, [email protected]

Other teams workingin this area

UMR IEMEuropean Membrane Institute

(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2)

50 scientists

UR LBELaboratory of Environmental

Biotechnology(INRA)

16 scientists

Diagram of the production of bio-based epoxy resinsfrom tannin-derived catechin.

Sample Tg

(C) Td5

(C) Td30

(C) Char800

(%)

Swelling

(%)

Soluble

(%)

Storage Modulus

(Gpa)Glassy region Rubbery region

DGEBA 74 209 355 10 17 1 2.8 0.019

75 DGEBA25 GEC tannins

75 221 337 14 4 1 2.5 0.016

50 DGEBA50 GEC tannins

73 202 323 18 1 1 2.4 0.014

Comparative thermal and mechanical properties of resinsprepared from the diglycidyl ether of BPA and from tannins.

Bio-based products and materials


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and their research association,ARMINES. The Centre is involved invarious competitiveness clusters andmaintains academic and industrialcollaborations at the nationaland international level throughEuropean projects, projects fundedby the Environment and EnergyManagement Agency (ADEME),ANR and FUI.

CMGD is structured into tworesearch departments, namelyAdvanced Polymer Materials (MPA)and Civil Engineering Materialsand Structures (MSGC). Materialslife cycle assessment is central tothe concerns of both departments,for with the implementation of

European directives to promote end-of-life product recycling, advancesare being made in the developmentof ever more efficient identificationand sorting technologies, which maysoon enable online identificationof both plastics and their additives.

technological obstacles in order to turnthese products to account in variousapplication areas, such as packaging,agriculture, transport and building.

CMGD covers many disciplines,including chemistry, physicalchemistry, mechanics and processengineering. In addition to aplatform for the processing ofpolymers and concrete materials,it has a platform for materialscharacterization (mechanical,thermal and thermomechanicaltests under standard conditions, fireresistance tests, aging tests, scanningelectron microscope observations inenvironmental mode, X-ray diffraction,chemical and physicochemical

analysis).

Thus, CMGD researchers aresupporting the development of, onthe one hand, prototype sortingequipment, and on the other handhigh-performance plastic alloysthat can be made from high-puritymaterials reclaimed from sorting.

Moreover, the growing globaldemand for energy, the need tofind an alternative to fossil energyresources that are being depleted,and societys determination to reducethe environmental impacts of humanactivity and its carbon footprint aredriving the partial or full integrationof renewable resources (conceptof bio-basing) into materialsdevelopment. The compostability

of materials is an added benefitnow being worked on and which,provided collection channels areavailable, should allow for betterend-of-life waste management.Thus, CMGD researchers are tryingto remove many scientific and

In the buildingsector, needs ariseat two levels: first,to meet marketexpectations forgreener productsby paying attention

to sustainabledevelopmentobjectives, and

second, to comply with theGrenelle de lEnvironnement by

making use of more energy-efficient materials to reducebuildings energy consumption, using renewable resources,recycling waste and reducing non-recyclable waste.

Thus, CMGD has since 2010 been working with the IAM(ICGM) team on a project funded by ADEME and supportedby the Montpellier-area INNOBAT company, which won aJECInnovation Award in 2011. This project is designed to developa new material for joinery profiles, inasmuch as none of the

traditional materials now used (wood, polyvinyl chloride[PVC], aluminium and polyester/glass composite) can meet theupcoming 2012 and 2020 thermal regulations while achieving the

required level of mechanical performance level and meeting thearchitectural criteria, all with a lower environmental impact.The new material is a pultruded composite with a thermosettingmatrix derived in whole or in part from plant waste from thetimber and wine industries and from continuous plant fibres. Theproject addresses many R&D issues:synthesis and formulation of thermosetting resins (epoxy and/

or unsaturated polyester) derived in whole or in part from plantwaste;preparation of flax plant fibres together with batch analysis andhomogenization and possibly surface treatment of fibres;adaptation of formulas (resin reactivity, fibre tensile strength)to the pultrusion procedure;benchmarking of mechanical and thermal performance, fireretardancy and in-service ageing (humidity, temperature, UVexposure).

Prototypes are currently available and marketing is planned soon.

Contacts: Anne Bergeret, [email protected]& Michel Maugenet, [email protected]

For further information:www.innobat.fr

Materials and eco-construction

Joinery stripsof polyester/flax

biocomposite.

M. Maugenet Innobat

15

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In 2006, in order to be more responsive to calls forproposals and enhance its ability to perform contractresearch in partnership with industry, the M.IN.E.S. CarnotInstitute established a NanoMines group, with somefifty researchers from the various French coles des Minesworking on the nanostructures topic. The aim is tobring out synergies between research teams by combiningmultidisciplinary skills in such areas as the developmentof nanomaterials, their characterization, modelling andapplication testing.

In this context, in 2011, CMGD and the RAPSODEE Centreof the cole des Mines dAlbi undertook a project to developbionanocomposites made up of nanoparticles in a bioplasticmatrix, to control and improve the matrixs properties.

Production of these bionanocomposites by supercriticalfluid extrusion (CO2) enables nanoparticles to disperse

throughout the matrix, forming a foam without the use ofchemical agents, while at the same time making the materiallighter and more insulating.

Bioplastics-based

nanostructured materials

Greentechnologies

16

Controlled lifetime biocompositesThe first generations of bio-based plastics were mainly targeted

for short-lived applications such as packaging. Today, the demandhas changed. What industry needs now are bio-based plasticswith functionality at least equivalent to those of the currentpetrochemical-based plastics as regards barrier effect andmechanical, chemical and thermal resistance over the materialslife cycle. There is a broad consensus to that effect in thescientific community. Thus, CMGD has been at the forefront ofthese developments. Beginning with foamed starch packagingfor undemanding usage conditions, it went on to develop filmsand solid or foamed materials based on polylactic acid (PLA), apolymer obtained by fermentation of corn starch, less sensitive tomoisture than starch and with better mechanical properties.

The COLIBIO project (COntrolled LIfetime BIOcomposites),funded by ANR and accredited by the Trimatec competitivenesscluster, aims to develop a biocomposite with very goodmechanical and thermal properties, whose useful life can be

controlled, to meet the requirements of the automobile industry.

The idea was to reinforce a PLA-based matrix with glass fibresthat would break down under normal composting conditions(temperature, pH, humidity); the scientific and technologicalobstacles were the ability to keep the biocomposite functioningwith a high level of mechanical performance throughout itsservice life and to ensure end-of-life degradation.

Suitable biodegradable glass-fibre formulations were thusdeveloped and the durability of the PLA/glass biocompositesunder biomimetic conditions during use and at end of life wasstudied. It emerged that there is a strong interdependencebetween the alkalinity of the glasses and their mechanicalbehaviour under conditions simulating accelerated service use(immersion in water at 65C) and the rate of their mineralizationin soil, which may be accompanied by soil acidification.

Contact: Anne Bergeret, [email protected]


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

20 40 60 80 1000

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Stress(MPa)

Resilience(kJ/m) E

longation(%)

Conservation of properties from baseline state (%)

biodegradablePLA/fibreglass

biocomposites (variousglass formulations)

non-biodegradablePLA/fibreglassbiocomposite

0

50

100

150

200

250

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

m

gCO2/gCinthecomposite

Time (days)

No soil acidificaton

PLA matrix

Heavy soilacidificaton

4.804.62

4.24

3.96

3.91

Scanning electron microscope view of a PHBV/claybionanocomposite foam made by extrusion assistedby supercritical CO

2.

coledesMinesdAlbi,centreRAPSODEE

coledesMinesdAlsCMGD

Degree of conservation of mechanical performance( stress, elongation, resilience) of biodegradable and non-biodegradable PLA/fibreglass biocomposites after ageing underconditions simulating accelerated service use (24 hours immersionin water at 65C).

Mineralization rates in soil simulating end of life ofbiodegradable PLA/fibreglass biocomposites under differentlevels of soil acidification.


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The bioplastic matrix used in this project is a biodegradablepolymer derived from microorganisms that belongs tothe polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family, specifically poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV). The matrixwas reinforced with montmorillonite clay nanoparticles at alow uptake rate (less than 3% by mass). Incorporation of theclay significantly improved the matrixs mechanical and thermalproperties and its fire resistance and helped control itsbiodegradation. The foams obtained have a porosity of up to50%; the cell size homogeneity has yet to be improved througha study of the operating parameters of the process.

Contacts: Nicolas Le-Moigne, [email protected]& Martial Sauceau, [email protected]

For further information:http://cmm.ensmp.fr/Nanomines

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17

The BIORARE projectWinner of the Investments for the Future national callfor Biotechnologies and Bioresources

The BIORARE project (bioelectrosynthesis to refine residual

waste, IRSTEA/Chemical Engineering LaboratoryFrenchNational Centre for Scientific Research/LBE-INRA/Suez-Environnement) focuses on how to use the concept ofmicrobial electrosynthesis to biologically refine waste andeffluents. This recent discovery could eventually enable theproduction of high-added-value molecules from the organicmatter and energy in waste.

Bioelectrochemical systems technology would be used tochannel the metabolic reactions of the bioprocess into theproduction of building-block molecules with high added valuefor use in green chemistry. The organic material is oxidizedin a first compartment by complex biomass, which transferselectrons to an anode. The electrons then go to the cathode,

where they are used in a biological reduction reaction.By regulating the potential at the cathode to a value derivedfrom a theoretical calculation (Nernst Law), one can artificiallycreate thermodynamic conditions that will allow only certainreactions to occur.

These microbial bioelectrosynthesis systems maintain a physicalseparation between a dirty compartment containing theorganic material to be processed and a clean compartmentwhere the desired molecules are synthesized, metabolic fluxesare channelled, and oxidation reactions at the cathode areselected by regulating the potential.Development of a detailed specification for the applicationof microbial electrosynthesis to the biorefining of organicwaste requires the key components to be determined,together with the relevant specifications for a projectedindustrial development strategy. The scientific and technicalbasis of microbial electrosynthesis will be firmed up, thenthe relationship between the operating conditions and themolecules actually synthesized will be validated experimentally.Multidisciplinary approaches will be combined to better

understand and identify the technological potential of thesesystems. Environmental assessment of strategies linkingthese systems to existing industrial installations will becarried out based on reference scenarios that will identifythe environmentally sensitive components and provide

guidance for technical and industrial choices. An analysisof economic, societal and regulatory factors will bringfuture industrial development strategies into better focus.A detailed specification for the implementation of microbialelectrosynthesis systems for organic waste biorefining willbe developed and related measures for the protection ofintellectual property will be taken as necessary.

Contact: Nicolas Bernet, [email protected]

Cathode

Electroactive microbes

C+

e-

DCO

CO2

CO2

Waste

Effluent e-

Anode

Gas

e-

e-

CO2CO2

Organicmolecules

T. Bouchez

Principle of the microbial bioelectrosynthesis systemused in the BIORARE project.

Transmission electron microscope view of claydispersal in a PHBV/clay bionanocomposite foam.

coledesMinesdAlsCMGD


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Greentechnologies

18

GreenCoat projectnew bio-based polyurethanes from vegetable oils

Polyurethanes are among the best-selling polymers in the world,ranking 6th; world production is over 14 Mt. They are usefulin many areas of everyday life, including thermal insulationand coatings. They are traditionally produced by reacting anisocyanate with a polyol oligomer. While the isocyanate isalmost exclusively derived from petrochemical feedstocks, thepolyol can be derived from renewable resources. However,most isocyanate compounds are highly toxic or even CMR(carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) and are on the SIN list(Substitute It Now!REACH, Annex XVII). The initial aim of theGreenCoat project is to develop new bio-based polyols, derivedfrom vegetable oil, with new properties. A subsequent goal is todevelop isocyanate-free bio-based polyurethanes from glycerol.

Bio-based polyols are synthesized from vegetable oil or fromfatty acids or esters through thiol-ene coupling on the doublebonds of the fatty chains. The thiol used has one or more alcoholfunctions. The addition reaction is carried out with neither solventnor initiator, under UV; the yield is quantitative. This technologyproduces bio-based polyols with widely varying structure andfunctionality.

The development of isocyanate-free bio-based polyurethanesrelies on the cyclocarbonate ring-opening reaction mediatedby primary amines. Thus, the IAM (ICGM) team has producedoligomers bearing dicyclocarbonate functions from glycerolcarbonate. Reacting these oligomers with diamines producesisocyanate-free bio-based polyurethanes.

In both cases, the bio-based polyurethanes obtained haveproperties similar to those of fossil-fuel-derived polyurethanesand can be used in coatings, binders, paints, etc. This project hasreceived funding from ANR Matepro and is being conducted incollaboration with the Organic Polymers Chemistry Laboratory(Bordeaux) and the Rsipoly and SEG companies.

Contacts: Sylvain Caillol, [email protected]

Rmi Auvergne, [email protected]& Bernard Boutevin, [email protected]


Glycerol

Thiol-ene(TEC)

1. Transesterificationor amidification

2. TEC

Transesterification

Glycerin

Fatty acids and esters

Glycerincarbonate

Vegetable oils

Diagram of bio-basedpolyurethane production fromvegetable oil and derivatives.

Synthesis by thiol-enecoupling of new bio-basedpolyols from vegetable oils.

Isocyanate-free bio-basedpolyurethane production.


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Over the past ten years, many types of biodegradable foodpackaging have been developed, the main goal being to imitatepetrochemical plastics; however, no real evaluation has beendone of their environmental benefits, economic viability orpotential impact on the quality and safety of packaged foods.These packaging systems quickly bogged down, especially in thefood industry, as a result of a number of major controversies(diversion of food resources, overly complicated recycling/recovery routes, for example). A more holistic, systemic approachis needed in developing such biodegradable packaging in orderto restore the trust and consumers and users and to pique theirinterest.

The European EcoBioCAP project aims to supply EuropeanUnion food industries with modular biodegradable packagingtailored to the requirements of perishable foodstuffs, with directbenefits for the environment and for European consumersin terms of food quality and safety. This new generation ofpackaging will be based on the multi-scale development ofcomposite structures all of whose constituent parts will be fromfood industry by-products.

Production techniques and all the properties of the materialsdeveloped in the course of the project will be optimized throughdemonstration activities with industrial partners before industrialuse is begun. The EcoBioCAP technology will be made availableto all industry players through development of a decisionsupport tool. Finally, outreach activities will be undertaken, notjust to inform the scientific community of the project results, butalso to make sure consumers and end-users know the benefits

of such biodegradable packaging and how to use it.

The EcoBioCAP project has a budget of 4.2 million, financedby Europe (to the tune of 3 million over four years under theseventh Framework Programme for Research and Development.It brings together 16 partners from eight different countries,including six private companies.

Contact: Nathalie Gontard, [email protected]

For further information:www.ecobiocap.eu

EcoBioCAP projectEco-efficient Biodegradable Composite

Advanced Packaging

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19

UM2/INRA

Biodegradable packaging developed under the project.


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Greentechnologies

20

the use of bio-based productsand materials: the development ofmembranes from bio-polymers;

the development of biodegradablemembranes; fractionation forby-product recovery; water and waste recycling andrecovery: effluent concentration andproduction of pure and ultra-purewater; degradation of pollutantsin wastewater using membranescombined with photocatalysedbiological or physico-chemicalreactions; sorption; a combinationof membranes and enzymaticreactions.

Regional collaborations have beenput in hand, in particular with theELSA cluster (cf. p. 32), to integrateLCA and eco-design aspects intoresearch projects dealing with thedevelopment of new processesfor the solvent-free productionof membrane materials (ANRPOMEWISO project, cf. p. 13) orthe implementation of intensiveprocesses combining membranesand sorption on functionalizedpolymers (ANR CopotermCopolymers for Water Treatment

and Metal Recovery).

IEM comprises three researchdepartments: design of membrane materials and

multifunctional systems; polymer interfaces and physicalchemistry;membrane process engineering.

The Institutes green-technology-related activities are based onprocess intensification and havethree main foci, with the generalobjectives of increasing processefficiency and moving towardssustainability (less consumptionof energy and solvents, wasteminimization, optimum resource

use): development of multifunctionalreactors combining differentfunctions within the sametechnology; development of new processes,new materials for use in traditionalprocesses, or new operatingconditions; use of modelling to gain abetter understanding of reactionand transfer mechanisms, whichcan then be used to improve theefficiency of existing processes.

The work the Institute carries outunder this approach, through theactivities of its Membrane ProcessEngineering department, relatesmainly to:

Seeking durable materialsand membrane processes

The European MembraneInstitute(UMR IEM, ENSCM-CNRS-UM2), founded in 1998,is an internationally-recognizedreference laboratory for membranematerials and processes. Its researchobjectives are in keeping with amultidisciplinary and multi-scaleapproach: the development andcharacterization of novel membranematerials; their implementation in membraneprocesses having applications in,

for example, sewage treatment, gasseparation, and biotechnology as itrelates to food and health sciences.

The main teams

UMR IEMEuropean Membrane Institute

(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2)50 scientists

UPR Recycling and Risk(CIRAD)

13 scientists


Biotechnology(INRA)

16 scientifiques

...continued on page 22

Water and wasterecycling and recovery


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21

DIVA projectcharacterization of digestateand its agricultural upgrade processes

Significant progress in anaerobic digestion of organic waste has propelled the emergenceof new industrial processes such as the methanation of agricultural and household waste.Thus, new types of uncharacterized or poorly characterized digestate (the residuesgenerated by anaerobic digestion of organic matter) have made their appearance, and theyend up being disposed of in a more or less inappropriate manner, generally on the ground.More knowledge is needed, therefore, to see that such digestate is properly managed andthat France can make up its serious technological deficit in this area relative to Scandinaviaand Germany.

As for the most part the ultimate beneficiary of the upgrade is agriculture, there is asignificant demand for (a) characterization of all types of digestate products currently onoffer in France and (b) development of processing methods so that the new productsagricultural value can be better realized. In addition, such emerging environmental issuesas energy efficiency, recycling of raw materials and control of gaseous emissions fromland-farming raise a number of issues that must be considered today in preparation fortomorrows management processes. Thus, with the participation of the UMR IEM in thecollaborative (IRSTEA, Armines, Gotexia, IEM, INRA, Suez, Solagro) DIVA project, it isexpected that membrane-based or other post-processing techniques will be proposed in

an effort to achieve and maintain the correct product status. This scientific approachseparate, upgrade, standardizepromises the best possible way of promoting thesustainable development of digestates.

Contact: Marc Heran, [email protected]

Separation unit: membrane filtration.

Controlling theenvironmental risk ofrecycling organic waste

The UPR Recycling and Risk(CIRAD) conducts activities on thecusp of the analytic and systemicapproaches in the field of organicwaste recycling. The centralhypothesis is that some of theseproducts are sources of energyand/or organic matter that could

support sustained and sustainableagricultural production. Theobjective is to find solutions andagricultural practices involvingcontrolled agro-environmentalrisks, with optimal use of processingtechnologies and the purifying powerof soil and plants.

The unit addresses this problemby delving into the biophysicalprocesses of organic wastetransformation, the transfer ofelements in the water/soil/plant/

atmosphere system, and takinginto account the management ofstocks and material flows within aterritory. It produces knowledge andtools for the assessment and designof integrated recycling solutions

units, development agencies andbusinesses. The unit has two mainsites, in Montpellier and on Runion.Under a strategic partnership withthe European Centre for Researchand Education in EnvironmentalGeosciences (CEREGE) at Aix-en-Provence, the unit is located onthe Centres premises. Innovativepartnerships are maintained withprivate companies, especiallythe Frayssinet Group, the leadingmanufacturer of organic fertilizer in

France.

On Runion the unit works closelywith local authorities, and primarilywith the Runion region. In Senegal,one of the units researchers isassigned to the Laboratory of MicrobialEcology of Tropical Soils and Agro-systems (LEMSAT). The units financialresources come mainly from thepublic sector (ANR, ministries otherthan Higher Education and Research,Environment and Energy ManagementAgency). The resources devoted toactivities on Runion come fromthe European Community and localauthorities. The private sector andexpert assessments also contribute tothe units financial stability.

that combine respect for naturalresources and the environment witheconomic efficiency.

The units research is along twoscientific lines:Under territorial organic wastetransformation and management oforganic waste products, it developsmodels to simulate composting- andmethanation-based organic wasteprocessing technology, as well asways of evaluating the environmental

impact of recycling. Two levelsof organization are considered:the smallholding (individualmanagement) and organized farmgroups (collective management).Under dynamic of the interactionsof organic waste products with water,soils and crops, it investigates thedynamic of how organic matter,nitrogen and metallic trace elementsinteract with the cropping systemand soil type. Environmental riskindicators are developed for theregion, the plot and the laboratory (atmolecule and rhizosphere level).

Both lines of research workare based on analytical andexperimental platforms, as well aspartnerships with other research


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22


IAM teamEngineering and Macromolecular

ArchitecturesICGM - Institut Charles Gerhardt,

Montpellier UMR CNRS 5253(ENSCM/CNRS/UM2/UM1)60 scientists

UMR ITAPInformation/Technologies/Environmental

Analysis/Agricultural Processes(Montpellier SupAgro/IRSTEA)

27 scientists

UPR CMGDMaterials Research Centre

(EMA)40 scientists

UPR LGEIEngineering Laboratory for Industrial

Environmental Engineering and Industrialand Natural Risks

(EMA)29 scientists

UR Biomass & Energy(CIRAD)

12 scientists

There are six research areas, coveringa broad spectrum of disciplinaryskills: microbiology, microbialecology, bio-engineering, processengineering, modelling, automation,LCA, project engineering, industrialtransfer: research into the generic

characterization of organic matterand associated by-products;

knowledge and role of biotic/abiotic parameters with respect tothe services rendered;

means of action and control ofprocesses and ecosystems, totake an active stance, no longer apassive one;

assessment and managementof the fate of the products of thetreatment processes and theirenvironmental and health impacts;

descriptive/explanatory/predictiveengineering and ecological models;

process engineering and eco-design.

LBE is among the worlds leading

laboratories in the field of anaerobicdigestion (ranking first amongpublishing laboratories as referencedin the Web of Sciencewith the entryterm anaerobic digestion). Itsfacilities cover 4,757 m, includingan experimental centre of 1,882 m,and it boasts high-performanceexperimental and scientificequipment including more than50 digesters (capacity from 1 litre toseveral cubic metres), in operation24/3/365. LBE relies on researchexcellence, a variety of study topics

and a multidisciplinary approach,but also possesses know-how intechnology transfer and innovation(6 patents, 11 licence agreements,and Pollutec innovation awards in2007, 2009 and 2010).

residues, household waste andsewage sludge), or such specificbiomass types as micro- or macro-algae. Its pollutant transformationprocesses depend on microbialcommunities that are complex byvirtue of their composition, diversityand functional dynamics.

These communities characteristics,together with the fact that they canbe established only in an openenvironment, have led the laboratory

to seek a type of processing/upgrade wherein the microbialresponses are influenced by changesin the operating conditions ofthe bioprocess. In performing theupgrade, great care is taken toobserve health safety constraints(e.g. those related to the presence ofpharmaceutical residues, detergentsand/or pathogens).

Hence, the pollutant transformationprocesses are studied: at the whole process level,

by characterizing kinetics, keyphysiological systems and dynamicsof microbial populations; at the level of individualprocedures, by developing innovativeprocedures, optimizing thehydrodynamics or functioning ofthe bioreactors, and implementingphysicochemical co-processingtechniques.

Research activities have alwaysbeen done with due regard for bothlevels as they relate to sustainableindustries, in an effort to developmeans of pollution control or effluentand waste recovery that comply witheconomic and regulatory constraintsand to achieve simple, efficient,reliable and scalable bioprocesses.

Ecosystems for and inprocesses as part of anenvironmental biorefineryconcept

The Laboratory of EnvironmentalBiotechnology(Research Unit [UR]LBE, INRA) located in Narbonne,is part of the INRA departments ofEnvironment and Agronomy andMicrobiology and the Food Chain.For more than 25 years, LBE researchhas focused on processing and/

or upgrading the waste productsof human activity, be they liquideffluents (especially from the agri-food sector), solid waste (agricultural

A birds-eye view of INRAs EnvironmentalBiotechnology Laboratory in Narbonne, witha lagoon for microalgae production in the

foreground.INRA-L

BE


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Greentechnologies

23

PETZECO projectcombined ozone/zeolite treatment of petrochemical effluentPollution of water and sediments by polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs) is indisputably happening, and posesreal risks to the environment and health; this has led theEuropean Commission to classify PAHs as priority substances.The conventional countermeasures, chemical oxidation oradsorption on activated carbon, have limitations in terms ofcost and implementation. Advanced oxidation processes candegrade bioresistant or toxic compounds through the useof hydroxyl radicals. The work proposed in the PETZECOcollaborative project (with ICGM, Chemical EngineeringLaboratory, National Institute of Applied Sciences in Toulouse,Total) aims to develop an advanced technique for thetreatment of resistant industrial wastewater.

The main idea is to use ozone combined with innovativezeolitic materials, the ozone serving to break down the wasteinto hydroxyl radicals which are then adsorbed onto the solidzeolites. This combination should increase degradation rates

synergetically. The use of a solid, porous mineral should ensuregood resistance to oxidative attack and maintain long-termcatalytic and adsorptive properties. The development phase ofthis new solid, mesoporous zeolitic adsorbent/catalyst is one ofthe projects challenges, as very few studies exist in this area.Another of its challenges is to implement this ozone/catalystcombination in an efficient and inexpensive way. Its reactiveand mechanical properties will be the subject of carefulstudy so that in synthesizing the zeolites the most valuablefunctionalities can be targeted. An in-depth study is underwayof the sizing parameters of the oxidation process in variousconfigurations (from fluidized beds to membrane separation ofthe catalyst). The projects ultimate goal is to use monolithic

materials containing the new catalyst on real petrochemicaleffluents.

Contact: Stephan Brosillon, [email protected]

The Opportunit (E)4 programme (Environmental, Ecological,Ethical and Economic) outlines an innovative process of chemicalenhancement of phytoextraction technologies and of wastecontaminated with metallic trace elements. The project takesadvantage of certain plants remarkable adaptive ability tohyperaccumulate Zn2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and/or Al3+ cations in theiraerial parts; its design is based on the direct use of metal speciesof plant origin as Lewis acid catalysts for organic chemicalreactions on mining waste (tailings and slag) or combustionby-products.

The programme draws on public and semi-public researchlaboratories and three private private companies, all of whichpool their phytoextraction skills for the environmentallysustainable remediation of mine sites in the department of Gardand in New Caledonia while respecting local biodiversity. Plantwaste and bound metals are directly recovered and transformedinto green catalysts, then spread and stabilized on comminutedmining waste. These unique polymetallic systems are usedas heterogeneous catalysts in synthetic transformations thatgive access to high-added-value molecules (aromatic building-block molecules, heterocyclic compounds and biologicallyuseful oligomers). The process design allows for recyclingsimply through filtration; it is also suited to the new economicconstraints and represents a concrete solution to the criticalnon-renewability of mineral materials.

This scientific programme is carried out with local stakeholdersfrom the communities and State bodies. It engages in sustainedrecovery actions involving industry groups working incomplementary application areas (restoration ecology, miningand chemical industries). It now rests on a solid foundation of

scientific results, so that specific objectives are sure to be met; asa result, funding has been approved for an ANR project, a CNRS-IRSTEA project, a project of the European Regional DevelopmentFund, two industrial contracts, ten confidentiality agreements,two thesis funding agreements and a collaboration with a privatecompany specializing in technology transfer. This interdisciplinaryresearch workapplied, industrial researchis intended as anengine of environmental and socio-environmental reconstruction

of sites scarred by industrial and mining activities.

Contact: Claude Grison, [email protected]

For further information:www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr/programmes-de-recherche/environnement-et-ressources-biologiques/ecotechnologies-ecoservices/fiche-projet-ecotech/?tx_lwmsuivibilan_pi2%5BCODE%5D=ANR-11-ECOT-011

Seeking a new green channel within a circular economy:from phytoextraction to bio-based chemical catalysis and back again


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Upgrading of organic wasteby anaerobic digestionand composting in hot regions

In hot regions, where averagetemperatures are high, biologicalupgrading processes for organicwaste are particularly effective. Unlikethermochemical processes, they save partof the organic material, which can thenbe recycled to preserve soil fertility.

Methanation, or anaerobic digestion, is fermentation in the complete absence of oxygen.Degradation of organic matter leads to the formation of a gasbiogaswhich is rich in methane

(CH4). Biogas can be used directly as fuel. The final residue of anaerobic digestion, called methanogenic digestate, can be used directly

as fertilizer or composted to improve its properties. Since the late 1970s, with its African partners, CIRAD has been developingvarious biogas technologies suited to local conditions. Thus, the TRANSPAILLE process will methanate solid waste such as manure,dung materials, cassava peelings or coffee pulp. The AGRIFILTRE process will filter liquid effluents rich in organic matter so they cansoak into straw before anaerobic digestion.

Composting is a biodegradation of organic matter in the presence of oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water vapour. Thereaction is exothermic (raising the temperature of the medium). Because composting is often done in the open air in piles orwindrows, it is difficult to control. In creating a model of the composting process, we must formalize the relationship betweenthe physicochemical characteristics of organic waste and the gaseous, liquid and solid outputs. This modelling is used to set theparameters of flow models (operation, area) for an environmental assessment.

Contacts: Jean-Luc Farinet, [email protected]& Jean-Marie Paillat, [email protected]

For further information:www.cirad.fr/innovation-expertise/produits-et-services/equipements-et-procedes

Equivalence1 m3 of methane

9.7 kWh of electricity1.3 kg of coal1.15 l of petrol1 l of fuel-oil2.1 kg of wood0.94 m3 of natural gas1.7 l of fuel alcohol

A 40-m3 TRANSPAILLEdigester in Senegal.

Composting test on Wallis.

Jean-LucFarinet

Yvan Hurvois


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Seeking better-quality end-of-life sortingand recycling/upgrading of electrical and electronic waste

The recyclingof wasteelectrical andelectronicequipment(WEEE) is atthe centreof numerousresearchprojects, as itsannual volume(about 24 kgper capita)

is constantly increasing (3-5%). When WEEE is discarded,the plastics it contains remain as a source of pollution. Thatis very wasteful, as the industrial plastics in WEEE still have

good potential uses after their first life cycle. Although manyscientific studies conducted in developed countries involverecycling, use of such recycled plastics is not widespread,in part because of the poor quality, to date, of the materialavailable (which is dependent on sorting quality and the mainadditives). With improved sorting, identification and separation,high-quality recycled plastics will become available forapplications in various industrial sectors.

Deposits of WEEE plastics are highly complex: many plasticsare incompatible with one another, and a large percentageare dark in colour, making some sorting and identificationtechniques ineffective, or incorporate brominated flameretardants, requiring separate sorting.

CMGD has been working on WEEE recycling and upgrading forten years, and, since 2008, conducting two projects:The REDEMPTIR project (ADEME funding) seeks tomaximize the recovery rate and the purity of sorted plasticsby online near-infrared spectroscopy using actual light-colouredWEEE deposits, to monitor their polymer and flame retardantcontent.The TRIPLE-VALEEE project (Single Interministerial Fund(FUI) is split into two development foci:The TRIPLE project aims to provide a standardized

methodology for sampling and analysis of plastics depositsderived from WEEE processing and to implement efficientsorting patterns.

The goal of the VALEEE project is to identify the differentways WEEE may be incorporated into industrial products,taking the place of all or some of the virgin materials thatwould otherwise be used, according to specifications settingout the desired polymer types or performance.

Contacts: Didier Perrin, [email protected]& Rodolphe Sonnier, [email protected]

The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste used in industrycomes primarily from the recovery and sorting of bottles.At present, PET recycling is mainly (75%) in the form of fibre(quilt batting, sweaters). Other applications arising fromresearch may be targeted. Here is one example:

PET bottles are first ground to the desired size, then washedto remove contaminants as far as possible (paper, glue, PVC,etc.). The PET chips thus obtained (photo ) are then dried and

undergo an initial transformation, called glycolysis. This resultsin a lower molecular weight product in the form of a greenpaste (photo ). After chemical treatment, an unsaturatedpolyester is obtained; much more fluid, transparent and slightlyyellow in colour (photo ). This product then undergoes aphotopolymerization reaction with reactive diluents, resultingin a transparent, flexible material. The flexibility of the materialcan be controlled through the choice of reactive diluent(photo ). One possible application for this type of product iswood coatings (photo ), as initial testing has shown that it iseasily applied and adheres well to wood.

Contact: Rmi Auvergne, [email protected]

Adding value by chemical waste recycling: the example of PET

PET flakes from the recyclingindustry.

PET depolymerized in anextruder.

Product after laboratoryreaction.Material obtained after

photopolymerization(thickness 0.50.7 mm).

Application in the coatingssector.

Trial of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to sort/separate WEEE plastics.

CMGD


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To optimize methane production through anaerobic digestionof organic waste, it is essential to know in advance the potentialmethane value, for which purpose the Biochemical MethanePotential(BMP) test is performed, consisting of at least one

months fermentation. That is too long a period in an industrialcontext, as it generates inventory management constraints andrisks a loss of bacterial population in the reactors should thewaste prove not very biodegradable.

To optimize industrial-scale methane production processes,near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an innovative way ofrapidly determining the wastes BMP: it can analyse the overallorganic matter after a quick sample preparation and calculatethe methane potential within a few minutes. Hence, there is lessrisk of methanating waste with little biodegradability, and theco-digestion process will be better controlled.

The EcoTech-LR platform allowed UMR ITAP, LBE and LGEI to

jointly develop a methodology whereby freeze-dried, trituratedwaste is analysed by reflection using NIRS. The predictedBMP results are very accurate, particularly in the light of thecomplexity of the medium studied: a prediction error of 10%(28 ml CH

4.g-1 of volatile matter [MV]) out of 70 representative

samples of household waste (values between 89 and 357 mlCH

4.g-1 MV), a good repeatability error (about 7 ml CH

4.g-1

MV) and no bias between the prediction for the calibrationbatch and the test batch. Interpretation of the spectra and theprediction model also provides characterization data on thewaste, such as the presence of hydrocarbons, lipids and proteins,which improve BMP, and of other compounds that will impair itbecause they are not degraded during anaerobic digestion (e.g.,

fibre or plastics).

The next step is to move to industrialization of the method,which promises strong growth and substantial economic benefits,given the significant need for agricultural and household wastetreatment. For that purpose, as the spectral response is verysensitive to the type of medium studied, calibration will berequired for each type of waste.

Contacts: Jean-Michel Roger, [email protected] Latrille, [email protected]& Catherine Gonzalez, [email protected]

This research, as embodied in the thesis of Mr. Lesteur, a PhD student at the ECOTECH-LRRegional Technology Platform, received the ADEME award for innovative technology at the 2009

Pollutec salon. It then led to a technology transfer to Ondalys under the MethaNIR project.

Evaluating the methane potential of organic wastethrough near-infrared spectrometry

Water and waste recycling and recovery

Autosampler connected to a gas

chromatograph for analysis of volatile fattyacids produced during anaerobic digestion.

INRA-L

BE

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Calibration

Validation

Repeatability SE

Measured BMPs (ml CH4.g-1 MV)

PredictedBMPs(mlCH4.g-1M

V)

Comparison of measured and predicted values.

The diagonal represents a 1:1 ratio.

Prediction error: 28 ml CH4.g-1

MV ;Repeatability error: 7 ml CH

4.g-1 MV . R=0.8.


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Slurry impeller for open-airmicroalgae cultivation.

INRA-L

BE

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Bioenergy How energy biomass processesare to be implemented: the researchconcentrates on an evaluation ofthe environmental impacts of theprocesses, development scenariosat the local, national and regionallevels, the definition of an ex anteand ex postmethodology to assess

the viability of systems for energyproduction from biomass, with anintegrated approach to technical,economic and environmentalfactors.

The unit works in partnership withthe International Institute of WaterEngineering and Environment(Burkina Faso), with which acommon platform for research intobiomass energy has been developed,the Forest Products Laboratory(Brazil) with which research onenergy recovery from forest andtree-farm waste is being conducted,and the Centro Agronmico deInvestigacin y Enseanza (CostaRica), with which work is being doneon energy biomass developmentscenarios and their impacts.

The units main scientific facilitiesinclude a 200 m platform of semi-industrial pilots, a motor and burnertest bench for biomass-derived fuels,and laboratories to analyse productsand by-products of the conversionreaction.

The objective of the researchbeing done by the URBiomass &Energy (CIRAD) is to developand optimize processes for energyproduction from biomass and toanalyse how such processes may bedeveloped in the countries of theSouth. Target applications include

the production of heat, electricityand motive power. The unit focusesin particular on thermochemicalbiomass conversion processesinvolving pyrolysis, gasificationand combustion. The knowledgethus acquired also contributes tolonger-term development of secondgeneration biofuels produced bythermochemical means.

The focus of the research work istwofold:How biomass fuels reactunder pyrolysis, gasification andcombustion, and how to designinnovative conversion processes: theresearch focuses on the influenceof biomass type on the reactions,the factors that control conversion,the quality of the products obtainedand their optimum use, and, ingeneral, the optimization of recoveryprocesses. The unit relies onexperimental devices ranging fromlaboratory scale to semi-industrialpilots. Models for the behaviourof biomass during the varioustransformation phases are also beingdeveloped.

Develop and optimizeprocesses for energyproduction from biomass

The great majority of rural peoplein the countries of the South lackaccess to energy. Biomass, thoughoften abundant there, is used only

to supply basic household energy.Today, economic developmentdemands access to production-grade energy, which is essential toraw material processing and foodpreservation and, more generally,to the development of economicactivities that will generate jobs andincome.

The main teams

Trimatec Competitiveness clusteron green technologies

DERBI Competitiveness cluster -Development of Renewable Energy/

Building/Industry

BIONERGIESUD Network

UR Biomass & Energy(CIRAD)

12 scientists


UMR IATEAgro-polymer Engineeringand Emerging Technologies

(CIRAD/INRA/Montpellier SupAgro/UM2)49 scientists


Biotechnology(INRA)

16 scientists


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The BioViVe project (wine-growing biomass for glass melting)seeks to feed a glass furnace directly with syngas derived fromthe woody by-products of the pruning and grubbing-up ofvines, to replace fossil fuels. This gas will be specifically tailoredto the needs of glass melting and will be tested in Veralliasfurnace in Oiry (Marne), so the project partnersSaint-GobainEmballage, GDF SUEZ, XYLOWATT, CIRAD and the ComitInterprofessionnel du Vin de Champagnewill be doing laboratoryresearch, semi-industrial combustion cell tests and long-termtests on the Oiry industrial furnace under normal productionconditions. This project will also lead to the creation of anongoing biomass collection industry in the Champagne vineyards.

The projects ultimate goal is to achieve about a 7% replacementof fossil fuels with biomass. In addition, the knowledge andexperience gained thereby will enable partners to consider moresignificant development of the sector and a transition to a 50%replacement rate.

The UR Biomass & Energy is particularly involved intwo project tasks, which it coordinates. The first is thecharacterization and mobilization of the waste vine-woodresource. The second concerns the projects research aimed atunderstanding and optimizing the staged gasification process,to achieve an increase in the heating value of the syngas.

Gasification research is Biomass and energy research unitscore activity, to provide an effective biomass recovery solution tofacilitate access to energy in the South.

Contact: Laurent Van De Steene,[email protected]

Biomass of the Champagne vineyards,

a renewable energy source for bottle production

Pilot reactor for continuous fixed-bed biomasspyrolysis and gasification, CIRAD.

LaurentVandesteene

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Improving biofuel combustion for the rural SouthOne glass (20 cl)! Thats how muc

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