Assessment of the Use of Common Juniper (Juniperus Communis L.) Foliage Following the Cascade Principle: Essential Oil, Absorbents and Biochar Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • The main objective of the BeonNAT project is to create added-value bio-based products by growing underused tree and shrub species in marginal land. One of the species selected within the project is juniper (Juniperus communis L). Foliage biomass coming from a natural population in Spain was selected and a first sampling of wild biomass (1000 kg fresh plants with stem diameters below 50 mm) was performed. This biomass was distilled and, after it, different alternatives were defined in the project to obtain bioproducts from the distilled biomass following the cascade concept. Among them, absorbents for the pet industry and biochar have been selected in this work. Concerning the steam distillation, an essential oil yield of 0.44% (w/w d.b) was obtained and the characterisation of the essential oil compounds showed that it was close to meet the limits considered by the ISO 8897:2010. A fraction of the distilled biomass was used to produce pellets, whose quality as absorbents for the pet industry was promising. Finally, the rest of the distilled biomass was used to obtain biochar with a yield of 28.79 % (w/w d.b) and characteristics which indicated a good degree of carbonisation and stability.
  • This work has been carried out within the BeonNAT project, which has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 887917 BeonNAT. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio Based Industries Consortium. Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L. Barros thanks the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional and individual scientific employment program-contract for their contracts.

publication date

  • May 2022