Abstract
Chapter 4 provides an overview of the application of ionic liquids (ILs) in the valorisation of industrial waste, which has a daily production largely outpacing that of municipal solid waste. This chapter focusses on residues of the agrofood, forest, tannery, and textile industries. Since agrofood waste consists of by-products originated from raising animals and producing/harvesting crops, it represents a source of miscellaneous valuable compounds. Fruit, vegetables, and nuts (mainly unused parts), cereal crops, and by-products from the seafood and fish industries are considered as well. Forest residues such as branches, leaves, and fragments containing wood and bark enable several products to be obtained, ranging from lignocellulosic-derived products to small organic bioactive compounds. The use of ILs for forest biomass valorisation is here described with emphasis on wood biomass. Waste generated by the tannery industry represents an important source of collagen, whose recovery can be achieved by processes resorting to ILs. Finally, IL application in the pretreatment of textile waste, as catalysts and solvents, and in separation and dissolution processes are summarized and discussed.
Publisher
The Royal Society of Chemistry