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A self-produced (DIY) material has been developed from peanut hulls waste in a starch-milk based matrix, which has been referred to as Peanmat. This is obtained after some attempts, which are also shown, of including this waste in a DIY bioplastic. It shows some potential in terms of sustaining its own load and to make small objects, such as buttons, for design purposes. Its limits were clarified by thermal characterisation in terms of not being able to exceed temperatures of around 80°C and suffering non uniform deformation, especially in the case its thickness does not go beyond a few millimetres. Colouration tests proved effective. Of course, the material is in search of full mechanical characterisation though it proved suitable to be punched and did not suffer fragmentation or excessive porosity.

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Thermal and thermochemical processes can be efficiently developed and carried out in fluidized beds, due to the unique properties of fluidized suspensions of solid particles and to the inherent flexibility of fluidized bed design and operation. Coupling fluidization with concentrated solar power is a stimulating cross-disciplinary field of investigation, with the related issues and opportunities to explore. In this review article the current and perspective applications of fluidized beds to collection, storage and exploitation of solar radiation are surveyed. Novel and “creative” designs of fluidized bed solar receivers/reactors are reported and critically discussed. The vast field of applications of solar-driven fluidized bed processes, from energy conversion with thermal energy storage, to solids looping for thermochemical energy storage, production of fuels, chemicals and materials, is explored with an eye at past and current developments and an outlook of future perspectives.

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