Research Articles

This paper discusses moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) with initial crack formation by a three-point bending (SENB) method. The corrected indentation load-displacement curve (ISO 13586-2000) and the crack opening displacement in determining the crack tip extended displacement of the specimen (ASTM E399-09) were measured using a COD gauge. Then, the load-displacement curve and the value of PQ were found by the method of 95% stiffness correction. The results showed that the bamboo has good fracture toughness, and, in this experiment, the fracture results showed little difference; the result for fracture toughness can be up to 17.39 MPa •m^1/2. By observing the crack under the microscope and the failure mode, it was found that the crack propagation was not established in accordance with the crack opening direction; rather it extended along the fiber interface.

Nypa fruticans (NF) is a lignocellulosic material belonging to the family Palmae or Arecaceae. Effects of NF content and chemical modification using methyl methacrylate (MMA) on tensile, thermal, and morphological properties of biocomposites were investigated. The results showed that the addition of NF decreased the tensile strength, elongation at break, and crystallinity, but increased the Young’s modulus, of biocomposites. Moreover, the addition of NF increased the thermal stability. Meanwhile, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the biocomposites treated with MMA were higher than the untreated biocomposites. The treated biocomposites exhibited higher thermal degradation temperature and crystallinity compared to the untreated biocomposites. The morphology study of the tensile-fractured surfaces of biocomposites indicated that chemical modification with MMA enhanced the interfacial interaction between NF and the PLA/rLDPE matrix.

Fractionation of softwood and hardwood LignoBoost kraft lignins, using sequential extraction with organic solvents of increasing hydrogen-bonding ability (dichloromethane, n-propanol, and methanol), was carried out. Using SEC, analytical pyrolysis, FTIR and UV/VIS spectroscopy, and chemical analytical methods, four fractions were obtained and characterized in terms of their yield, composition, functionality, lignin structural features, and antioxidant properties. In tests with free radicals (ABTS ^. +, DPPH ^. , O2 ^. -) and the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay, the high radical scavenging capacity of the lignin’s soluble fractions was demonstrated. The antioxidant activity of the fractions was tested by their influence on thermo-oxidative destruction of model polyurethane elastomers. The TGA data clearly revealed the antioxidant effect of the three fractions, with the most prominent activity for the propanol-soluble fraction. The dichloromethane fraction has potential as an antioxidant for non-polar products. Novel correlations between lignin’s structural features and its radical scavenging activity were found that can be used for tuning lignin’s antioxidant properties.

This paper evaluates the optimal composition of annual and perennial biomass feedstocks for a biorefinery. A generic optimization model is built to minimize costs – harvest, transport, storage, seasonal, and environmental costs – subject to various constraints on land availability, feedstock availability, processing capacity, contract terms, and storage losses. The model results are demonstrated through a case study for a midwestern U.S. location, focusing on bioethanol as the likely product. The results suggest that high-yielding energy crops feature prominently (70 to 80%) in the feedstock mix in spite of the higher establishment costs. The cost of biomass ranges from 0.16 to 0.20 $ l-1 (US$ 0.60 to $0.75 per gallon) of biofuel. The harvest shed shows that high-yielding energy crops are preferably grown in fields closer to the biorefinery. Low-yielding agricultural residues primarily serve as a buffer crop to meet the shortfall in biomass requirement. For the case study parameters, the model results estimated a price premium for energy crops (2 to 4 $ t-1 within a 16 km (10-mile) radius) and agricultural residues (5 to 17 $ t-1 in a 16 to 20 km (10 to 20 mile) radius.

The effect of chip thickness, rake angle, and edge radius on cutting forces and chip morphology in wood plastic composites (WPCs) orthogonal cutting was investigated. Three types of WPCs, Wood flour/polyethylene composite (WFPEC), wood flour/polypropylene composite (WFPPC), and wood flour/polyvinyl chloride composite (WFPVCC), that were tested exhibited different behavior with respect to the machinability aspects. The cutting forces of WFPVCC were the highest, followed by WFPPC and WFPEC. The most significant factor on the parallel cutting force of these three types of WPCs was the chip thickness, which explained more than 90%, contribution of total variation, while rake angle, edge radius, and the interactions between these factors had small contributions. The most significant factor on the normal cutting force of WPCs was also the chip thickness, which accounted for more than 60% of the total variation. The chips produced included long continuous chips, short continuous chips, flake chips, and granule chips when cutting these three types of WPCs.

The strength of the adhesion between the paper and the drying Yankee cylinder is of great importance with respect to the final properties of a tissue paper product. Therefore, the effects of a few potentially important pulp properties have been evaluated in laboratory experiments. Four highly different kraft pulps were used, and the adhesion strength was measured by means of the force required when scraping off a paper from a metal surface with a specifically designed knife mounted on a moving cart. The adhesion strength was observed to increase with increasing grammage and increasing degree of beating of the pulp. It was also found that pulps containing more fines, or with higher hemicellulose content, gave rise to higher adhesion strength.

Fibrillation of chemical and mechanical pulps with different lignin contents was studied. The pulps were ion exchanged into their sodium form prior to fibrillation and fibrillated with an increasing level of energy using high-shear friction grinding. The fibrillated samples were characterized for their chemical composition, morphology, rheological properties, and water retention capacity. All pulps had a distinct tendency to form fibrillated material under high shear and compression. The lignin-containing kraft pulps fibrillated easily, and the resulting material can be utilized in applications where high viscosity, water retention capacity, and reinforcement are desired. Fibrillation of mechanical pulps resulted in more heterogeneous samples, which included fiber fragments, branched fibrillar structures, and flake-like particles. This material showed relatively low viscosity and water retention capacity when compared to the samples made from kraft pulps. Chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), when used as the raw material, yielded a more homogeneous organic filler-like material than did thermomechanical pulp (TMP).

The effects of the chemical modification of peanut shell powder (PSP) using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) were studied. Both modified and unmodified peanut shell powder were used to prepare recycled polypropylene (RPP) and PSP composites. The effects of various PSP loadings (0 to 40% by weight) on the processing, tensile properties, morphology, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, and water uptake properties were examined. Results showed that RPP composites with polyvinyl alcohol-modified PSP had higher values of tensile strength, elongation at break, and tensile modulus, but lower water resistance, than RPP composites with unmodified PSP. FTIR analysis revealed slight changes in band positions and intensities, indicating a distinct interaction between hydroxyl groups of the PSP composites and PVOH. RPP composites with PSP modified with PVOH had better interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the filler than RPP composites with unmodified PSP, as shown by scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs.

To demonstrate the feasibility of bioaugmentation in enhancement of the biodegradation of pulping effluent, aerobic sludge was intensified with superior mixed flora. The differences between intensified aerobic activated sludge and original sludge were compared. The results showed that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of pulping effluent treated with the intensified sludge dropped to a much lower level compared with the original sludge, which indicated that the biodegradability of sludge was enhanced by bioaugmentation. The growth kinetics of the sludges were established. The growth rate Vmax of the intensified sludge was elevated from 7.8×10^-3 to 7.1×10^-3, while the saturation constant Ks decreased from 0.33 to 0.21 after bioaugmentation. In addition, the degradation kinetics showed that the equation coefficient of sludge increased from 4.6×10^-3 to 6.4×10^-3, confirming the intensification of biodegradation as a result of bioaugmentation.

In this work, the thermomechanical pulp of Pinus massoniana was pretreated with a NaOH/thiourea/urea aqueous solution to promote fiber bonded area and to increase paper strength. The effects of pulp concentration, alkali dosage, dipping time, and freezing time were evaluated through single factor experiments. The optimum conditions were found to be 15% pulp consistency, 8% NaOH, a dipping time of 15 min, and a freezing time of 60 min. Under these conditions, the paper tensile and burst index of treated pulp increased nearly 100%, and the bulk also was reduced by 10%, but there were no significant effects on folding.