Research Articles

Hemicellulose is an abundant and underutilized carbohydrate polymer in plants. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of delignification on hemicellulose extraction efficiency with different types of lignocellulosic biomass. In the case of pine, with a prior sodium chlorite or peracetic acid delignification, more than 50% of the original hemicellulose in the biomass could be extracted using a 10% sodium hydroxide solution; without delignification, only 3.4% of hemicellulose could be extracted from pine. In contrast, without prior delignification, acceptable hemicellulose extraction efficiencies (55.5% and 50.7%, respectively) were achieved from switchgrass and poplar. In addition, the effect of hemicellulose extraction processes on the enzymatic convertibility of the cellulose-rich residues after extraction was determined. The cellulose-rich residues from switchgrass after hemicellulose alkali extraction showed high glucose recovery with enzyme hydrolysis with or without prior delignification. For pine and poplar, high glucose recovery with enzyme hydrolysis of the cellulose-rich residues only occurred if the sample had a delignification step prior to hemicellulose extraction. This information on commercially available biomass feedstocks is useful for those considering isolating hemicellulose within a biorefinery concept.

The genera Eucalyptus and Corymbia are widely used in Brazil. Although they present remarkable applicability, they manifest substantial end-splitting and surface checks, which allows wood decay organisms to penetrate the wood. Thereby, the resistance of Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla (EU) and Corymbia citriodora (CT) treated with chromated copper arsenate type-C (CCA-C) against fungi decay was evaluated. Seventy-two fence posts were assessed; for each species, there were 18 posts treated with CCA-C and 18 non-treated posts. The posts were 2.20 m long and classified into three classes of diameter. The 2% active ingredient was used with a vacuum-pressure cycle. On each fence, disks measuring 2.0 cm thick were cut at the outcrop zone. Two sets of depths were analyzed: the edge at 0 cm to 1.5 cm as well as the inner part at 1.5 cm to 3.0 cm. The samples were subjected to Postia placenta, Gloeophyllum trabeum, and Trametes versicolor attack. The treatment was effective against all fungi, but for CT, the diameter range of 8 cm to 12 cm was optimal. The treated wood from EU samples reached the lowest weight loss for all fungi. Heartwood-sapwood ratio played a major role. By comparing the non-treated woods, EU yielded the highest mass loss.

This paper presents a kinetic study of fuel grade ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation from Fe(II)-catalyzed cornstalks. The study observed the optimal conditions of ethanol production as: inoculation proportion (ratio of Pachysolen tannophilus to Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 2:1, fermentation temperature 32 °C, inoculation quantity 20%, addition amount of Fe²⁺ 4 mg/g (substrate), and cellulase dosage 30 U/g (substrate). An ethanol yield of 0.335 mg/g was obtained from cornstalks pretreated using liquefaction under optimum conditions. A 30.4% increase in the yield was observed when compared with the control group without the addition of Fe²⁺. The relationship between ethanol yield and fermentation time could be described through a Langmuir isotherm model. The findings of this study will help researchers better understand and describe the complex characteristics of ethanol production from cornstalks with Fe²⁺ promoter, which will be very useful in improving production yields.

The purpose of the study was to develop a less hydrophilic, and therefore more useful, material from orange waste produced in large quantities by the food industry. A new derivative of industrial orange waste was synthesized via esterification with maleic anhydride. The reaction was confirmed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the degree of substitution of the hydroxyl groups was 0.39 ± 0.01, as determined by a back-titration method. A major change in physical structure was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The flake-like structure of orange waste changed to a sponge-like structure after the reaction, which involved an increased volume and a reduced density by approximately 40%. The sponge-like structure was represented as an agglomeration of particles with a low specific surface area of 2.18 m²/g and a mean pore diameter of 10.7 nm. Interestingly, the grafted orange waste seemed to become more hydrophobic, which was confirmed by a contact angle test; however, the material absorbed more water vapor. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed a thermally more uniform, though, less heat-resistant material. This work suggests a possible way of utilizing orange waste via synthesizing a renewable material with possible applications as a filler in biocomposites.

Rapid co-composting of lignocellulosic oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a cost-effective and sustainable way to eliminate biomass residues. In this study, suitable pre-treatments and co-substrates for an accelerated composting treatment process were investigated. A steam pre-treatment was performed prior to composting. The composting mixtures were placed in plastic drums under a roofed area. They were regularly turned for aeration and measured for temperature, oxygen, moisture content, bulk density, carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, and fiber tensile strength. C/N ratio is the main parameter measured as a maturity indicator for the compost. The compost temperature was above 60 °C during the thermophilic phase after the steam pre-treatment, based on the heat produced by the microbes. Steam-treated OPEFB and untreated OPEFB co-composted with chicken manure achieved the same maximum temperature of 62 °C and C/N ratios of 8.76 and 9.58, respectively. Steam pretreatment did not have significant effect when the treated OPEFB was co-composted with POME anaerobic sludge due to insufficient steam pressure at 40 psi and 140 °C. Steam-treated OPEFB and untreated OPEFB co-composted with POME anaerobic sludge achieved 54 °C and 60 °C, respectively, while the C/N ratios were 12.41 and 10.14, respectively.

The aim of this study was to convert the spent liquors obtained from acidic sulfite and neutral sulfite semi-chemical (NSSC) pulping processes into protein-rich fungal biomass. Three filamentous fungi, Aspergillus oryzae, Mucor indicus, and Rhizopus oryzae, were cultivated on the diluted spent liquors in an airlift bioreactor with airflow of 0.85 vvm at 35 °C and pH 5.5. Maximum values of 10.17 g, 6.14 g, and 5.47 g of biomass per liter of spent liquor were achieved in the cultivation of A. oryzae, M. indicus, and R. oryzae on the spent sulfite liquor (SSL) diluted to 60%, respectively, while A. oryzae cultivation on the spent NSSC liquor (SNL) diluted to 50% resulted in the production of 3.27 g biomass per liter SNL. The fungal biomasses contained 407 g to 477 g of protein, 31 g to 114 g of fat, 56 g to 89 g of ash, and 297 g to 384 g of alkali-insoluble material (AIM) per kg of dry biomass. The amino acids, fatty acids, and mineral elements composition of the fungal biomasses corresponded to the composition of commercial protein sources especially soybean meal. Among the fungi examined, A. oryzae showed better performance to produce protein-rich fungal biomass during cultivation in the spent liquors.

A method for producing lignocellulosic fibrillar fines directly from moist wood through a grinding process was evaluated. The method is based on a conventional stone wood grinding process with a novel grinding stone surface structure. The grinding stone (wheel) with a surface profile serrated in the axial direction of the wheel, forces fibres to break down into fibrils instead of detaching as fibres from the wood matrix. The arrangement mimics the inclined feeding of a log against a grinding stone and is completed without any related technical difficulties. Typically over a 90% conversion rate to fines (passing the Standard Mesh 200 wire) were achieved. The characteristics of the fines were influenced by the details of the surface structures, the velocity of the grinding stones, the feeding rate of the woods, and the specific energy consumption. This method enables novel means to adjusting the structure and properties of paper and paperboard products, as well as those of novel fibre and fibre-composite products.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a unique category of green solvents that have gained attention in biomass processing due to their distinctive properties not offered by traditional solvents. The pH behavior of 17 selected DESs along with their temperature dependence on pH were evaluated in this study. For all investigated DESs, a temperature increase caused a decrease in pH value.

The search for microbial enzymatic activities applied to wastewater treatment is an important task in environmental biotechnology. Microbial enzymes have been previously explored in hostile habitats. They are increasingly important in extreme habitats; biological wastewater from the pulp and paper mill industry can harbor microorganisms with valuable enzymatic capabilities that can improve the efficiency for the same process of depuration. This study was performed to characterize and evaluate cellulolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic activities of bacteria isolated from a pulp and paper effluent. The enzymatic activities were evaluated by the formation of a clear halo around the colonies in defined substrate media. By the use of a sequence analysis of 16S rDNA libraries, isolates were identified. The 16S rDNA libraries belong to the Bacillus subtilis, B. megaterium, B. licheniformis, B. pumilus, B. thuringiensis, B. cereus, Chryseobacterium daecheongense, and Microbacterium sediminis (an alkali-tolerant bacteria which has only been isolated from deep-sea sediment). B. cereus was the best strain for cellulose and lipase activities; moreover, C. daecheongense was best for amylase activity. The present study shows that the aerated lagoons from the pulp and paper industry are a promising source of bacterial with different enzyme activities. This data is relevant for industrial applications.

Effects of the plasma treatment were evaluated for particles from winter wheat stalks relative to the properties of particleboards manufactured from such treated particles. Using urea-formaldehyde adhesive, boards with a nominal density of 540 kg/m3 and a thickness of 6 mm were manufactured. Two degrees of plasma treatment were selected: cold plasma applied at atmospheric pressure by jet system, with a generator output voltage of 26.9 V and a current of 6.9 A; and in the second treatment, a maximum voltage of 28.6 V was used with a current of 8.7 A. The physical properties (equilibrium moisture content and thickness swelling depending on relative humidity) and mechanical properties (bending strength and tensile strength perpendicular to the plane of the board) were determined. The results showed that the plasma pre-treatment of particles had a statistically significant effect on the resulting composite properties. The mechanical properties of the boards increased with both plasma treatments, but the physical properties changed negatively. Boards manufactured from particles treated with a higher degree of plasma treatment resulted in significantly higher equilibrium moisture contents and thickness swelling than the reference boards.