Research Articles

In the present study, coconut husk was employed as biomass feedstock for production of bioethanol, due to its abundance in Malaysia. Due to the complex structures of coconut husk, a pretreatment process is crucial in extracting fermentable sugars from the embedded cellulose matrix for subsequent ethanol fermentation process. The ground coconut husk was subjected to three different pretreatment processes inclusive of thermal, chemical, and microwave-assisted-alkaline techniques, prior to enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation process. The composition profile of coconut husk was significantly altered upon the microwave-assisted-alkaline treatment as compared to the untreated sample, with the cellulose content increasing from 18-21% to 38-39% while lignin content decreased from 46-53% to 31-33%. Among the pretreatment methods applied, enzymatic hydrolysis of coconut husk pretreated by microwave-assisted-alkaline method recorded the highest yield of fermentable sugars, 0.279 g sugar/g substrate. SEM imaging showed the obvious and significant disruption of coconut husks’ structure after microwave-assisted-alkaline pretreatment. In conclusion, by employing suitable pretreatment technique in treating the lignocellulosic materials of coconut husk, the extracted fermentable sugar is a potential substrate for bioethanol production.

Bamboo is a type of biomass materials that has great potential as a bio-energy resource in China. The thermal-mechanical behavior of bamboo plays an important role in the formation process of pellets. To investigate the effect of moisture content (MC) on thermal-mechanical behavior of bamboo, the storage modulus and loss factor of moso bamboo was determined using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) from -50 to 150 oC. The experimental results showed that the general feature of bamboo thermal-mechanical properties with temperature is similar to other cellulosic materials, and they are affected by MC. A substantial decrease of storage modulus over the entire temperature range implies that bamboo underwent a glass to rubber transition. Bamboo, at lower MC, has a higher storage modulus, which decreases the mechanical strength of pellets. The loss factor exhibited two major transitions for all samples. There was an α-transition (α1), attributed to glass transition of lignin, peaking in a higher temperature range. The second major relaxation (α2), located in a lower temperature range, was attributed to glass transition of hemicelluloses. Activating lignin and hemicelluloses using moisture and temperature in the temperature range of glass transition can be very helpful to achieve durable particle-particle bonding.

Two eucalyptus hybrids (EGC 39, EGC 241), resulting from crosses between Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus camaldulensis, were investigated to see if they could produce kraft papermaking fibers with low lignin and adequate physical properties. The two hybrids were harvested at an age of 8 years along with 6-8 year old Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Rostrata). All three eucalypti were grown in the area of Gharb in the North-West of Morocco. The tracheids in the two hybrids had a very high Runkel ratio (2 x cell wall thickness/lumen diameter) and produced kraft paper sheets with low tensile strength due to a low degree of fiber collapse thus a low relative bonded area. These fibers could be used to increase the stiffness of a papermaking furnish. The lignin in the EGC 39 chips was more reactive in kraft pulping as compared to the other two eucalypti. Methoxyl analyses and nitrobenzene oxidation (NBO) of the in-situ lignin (wood meals) were performed, and it was concluded that the syringyl content of the EGC 39 lignin was less than or equal to those in the other two eucalypti. Differences in the guaiacyl fraction of the three samples will be discussed in Part 2 of this series.

In Part 1 of this series it was observed that one of the eucalypti (EGC 39) was more reactive than the other two in kraft and soda-AQ (SAQ) cooking. However, the lignin in EGC 39 contained equal or less syringyl (S) units than the other two eucalypti. In the present research an attempt was made to compare the guaiacyl (G) fraction of the three lignins. The approach was to use SAQ treatment to cleave β-O-4 bonds in dimeric units containing uncondensed guaiacyl A-rings (those rearranging to quinone methides). The coniferyl alcohol, vinylguaiacol and isoeugenol generated from β-O-4 cleavage are then trapped as dimers by ethylguaiacol that is included in the SAQ liquor. Research with sugar maple (Acer saccharum) showed that the estimate of these structures (uncondensed G-β-O-4) by this approach was in close agreement with traditional but more tedious methods such as permanganate oxidation and 31P NMR. It was also shown that the lignin in the EGC 39 hybrid contained a higher concentration of uncondensed G-β-O-4 structures than the other two eucalypti lignins.

Lucerne (Medicago sativa) has many qualities associated with sustainable agriculture such as nitrogen fixation and high biomass yield. Therefore, there is interest in whether lucerne is a suitable biomass substrate for bioethanol production, and if hydrothermal pretreatment (HTT) of lucerne improves enzymatic convertibility, providing sufficient enzymatic conversion of carbohydrate to simple sugars for ethanol production. The HTT process was optimised for lucerne hay, and the pretreated biomass was assessed by carbohydrate analysis, inhibitor characterisation of liquid phases, and by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the whole slurry with Cellubrix enzymes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The optimal HTT conditions were 205°C for 5 minutes, resulting in pentose recovery of 81%, and an enzymatic convertibility of glucan to monomeric glucose of 74%, facilitating a conversion of 6.2% w/w of untreated material into bioethanol in SSF, which is equivalent to 1,100 litre ethanol per hectare per year.

The utilization of biodegradable polymers for various applications has been restricted mainly by its high cost. This report aims to study the water absorption and mechanical properties of kenaf dust-filled polycaprolactone/thermoplastic sago starch biodegradable composites as a function of filler loading and treatment with maleic anhydride. While water absorption in untreated biocomposites increased as a function of filler loading, treated biocomposites resulted in weight loss, whereby low molecular weight substances were dissolved into the aging medium. The kenaf dust imparts reinforcing effects on the biocomposites, resulting in improved mechanical properties. This is further attested by morphological studies in which kenaf dust was well dispersed in the polycaprolactone/ thermoplastic sago starch blend matrix. The addition of maleic anhydride into the polycaprolactone/thermoplastic sago starch blend resulted in a homogeneous mixture. At low filler loading, strain at break of the maleated polycaprolactone/thermoplastic sago starch blend increased at the expense of tensile strength and modulus. This is most likely due to the excessive dicumyl peroxide content, which caused chain scission of the polycaprolactone backbone. Tensile strength and modulus improved only when high filler loading was employed.

Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) panels made from poplar (Populus ussuriensis Kom.) and birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) veneers were tested for mechanical properties. The effects of the on the (MOE) and modulus of rupture () of the LVL with vertical load testing were investigated. Three analytical methods were used: composite material mechanics, computer simulation, and static testing. The reliability of the different LVL assembly patterns was assessed using the method of Monte-Carlo. The results showed that the theoretical and ANSYS analysis results of the LVL MOE and MOR were very close to those of the static test results, and the largest proportional error was not greater than 5%. The veneer amount was the same, but the strength and reliability of the LVL made of birch veneers on the top and bottom was much more than the LVL made of poplar veneers. Good assembly patterns can improve the utility value of wood.

TEMPO-mediated oxidation has been reported to effectively convert C6 primary hydroxyl groups to carboxyl groups for better water-solubility. However, the pH decreases continuously during the oxidation process, and it is therefore difficult to maintain the stability of the reaction. The control of pH at a constant level throughout the oxidation process is a complicated task. The applicability of a carbonate buffer system and a borax buffer system with various continuous addition rate of sodium hypochlorite solution was considered. Carbonate buffer solution and borax buffer solution can efficiently buffer the pH. The results of carboxyl content and DP of celluloses proved that the activities of sodium hypochlorite solution can be maintained when sodium hypochlorite is added with controlled flow rates without adjusting pH by hydrochloric acid. Buffer solutions created a milder reaction environment in which the damage of celluloses would be buffered. The conclusion was consistent with DP tests of celluloses. Compared with carbonate buffer, the borax buffer with high ability of penetration could enhance the depth and width of oxidation, which was demonstrated by the results of X-ray diffraction patterns and carboxyl content of celluloses.

Kenaf-derived cellulose (KDC)-filled poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were prepared via melt blending and compression molding to improve the properties of PLA by introducing a natural cellulose that was chemically derived (chlorination and mercerization processes) from plant-based kenaf bast fibers. The effect of KDC content (0-60 wt.%) on the tensile elongation at the break point and during flexural and impact testing and on the water absorption and density of the composites was investigated, while the neat PLA polymer (without the addition of cellulose) served as a reference for the composites. The elongation at the break point of the composites was 9% on average, making it less elastic than the neat PLA. The flexural strength and modulus also increased by 36% and 54%, respectively. The impact strength of the composites was improved at KDC contents below 40 wt.%, but the impact strength was reduced above 40 wt.%. The composite containing the highest amount of KDC (60 wt.%) was denser than the neat PLA and had a water uptake of approximately 12%, which is notably low for a biocomposite system.

Biosorption of dyes by lignocelluloses may be an effective method for removing dyes from textile effluents. However, the resulting dye-adsorbed lignocellulosic materials may constitute another pollution problem. An integrated method can solve this problem. Here, various lignocelluloses were tested for their Astrazon Black and Astrazon Blue dyes removal activities. The dye adsorbed after 30 min contact time was 90% (45 mg/L), 70% (35 mg/L), and 98% (49 mg/L) for wheat bran, pine cone, and cotton stalk, respectively. These dye-adsorbed lignocellulosic wastes then were used as solid substrates to produce laccase enzyme with Funalia trogii and Trametes versicolor under solid state fermentation (SSF). Among the lignocellulosic substrates, the dye-adsorbed wheat bran served as the best solid substrate for laccase production under SSF. Therefore, it was also tested as a solid source for laccase production under submerged fermentation. During solid state fermentation, these two fungi were able to highly decolorize these dyes. While F. trogii decolorized 80% of Astrazon Black dye adsorbed onto wheat bran, T. versicolor decolorized 86%. On the other hand, the decolorization values for Astrazon Blue dye were 69% and 84%, respectively.