Volume 10 Issue 3

As a potential source of liquid fuels, lignocellulosic material is an alternative to plant-derived starch and sugar, which are urgently needed to meet global demands for food. The utilization of wood as feedstock for bioconversion to biobutanol fuel not only could reduce production costs, but also could increase raw material supply. However, little is known about biobutanol fermentation based on lignocellulosic material from wood. In this paper, biobutanol fermentation from poplar wood hydrolysates by Clostridium saccharobutylicum was investigated under three different conditions. The desired biobutanol and ABE yields reached 6.98 and 9.64 g/L, respectively, and 69.8 g biobutanol and 96.4 g ABE per kg of poplar wood were achieved. Fermentation of hydrolysates with no additives and with extra mixed carbon sources to biobutanol was also studied. The predicted results were confirmed: in the former, the production of biobutanol and ABE were 4.88 and 6.63 g/L, respectively; in the latter, the biobutanol and ABE yields reached 7.28 and 10.18 g/L, respectively. The results indicated that poplar wood is a potential renewable raw material suitable for biobutanol production, and that Clostridium saccharobutylicum BAA-117 is a promising biobutanol producer for such conversion.

The objective of this study was to characterize the properties of pulp and paper produced from tea (Camellia sinensis) wastes, an agricultural residue widely available in Turkey, using the kraft-anthraquinone (AQ) cooking method. The chemical components and fiber morphology of tea wastes were investigated. The results indicated that tea wastes had low holocellulose, cellulose, and α-cellulose contents and high lignin content. Also, the suitability of the fiber for pulp and paper production was examined, and the fiber length, fiber width, lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness were measured. According to these values, it was found that the strength properties of papers obtained from tea wastes were insufficient. Therefore, tea waste pulps were mixed with Turkish pine pulps at various ratios. Twelve different cooking experiments were performed on the tea wastes, and the cooking with the best pulp yield was used for mixing. The second cooking, with 0.1% AQ, gave the best yield (33.26%), an increase of about 3.51% compared to the first cooking with no AQ. The physical and optical properties of the papers were also examined. Results showed that paper properties were improved by increasing the Turkish pine pulp rate. Consequently, tea wastes can be used in pulp and paper production when combined with softwood pulps.

In this study, the TiO2-impregnation of wood from acacia hybrid (Acacia mangium x auriculiformis) was achieved by combined pressure-impregnation and hydrothermal post-treatment. The ultraviolet (UV) resistance of the obtained TiO2-impregnated wood was examined by measuring the changes in color after 960 h of UV irradiation. Results showed that the color stability against UV irradiation of the TiO2-impregnated wood was significantly improved compared to that of the untreated acacia hybrid wood. Furthermore, the prepared wood samples were characterized using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. FE-SEM and EDX analyses showed that the TiO2 micro- and nanoparticles, with rod-like shapes, were located on the inner surfaces of the wood vessels. Additionally, the crystal structure of the TiO2, with an anatase phase, was demonstrated by XRD analysis. This study suggests that the presence of an anatase TiO2 can improve the UV resistance of fabricated wood samples.

The aim of this work was to study silane-modified wood flour/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends and the effect of blending on the properties of the wood flour/PLA composites. The surface of the wood flour used as filler was successfully modified by silane, as demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results. The influence of silane types and content on the morphology, mechanical properties, and water absorption were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated that the KH-550 silane was the most effective modifier for improving the compatibility, mechanical properties, and water absorption of the blend. The appropriate additive content was 1.5% (relative to wood flour content). As the KH-550 content increased, the mechanical strength and elongation at the break first increased and then slightly decreased. These properties reached a maximum at 1.5% KH-550. The water resistance of the blend also was improved at a KH-550 content of 1.5%.

The mass and heat transfer mechanisms during radio frequency/vacuum (RF/V) drying of square-edged timber were analyzed and discussed in detail. Based on the mass and heat transfer theory of porous materials, a one-dimensional mathematical model was developed from conservation equations. Compared with conventional models, it has the following advantages: (1) Each independent variable has a separate governing equation and is solved independently by converting the partial differential equation into a difference equation with the finite volume method; and (2) The calculated data from different parts of the wood specimen are displayed in the evolution curves because the specimen is divided into several units along fiber direction. Therefore, the change law of the parameters can be better described. The software Matlab, which has the advantages of fast calculation speed and high precision, was used for programming and calculations. In addition, the square-edged timber Sugi specimen was dried in a laboratory RF/V dryer, and the total average moisture content (MC) and local temperature were monitored as a function of time. By analyzing the calculated and experimental results, it can be concluded that most of the important phenomena observed during RF/V drying can be adequately described by this model.

The ability and specificity of various monocomponent endo-1-4-β-xylanases to release negatively charged species from never-dried, bleached, birch kraft pulp was studied. The effects of dissolution of these xylan-based components on pulp filtrate properties and the subsequent chemical retention were determined. The results revealed that the amount of charged species released depended on the xylanase and that the ratio of charged species released to dissolved xylan is not linear. Chemical retention tests showed that high levels of dissolved xylan interfere with the fixation of colloidal species, which was confirmed by removing the dissolved hemicelluloses. The roles of residual hemicellulose and the properties of modified fibers on chemical retention and the level of internal sizing are discussed.

Kenaf is an economically viable and ecologically friendly cellulose source. It can be used in the textile, paper, and bio-energy industries, but it has not been effectively developed and utilized because of degumming problems. To effectively take advantage of kenaf resources, to satisfy the growing demand for natural fiber, and to provide support for other fiber material degumming, steam explosion (STEX) pretreatment followed by alkali-oxygen treatment was studied. The effect of pressure on the properties of kenaf during the STEX treatment was studied, and the optimal degumming process for kenaf was selected. Results showed that STEX pretreatment removed pectin and part of the hemicellulose. Carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) could be degraded via high pressure treatment. The residual gum content and the fineness of the kenaf fiber after the alkali-oxygen treatment were good enough for textile production. High pressure was found not to be a key factor influencing the degumming process. Low pressure STEX (0.5 MPa) and alkali-oxygen treatment was judged to be an efficient method for degumming kenaf fibers.

An attempt was made to evaluate the non-linear, multi-variable dependency between the main (tangential) force, FC, and machining parameters and properties of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) during straight edge, peripheral milling. The tangential force, FC, was found to be influenced by the feed rate per tooth, fZ, cutting depth, cD, rake angle γF, Brinell hardness, H, bending strength, RB, and modulus of longitudinal elasticity, E. Several interactions between machining parameters and properties of wood were confirmed in the developed relationship FC = f(fZ, cD, γF, H, RB, E).

Heterogeneous Fe-Mn/sepiolite catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method, followed by heat treatment. The catalysts were characterized by several techniques; analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the existence of fine Fe and Mn particles in the catalysts. Compared to natural sepiolite, the specific surface area of the Fe-Mn/sepiolite catalyst was increased from 125.2 to 412.7 m2/g, as measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The activity of the catalysts was evaluated by the ozonation degradation of p-chlorophenol solution, and the results showed that the catalysts were highly effective, as the removal rate of p-chlorophenol was more than 98.5%, achieved in 25 min at a 20% (w/w) Mn content. The catalysts were then used for chlorophenol degradation in papermaking wastewater through a heterogeneous ozonation process. At optimal conditions, a 98% chlorophenol removal rate and a 58% COD removal efficiency were achieved in 30 min, and pollutants in the treated wastewater were more biodegradable and less toxic than in raw water. Moreover, the prepared catalysts remained stable during successive catalytic ozonation runs. The possible reaction pathway was also proposed.

Corn stover and peanut shells are both abundantly available biomass feedstocks in China. To determine the compression characteristics and energy requirement of briquettes, mixtures of the corn stover and peanut shells were compressed under three different pressures (30, 60, and 90 MPa) with three moisture contents (9%, 14%, and 19%, wet basis) and five corn stover-peanut shell mixtures (0%-100%, 25%-75%, 50%-50%, 75%-25%, and 100%-0%) by mass. The results showed that applied pressure, moisture content, and the corn stover-peanut shell mixture all significantly affected briquette density and specific energy consumption. The density of the briquette ranged from 646 to 1052 kg/m3 and the specific energy consumption varied from 6.6 to 25.1 MJ/t. A moisture content of 9% was found to be better for the compression of the corn stover and peanut shells mixture. Adding peanut shells to the corn stover improved briquette density and reduced the specific energy consumption. Linear models were developed to describe the briquette density and the specific energy consumption. The briquette durability ranged from 57% to 94% and durable briquettes can be obtained when corn stover and peanut shells are compressed with the mixing ratio of 1:1 (50%-50%) at moisture content of 9%.