Volume 11 Issue 2

The global production and use of wood fuel pellets has increased significantly in recent years. The raw material and the energy required to dry it are the main production costs. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize energy consumption, production costs, and the environmental impact associated with wood pellets. However, these changes should not negatively affect the quality of the pellets. One way to achieve these goals is to use additives. This work investigates how different types of sugar additives affect both the energy needed by the pellet press and the durability and oxidation of the produced pellets. When sugar was used as an additive, the energy use was practically unaffected. When molasses and SSL were added, a small decrease in energy use was observed (6 to 8%) for admixtures up to 1 wt.%; however, when more molasses was added, the energy use increased. Using these additives increased the bulk density (7 to 15 %) and durability (10 to 20 %) of the pellets. The storage of the pellets also caused a small increase in durability (1 to 3 %). Volatile organic compounds were produced as oxidation peaks within the first two months of storage; thereafter, the peaks tapered off.

To prepare activated carbons with a high porosity and low ash content from pyrolyzed rice husk, the method of KOH or K2CO3 solution leaching after CO2 activation was investigated. The effects of KOH or K2CO3 concentration and leaching time on the yield, ash content, and textural properties of the activated carbon were studied, and the activated carbon prepared under the best conditions was characterized. The results showed that the best leaching time was 1 h for KOH and K2CO3, and the best concentrations were 1.0 and 4.0 M, respectively. The leaching process was greatly beneficial to the development of the pore structure. The specific surface area of the activated carbon prepared under the most favorable conditions was approximately 1100 m2/g, and the iodine values were greater than 1100 mg/g. As a result of the leaching process, the ash content of the sample was notably decreased from 63% to approximately 5%, andthe porosity development was attributed to the reaction of the leaching reagents with silica.

This study focuses on the extraction of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from the dried stalk of Corchorus olitorius,commonly known as jute,using a combination of a microwave-assisted alkaline peroxide pulping process (AHP) and ultrasonication. Dried jute stalk powder was pretreated using sodium hydroxide under microwave irradiation for the removal of lignin. The partially delignified sample was bleached using 30% hydrogen peroxide solution. The resulting crude cellulose was hydrolyzed using ultrasonication in the presence of ionic liquid and sulfuric acid. The effect of hydrolyzing medium on the physicochemical characteristics of the extracted nanocellulose was investigated. The nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) obtained after combined treatments was rod-like, with diameters of 10 to 15 nm and lengths of 92 to 105 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) showed that some breakages of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and glycosidic bonds occurred during the hydrolysis reaction of pretreated biomass. Ultrasonication in the presence of an acid hydrolyzing medium most effectively accelerated these breakages in the long chain cellulose biopolymer, leading to the formation of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) with higher crystallinity.

Corn stalk, an agricultural waste, was valorized by the production of cellulose nanofibers (CNF), which were tested for improving recycled paper properties. CNF from eucalyptus kraft pulp (E-CNF) was used as a reference. Addition of 0.5% wt. CNF produced from corn organosolv pulp (C-CNF) to recycled paper increased the tensile index by 20%, whereas the same improvement with E-CNF was achieved at 1.5% wt. Tensile index was further enhanced by increasing the E-CNF, whereas C-CNF achieved its maximum effect at this dose. Different recycled furnish compositions were studied to evaluate C-CNF as a product additive. C-CNF improved tensile strength in all the different recycled furnishes studied. The tensile index improvement caused by C-CNF did not depend on the proportions of old newspaper and old magazine paper used. Addition of C-CNF to recycled corrugated board fluting increased the tensile strength, but to a slightly lower extent than in the case of recycled newsprint paper.

Biomorphic charcoal/TiO2 composites (C/TiO2) were produced from poplar templates. The poplar templates were impregnated with butyl titanate sol with a vacuum/positive pressure technology. From the anatomic structure of poplar and fluid thermodynamics, the alternative vacuum/positive pressure technology was an efficient method of infiltrating bio-templates with sol and overcoming the embolization effect of the sol in capillaries. After sol infiltration, the maximum density of the poplar was approximately 0.958 ± 0.005 g/cm3. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric data (TG-DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was found that the pore sizes in the cell walls of C/TiO2 were, respectively, 30 to 150, 3 to 15, and 1.5 μm, and a surprising mesoporous-like honeycomb structure formed at approximately 800 °C in a N2 atmosphere. The phase structure of C/TiO2 shifted from anatase to rutile between 700 and 900 °C in N2. Furthermore, the temperature of the maximum combustion rates of C/TiO2 sintered at 800 °C in N2 was approximately 610 °C. The average shrinkage values from the native poplar to C/TiO2 along the radial, tangential, and axial directions were 28.53%, 21.80%, and 17.03%, respectively.

This study investigated alterations in the lignin of pinewood (Pinus sylvestris L.) during heat sterilization. The Klason lignin content was determined, and the dioxane lignin was isolated. Changes in the dioxane lignin were evaluated by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) as well as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The analyses illustrated an increase in the percentage of extractives and the amount of dioxane lignin yields, while a decrease in the acid-insoluble lignin content was also observed. Changes in the macromolecular characteristics of the dioxane lignin (molecular weight and polydispersity) were not significant (p < 0.05); however, they indicated that simultaneous degradation and condensation reactions had occurred. The FTIR spectra of the dioxane lignins showed an increase at 3420 cm-1 (O-H stretching vibration), indicating the cleavage of ether bonds. The band at 1715 cm-1 (unconjugated C=O stretching) increased after an initial decrease due to the cleavage of the β-alkyl-aryl ether bonds. Also, the band at 1660 cm-1 (conjugated C=O groups) increased, which was caused by the cleavage of the α-alkyl-aryl ether bonds.

Microcelluloses (MCs) were chemically isolated from two different biomass sources, empty fruit bunches (EFB) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The resulting MCs were compared to the commercially available cellulose (MC-Sigma) that was used as a standard. Structural, crystalline, morphological, and thermal properties of all specimens were characterized and compared by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). FTIR analysis verified that the chemical treatments removed non-cellulosic constituents including hemicelluloses and lignin. XRD patterns revealed the crystallinity increment from 43.1% to 52.1% for MC-EFB and 38.9% to 52.4% for MC-SCB. SEM images demonstrated the fibrillar structure of both MC-EFB and MC-SCB, and their surfaces were smoother compared with MC-Sigma. From the TG curves, MC-EFB provided the highest thermal stability, as it had the highest maximum degradation temperature at 345 °C. DSC results showed only one endothermic peak for all specimens. Taken together, these results reasonably confirmed that the MCs from EFB and SCB are comparable to standard MC-Sigma.

To obtain a high transmittance blend within ultraviolet and visible regions, various transparent samples of ascending percentages of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) were prepared by melt blending using a twin screw extruder. These blends were characterised by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and the curves illustrated that the blending ratio of 10% CAP in PMMA meets the required purpose. The morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties for pure PMMA and the PMMA/CAP 10% blend were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the PMMA/CAP 10% blend has an amorphous structure and low stiffness than pure PMMA. The miscible PMMA/CAP 10% blend exhibited mechanical stability below the glass transition temperature (Tg), with a slight increase in Tg value relative to that of pure PMMA. The study also demonstrated that the intermolecular interaction between blend elements has an effective influence on the physical properties of the blend.

This paper presents results on the thixotropic behaviour of hardwood and softwood pulp fibre suspensions. Three rheological tests including hysteresis-loops, creep tests, and step-wise experiments were used to investigate the thixotropic rheology. Both suspensions exhibited a plateau in their flow curves where a slight change of the applied shear stress led to a dramatic change in the corresponding shear rates. During creep experiments under controlled stress, they evolved either towards a rapid shear (liquid regime) or stoppage (solid regime), depending on the relative values of the imposed stress, leading to a viscosity bifurcation around a critical stress. The transient response of pulp to step changes in shear rate was marked by a characteristic time, which can be used to understand the rate of structural change for pulp suspensions. Moreover, the yielding and thixotropic behaviour of the pulp suspensions were highly dependent on shear history and the time of rest prior to the measurement.

Technical lignin, which can be potentially obtained in large amounts as a by-product from kraft pulping, represents a potential resource for manufacturing fuels and chemicals. Upgrading of lignin, by lowering its molecular weight, is a valuable alternative to precipitation from black liquor, which occurs in the Lignoboost process. The solubility properties of Lignoboost lignin and filtered lignin in a number of technically feasible solvents were compared, and it was found that both lignins were dissolved in similar solvents. With the exception of furfural, the best lignin solvents generally were organic solvents miscible with water, such as methanol. It was possible to dissolve more filtered lignin in higher concentrations than Lignoboost lignin; additionally, the viscosities of the filtered lignin solutions were also considerably lower than those of Lignoboost lignin, especially at higher concentrations. Methods for non-organic component removal from filtrated lignin were tested, and it was concluded that several cold acidic treatments after dewatering can lower the ash content to values below 0.5% by weight.