Volume 15 Issue 3

Wood drying is an important process for adding value and manufacturing innovative products. Eucalyptus nitens wood is inherently difficult to dry because of its natural propensity for checking as well as collapse and shrinkage. Lumber recovery after industrial drying of eucalypts is also very low. This study measured the wood quality of E. nitens juvenile wood (13 mm thickness) after radio-frequency vacuum (RFV) drying and wood dried in a conventional kiln dryer (KD). Drying cycles were performed using a radio frequency vacuum dryer with a 3 m3 of capacity and convective kiln-dryer equipment with a 3.5 m3 of capacity. The results showed that the drying time using the radio frequency vacuum method was reduced by 47% when compared to conventional kiln drying. The shrinkage was significantly lower in the RFV than in the conventional KD. The volumetric collapse decreased by approximately 60% in the RFV drying. RFV drying of E. nitens juvenile wood improves the wood quality for solid wood products because the intensity of surface checking and collapse are reduced.

Lignin has been shown to be a recalcitrance factor in many biomass conversion studies. To better understand the effects of lignin on cellulose conversion, different lignin fractions were extracted from the same dilute acid pretreated corn stover by three sequential isolation methods, namely ethanol extraction, dioxane extraction, and enzyme purification. The physicochemical properties of each lignin fraction including molecular weight distribution, surface area, surface charge, and other structural features varied, depending on the isolation methods. All three lignin fractions had negative surface charges, and ethanol-extracted lignin carried the highest surface charges, followed by dioxane-extracted lignin and cellulase-purified residual lignin. These physicochemical properties of lignin fractions also resulted in different extent of inhibitory effects on enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Dioxane-extracted lignin exhibited the highest inhibitory effect on glucose release from MCC, followed by the cellulase-purified residual lignin fraction and ethanol-extracted lignin. Furthermore, lignin fractions with higher contents of syringyl (S) substructure and β-O-4 aryl ether interunit linkages showed a stronger negative effect on cellulase hydrolysis of MCC.

Inorganic salts were used for the pretreatment of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) to enhance the delignification and saccharification yield of OPEFB. The sequential pretreatment of OPEFB using sodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na3PO4.12H2O) and zinc chloride (ZnCl2) proved to be an effective approach. OPEFB was delignified by 58.8%, producing a maximum total reducing sugar (TRS) yield of 0.97 g/g under optimum pretreatment conditions of 15% Na3PO4.12H2O, 60 min (30 min/stage) pretreatment time, 10% solid to liquid ratio, and pretreatment temperature of 121 °C. In addition, structural and morphological analysis of the pretreated OPEFB using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X- ray diffraction (X-RD) revealed major structural changes, such as the generation of porous structure, which allows for better enzyme accessibility. Moreover, recycle experiments showed encouraging findings, as the spent pretreatment liquid with pH adjustment can be recycled efficiently for at least 5 times without a substantial decrease in its effectiveness.

The mechanical behavior of the biomass densification process has noticeable influences on energy consumption and pellet quality. In the authors’ previous work, a method was proposed to determine the inner pressure by testing the circumferential strain of the outer die wall. Based on this method, a device was developed with strain gauges in the form of a single pellet unit. With this device, experiments were conducted with wood shavings, rice straw, and wheat straw under different levels of particle size, compression rate, and moisture content. The effects of these factors on the inner pressure were analyzed. The relationships among the inner pressure, pellet density, and specific energy consumption were obtained. Results showed that the pressure ratio increased linearly and then decreased and became constant during the relaxation period. The pressure change during the relaxation period was isotropic. The results could provide mechanical explanations for the phenomena in biomass densification processes.

The use of ultrasonic tools during the reshaping of dry paper webs results in a temperature increase. This work aimed to determine the influence of the material and the ultrasonic process parameters of amplitude, ultrasonic duration, and static process pressure on the heating behavior of paperboard during ultrasonic-assisted reshaping. The results showed that the initial process pressure, the ultrasonic amplitude, and the compression resistance of the material noticeably influenced the heating rate. Materials with low compression resistance tended to reach higher initial heating rates during ultrasonic treatment. In addition, coating the paperboard led to an even temperature distribution in the paperboard during the ultrasonic process.

Red oak and white oak are common names of species that grow in the eastern United States with great economic importance. This study aimed to evaluate the visual, physical, and mechanical properties of small clear wood specimens of red oak (Quercus spp.) and white oak (Quercus spp.). The experiments were carried out on defect-free specimens extracted from boards supplied by the Stairbuilders Manufacturers Association (SMA) members. The material was obtained from sawmills located in the eastern half of the United States. A total of 181 boards (90 boards of red oak and 91 boards of white oak) were submitted for tests. Compression strength was found to be higher than the values published in past studies. Red oak exhibited higher MOE and MOR values compared to white oak. The mechanical properties for red oak and white oak have not changed substantially because the average values remain in a range that is very close to the values published in the past 100 years. Thus, the values from the Wood Handbook can still be used for engineering purposes.

Anaerobic digestion processes with biogas production are widely used for organic waste treatment with an emphasis on energy recovery. Some recent studies have demonstrated the influence of magnetism on microbiological activity. These indicate a possible influence on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion. Thus, technologies that act in anaerobic digestion enhancement can contribute to the improvement of treatment of organic compounds. The present study aimed to verify the influence of a constant electromagnetic field on the anaerobic digestion in anaerobic reactors fed with glucose (2 g/L) at 37 ± 2 °C. In each experiment, reactors were operated with a constant electromagnetic field of 5, 7.5, and 10 mT. The inoculum was granular sludge from an anaerobic treatment plant in a non-selective media culture. Biogas production, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and solids removal were measured during the experiment. Results showed differences in methane production of 21.5% and in COD removal of 15% in the tests with an electromagnetic field of 7.5 mT. These results signs for the viability of the application of a constant magnetic field as a biostimulation agent.

Solid state fermentation with different lignocellulolytic materials as inducers was used for lignocellulolytic enzyme production in this study. Pleurotus ostreatus strains were assessed by measuring laccase, CMCase, and xylanase activities. The secretion potential of the lignocellulolytic enzymes by wild and cultivated strains was analyzed for the first time. The wild and cultivated strain showed their unique capacities for secreting lignocellulolytic enzymes on solid-state fermentation with different lignocellulosic materials. The wild P. ostreatus strain preferred corncob for the secretion of laccase and xylanase activity, but the cultivated strain preferred poplar sawdust. The wild strain and cultivated strain showed a consistent preference for poplar sawdust for the secretion of CMCase activity. The wild strain was advantageous because it achieved the maximum hydrolytic enzyme activities within a short time period. Poplar sawdust and corncob were conducive to laccase secretion by the wild or cultivated strains and the rapid accumulation of laccase on solid-state fermentation. Additionally, continuous, stable laccase production was an extremely important advantage by solid-state fermentation of poplar sawdust, particularly in the wild strain. These findings are helpful in selecting the appropriate strain that corresponds to suitable lignocellulosic materials. The optimization of integrated industrial lignocellulolytic enzyme production can also be achieved.

Activated carbon (AC) and nanoscale zero–valent iron (nZVI) have been widely used in wastewater treatment, respectively, for the removal of organics. In this study, hemp fibers were applied to prepare AC by phosphoric acid activation at a carbonization temperature of 400°C. Then nZVI particles were immobilized onto the surface of hemp derived AC (HAC), and the composites (nZVI@HAC) were used as heterogeneous catalysts for Fenton–like treatment of pulping effluent. The as–prepared catalysts were characterized. The optimum conditions for Fenton–like reaction and the reusability of catalyst were investigated. Results showed that nZVI particles were well distributed on the surface of HAC without aggregation. Both HAC and nZVI@HAC have microporous structure. With the loading of nZVI, the catalysts were endowed with magnetism and more active sites. Under the optimal conditions (initial pH 3.0, H2O2 35 mmol/L, 2–nZVI@HAC 3.0 g/L), COD removal rate reached 87.74% of the highest. This work illustrated that the feasibility of HAC as a carrier of nZVI, and nZVI@HAC was an effective heterogeneous Fenton catalyst.

The influence of soda-anthraquinone (AQ) pulping conditions on paper properties of oil palm empty fruit bunches was studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design (CCD). The alkali charge, NaOH (A), pulping temperature (T), and pulping time (t) ranged between 20 and 30%, 160 and 180 °C, and 60 and 120 minutes, respectively. The mechanical properties evaluated for the handsheets produced were the tensile index, tearing index, bursting index, folding endurance, zero-span tensile strength, and the optical properties (brightness and opacity). The effects of soda-AQ pulping conditions on oil palm empty fruit bunch paper were elucidated by the regression models obtained. The optimum pulping condition were at 27.3% alkali charge, 160 °C, and 60 min that produced paper properties with 26.8 N.m/g tensile index, 7.95 mN.m2/g tearing index, 5.32 kPa.m2/g bursting index, 1.70 log10 folding endurance, 46.2 N zero-span tensile strength, 51.8% brightness, and 95.8% opacity.