Search

Organosolv delignification assisted by high–pressure carbon dioxide (HP–CO 2 ), a low cost, non–corrosive and recoverable compound was evaluated as a potential green pretreatment technology for lignin extraction from liquid hot water (LHW) pretreated sugarcane bagasse to produce fermentable sugars in a lignocellulosic biorefinery concept. In this study, LHW pretreated bagasse (180 °C for 20 min with a liquid–to–solid ratio ( LSR ) of 9 (v/w)) was delignified with an ethanol–water mixture (1:1, v/v) and HP–CO 2 as a co–solvent at milder temperatures (111.7–168.3 °C) and times (23.8–66.2 min) at a LSR of 5 (v/w). To evaluate the effects of varying operational conditions on the lignin content and delignification extent, while preserving the glucan fraction, a 2 2 central composite design was used as a factorial planning. Solid fractions with low lignin contents (7.35% and 10.78%) and high delignification extents (82.5% and 72.2%) with good glucan preservations (84.6% and 85.3%) were obtained at 140 °C for 45 min and 111.7 °C for 45 min, respectively. These solid fractions were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, yielding enzymatic conversions of 60.8% and 63.7%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, four different adsorbent materials: commercial powdered activated carbon (PAC) from pine tree (PAC-I) and coconut shell (PAC-III) agricultural crop wastes, coal (PAC-II), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were tested and compared for the removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from spiked aqueous solutions. The kinetic, extrathermodynamic, and thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption of SMX on PACs and CNT were also determined. The results indicate that PAC-I was the best adsorbent for SMX adsorption. SMX adsorption was only favorable with PAC-I and CNT, leading to Gibbs free energies in the range of −39 to −44 kJ mol −1 and showing that the adsorption process was spontaneous in all temperature ranges (15–45 °C) tested. Langmuir model best described SMX adsorption on PAC-I and led to maximum adsorption capacity of ∼131 mg g −1 (at 25 °C), which was ∼4.6 times higher than that observed for CNT. The mechanism of SMX adsorption on PAC-I and CNT was suggested with basis on thermodynamic and extrathermodynamic parameters. The kinetic studies showed the pseudo-second-order model best described SMX adsorption, yielding k 2 values of 0.0035 and 0.0016 g mg −1 min −1 for PAC-I and CNT, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] LHW-HP-CO2 evaluated as a potential green technology for hemicelluloses extraction. [•] At 100°C for 30min and 115°C for 60min xylan equivalent ranged 10–12g/L. [•] At 115°C for 60min, the cellulose preservation achieved 97.2%. [•] Enzymatic hydrolysis yielded 30.43g/L glucose and 41.17% cellulose conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sugarcane bagasse cellulose was subjected to the extremely low acid (ELA) hydrolysis in 0.07% H2SO4 at 190, 210 and 225°C for various times. The cellulose residues from this process were characterized by TGA, XRD, GPC, FTIR and SEM. A kinetic study of thermal decomposition of the residues was also carried out, using the ASTM and Kissinger methods. The thermal studies revealed that residues of cellulose hydrolyzed at 190, 210 and 225°C for 80, 40 and 8min have initial decomposition temperature and activation energy for the main decomposition step similar to those of Avicel PH-101. XRD studies confirmed this finding by showing that these cellulose residues are similar to Avicel in crystallinity index and crystallite size in relation to the 110 and 200 planes. FTIR spectra revealed no significant changes in the cellulose chemical structure and analysis of SEM micrographs demonstrated that the particle size of the cellulose residues hydrolyzed at 190 and 210°C were similar to that of Avicel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study described the anaerobic degradation of the azo dye Remazol Golden Yellow RNL (RGY-RNL) using cellulose-immobilized riboflavin (MC 3) as the redox mediator. This new solid support containing immobilized riboflavin was synthesized from succinylated mercerized cellulose, and was characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, and solid-state 13 C NMR. MC 3 was resistant to pH 2–9, and anaerobic degradation of RGY-RNL using MC 3 in the presence of anaerobic sludge yielded a zero order degradation rate constant ( k 0,obs ) equal to 0.189 mg/L h, which was 56% better than experiments carried out without a redox mediator. Color removal efficiency after 48 h of degradation averaged 89.4% in experiments with MC 3 and 72% without the addition of a redox mediator. These results showed that MC 3 can be used to immobilize redox mediators, allowing reduction of wastewater treatment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Novel application for adsorbents after treating solutions containing metal ions. [•] New biobased heterogeneous catalysts were prepared for monoterpenes oxidation. [•] Production of high economic value oxygenated derivatives from monoterpenes. [•] Conversions among 49 and 78% and combined selectivity up to 59% were obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present study, the ozonation of sugarcane bagasse (SB) at different operational conditions (pH, time, liquid-to-solid ratio ( LSR )) was evaluated with the aim of generating a soluble liquid fraction (SLF) suitable for biogas production (CH 4 and H 2 ) via anaerobic digestion and a solid fraction prone to enzymatic hydrolysis and 2G ethanol production. The SLFs obtained were characterized for sugars, total organic carbon (TOC), soluble lignin, furans and other components identified by GC/MS. The results showed that it was possible to solubilize 45.2% of lignin, 48.3% of hemicelluloses and 40.7% of cellulose with the use of ozone (8 mg min −1 ) at pH 11 for 15 min, employing a LSR of 13.3 mL g −1 . The best results of biochemical methane potential (BMP) and biochemical hydrogen potential (BHP) were 2.6 Nm 3 of CH 4 and 0.18 Nm 3 of H 2 per kg of TOC, respectively. An energy balance for the best pretreatment conditions indicates that the combustion of such biogas led to an energy surplus of 0.1 MJ kg −1 SB for methane and to an energy deficit of 0.191 MJ kg −1 SB for hydrogen. Potentially inhibitory compounds for anaerobic digestion such as oxalic acid, butanal, xylitol, furanone, benzaldehyde, d -erythrotetrofuranose, d -erythro-pentofuranose and 2,5-furandione were identified in the hydrolysates, which negatively affected the anaerobic digestion and the energy balance. Nevertheless, the energy generated from the hydrolysates (as biogas) and from the ozonized solid fraction (as 2G ethanol) offsets the ozonation energy input and led to positive energy balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the synergistic efficiency of crude enzymatic extracts (CEE) produced by fungal strains Aspergillus fumigatus SCBM6 (AFE) and Aspergillus niger SCBM1 (ANE) in the hydrolysis of alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse (2% NaOH (w v −1 ), ∼100 °C, 4 h and liquid-to-solid ratio of 25 (v w −1 )). CEEs were produced by solid-state fermentation (SSF) and presented high concentration of β-glucosidase (AFE = 78.4 U g −1 and ANE = 43.02 U g −1 ), β-xylosidase (ANE = 78.0 U g −1 ) and xylanase (AFE = 1774.5 U g −1 and ANE = 3289.6 U g −1 ). A 2 4 full design of experiments was used to optimize the hydrolysis of pretreated bagasse as a function of time, temperature, amount of pretreated bagasse and AFE-to-ANE ratio. After hydrolysis optimization, the maximum concentration of total reducing sugars (TRS) was 21.68 g L −1 . It was also noticed a significant production of xylose (135.59 mg) and arabinose (58.10 mg) per gram of hemicelluloses and a slight production of glucose (20.18 mg) per gram of cellulose. As fungi consortium were excellent producers of hemicellulases, it is suggested that they could be used for pentoses saccharification and production of ethanol via C-5 fermentation, xylitol, biopolymers, among other bioproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol production from lignocellulose biomass offers a solution to current environmental challenges caused by fossil fuel energy resources, while satisfying the biorefinery concept. In this study, two-stage fractionation (autohydrolysis (AH) followed by glycerol organosolv delignification (GOD)) of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was studied as a function of temperature, time, glycerol content and liquid-to-solid ( LSR ) ratio using experimental designs. The effect of three different AH pretreatment severities on delignification extents ( DE ) of the solid fractions were also evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the changes in the surface of SCB pretreated by AH. Energy balances of four fractionation conditions were estimated, and the use of pure and crude glycerol in GOD was evaluated based on DE and lignin contents. A DE of ∼64% was obtained at 210.3 °C, 40 min, LSR of 6.5 (v/w) and 80% (v/v) pure glycerol for GOD of SCB pretreated by AH at 175.8 °C, 49 min and LSR of 5.3 (v/w), which resulted in an energetic profitability ( EP ) of 141.48 MJ/kg SCB . The use of crude glycerol at 80% (v/v) under the same process conditions optimized for pure glycerol also proved to be feasible ( DE of ∼64% and EP of 142.67 MJ/kg SCB ), widening the possibilities for its direct use in GOD of SCB pretreated by AH in a 2G bioethanol integrated plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the use of succinylated twice-mercerized sugarcane bagasse containing adsorbed Cu 2+ or Ni 2+ ions from spiked aqueous solutions (2MSBA-Cu and 2MSBA-Ni) as heterogeneous catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of n -hexane and n -heptane in gas phase. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which a spent adsorbent material based on lignocellulose biomass is used in the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds. The adsorbent and spent adsorbent materials were characterized by FTIR, TGA and XRD. The amount of Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ adsorbed on 2MSBA was 0.49 and 2.49 mmol g −1 , respectively. The catalysts were active for total oxidation of n -hexane and n -heptane, even at low temperatures. 2MSBA-Cu exhibited higher catalytic activity than 2MSBA-Ni and surprisingly their performances were comparable or superior to those of some catalysts reported in the literature, including noble metal-based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes, in detail, the chemical modification of sugarcane bagasse with phthalic anhydride to produce a carboxylate-functionalized sugarcane bagasse (SPA). The optimized modification conditions yielded SPA with a percent weight gain of 77.08% and an amount of carboxylic acid groups of 4.76 mmol/g. The SPA was characterized by PZC, FTIR, elemental analysis, TGA, and SEM-EDX. An SPA adsorbent was used to remove Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Ni 2+ from aqueous solution in mono- and multicomponent systems in batch mode. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption rate constants assumed the following order: k 2,Co 2+ > k 2,Ni 2+ > k 2,Cu 2+ . Four mono- and multicomponent isotherm models were used to model the adsorption data. Monocomponent data were well described by the Langmuir model, whereas bicomponent data were well described by the modified extended Langmuir and P -Factor models. The maximum adsorption capacities ( Q max,mono ) for the Langmuir model were 0.561, 0.935, and 0.932 mmol/g for Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Ni 2+ , respectively. Adsorption in bicomponent systems revealed that Cu 2+ suppressed the adsorption of Co 2+ and Ni 2+ , whereas Ni 2+ suppressed the adsorption of Co 2+ . Desorption studies revealed that the SPA adsorbent could be fully desorbed with a 1 mol/L HNO 3 solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNs) were extracted from different sources by acid hydrolysis using H 2 SO 4 and HCl. The thermal decomposition of resulting CNs was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The kinetic parameters were determined using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger methods. CNs were also characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), elemental analysis (EA), Zeta Potential (ZP) and degree of polymerization (DP). The results of the XRD analysis showed different profiles, making it possible to differentiate cellulose I from cellulose II. The results obtained by the FWO method showed that cellulose II CNs had an increased activation energy ( E a ) with conversion ( α ), while in CNs of cellulose I the E a remained constant or decreased slightly. This difference between E a values for the thermal decomposition of CNs was mainly attributed to different crystalline arrangements of cellulose I and cellulose II, and to the type of acid employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new carboxylated-functionalized sugarcane bagasse (STA) was prepared through the esterification of sugarcane bagasse with trimellitic anhydride. The optimized synthesis conditions yield STA with a percent weight gain of 73.9% and the number of carboxylic acid groups accounted for 3.78 mmol/g. STA was characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis, TGA, PZC, and SEM. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption rate constant showed the following order: k 2,Ni 2+ > k 2,Cu 2+ > k 2,Co 2+ . Four mono- and multi-component isotherm models were used to model the adsorption systems. Monocomponent experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Sips models; whereas, multicomponent data were fitted to modified extended Langmuir and P -factor models. The maximum adsorption capacities ( Q max,mono ) obtained from the Langmuir model were 1.140, 1.197, and 1.563 mmol/g for Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Ni 2+ , respectively. The competitive studies demonstrated that the multicomponent adsorption capacity ( Q max,multi ) was smaller than Q max,mono , as a result of the interaction between the metal ions. Desorption studies showed that all metal ions could be fully desorbed from STA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new carboxylate-functionalized sugarcane bagasse (SMA) was prepared via a solvent-free procedure involving esterification of sugarcane bagasse with Meldrum's acid. The optimized conditions provided SMA with a percent weight gain of 86.0% and 4.69 ± 0.20 mmol/g of carboxylic acid groups. SMA was characterized by FTIR, TGA, elemental analysis and SEM. Kinetic experiments showed that the amount of crystal violet adsorbed increased with increasing temperature and equilibrium was reached at 12 h. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. The Arrhenius and Eyring models were used to obtain the activation energy and changes in free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of activation for the adsorption process. The calculated activation energy (14.14 kJ/mol) suggested physical adsorption of CV onto SMA. The equilibrium data were well fitted to the Langmuir and Sips isotherms. Maximum adsorption capacity was 692.1 mg/g at 45 °C. Thermodynamic parameters such as changes in free energy, enthalpy and entropy were also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]