Optimization of the Pretreatment of the Mixture of Cassava Peelings and Pineapple Fibers Using Response Surface Methodology and a Process Simulator for the Bioethanol Production

The increase in oil prices and greenhouse gas emissions has led to the search for substitutes for fossil fuels. In Cameroon, the abundance of lignocellulosic resources is inherent to agricultural activity. Production of bioethanol remains a challenge given the crystallinity of cellulose and the presence of the complex. The pretreatment aimed to solubilize the lignin fraction and to make cellulose more accessible to the hydrolytic enzymes, was done using the organosolv process. A mathematical modeling was performed to point out the effect of the temperature on the kinetics of the release of the reducing sugars during the pretreatment. Two mathematical model was used, SAEMAN’s model and Response surface methodology. The first show that the kinetic parameters of the hydrolysis of the cellulose and reducing sugar are: 0.05089 min-1, 5358.1461 J·mol-1, 1383.03691 min-1, 51577.6100 J·mol-1 respectively. The second model was used. Temperature is the factor having the most positive influence whereas, ethanol concentration is not an essential factor. To release the maximum, an organosolv pre-treatment of this sub-strate should be carried out at 209.08°C for 47.60 min with an ethanol-water ratio of 24.02%. Organosolv pre-treatment is an effective process for delignification of the lignocellulosic structure.

Optimization and Characterization of Combined Degumming Process of Typha angustata L. Stem Fibers

Plant derived natural fibers have been widely investigated as alternatives to synthetic fibers in reinforcing polymers.Researchers over the years have explored many plant fibers using different extraction processes to study their physical,chemical,and mechanical properties.In this context,the present study relates to the extraction,characterization,and optimization of Typha angustata L.stem fibers.For this purpose,desirability functions and response surface methodology were applied to simultaneously optimize the diameter(D),linear density(LD);yield(Y),lignin fraction(L),and tenacity(T)of Typha stem fibers.Typha stems have been subjected to both alkali(NaOH)and enzymatic(pectinex ultra-SPL)treatments.Three levels of process variables including enzyme concentration(10,15,and 20 ml/L)and treatment duration(10,15,and 20 days)were used to design the experiments according to the factorial design.Experimental results were examined by analysis of variance and fitted to second order polynomial model using multiple regression analysis.The Derringer’s desirability function released that the values of process variables generating optimized diameter,linear density,yield,lignin ratio and tenacity are 20 ml/L and 20 days for concentration of pectinex ultra-SPL enzyme and treatment duration,respectively.Confirmation was performed and high degree of correlation was found between the experimental and statistical values.Moreover,the morphological structure has been investigated by the scanning electron microscope,showing a crenelated structure of ultimate fiber bundles of cellulose composing the Typha fiber.Compared to Typha stem non-treated fibers(TSNTF),Typha stem combined treated fibers(TSCTF),brings to improve mechanical properties.This change in mechanical properties is affected by modifying the fiber structure showing alpha cellulose of(66.86%)and lignin ratio of(10.83%)with a crystallinity index of(58.47%).

Analysis of Ethylene Glycol Degumming Process and Characterization of Hemp Fibers

To overcome the shortcomings of traditional degumming process,an efficient and environmentally friendly ethylene glycol(EG) degumming process was adopted to degum hemp fibers.The surface morphology,chemical composition,chemical structures,and mechanical properties of the fiber samples were analyzed to explore the mechanism of the degumming process.It was found that the EG degumming process could be divided into the main degumming stage(heating) and the supplementary degumming stage(insulation).The removal rates of hemicellulose and lignin in the main degumming stage were 70.56% and 60.17%,respectively.In the supplementary degumming stage,9.95% hemicellulose and 25.39% lignin were removed.It is confirmed that EG can separate hemp fibers effectively with less damage,which holds great potential for the biomass fiber separation technology.

A STUDY OF STRUCTURE AND PROPERTY CHANGES OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYGLYCOLIDE AND POLY(GLYCOLIDE-co-LACTIDE)FIBERS DURING PROCESSING AND IN VITRO DEGRADATION

Structure and properties of bioabsorbable polyglycolide (PGA) and poly(glycolide-co-lactide) (PGA-co-PLA)fibers were investigated during several industrial processing stages and in vitro degradation by means of wide-angle X-raydiffraction (WAXD), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and mechanical property tests. In the orientation stage, the PGAfibers were found to have higher degrees of crystallinity than corresponding PGA-co-PLA samples produced under similarconditions. In the hot-stretching and post-annealing stages, after fibers were braided, PGA samples were found to gain morecrystallinity and higher T_g than PGA-co-PLA samples. The higher crystallinity in PGA fibers resulted in a slower rate ofdegradation. DMA results showed that a great deal of internal stress that was built during orientation and hot-stretchingstages was released in the post-annealing stage for a1l PGA and PGA-co-PLA samples. During earlier stages of in vitrodegradation, both PGA and PGA-co-PLA samples exhibited the typical cleavage-induced crystallization mechanism. Theheat shrinkage in the glass transition area was found to disappear after 6-8 days of degradation for all PGA and PGA-co-PLAsamples, indicating the amorphous portions of the polymers lost orientation after a short period in the buffer solution, mostlikely due to relaxation of the cleaved chains.

Study on the Genetics and Development of Fiber Pigments and Color Deviation After Wetting Process of Naturally Colored Cotton

The genetic control of fiber pigment color in naturally colored cotton was studied. The expression of brown and green fiber color was controlled by incompletely dominant single genes and incompletely dominant major genes, respectively. Production and accumulation of the fiber pigment were related to special expression of enzymatic genes for pigment synthesis in fiber cells. At the stage of fiber lengthening, naturally colored cotton, like white cotton, appeared purely white. But when fiber cell walls entered the thickening stage, pigment appeared by degrees. When the fiber was completely matured (on boll dehiscence), the color reached its darkest level. After wetting process treatment, the hues of the fiber pigment changed in regular patterns. The hue circle for brown and green cotton changed in the opposite direction with wetting process treatment. In general, the treated cotton color and luster became dark and vivid, and this trend provided the possibility for enhancing the fiber quality by suitable environmental friendly finishing. The analysis showed that the color and luster of the cotton may be controlled by a series of pigments which show different chemical performance.

Damage Processes of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Mortar in Different Fiber Content Revealed by Acoustic Emission Behavior

The performances of the cement-based materials can be improved by the incorporation of polypropylene fiber, but the damage processes become more complex with different fiber contents at the same time. The acoustic emission（AE） technology can achieve the global monitoring of internal damage in materials. The evolution process of failure mode and damage degree of polypropylene fiber reinforced mortar and concrete were analyzed by measuring the AE energy, RA value, AF value and b value. It was found that the cement matrix cracked on the initial stage, the cracks further developed on the medium stage and the fibers were pulled out on the last stage. The matrix cracked with minor injury cracks, but the fiber broke with serious damage cracks. The cumulative AE energy was proportional to the polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete and mortar＇s ductility. The damage mode and damage degree can be judged by identifying the damage stage obtained by the analysis of the AF value.

Damage process and performance of PVA fiber-reinforced alkali-activated slag mortar plate under bending

The effects of unoiled polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)fiber with four different volume fractions of 0%,1.0%,1.5%and 2.0%on the bending properties of alkali-activated slag(AAS)mortar plates were studied.Meanwhile,the acoustic emission(AE)technique and a high-speed camera were utilized to detect the crack development over the complete damage process,and the scanning electronic microscopy(SEM)was used to observe the fiber-matrix interface.Test results show that PVA fibers play a significant role in the toughness improvement of AAS plates.However,the enhancing effect of PVA fibers on the bending behaviour of AAS plates at 120 d is not as remarkable as at early ages.It is observed that the failure process of the PVA fiber-reinforced alkali-activated slag plate can be divided into three stages:elastic stage,main crack formation stage and post-peak load stage.Observations on the fracture surface of specimens indicate that the deterioration process of specimens under bending changed from fiber pull-out at 3 and 28 d to fiber fracture at 120 d.

Production of Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Fibrillated Poly(Lactic Acid)(PLA) Material Obtained by a Papermaking Process

A devised beating process was applied, which enabled the formation of slurry consisting of uniformly dispersed fibrillated polylactic acid（PLA） fibers with bamboo fiber, and the polymer material was obtained by a conventional papermaking process. Owing to the fast dewatering time, good repeatability and the facility to manufacture on a large scale, this process was used. It was revealed that the beaten PLA fiber was overall in machinery extrusion by the results of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope（SEM） observations. The improvement in the tensile index, burst index, tear index and other mechanical properties was considered as a key benefit as a result of adding bamboo fiber.

Structures and magnetic properties of nanocomposite CoFe_2O_4-BaTiO_3 fibers by organic gel-thermal decomposition process

The nanocomposite xCoFe2O4-(1-x)BaTiO3(x=0.2,0.3,0.4,0.5,molar fraction) fibers with fine diameters and high aspect ratios(length to diameter ratios) were prepared by the organic gel-thermal decomposition process from citric acid and metal salts.The structures and morphologies of gel precursors and fibers derived from thermal decomposition of the gel precursors were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy.The magnetic properties of the nanocomposite fibers were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer.The nanocomposite fibers consisting of ferrite(CoFe2O4) and perovskite(BaTiO3) are formed at the calcination temperature of 900 ℃ for 2 h.The average grain sizes of CoFe2O4 and BaTiO3 in the nanocomposite fibers increase from 25 to 65 nm with the calcination temperature from 900 to 1 180 ℃.The single fiber constructed from these nanograins of CoFe2O4 and BaTiO3 has a necklace-like morphology.The saturation magnetization of the nanocomposite 0.4CoFe2O4-0.6BaTiO3 fibers increases with the increase of CoFe2O4 grain size,while the coercivity reaches a maximum value when the average grain size of CoFe2O4 is around the critical single-domain size of 45 nm obtained at 1 000 ℃.The saturation magnetization and remanence of the nanocomposite xCoFe2O4-(1-x)BaTiO3(x=0.2,0.3,0.4,0.5) fibers almost exhibit a linear relationship with the molar fraction of CoFe2O4 in the nanocomposites.

Comparative Study on the Different Extraction Processes of Dietary Fiber from Sweet Potato

[Objective] To compare the extraction results of several different methods. [Method] The dietary fiber was extracted from sweet potato respectively by the sieve method, the enzymatic process and enzyme-alkali method. The extraction results of the three methods were optimized and compared. [Result] The extraction rate of dietary fiber by enzymatic method was the highest, which could reach 38% of total potato residue. The properties of dietary fiber extracted by the three methods were compared, the results indicated that the dietary fiber extracted by enzymatic method had good water-holding capacity, soil absorption and expansion. [Conclusion] The enzymatic method is the best for extracting dietary fiber from sweet potato.

Effect of Nitriding Process on Phase and Microstructure of Silicon Nitride Fibers Prepared by Direct Nitriding Method

In this paper,Si3N4 fiber materials were fabricated by nitridation of porous Si green bodies,which were prepared by the foaming method combined with gel-casting.The effect of the nitriding process(the heating rate and the nitrogen flow rate)on the phase and the microstructure was studied.The results show that decreasing the heating rate and the nitrogen flow rate is both beneficial to the growth of Si3N4 nanofibers and promoting the disintegration of the pore wall structure of the porous green bodies.The optimized nitrogen flow rate and the heating rate for the growth of silicon nitride fibers are 150 mL/min and 0.5℃/min,respectively.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Fiber Elongating Process in Cotton

A comparative proteomic analysis was performed to explore the mechanism of cell elongation in developing cotton fibers.The temporal changes of global proteomes at five representative

Platinum/rhodium Alloy Bushing for Drawing Glass Fibers in Centrifugal-spinneret-blow Process

In this paper,glass fibers were prepared by centrifugal-spinneret-blow(CSB) process.The molten glass got different flow rate from 390 kg/h to 270 kg/h by adjusting the electric current of platinum/10 rhodium alloy bushing.The diameter and microstructure of glass fibers have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and vertical optical microscope(VOM).The results indicated that the flow rate of molten glass was proportional to the diameter of glass fibers when the molten glass got main flow rate of 330 kg/h.The lower the flow rate was,the finer the average diameter was.

STRUCTURE EVOLUTION OF POLYMER CHAINS FOR NECKING FORMATION IN HIGH-SPEED FIBER SPINNING PROCESS

Finite element method is used to simulate the high-speed melt spinning process, based on the equation system proposed by Doufas et al. Calculation predicts a neck-like deformation, as well as the related profiles of velocity, diameter, temperature, chain orientation, and crystallinity in the fiber spinning process. Considering combined effects on the process such as flow-induced crystallization, viscoelasticity, filament cooling, air drag, inertia, surface tension and gravity, the simulated material flow behaviors are consistent with those observed for semi-crystalline polymers under various spinning conditions, The structure change of polymer coils in the necking region described by the evolution of conformation tensor is also investigated. Based on the relaxation mechanism of macromolecules in flow field different types of morphology change of polymer chains before and in the neck are proposed, giving a complete prospect of structure evolution and crystallization of semi-crystalline polymer in the high speed fiber spinning process.

Hybrid Fiber Optical Bistability and Optical Signal Processing

A hybrid fiber optical bistable device with electrical feedback has been proposed and analyzed.Bistability operation and some applications for optical signal processing have been realized experimentally .

Research of Degumming Process, Microstructure and Properties of Mulberry Fiber

More and more novel nature fibers are used in textiles. The natural fibers include banana fiber, pineapple fiber and bamboo fiber etc. In this paper, as a kind of novel natural fiber, mulberry fiber is studied. The chemical component of mulberry bast is tested and analyzed. Meanwhile, the degumming method and process of mulberry bast are studied. Chemical degumming experiments to investigate the influence of alkali concentration, alkali boiling time and sodium phosphate tribasic ratio to material are conducted. Consequently, optimum parameters are obtained. The crystallinity of mulberry fiber is tested by using X-ray line, and the photos of scanning electron microscope （SEM） are observed. Testing results of the fiber properties （e. g. fineness, tenacity, length and elongation） show that mulberry fiber can be spun blend with cotton.

Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Bamboo Pulp Fiber Reinforced High Density Polyethylene Composites:Influence of Nano CaCO_(3)Treatment and Manufacturing Process with Different Pressure Ratings

In order to investigate the effect of the relative motion of nano CaCO_(3)reinforced bamboo pulp fiber(BPF)/HDPE composite components on the mechanical performance,a comparative study was performed.BPF was treated by nano CaCO_(3)blending(BM)and impregnation modification(IM)technology.The composites were produced using hot press(HPMP),extrusion(EMP)and injection molding process(IMP).The physical morphology of BPF was similar at different manufacturing processes.Compared to the samples manufactured by HPMP,a decrease in the(specific)flexural strength of BPF/HDPE composites and an increase in those of composites treated by nano CaCO_(3)manufactured by EMP and IMP were observed.The injection molded composites exhibited the best values in the(specific)impact strength,(specific)tensile properties.IM had a greater effect on the rheological behavior of the composites than BM,and nano CaCO_(3)treatment most effectively affected the performance of the extrusion molded composites.

Experimental Study of Monitoring and Controlling of Composite Cure Process in Autoclave Featured with Fiber Optic Sensor

With the aid of the latest fiber optic sensing technology parameters in the cure process of ther- mosetting resin-matrix composite, such as temperature, viscosity,void and residual stress, can be monitored entirely and efficiently.In this paper, experiment results of viscosity measurement in composite cure process in autoclave using fiber optic sensors are presented. Based on the sensed information, a computer program is utilized to control the cure process. With this technology, the cure process becomes more apparent and controllable, which will greatly improve the cured products and reduce the cost.

Signal processing for all fiber optical current transducer

The work principle of all fiber optical current transducer (AFOCT) was introduced. By analyzing the characteristic of photo-detector's output, a measurement and signal processing scheme based on sine wave modulation and demodulation was put forward for eliminating the influence of light intensity change and modulation degree change. A digital signal processing system and a calibration scheme were also advanced. The experimental data show that the mean ratio error is 0.016 74% for direct current and 0.035% for alternating current, and the correlation coefficient of linearity is up to 0.999 982 4, meeting the precision requirement of 0.2 grade. Stability experiments and temperature drift experiments show the AFOCT has a better stable capability.

The Application of Air-flow to the Technological Process of Chemical Fiber

The air-flow’s states and ways acted on the technological process of chemical fiber are summed up, which includes chip drying, spinning quenching as well as airjet texturing (air texturing, tangling texturing and bulked continuous filament (BCF)),and the effect of air-flow on the process and quality of chemical fiber is studied,and the action of mechanics and heat on the bulked continuous filament are calculated.