Pulp and Paper from Sugarcane:Properties of Rind and Core Fractions

Two distinct lignocellulosic fractions(rind and core)can be obtained through a physical separation of sugarcane stalks.Although presenting differences in morphology,both fractions can be employed to produce pulps and papers.The pulps and paper sheets produced from the core and rind fractions were characterized by their chemical composition,physical properties and mechanical properties.The pulps obtained from the core presented a higher amount of fines,lower drainage ability and rendered denser and stiffer sheets.The pulps from the rind,which have a higher content of fibers and higher degree of polymerization,produced sheets with higher air permeability and water absorption.Both paper sheets presented mechanical and physical properties comparable to commercial papers and papers from different cellulosic sources.The different properties exhibited by the papers produced from each fraction allow their use for distinct purposes,and expands the opportunities in the context of sugarcane biorefinery.

Editorial

There is a consensus today that the development of an economy based on renewable resources is strongly dependent on an urgently needed new industrial platform to replace,at least partially,the petrochemical industry.

CeO_(2)-Nb_(2)O_(5)photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants in water

The photocatalytic properties of CeO2-Nb2O5 photocatalysts in heterogeneous photocatalysis(under ultraviolet and visible radiation)and in Fenton-like process were reported.Methylene blue dye(MB)and phenol(Ph)were used as models of pollutant molecules for these reactions,and the photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(DRS),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX)and thermally stimulated luminescence(TL).The results indicated that the addition of CeO2(0.3 wt%,1.0 wt%and 2.0 wt%)to Nb2O5 sensitized the resultant materials,increasing light absorption in the visible region.However,there is a suitable formulation of CeO2-Nb2O5 photocatalysts to improve each photocatalytic process.In heterogeneous photocatalysis,the addition of small CeO2 quantities to Nb2O5 was enough to improve the photocatalytic activity of CeO2-Nb2O5 photocatalysts(The best composition reported was CeO20.3 wt%.).The effectiveness of the catalyst was explained by the decrease in the number of trapping and luminescence centers in the conduction band of the material after the addition of CeO2 to Nb2O5,but a large amount of CeO2 decreased the number of trapping,luminescent and active centers to a large extent.Contrarily,in a Fenton-like process,the addition of CeO2 to Nb2O5 was favorable in all the proportions studied.(The best composition was 2.0 wt%CeO2.)In this case,the effectiveness was explained by the influence of the adsorption process(adsorption-triggered process),and the interactions between H2 O2 and Ce3+of the CeO2 in each photocatalyst thus formed surface peroxide species O22-,which induced the removal of the organic molecules under visible light.

Luminescent polymer electrolytes based on chitosan and containing europium triflate

Solid polymer electrolytes based on chitosan and europium triflate were prepared by solvent casting and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscopy （AFM）, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction exhibited that the samples were essentially amorphous with organized regions over the whole range of the salt content studied. The AFM analysis demonstrated that the smoother sample had roughness of 4.39 nm. Surface visualization through SEM revealed good homogeneity without any phase separation for more conductive samples and the less conductive showed some im- perfections on the surface. The emission and excitation spectra displayed the characteristic bands of Eu（CF3SO3）3 in addition to broad bands corresponding to the polymer host. The excited state 5D0 lifetime values ranged from 0.29-0.37 ms for the studied samples.