Liquefied dimethyl ether as alternative extraction solvent for high γ-oryzanol rice bran oil:Systematic HSP theory and experimental evaluation

This study aimed to systematically find an alternative solvent to replace hexane for the extraction of bio-oil with high𝛾-oryzanol content from rice bran(RB).The selection involved predicting solubility through Hansen solubility theory,experimental validation,determination of suitable extraction conditions,and comparison of oil quality with that of conventional hexane.A wide variety of solvents:subcritical water(SCW),supercritical carbon dioxide(SCCO_(2)),bio-based sol-vents(alcohols and terpenes),and liquefied dimethyl ether(LDME),were initially assessed for rice bran oil(RBO)and𝛾-oryzanol solubility using Hansen solubility spheres.Solvents demon-strating high solubility for both RBO and𝛾-oryzanol,including LDME,ethyl acetate,acetone,and others(alcohols and SCCO_(2))known for effective vegetable oil extraction,were selected/identified for experimental extraction comparison.Among these,LDME performed better overall,affording greater solubility and requiring less solvent,shorter duration,lower pressure,and no additional co-solvents for equivalent extractions.Optimal conditions for LDME extraction were identified as 30℃ with a solvent-to-sample ratio of 10 mL/g and an extraction time of 10 min.Oils extracted with LDME and hexane displayed similar fatty acid compositions and no adverse effects on RB protein and carbohydrate structures after LDME extraction were observed.This study demon-strates LDME as a promising alternative to replace hexane for RBO extraction to further valorize this abundant low-cost RB residue into bio-oil and its𝛾γ-oryzanol and de-oil RB co-products.

Effect of Fertilization on Anatomical and Physical-mechanical Properties of Neosinocalamus Affinis Bamboo

In order to maintain soil fertility of Neosinocalamus affinis plantations,fertilizers of N,P,and K were applied.The anatomical and physical-mechanical properties of N.affinis bamboo wood from different fertilization treatments were measured.The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of fertilization practice on the properties of N.affinis bamboo wood.The results revealed that the fertilization of P and K resulted in a slight reduction in fiber length.The application of P,K,and low level(0.3 kg/clump)of N fertilizers had no significant effect on the fiber morphology,while high level(0.9 kg/clump)of N fertilizer contributed to short fibers.The specific gravity was significantly decreased by fertilization,while the volume shrinkage was increased.Since the effect of various fertilization treatments had different influence patterns on the properties of N.affinis,specific evaluations on the quality of the fertilized bamboo wood should be performed prior to its utilization.

Beyond cotton and polyester: An evaluation of emerging feedstocks and conversion methods for the future of fashion industry

As the global population grows,the demand for textiles is increasing rapidly.However,this puts immense pressure on manufacturers to produce more fiber.While synthetic fibers can be pro-duced cheaply,they have a negative impact on the environment.On the other hand,fibers from wool,sisal,fique,wood pulp(viscose),and man-made cellulose fibers(MMCFs)from cotton can-not alone meet the growing fiber demand without major stresses on land,water,and existing markets using these materials.With a greater emphasis on transparency and circular economy practices,there is a need to consider natural non-wood alternative sources for MMCFs to supple-ment other fiber types.However,introducing new feedstocks with different compositions may require different biomass conversion methods.Therefore,based on existing work,this review ad-dresses the technical feasibility of various alternative feedstocks for conversion to textile-grade fibers.First,alternative feedstocks are introduced,and then conventional(dissolving pulp)and emerging(fibrillated cellulose and recycled material)conversion technologies are evaluated to help select the most suitable and promising processes for these emerging alternative sources of cellulose.It is important to note that for alternative feedstocks to be adopted on a meaningful scale,high biomass availability and proximity of conversion facilities are critical factors.In North America,soybean,wheat,rice,sorghum,and sugarcane residues are widely available and most suitable for conventional conversion through various dissolving pulp production methods(pre-hydrolysis kraft,acid sulfite,soda,SO2-ethanol-water,and potassium hydroxide)or by emerging cellulose fibrillation methods.While dissolving pulp conversion is well-established,fibrillated cel-lulose methods could be beneficial from cost,efficiency,and environmental perspectives.Thus,the authors strongly encourage more work in this growing research area.However,conducting thorough cost and sustainability assessments is important to determine the best feedstock and technology combinations.

Improving the colloidal stability of Cellulose nano-crystals by surface chemical grafting with polyacrylic acid

Cellulose nano-crystals(CNC)can be tailored for various value-added applications.However,its use in aqueous systems is hampered by its limited dispersability,especially at a high CNC concentration.In this study,the improvement of CNC colloidal stability by surface chemical grafting with polyacrylic acid(PAA)was investigated,and the zeta potential and the charge density of the chemically modified CNC were analyzed.The results showed that an acrylic dosage of 1%(based on the dry weight of CNC)was sufficient to significantly enhance the colloidal stability.CNC,after chemical grafting with PAA,showed better stability against the increase in storage time or solid content of the aqueous medium,compared with the un-modified CNC.

An overview of biomass solid fuels:Biomass sources,processing methods,and morphological and microstructural properties

Biomass solid fuel(BSF)has emerged as a promising renewable energy source,but its morphological and microstructural properties are crucial in determining their physical,mechanical,and chemical characteristics.This paper provides an overview of recent research on BSF.The focus is on biomass sources,BSF processing methods,and morphological and microstructural properties,with a special emphasis on energy-related studies.Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were established for the study to ensure relevance.The inclusion criteria encompassed studies about BSFs and studies investigating the influence of biomass sources and processing methods on the morphological and microstructural properties of solid fuels within the past five years.Various technologies for converting biomass into usable energy were discussed,including gasification,torrefaction,carbonization,hydrothermal carbonization(HTC),and pyrolysis.Each has advantages and disadvantages in energy performance,techno-economics,and climate impact.Gasification is efficient but requires high investment.Pyrolysis produces bio-oil,char,and gases based on feedstock availability.Carbonization generates low-cost biochar for solid fuels and carbon sequestration applications.Torrefaction increases energy density for co-firing with coal.HTC processes wet biomass efficiently with lower energy input.Thermal treatment affects BSF durability and strength,often leading to less durability due to voids and gaps between particles.Hydrothermal carbonization alters surface morphology,creating cavities,pores,and distinctive shapes.Slow pyrolysis generates biochar with better morphological properties,while fast pyrolysis yields biochar with lower porosity and surface area.Wood constitutes 67%of the biomass sources utilized for bioenergy generation,followed by wood residues(5%),agro-residues(4%),municipal solid wastes(3%),energy crops(3%),livestock wastes(3%),and forest residues(1%).Each source has advantages and drawbacks,such as availability,cost,environmental impact,and suitability for specific regions and energy requirements.This review is valuable for energy professionals,researchers,and policymakers interested in biomass solid fuel.

Lignin extraction and recovery in hydrothermal pretreatment of bamboo

A significant amount of lignin and hemicellulose are dissolved in the hydrothermal treatment of biomass.The hemicellulose can be recovered and utilized for value-added products.The dissolved lignin can undergo depolymerization and condensation reactions,and interferes with the separation and purification process for hemicellulose recovery.This paper investigated the behavior of the lignin extracted from the hydrothermal pretreatment of bamboo and its contributions to the physical characteristics of the hydrolysate.It was found that the turbidity of the hydrolysate was strongly associated with the lignin fragments and suspended long chain hemicelluloses.As the lignin depolymerization and condensation reactions occurred simultaneously,the dissolved lignin fractions in the hydrolysate increased first and then decreased.The molecular weight(MW)of the dissolved lignin fragments ranged from 3342~5611 g/mol,with mainly guaiacyl(G)and syringyl(S)unit in the structure.

Effect of Boron Compounds on Properties of Chinese Fir Wood Treated with PMUF Resin

Plantation Chinese fir wood was modified by low molecular weight phenol melamine urea formaldehyde(PMUF)resin and boron compounds(BB)through a progressive gradual infiltration process.The results showed that the limiting oxygen index(LOI)values,density,dimensional stability and static flexural properties of the PMUF resin treated wood gradually improved with the increase of resin solid content.When boron compounds were additionally introduced into the PMUF resin,the density and the LOI values of the samples of compound modification increased,whereas the anti-swelling efficiency,the modulus of rupture and impact toughness decreased by more than 17.6%,10.1%and 42.9%,respectively.It was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy that boron compounds could improve the crystallinity of resin modified samples and did not have a chemical reaction with resin or wood.Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated boron compounds made the microstructure of the resin polymers loose,influencing the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of resin modified wood.

Combination of ultrasonication/mechanical refining with alkali treatment to improve the accessibility and porosity of bamboo cellulose fibers for the preparation of magnetic bionanocomposite cellulose beads

Ultrasonication and mechanical refining pretreatments were carried out to enhance alkali swelling of bamboo fibers to improve accessibility and porosity.Cellulose-based magnetic beads were synthesized with the alkali swollen bamboo fibers and Fe3O4 nanoparticles.Compared to the fibers treated with alkali alone,the water retention value(WRV)increased by 33.87%for the fibers treated by sonication and alkali,and by 94.58%for those treated by mechanical refining and alkali.The increased WRV was attributed to disruption of the crystalline region of fibers in the combined treatments which resulted in decreased crystallinity and degree of polymerization of cellulose.Furthermore,compared with the control sample which was treated by alkali alone,the specific surface area and pore volume of the samples treated by the combined processes increased markedly,which favored the adsorption of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the synthesis of functional magnetic cellulose beads for the applications of protein immobilization,drug carrier and wastewater treatment.

Cellulose-MXene composites: New platforms with outstanding multifunctional characteristics

The progress of society has caused a quick rise in the requirement for materials with superior functionalities.Hybrid composite materials demonstrate exceptional performance due to the synergistic effects resulting from the combination of unique properties exhibited by their constituent components.This advantageous characteristic enables these materials to leverage the collective strengths of each component,leading to their outstanding performance.By leveraging the strengths of each individual component,the shortcomings can be overcome and the strong points can be shared effectively.

Preliminary sensitivity study on an life cycle assessment(LCA)tool via assessing a hybrid timber building

In order to address concerns related to global warming and increased atmospheric carbon content,the life cycle assessment(LCA)tool has demonstrated usefulness in the building and construction sector.The LCA is used to evaluate environmental impacts concerning all stages of the building process from“cradle”to“grave”.The LCA helps promote sustainable development by considering environmental indicators such as stratospheric ozone depletion,eutrophication,global warming potential,and many more.It is of an interest to know the degree of impact on a given environ-mental indicator if an input is changed in terms of the type or amount of the materials used.The LCA software Athena IE4B was employed to analyze data of a selected timber building.This study was aimed at evaluating the sensitivity of LCA analysis on a hybrid timber building,which was done via two case studies.Case 1 focused on changes in the volume of wood materials,meanwhile Case 2 focused on simultaneous changes in the volume of materials for wood,steel,and concrete.In Case 1,it was observed increasing wood materials increased environmental indicators,with stratospheric ozone depletion being the most sensitive and global warming potential as the least sensitive.Case 2 discovered that proportionally increasing wood materials in relation to steel and concrete materials decreased environmental indicators,with eutrophication being the most sensitive and stratospheric ozone depletion as the least sensitive.This study helped support the feasibility of using Athena IE4B for LCA analysis in the initial assessment of a building.

Determination of Furfural and Hydroxymethyl furfural by UV Spectroscopy in ethanol-water hydrolysate of Reed

In this paper a quick method was developed to determine separate furfural and HMF concentrations simultaneously in ethanol-water hydrolysate of reed based on UV spectroscopy.Acid soluble lignin and other interfering substances were first removed by distillation as residue.The distillate was then used for the determination of furfural and HMF by measuring the maximum absorption wavelength and the absorbance at the wavelength.Results showed that the maximum absorption wavelength of the characteristic peak correlated well with the composition of furfural and HMF mixture in an ethanol-water solution,and the absorbance at the maximum absorption wavelength also had an excellent linear relationship with the sum concentration of furfural and HMF in the solution.The separate concentrations of furfural and HMF in a mixture solution could be determined by applying these correlations.

Retrieving structural information from scattering and attenuation data of transparent wood and(Nano)paper

Over the last 15 years,significant number of reports on transparent paper and transparent wood appeared in the literature.The light scattering data or transmission data are often given to describe the optical performance of the material.In addition,the data also contains structural information that can be further analyzed based on scattering theory.Some of the data are re-analyzed herein from structural analysis point of view related to the scattering phenomena.Quantitative analysis on the wavelength dependent optical density of nanopaper suggested that the scatterers are not isolated voids or microfibrils but rather large submicrometric and structural domains.Angular dependence of transparent wood scattering suggests the scattering units of a few micrometers such as cell wall are at the origin of high haze.

Synthesis and application of a novel waterborne polyurethane emulsion for sand fixation

Desertification is one of the severe ecological and environmental issues in the world today.Sand fixation against wind erosion is an effective solution to the problem.In the present study,a novel waterborne polyurethane emulsion was prepared as a sand-fixing agent.Lignin and polylactic acid were incorporated as a chain extender and soft segments,respectively.The structure,viscosity and thermal stability of the polyurethane emulsions were studied by FTIR,rheological testing and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC).The sand fixation properties of the waterborne polyurethane were evaluated in terms of the water retention,compressive strength,thermal stability and anti-wind erosion ability of sand crusts formed by spraying the emulsion on sands.With the increase of lignin content,both the water retention and compressive strength increased with the highest values of 39.22%and 1.13 MPa,respectively.All the sand specimens treated by the waterborne polyurethane presented good thermal stability and wind erosion resistance.

Filling agricultural waste into coal mine goafs:a potential carbon sequestration in China

China is a significant atmospheric carbon dioxide producer.Burning of agricultural waste in China is also a problematic issue,raising environmental and carbon-emission-related concerns.Furthermore,the coal-dependent economy is accompanied by the formation of large coal mine goaf areas,particularly in Shanxi Province.In this context,the idea of filling crop residues into the coal mine goafs is proposed.This concept addresses multi-functions:(1)carbon sequestration,(2)an alternative disposal method of crop residue in rural areas,and(3)coal mine goaf remedy.

Wood pulp industry by-product valorization for acrylate synthesis and bio-based polymer development via Michael addition reaction

It is crucial to adapt the processing of forest bio-resources into biochemicals and bio-based ad-vanced materials in order to transform the current economic climate into a greener economy.Tall oil,as a by-product of the Kraft process of wood pulp manufacture,is a promising resource for the extraction of various value-added products.Tall oil fatty acids-based multifunctional Michael acceptor acrylates were developed.The suitability of developed acrylates for polymerization with tall oil fatty acids-based Michael donor acetoacetates to form a highly cross-linked polymer ma-terial via the Michael addition was investigated.With this novel strategy,valuable chemicals and innovative polymer materials can be produced from tall oil in an entirely new way,making a significant contribution to the development of a forest-based bioeconomy.Two different tall oil-based acrylates were successfully synthesized and characterized.Synthesized acrylates were successfully used in the synthesis of bio-based thermoset polymers.Obtained polymers had a wide variety of mechanical and thermal properties(glass transition temperature from-12.1 to 29.6°C by dynamic mechanical analysis,Young’s modulus from 15 to 1760 MPa,and stress at break from 0.9 to 16.1 MPa).Gel permeation chromatography,Fourier-transform infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy,matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry,and nuclear magnetic resonance were used to analyse the chemical structure of synthesized acrylates.In addition,various titration methods and rheology tests were applied to characterize acrylates.The chemical composition and thermal and mechanical properties of the developed polymers were studied by using FT-IR,solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance,thermal gravimetric analy-sis,differential scanning calorimetry,dynamic mechanical analysis,and universal strength testing apparatus.

Porous Hafnium-Containing Acid/Base Bifunctional Catalysts for Efficient Upgrading of Bio-Derived Aldehydes

Novel organic-inorganic hybrids were synthesized by using HfCl 4 and organic ligand 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid(PDCA)via a simple hydrothermal method.The as-prepared Hf-PDCA were characterized by various techniques,such as electron microscope,N_(2) adsorption/desorption,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Among them,the porous and nitrogen-containing Hf-PDCA as heterogeneous acid/base bifunctional catalyst was then applied to the catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to produce furfuryl alcohol(FFA).It exhibited excellent catalytic performance,with high conversion(98.8%)and selectivity(98.5%)by using 2-propanol as hydrogen source under a relatively mild condition.Moreover,the Hf-PDCA has strong stability and durability,and can be recovered after the catalyst reaction.In addition,the Hf-PDCA as catalyst can be extended to fabricate corresponding alcohols by catalytic conversion of other biomass derived aldehydes.

Observation of liquid crystalline collagen with atomic force microscopy(AFM)

The effects of concentration and sonication on the liquid crystalline phases of collagen were investigated by several methods,especially by the atomic force microscopy(AFM).The X-ray diffraction(XRD)results revealed that the triple-helical structure of the collagen was nearly unchanged after sonication.Moreover,the differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)examinations indicated that the thermal stability of the sonicated collagen was close to that of native collagen.The AFM observations showed that collagen with a concentration of 60 mg/mL had more ordered arrays compared to that of 30 mg/mL when both samples were treated by sonication.Furthermore,the 60 mg/mL collagen solution without sonication could still form pre-cholesteric patterns,while the liquid phase could not be observed for the 30 mg/mL collagen solution under the same conditions.Generally,AFM was an effective tool for the study of the liquid crystalline phases of collagen.

Structure and mechanical properties of windmill palm fiber with different delignification treatments

The removal of lignin from natural cellulose fibers is a crucial step in preparing high-performance materials,such as compressed high-toughness composites.This process can eliminate non-cellulosic impurities,create abundant compressible pores,and expose a greater number of active functional groups.In this study,biomass waste windmill palm fiber was used as the raw mate-rial to prepare holocellulose fibers through various chemical treatments.The structure,chemical composition,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis,X-ray diffraction analysis,ther-mal properties,and mechanical properties,particularly fatigue performance,were studied.The sodium chlorite treated fiber had the highest crystallinity index(61.3%)and the most complete appearance structure.The sodium sulfite treated fiber had the highest tensile strength(227.34±52.27)MPa.Hydroxide peroxide treatment removed most of the lignin and hemicellulose,increas-ing the cellulose content to 68.83%±0.65%.However,all the chemical treatments decreased the thermal property of the fibers.

Assessment of densified fuel quality parameters:A case study for wheat straw pellet

An investigation was conducted to examine the impact of additive mixing with wheat straw(WS)for pellet making.This study manufactured seven types of pellets with different additive combina-tions to evaluate pellet quality characteristics and their relationships.A laboratory-type hammer mill and a pellet mill were used for feedstock preparation and pellet production.Experimental investigations showed that the lignin content increased from 7.0%to 13.1%,which was a primary need for pelletization.Also,the heating value rose from 17.02 to 20.36 MJ/kg.However,the ash content also increased from 7.09%to 16.2%.Results showed that dimension(length and diame-ter),durability,and tensile strength increased significantly with additives while the fines content decreased.The fines content had an inverse relationship with durability and strength.Wheat straw(60%),together with 10%sawdust(SD),10%corn starch(CS),10%bentonite clay(BC),and 10%biochar(BiC),was optimal with good pellet performance(T7).In addition,both the T5 pellets(70%WS,10%SD,10%BiC,and 10%BC)and the T6 pellets(70%WS,10%SD,10%BiC,and 10%CS)provide suitable quality according to EN plus 2015 standard requirements.The ash content of produced pellet was higher than the recommended value,which suggests that further research onto the alternative additive use for ash reduction is needed.

Physico-mechanical characteristics of bast fibres of Sesamum indicum and Sesamum radiatum for bioprospecting

Natural fibres are renewable,inexpensive and biodegradable sources of sustainable materials from plants or animals.Bast fibres,as the notable natural fibres,are gathered from the outer cell layers of the stem of plant.Mature and young bast fibres from two species of Sesamum,namely Sesamum indicum L.and S.radiatum Schumach.&Thonn.were extracted through traditional water retting technique and analyzed for their physical,mechanical and chemical attributes.Anatomical studies revealed polygon shaped phloem(bast fibre)cells with small lumen were similar to jute,in terms of architecture,and bagasse,in terms of lumen size.Upon extraction and subsequent drying,the young stems of S.radiatum were found to yield more bast fibres by mass compared with the rest of the Sesamum samples,that was,0.59 g(dry weight)of bast fibres from 100 g(fresh weight)of stem.According to stereo microscopic images,the mature S.radiatum fibres had rougher edges than the rest.Both S.indicum and S.radiatum fibre surfaces also seemed to have pores,according to scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images.The porosity appeared to get more pronounced as the plants got older.The Sesamum bast fibres were also found to be extremely hydrophilic with a high-water retention value.The fibres obtained from S.radiatum were determined to be suitable for the textile industry due to their light colour,ideal diameter and length,and water-holding capacity that matched the requirements of fabric manufacturing.Even in the absence of a mordant,the mature fibres showed a significant degree and evenness of Alizarin dye attachment,which might be correlated to the increase in fibre surface roughness with fibre maturity.These fibres were also discovered to be comparable with jute in terms of phloem cell shape(polygonal),diameter(13-15 m),tenacity(12.86-32.54 gf/(g·km-1)),and linear density(2.5-3.3 g/km).It suggested that they might find industrial applications if further research were to be done.