Novel hybrid process for the conversion of microcrystalline cellulose to value-added chemicals: part 1: process optimization

In this paper, a novel hybrid process for the treatment of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) under hot-compressed water was investigated by applying constant direct current on the reaction medium. Constant current range from 1A to 2A was applied through a cylindrical anode made of titanium to the reactor wall. Reactions were conducted using a specially designed batch reactor (450 mL) made of SUS 316 stainless steel for 30–120 min of reaction time at temperature range of 170–230 °C. As a proton donor H₂SO₄ was used at concentrations of 1–50 mM. Main hydrolysis products of MCC degradation in HCW were detected as glucose, fructose, levulinic acid, 5-HMF, and furfural. For the quantification of these products, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS) were used. A ½ fractional factorial design with 2-level of four factors; reaction time, temperature, H₂SO₄ concentration and applied current with 3 center points were built and responses were statistically analyzed. Response surface methodology was used for process optimization and it was found that introduction of 1A current at 200 °C to the reaction medium increased Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and cellulose conversions to 62 and 81 %, respectively. Moreover, application of current diminished the necessary reaction temperature and time to obtain high TOC and cellulose conversion values and hence decreased the energy required for cellulose hydrolysis to value added chemicals. Applied current had diverse effect on levulinic acid concentration (29.9 %) in the liquid product (230 °C, 120 min., 2 A, 50 mM H₂SO₄).     

Novel hybrid process for the conversion of microcrystalline cellulose to value-added chemicals: part 2: effect of constant voltage on product selectivity

In this study, electrochemical degradation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) under hot-compressed water was investigated via application of constant voltage on reaction medium. Constant voltage ranges from 2.5 to 8.0 V was applied between anode (Titanium) and cathode (reactor wall). As an electrolyte and proton source 5–25 mM of H₂SO₄ was used. Reactions were carried out in a specially designed batch reactor (450 mL) made of T316 for 240 min at temperature of 200 °C.MCC decomposition products such as glucose, fructose, furfural, 5-HMF and levulinic acid were detected and quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In the absence of electrolyte, applied voltage (2.5 and 4.0 V) decreased the total organic carbon (TOC) yield, in contrast at 8.0 V, TOC yield increased to 13%. Application of 8.0 V in hydrothermal conditions alter MCC decomposition pathway selectively to furfural (15%). Addition of electrolyte (5 mM, H₂SO₄) and application of 2.5 V potential increased TOC (54%) and changed the decomposition pathway in favor of 5-HMF (30%) and levulinic acid (21%). The structural changes in solid residues of electrochemically reacted MCC was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and found that MCC particles functionalized by carboxylic acid and sulfonated groups by the application of constant voltage to reaction medium. In the presence of electrolyte, under certain voltage (2.5 V), functionalization of solid particles became more obvious in FTIR spectrum results. Therefore, change in the selectivity values of degradation products were conducted with the functionalization of MCC particles due to applied voltage under sub-critical conditions.     

AlCl3催化玉米秸秆中半纤维素的选择性转化

研究了AlCl₃ 催化剂作用下, 水热体系中玉米秸秆中半纤维素组分在温和条件下的选择性转化. 详细考察了反应温度、反应时间和AlCl₃用量对半纤维素选择性转化的影响. 原料及反应后的固体残渣分别采用化学滴定、X射线衍射和扫描电镜进行表征. 结果表明, 140 ℃下反应1 h可转化玉米秸秆中的大部分半纤维素, 转化率为85.1%;而玉米秸秆中的绝大部分纤维素和木质素组分仍保留在固体残渣中, 此时纤维素和木质素的转化率分别为10.7%和23.9%. 半纤维素转化的主要液体产物为木糖, 同时含有一些乙酸和糠醛. 升高温度, 将滤液进行进一步反应可促进木糖的转化. 在水/四氢呋喃反应体系中, 滤液的进一步反应有利于乙酰丙酸、甲酸和糠醛的生成. 固体酸催化剂γ-Al₂O₃/SO₄^2-的加入可进一步提高糠醛的收率.     

Effective Utilization of Carbohydrate in Corncob to Synthesize Furfuralcohol by Chemical–Enzymatic Catalysis in Toluene–Water Media

In this study, carbohydrates (cellulose plus hemicellulose) in corncob were effectively converted furfuralcohol (FOL) via chemical–enzymatic catalysis in a one-pot manner. After corncob (2.5 g, dry weight) was pretreated with 0.5 wt% oxalic acid, the obtained corncob-derived xylose (19.8 g/L xylose) could be converted to furfural at 60.1% yield with solid acid catalyst SO₄ ^2?/SnO₂-attapulgite (3.6 wt% catalyst loading) in the water–toluene (3:1, v/v) at 170 °C for 20 min. Moreover, the oxalic acid-pretreated corncob residue (1.152 g, dry weight) was enzymatically hydrolyzed to 0.902 g glucose and 0.202 g arabinose. Using the corncob-derived glucose (1.0 mM glucose/mM furfural) as cosubstrate, the furfural liquor (48.3 mM furfural) was successfully biotransformed to FOL by recombinant Escherichia coli CCZU-A13 cells harboring an NADH-dependent reductase (SsCR) in the water-toluene (4:1, v/v) under the optimum conditions (50 mM PEG-6000, 0.2 mM Zn²⁺, 0.1 g wet cells/mL, 30 °C, pH 6.5). After the bioreduction for 2 h, FAL was completely converted to FOL. The FOL yield was obtained at 0.11 g FOL/g corncob. Clearly, this one-pot synthesis strategy shows high potential application for the effective synthesis of FOL.     

Utilization of waste cellulose—I. Gamma irradiation and hydrolysis with dilute sulphuric acid

The yield of glucose, levulinic acid and furaldehyde derivatives as a function of the time of hydrolysis have been determined at 190° in 1 or 0.1% H₂SO₄ for non-irradiated and irradiated cellulose samples. Various additives, swelling agents and decrystallization techniques were used to improve either the accessibility or the yield of irradiation-induced chain scission. Results at lower temperatures of hydrolysis and with phosphoric acid as hydrolysing medium are also reported.     

Stable complex formation with boric acid in pyrolysis of levoglucosan in acidic media

The influence of boric acid or phenylboronic acid on thermal conversion of levoglucosan in acidic sulfolane was studied. Although levoglucosan was converted to levoglucosenone, furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (total yield: 40 mol%) at 200 °C in sulfolane containing 0.1 wt% H₂SO₄, addition of boric acid enormously lowered the yields of these, and instead caused the formation of a stable complex in more than 70 mol% yield. Thus, boric acid substantially suppressed the acid-catalyzed dehydration and formation of furfurals from levoglucosan through complex formation. From the ¹H NMR spectrum, the chemical structure of this complex was confirmed as -d-glucofuranose cyclic 1,2:3,5-bisborate, which was readily hydrolyzed quantitatively to glucose by the addition of water. Phenylboronic acid also exhibited similar influences.     

Mn/ZSM-5 participation in the degradation of cellulose under phosphoric acid media

The degradation reactions of cellulose under a combination of heterogeneous Fenton-like reagent with catalyst Mn/ZSM-5 and phosphoric acid media have been investigated. Phosphoric acid solution was selected as the reactive medium for the degradation of cellulose due to its good ability to destroy inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bond so as to promote cellulose activation. The Fenton-like system, composing of H₂O₂ and Mn/ZSM-5 in combination with phosphoric acid, can effectively depolymerize cellulose to soluble sugars and partly degraded cellulose with much lower degree of polymerization. Small molecular products, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural and levulinic acid were extracted from the reaction solution. The performance of the catalyst Mn/ZSM-5 and the effect of reaction factors on the molar yield of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural were investigated. A three-step degradation scheme reflecting the main pathways of cellulose degradation in the reaction is proposed.     

Optimizing Dilute-Acid Pretreatment of Rapeseed Straw for Extraction of Hemicellulose

Biological conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals requires hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction into monomeric sugars prior to fermentation. Hydrolysis can be performed enzymatically or with mineral acids. In this study, dilute sulfuric acid was used as a catalyst for the pretreatment of rapeseed straw. The purpose of this study is to optimize the pretreatment process in a 15-mL bomb tube reactor and investigate the effects of the acid concentration, temperature, and reaction time. These parameters influence hemicellulose removal and production of sugars (xylose, glucose, and arabinose) in the hydrolyzate as well as the formation of by-products (furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and acetic acid). Statistical analysis was based on a model composition corresponding to a 3³ orthogonal factorial design and employed the response surface methodology to optimize the pretreatment conditions, aiming to attain maximum xylan, mannan, and galactan (XMG) extraction from hemicellulose of rapeseed straw. The obtained optimum conditions were: H₂SO₄ concentration of 1.76% and temperature of 152.6 °C with a reaction time of 21 min. Under these optimal conditions, 85.5% of the total sugar was recovered after acid hydrolysis (78.9% XMG and 6.6% glucan). The hydrolyzate contained 1.60 g/L glucose, 0.61 g/L arabinose, 10.49 g/L xylose, mannose, and galactose, 0.39 g/L cellobiose, 0.94 g/L fructose, 0.02 g/L 1,6-anhydro-glucose, 1.17 g/L formic acid, 2.94 g/L acetic acid, 0.04 g/L levulinic acid, 0.04 g/L 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and 0.98 g/L furfural.     

Catalytic Conversion of Glucose into Levulinic Acid Using 2-Phenyl-2-Imidazoline Based Ionic Liquid Catalyst

Levulinic acid (LA) is an industrially important product that can be catalytically valorized into important value-added chemicals. In this study, hydrothermal conversion of glucose into levulinic acid was attempted using Brønsted acidic ionic liquid catalyst synthesized using 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline, and 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline-based ionic liquid catalyst used in this study was synthesized in the laboratory using different anions (NO₃, H₂PO₄, and Cl) and characterized using ¹H NMR, TGA, and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The activity trend of the Brønsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts synthesized in the laboratory was found in the following order: [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] > [C₄SO₃HPhim][NO₃] > [C₄SO₃HPhim][H₂PO₄]. A maximum 63% yield of the levulinic acid was obtained with 98% glucose conversion at 180 °C and 3 h reaction time using [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] ionic liquid catalyst. The effect of different reaction conditions such as reaction time, temperature, ionic liquid catalyst structures, catalyst amount, and solvents on the LA yield were investigated. Reusability of [C₄SO₃HPhim][Cl] catalyst up to four cycles was observed. This study demonstrates the potential of the 2-phenyl-2-imidazoline-based ionic liquid for the conversion of glucose into the important platform chemical levulinic acid.     

Catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose into furans

Chromium chloride in 4-(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)butane-1-sulfonic acid hydrogen sulfate (IL-1) was found to effectively catalyze the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) at 150°C for 300 min to achieve 87.8% conversion to a slate of products. With a catalytic amount of CrCl₃, the yields of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and furfural were up to 32.4 and 15.2%, respectively, small molecules levulinic acid (LA, 10.8%) and the total reducing sugars (TRS, 10.7%) were also generated. Through LC-MSD analysis and mass spectra, dimer of furan compounds as the main by-products were speculated, and the components of gas products were methane, ethane, CO, CO₂, and H₂. We suggested that IL-1 and CrCl₃ exhibited a coordination interaction; the formation of the intermediate via the hydride shift played a key role in the formation of HMF. The catalyst was recycled and exhibited constant activity for five successive trials.     

The Promotion Effect of NaCl on the Conversion of Xylose to Furfural†

Summary of main observation and conclusion In this work,the promotion effect of NaCl on the conversion of xylose to furfural in H2O was studied.it was found that xylose conversion and furfural yield increased with NaCl concentration.NaCl decreased the pH of the solution providing H+ for the acid catalytic dehydration of xylose.The formation of oligomers was determined by GPC and ESI-MS in the initial stage of reaction,especially at low temperature.Excess NaCl promoted the formation of humins in the late stage of the reaction.NaCl could also change the decomposition route of formic acid.Meanwhile,NaCl had the ability of phase separation.Combining these effects with organic solvent during the reaction could inhibit the formation of humins and increase the yield of furfural.In NaCl-H2O-THF biphasic system without other catalyst,the optimal furfural yield of 76.7% and selectivity of 77.6% were achieved at 463 K in 2 h.     

Application of polyacrylonitrile-based polymer electrolytes in rechargeable lithium batteries

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based polymer electrolytes have obtained considerable attention due to their fascinating characteristics such as appreciable ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures and mechanical stability. This study is based on the system PAN–ethylene carbonate (EC)–propylene carbonate (PC)–lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF₃SO₃). The composition 15 mol% PAN–42 mol% EC–36 mol% PC–7 mol% LiCF₃SO₃ has shown a maximum room temperature conductivity of 1.2?×?10^?3 S cm^?1. Also, it was possible to make a thin, transparent film out of that composition. Cells of the form, Li/PAN–EC–PC–LiCF₃SO₃/polypyrrole (PPy)–alkylsulfonate (AS) were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and continuous charge–discharge tests. When cycled at low scan rates, a higher capacity could be obtained and well-defined peaks were present. The appearance of peaks elucidates the fact that redox reactions occur completely. This well proves the reason for higher capacity. The average specific capacity was about 43 Ah kg^?1. Cells exhibited a charge factor close to unity during continuous charging and discharging, indicating the absence of parasitic reactions.     

Catalytic conversion of raw <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea composita</Emphasis> biomass to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using a combination of metal chlorides in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>-dimethylacetamide solvent containing lithium chloride

We synthesized 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from carbohydrates using metal chloride catalysts. A 33.2 % yield of HMF was obtained from raw Dioscorea composita biomass with high starch by using a catalyst system composed of CrCl₃·6H₂O and LaCl₃·6H₂O at 120 °C for 4 h in N,N-dimethylacetamide containing lithium chloride. The catalyst system is also cost-effective for the conversion of soluble starch into HMF. In addition, levulinic acid was not formed in the reactions.     

Comparison of the fermentability of enzymatic hydrolyzates of sugarcane bagasse pretreated by steam explosion using different impregnating agents

Sugarcane bagasse is a potential lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol production, since it is cheap, readily available, and has a high carbohydrate content. In this work, bagasse was subjected to steam explosion pretreatment with different impregnation conditions. Three parallel pretreatments were carried out, one without any impregnation, a second with sulfur dioxide, and a third with sulfuric acid as the impregnating agent. The pretreatments were performed at 205°C for 10 min. The pretreated material was then hydrolyzed using celluloytic enzymes. The chemical composition of the hydrolyzates was analyzed. The highest yields of xylose (16.2 g/100 g dry bagasse), arabinose (1.5 g/100 g), and total sugar (52.9 g/100 g) were obtained in the hydrolysis of the SO₂-impregnated bagasse. The H₂SO₄-impregnated bagasse gave the highest glucose yield (35.9 g/100 g) but the lowest total sugar yield (42.3 g/100 g) among the three methods. The low total sugar yield from the H₂SO₄-impregnated bagasse was largely due to by-product formation, as the dehydration of xylose to furfural. Sulfuric acid impregnation led to a three-fold increase in the concentration of the fermentation inhibitors furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and a two-fold increase in the concentration of inhibitory aliphatic acids (formic, acetic, and levulinic acids) compared to the other two pretreatment methods. The total content of phenolic compounds was not strongly affected by the different pretreatment methods, but the quantities of separate phenolic compounds were widely different in the hydrolyzate from the H₂SO₄-impregnated bagasse compared with the other two hydrolyzates. No major differences in the content of inhibitors were observed in the hydrolyzates obtained from SO₂-impregnated and non-impregnated bagasse. The fermentability of all three hydrolyzates was tested with a xylose-utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with and without nutrient supplementation. The hydrolyzates of SO₂-impregnated and nonimpregnated bagasse showed similar fermentability, whereas the hydrolyzate of H₂SO₄-impregnated bagasse fermented considerably poorer.     

Optimization of the process of chemical hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose

We studied the acid hydrolysis of cellulose in an aqueous medium with the aim of maximizing glucose yield and minimizing the formation of by-products. The influence of reaction parameters such as temperature, acid concentration, acid strength and type of cellulose precursor on glucose yield was investigated. We observed that moderate reaction temperature and low acid concentration resulted in the highest glucose yield with little formation of levulinic acid. Strong acid (pKa < 0) is required to achieve high glucose yield. The crystallite size of the cellulose also affects its reactivity; cellulose with higher crystallite size is more resistant to hydrolysis catalyzed by acid. The highest selectivity for glucose over levulinic acid was recorded at a reaction temperature of 413 K and a sulfuric acid concentration in the range of 0.2–0.5 mol/L. Under these reaction conditions, no levulinic acid was detected, but the glucose yield reached 20 % in only 2 h.     

Rapid dissolution of spruce cellulose in H<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript> aqueous solution at low temperature

Dissolution of cellulose is the key challenge in its applications. It has been discovered that spruce cellulose with high molecular weight (4.10 × 10⁵ g mol^?1) can be dissolved in 64 wt% H₂SO₄ aqueous solution at low temperature within 2 min, and the cellulose concentration in solution can reach as high as 5 % (w/v). FT-IR spectra and XRD spectra proved that it is a direct solvent for cellulose rather than a derivative aqueous solution system. The cold H₂SO₄ aqueous solution broke the hydrogen bonds among cellulose molecules and the low temperature dramatically slowed down the hydrolysis, which led to the dissolution of cellulose. The resultant cellulose solution was relatively stable, and the molecular weight of cellulose only slightly decreased after storage at ?20 °C for 1 h. Due to the high molecular weight of cellulose, cellulose solution could form regenerated films with good mechanical properties and transparency at low concentration (2 % w/v). This work has not only provided the new evidence of cellulose dissolution which facilitated the development of cellulose solvent, but also suggested a convenient way to directly transfer cellulose with high molecular weight into materials without structure modifications.     

Pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification of corn fiber

Corn fiber consists of about 20% starch, 14% cellulose, and 35% hemicellulose, and has the potential to serve as a low-cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol. Several pretreatments (hot water, alkali, and dilute, acid) and enzymatic saccharification procedures were evaluated for the conversion of corn fiber starch, cellulose, and hemicellulose to monomeric sugars. Hot water pretreatment (121°C, 1 h) facilitated the enzymatic sacch arification of starch and cellulose but not hemicellulose. Hydrolysis of corn fiber pretreated with alkali un dersimilar conditions by enzymatic means gave similar results. Hemicellulose and starch components were converted to monomeric sugars by dilute H₂SO₄ pretreatment (0.5–1.0%, v/v) at 121°C. Based on these findings, a method for pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification of corn fiber is presented. It in volves the pretreatment of corn fiber (15% solid, w/v) with dilute acid (0.5% H₂SO₄, v/v) at 121°C for 1 h, neutralization to pH 5.0, then saccharification of the pretreated corn fiber material with commercial cellulase and β-glucosidase preparations The yield of monomeric sugars from corn fiber was typically 85–100% of the theoretical yield. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Effective transformation of cellulose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural catalyzed by fluorine anion-containing ionic liquid modified biochar sulfonic acids in water

This article first discloses that the fluorine anion-containing ionic liquids-functionalized biochar sulfonic acids (BCSA-IL-F_1–3s), which were simply synthesized by an ionic exchange of 1-trimethoxysilylpropyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (IL-Cl) grafted on the BCSA with CF₃SO₃H (HF₁), HBF₄ (HF₂), HPF₆ (HF₃), respectively, can efficiently catalyze cellulose hydrolysis into reducing sugars (RSs) and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) in water under microwave irradiation. This process provides a very high catalysis efficiency (turnover numbers, 4.03–4.89) at mild temperature (80 °C) for 3 h, but also possesses an excellent repeatability. More outstandingly, they can achieve much higher HMF yields (12.70–27.94%) compared to the IL-Cl-functionalized BCSA catalyst (HMF yields are lower than 0.1%) under the same reaction conditions. This is likely because the introduction of IL-F_1–3s groups can significantly improve the accessibility, acidity and thermal stability of BCSA’s SO₃H sites, as supported by evidence from a solid ³¹P NMR spectrum and thermogravimetric analysis. It is proposed that the good selectivity for HMF perhaps originates from a co-catalysis action of the IL-F_1–3s and SO₃H groups on BCSA-IL-F_1–3s in the further conversion of RSs to HMF.     

Optimizing Phosphoric Acid plus Hydrogen Peroxide (PHP) Pretreatment on Wheat Straw by Response Surface Method for Enzymatic Saccharification

Wheat straw was pretreated by phosphoric acid plus hydrogen peroxide (PHP), in which temperature, time, and H₃PO₄ proportion for pretreatment were investigated by using response surface method. Results indicated that hemicellulose and lignin removal positively responded to the increase of pretreatment temperature, H₃PO₄ proportion, and time. H₃PO₄ proportion was the most important variable to control cellulose recovery, followed by pretreatment temperature and time. Moreover, these three variables all negatively related to cellulose recovery. Increasing H₃PO₄ proportion can improve enzymatic hydrolysis; however, reduction on cellulose recovery results in decrease of glucose yield. Extra high temperature or long time for pretreatment was not beneficial to enzymatic hydrolysis and glucose yield. Based on the criterion for minimizing H₃PO₄ usage and maximizing glucose yield, the optimized pretreatment conditions was 40 °C, 2.0 h, and H₃PO₄ proportion of 70.2 % (H₂O₂ proportion of 5.2 %), by which glucose yielded 299 mg/g wheat straw (946.2 mg/g cellulose) after 72-h enzymatic hydrolysis.     

Cellulose hydrolysis catalyzed by highly acidic lignin-derived carbonaceous catalyst synthesized via hydrothermal carbonization

Acidic carbonaceous solids were synthesized from mass pine alkali lignin via hydrothermal carbonization followed by sulfonation. Hydrothermal carbonization of lignin in the presence of acrylic acid (LAHC-SO₃H) provided many more carboxylic groups than that in the absence of acrylic acid, allowing subsequent sulfonation to produce a highly active and stable catalyst for cellulose hydrolysis in the [BMIM]Cl-H₂O solvent system. The hydrochar and catalyst were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and acid–base titration. Results showed that a high acid content of 5.48 mmol/g, including carboxylic group (2.85 mmol/g), phenolic hydroxyl group (1.05 mmol/g) and sulfonic acid group (1.58 mmol/g), contributed significantly to the highly efficient hydrolysis of cellulose. Further, it was found that addition of trace water in [BMIM]Cl was favorable to cellulose hydrolysis. The highest yield (75.4%) of total reducing sugar (TRS) obtained in [BMIM]Cl-H₂O at a mass ratio of 100:1 was more than twice that (36.1%) achieved in [BMIM]Cl without water; the corresponding reaction conditions were 50 mg of microcrystalline cellulose, 30 mg of catalyst, 1.0 g of [BMIM]Cl, 10 mg of H₂O, reaction temperature of 130 °C and reaction time of 2 h. Furthermore, the TRS yield with 5 cycles for LAHC-SO₃H was higher than 68.1%, and the catalytic activity of catalyst could be fully recovered (74.0% of TRS yield) easily by regeneration.