Fruit waste (Pulp) decorated CuO NFs as promising platform for enhanced catalytic response and its peroxidase mimics evaluation

Herein, we report for the first time, an eco-compatible hydrothermal route for the synthesis of carbon enriched mesoporous material (CuO NFs@MP) using fruit waste (Pulp) obtained from Citrus limetta’s (Mausambi) decorated irregular shaped CuO nanoflakes (NFs). The CuO NFs@MP nanocomposite was fully characterized through several spectroscopic-cum-analytical techniques such as TEM and XPS, which further confirmed the presence of CuO NFs. CuO NFs@MP could serve as an excellent catalyst for N-Arylation reaction and also paves promising peroxidase mimic activity. The preliminary results indicated that CuO NFs@MP shows the catalytic advantage of higher yields, shorter reaction time and greener conditions. Simultaneously, the oxidation of colorless TMB with H₂O₂ into blue-green colored ox-TMB was also observed in 60 s with CuO NFs@MP. The present nanocomposite is easy to synthesize, economical, retrievable and a reusable catalyst for synthesizing a varied range of N-Arylated products and could also mimic peroxidase without significant loss of activity.     

主成分-BP算法在近红外光谱法纸浆卡伯值测量中的应用研究

提出采用主成分-BP算法建立纸浆卡伯值近红外光谱法在线测量模型。结果表明,这种算法由于既考虑到了近红外光谱响应的非线性因素,又可防止BP算法在建模时出现“过拟合”的现象,利用该算法建立的纸浆卡伯值测量模型与一元回归,多元回归和主成分回归等线性方法相比,具有更高的预测精度。     

Nanocomposite-based lignocellulosic fibers 1. Thermal stability of modified fibers with clay-polyelectrolyte multilayers

The layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly process of creating highly structured thin films derived from layers of polyelectrolytes and nanoparticles was adopted in this study to modify the surface of lignocellulosic fibers. Aqueous dispersions of clay nanoplatelets were created with ultrasonication and characterized with dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy in which confirmed the presence of individual clay nanoplatelets. Film thickness of never-dried clay and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) multilayers was studied with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Using identical LbL deposition parameters, a slurry of steam-exploded wood fibers was modified by alternate adsorption of PDDA and clay with multiple rinsing steps after each adsorption cycle. Zeta potential measurements were used to characterize the fiber surface charges after each adsorption step while SEM images revealed that the LbL film masked the cellulose microfibril structure. Using a thermogravimetric analyzer, LbL modified steam-exploded wood fibers were observed to attain increased thermal stability relative to the unmodified material tested in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. Significant char for the LbL clay coated steam-exploded wood suggests the multilayer film serves as a barrier creating an insulating layer to prevent further decomposition of the material. This nanotechnology may have a positive impact on the processing of lignocellulosic fibers in thermoplastic matrices, designing of paper-based overlays for building products, and modification of cellulosic fibers for textiles.     

Identification of chlorinated sulfur compounds in pulp mill effluents by GC-MS and GC-AED

Summary Three chlorinated dimethyl sulfones and five chlorinated thiophenes have been identified in the alkaline extraction liquor from a bleach plant by gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED) and with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The information on elemental content obtained by GC-AED enabled a rapid screening of the sulfur compounds and provided important structural information complementary to the mass spectral data. Quantitation was accomplished by GC-AED based on universal calibration.     

Anionic groups on cellulosic fiber surfaces investigated by XPS, FTIR-ATR, and different sorption methods

Anionic groups (AGs) on different cellulosic fiber surfaces were investigated by methylene blue (MB) and polyelectrolyte (PE) sorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and total attenuated reflectance infrared spectrometry (FTIR-ATR). The MB sorption isotherms fitted well the Langmuir equation that gave consistent estimations of sorption capacities. FTIR-ATR showed that MB molecules had extensive accessibility to the fiber wall pores. Estimation of surface AGs by PE sorption gave much higher values than a new method combining MB sorption and XPS measurements (MB-XPS). The surface AGs in different cellulosic fibers accounted for 1-3% of the total AG content as revealed by MB-XPS. It was suggested that PE molecules can penetrate the fiber wall and form loops or unattached segments at external fiber surfaces that disrupt the PE sorption stoichiometry. The competition of MB and PE for the anionic sites in papermaking was assessed and it was shown that MB ions have a much stronger affinity to AGs than PE molecules.     

Tying together the ultrastructural modifications of wood fibre induced by pulping processes with the mechanical properties of paper

The composition and ultrastructural arrangement of cell wall polymers in wood fibres have determining influence on the properties of wood derived materials. It is therefore important to improve our understanding of the relationship between fibres organisation, the modifications induced by pulping treatments, and the resulting paper sheet mechanical properties. The different treatments to which fibres are subjected during the manufacturing of pulps and papers induce morphological and micro-structural alterations due to the removal of wall constituents and of microfibrillar elements. The impact of pulping processes on fibres was investigated at the ultrastructural scale of transmission electron microscopy. Particular attention was given to the effects of beating in refiners at various intensities on the ultrastructure of fibres. The most characteristic effects consisted of delaminations, microfibril disorganisation, and even fractures, of varying importance depending on the intensity of the mechanical refining. The consequences of internal alterations and surface modifications of the fibres were examined in relation to the paper sheet mechanical properties. Correlations between the type of alteration observed in the fibres and its possible impact on a given paper mechanical property are suggested. With similar approaches, the effects of drying and recycling were studied.     

Mapping of the cationic starch adsorbed on pulp fibers by ToF-SIMS

Cationic starch (CS) is routinely used in the papermaking process to improve the dry strength or printability of paper. The effectiveness depends on the distribution of the starch on the pulp fiber, and in this study, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to investigate this distribution. The characteristic peak at 58m/z was applied to map the CS. Based on the imaging analysis of the handsheets with the CS as an internal additive, the distribution of CS became more uniform with decreasing freeness. The amount of adsorbed CS increased with increasing fiber length and was lower on vessels than on other fibers. These results were related to fibrillation. From the analysis of handsheets with CS as an external additive, the penetration depth of the starch into base paper increased with decreases in the sizing degree of the base paper.     

The motion of fibres in turbulent flow, stochastic simulation of isotropic homogeneous turbulence

The state of fibres suspended in a turbulent fluid is described in terms of a probability distribution function of fibre orientation and position throughout the suspending fluid. The evolution of the fibre's probability distribution function is governed by a convection–dispersion equation, where the randomizing effect of the turbulence is modelled by rotational and translational dispersion coefficients. To estimate these coefficients a numerical simulation of fibres moving in a turbulent fluid was developed. The trajectory of an ensemble of inertialess, rigid, thin, free-draining fibres was calculated through a stochastic model of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. The results of the simulation were compared with analytical estimates and were found to provide reasonable agreement over a wide range of fibre length. However, the simulation showed that the Lagrangian integral time scale for rotation was significantly smaller than for translation and the ratio of rotational to translational Lagrangian time scales was smaller than the ratio of Eulerian time scales. The simulation also showed that the Lagrangian velocity correlation increased as fibre length increased and that the temporal correlations approached the analytical estimates of the Eulerian correlations in the limit of long fibres.     

CE Determination of Monosaccharides in Pulp Using Indirect Detection and Curve-Fitting

In the present work a capillary electrophoretic method for the analysis of monosaccharides utilizing indirect UV-detection has been developed. Different probes for indirect detection have been assessed using model carbohydrate samples. Background electrolytes with or without addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide have also been evaluated regarding the separation power. Furthermore, a curve-fitting algorithm has been introduced to increase the separation resolution. The optimized method has been used for analysis of monosaccharides from an acidically hydrolyzed pulp sample.     

The role of Carica papaya latex bio-catalyst in recycling of used fibre pulp

Biotechnology-based enzymes are challenging in reducing production costs and presenting environmentally friendly technologies. The study deal with an experimental investigation of the bio-catalyst made of Carica-papaya latex in recycling used fibre pulp in industry. The experiments used a test specimen from 5 g of dry pulp mixed with 150 mL of water and a mixture composition of 3.23%. Other similar experiments applied a bio-catalyst from papaya latex by dipping 6 g of unripe papaya into the water. A heating process of the test material was performed at a temperature of 50 °C to optimise the work of enzymes in the pulping process, and then Carica papaya fruit was removed from the container after 3 min. In addition, the characterisation of test materials in the hand-sheets form was realised in dry conditions. The tests carried out include Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, acidity (pH), turbidity, whiteness, and freeness. The results indicated that the addition of bio-activator in water produces bio-ions (positive and negative), which play a vital role in eroding pulp functional groups, influencing the construction of stalagmite micro valleys, and changing the surface morphology of pulp. The release of Bromide, Iodide, Chloride and Fluoride functional groups causes brightening effects and increases the degree of whiteness, impacting the pre-whitening process. Meanwhile, changes in the stalagmite micro valley and the surface morphology of the pulp cause a bulky effect and ultimately reduce the degree of freeness.