Chromatographic characterization of thermally upgraded products from alternative fuels

An overview is presented of the analytical approaches developed by our research group over the last ten years for analysis of alternative fuel, both biomass and fossil. The alternative fuels are analyzed successively by PLC-8 (preparative liquid chromatography–group-type) fractionation and high resolution gas chromatography. Some of the possibilities for fractionation and characterization of alternative fuels are herein exemplified with sugar cane bagasse pyrolysis products.     

Ethanol/water pulp enzymatic pretreatment: Chemical and FTIR-PCA analyses

Pulps obtained from ethanol/water cooking of sugarcane bagasse were treated at different times using xylanase enzyme obtained from Thermomyces lanuginosus IOC-4145 or commercially (Cartazyme HS, Sandoz Products Ltd.). The enzyme dosage was 18 IU per g of dry pulp and the time varied from 4 h to 12 h. When xylanase from T. lanuginosus was used, the kappa number and viscosity improved independently of the processing time used (4 h, 8 h, and 12 h). After chemical evaluation, the obtained pulps were classified using Fourier Transformed Infra-Red Spectroscopy and Principal Component Analysis. The results showed that the first three principal components explained more than 90 % of the total variance of the pulp spectra.     

Maximizing the xylitol production from sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate by controlling the aeration rate

Batch fermentations of sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate treated for removing the inhibitors of the fermentation were performed byCandida guilliermondii FTI20037 for xylitol production. The fermentative parameters agitation and aeration rate were studied aiming the maximization of xylitol production from this agroindustrial residue. The maximal xylitol volumetric productivity (0.87 g/L h) and yield (0.67 g/g) were attained at 400/min and 0.45 v.v.m. (K_La 27/h). According to the results, a suitable control of the oxygen input permitting the xylitol formation from sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate is required for the development of an efficient fermentation process for large-scale applications.     

Enzymatic bleaching of organosolv sugarcane bagasse pulps with recombinant xylanase of the fungus Humicola grisea and with commercial cartazyme HS xylanase

Organosolv (ethanol/water and acetosolv) pulps were treated with Humicola grisea var. thermoidea and compared with Cartazyme HS xylanase-treated pulp. The ethanol/water pulps treated with H. grisea had the same viscosity as unbleached pulps (8 cP). Ethanol/water pulps treated with Cartazyme had higher viscosity than H. grisea-treated pulps (12 cP). Acetosolv pulps treated with H. grisea and Cartazyme presented a reduction in viscosity; however, the pulps treated with H. grisea had a lower reduction in viscosity than Cartazyme-treated pulps. Ethanol/water pulps treated with H. grisea had a 23% reduction in kappa number in 4 and 8 h of treatment, compared with the unbleached pulps. Cartazyme-treated pulps had a kappa number similar to that of the control pulps for 4 h of treatment. Extending the treatment time to 12 h resulted in a reduction of 33%. The acetosolv pulp treated with H. grisea had a kappa number reduced to 23% in 4 h. Cartazyme treatment resulted in a reduction of 55 and 44% in kappa number for 4 and 8 h of treatment, respectively, when compared with control pulp. Extending the treatment time to 12 h decreased the kappa number 72%. Fourier transform infrared spectra and principal component analysis showed differences among unbleached, H. grisea-treated, and Cartazyme-treated pulps.     

Cassava flour wastewater as a substrate for biosurfactant production

Five cassava flour wastewater (manipueira) preparations were tested as culture media for biosurfactant production by a wild-type Bacillus sp. isolate. No-solids (F), no-solids diluted (F/2), natural (I), natural diluted (I/2), and decanted (IPS) were the tested manipueira media. The microorganism was able to grow and to produce biosurfactant on all manipueira preparations. The media whose solids were removed (F and F/2) showed better results than preparations with the presence of solids (I, I/2, and IPS). No-solids medium (F) showed a surface tension of 26,59 mN/m and reciprocal of critical micelle concentration of over 100 and was selected as a potential substrate for biosurfactant production.     

Development of a bionematicide with Paecilomyces lilacinus to control Meloidogyne incognita

Root-knot disease caused by Meloidogyne incognita is a matter of grave concern because it affects several economically important crop plants. The use of solid-state fermentation (SSF) may help to elaborate efficient formulations with fungi to be employed in the biologic control of nematodes. Attempts were made to select low-cost substrates for spore production of a strain of Paecilomyces lilacinus with known nematicide capacity. Coffee husks, cassava bagasse, and defatted soybean cake were utilized as substrates, and sugarcane bagasse was used as support. Fermentations were carried out in flasks covered with filter paper at 28°C for 10 d. The products obtained by SSF were evaluated for their nematicide activity in pot experiments containing one seedling of the plant Coleus inoculated with the nematode M. incognita. The plants were evaluated 2 mo after inoculation. Fermented products showed a reduction in the number of nematodes. The best results were obtained with defatted soybean cake, which showed almost 100% reduction in the number of nematodes; the reduction with coffee husk was 80% and with cassava bagasse was about 60%.     

Optimization of acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and investigations on its fermentability for the production of xylitol by Candida guilliermondii

The dilute-acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was optimized using a statistical experimental design resulting in hydrolysates containing 57.25 g/L of xylose, which were fermented with a high inoculum concentration (10 g/L of the yeast Candida guilliermondii IM/UFRJ 50088). The addition of urea reduced the time of conversion (t _C) to 75 h (without nitrogen source addition t _C>127 h), and, consequently, improving the rates of xylitol bioproduction. Fermentator experiments, using the optimized conditions, resulted in enhanced conversion rates, reducing t _C to 30 h. The stability of the yeast in the hydrolysate was also verified in a 480-h cultivation.     

Structural and thermal characterization of sugarcane bagasse phthalates prepared with ultrasound irradiation

Chemical modification of sugarcane bagasse was achieved by esterification with phthalic anhydride in pyridine after ultrasound irradiation. The parameters including ultrasonic irradiation time 0-40 min, phthalic anhydride dosage 2.5-7.5 g, reaction time 30-150 min, and reaction temperature 80-115 °C were optimised and the extent of phthalation was measured by weight percent gain. It was found that degradation of the cell wall polymers occurred at higher temperature (>90 °C) under the experimental conditions used.FT-IR and CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy studies also clearly produced evidence for phthalation reaction. The phthalated bagasse preparations showed decreased thermal stability after chemical modification.     

季铵型阳离子蔗渣纤维素对甘蔗清汁的澄清研究

利用新型的季铵型阳离子蔗渣纤维素作为澄清剂,对甘蔗清汁进行吸附脱色研究.本实验在单因素试验结果的基础上,分别选取纯度提高率和色值降低率作为考查指标,利用SPSS软件进行正交试验的设计和数据分析.通过最佳工艺参数的优化试验,得出如下结论:反应温度为80℃、蔗汁中阳离子蔗渣纤维素复合物的加入量为0.4g/100mL甘蔗清汁、接触时间为40min、pH值8.     

蔗渣纤维素黄原酸酯的制备及稳定性研究

以甘蔗渣为原材料,于20％(wt)的NaOH溶液中碱化24 h,在碱性条件下加入用量为0.5 mL/g的CS2,在30℃反应2.5 h,合成了蔗渣纤维素黄原酸酯(BCX)；并对其合成条件进行了优化,对其处理重金属离子的效果进行了评价.研究结果表明,BCX对重金属废水中的Ni2+、Cu2+、Zn2+、pb2+的去除率均在...