Preparation of biochar catalyst with saccharide and lignocellulose residues of corncob degradation for corncob hydrolysis into furfural

This paper presented a novel process for production of furfural by hydrothermal degradation of corncob over biochar catalyst, in which it was prepared with the recycling degradation solution and lignocellulosic solid residues. The biochar catalyst was papered by lignocellulose residues and concentrated saccharide solution, and then impregnated in 0.5 mol/L sulphuric acid at room temperature for 24 h assisted by the ultrasonic vibration. In the system of recycling, 8.8 % lignocellulose residues and 100 % concentrated saccharide solution from corncob hydrolysis have been recycled. Hydrolysis of corncob was carried out at 180 °C for duration of 170 min over the biochar catalyst. The experimental results have shown that the furfural yield of up to 37.75 % and overall corncob conversion rate of 62.00 % could be achieved under optimum operating conditions for the catalysts preparation and the corncob hydrolysis. It is believed that the acid density of 4.27 mmol/g of biochar catalyst makes the SO₃H groups cleave β-1,4 glycosidic linkages effectively and hydrolyze the cellulose and hemicellulose to water-soluble sugars, as well as to facilitate dehydration of xylose to give the product of furfural.     

Hydrolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sasa senanensis</Emphasis> culm with dilute sulfuric acid for production of a fermentable substrate

To prepare a substrate for microbial conversion of xylose into xylitol, the culm of Sasa senanensis was hydrolyzed with dilute sulfuric acid. When the reaction temperature was fixed at 121°C, an optimum yield of xylose was obtained by treatment with 2% sulfuric acid for 1 h. An increase in the sulfuric acid concentration or a prolonged reaction time resulted in a decrease in the xylose yield. A fermentable substrate with a relatively high xylose concentration (36.7 g l⁻¹) was obtained by hydrolysis with 2% sulfuric acid with a liquid-to-solid ratio of 5 g g⁻¹. During hydrolysis at elevated temperatures, certain undesired byproducts were also generated, such as degradation products of solubilized sugars and lignin, which are potential inhibitors of microbial metabolism. These compounds were, however, successfully removed from the hydrolysate by treatment with activated char.     

Enzymatic pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes to improve biogas production

The effect of enzymatic pretreatment of sugar beet pulp and spent hops prior to methane fermentation was determined in this study. These industrial residues were subjected to enzymatic digestion before anaerobic fermentation because of high fiber content (of 85.1% dry matter (DM) and 57.7% DM in sugar beet pulp and spent hops, respectively). Their 24h hydrolysis with a mix of enzymatic preparations Celustar XL and Agropect pomace (3:1, v/v), with endoglucanase, xylanase and pectinase activities, was most effective. Reducing sugars concentrations in hydrolysates of sugar beet pulp and spent hops were by 88.9% and 59.4% higher compared to undigested materials. The highest yield of biogas was obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysate of sugar beet pulp (183.39 mL/d from 1g COD at fermenter loading with organic matter of 5.43 g COD/L × d). Fermentation of sugar beet pulp gave 19% less biogas. Methane fermentation of spent hops hydrolysate yielded 121.47 mL/d biogas from 1g COD (at 6.02 g COD/L × d, 13% more than from spent hops). These results provide evidence that suitable enzymatic pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes improve biogas yield from anaerobic fermentation.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of tannery waste water and tannery solid waste using two-stage anaerobic sequencing batch reactor: focus on performances of methanogenic step

In this study, anaerobic co-digestion of the tannery waste water (TWW) and tannery solid waste (TSW) with four TWW to TSW mixing ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75) was carried out using semi-continuous two-phase anaerobic sequencing batch reactor system under mesophilic temperature (38?±?2 °C). During the experimental study, effluents resulted from previously optimized acidogenic reactors were used to feed subsequent methanogenic reactors and then operated at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20, 15 and 10 days and equivalent organic loading rate. The findings revealed that methanogenic reactor of 50:50 (TWW:TSW) treating the effluent from previously optimized acidogenic step exhibits best process performances in terms of daily biogas (415 ml/day), methane production (251 ml/day), methane content (60.5%) and COD removal efficiency (75%) when operated at HRT of 20 days. Process stability of methanogenic step also evaluated and the obtained results showed suitable pH (6.8), no VFA accumulation, i.e., VFA/Alkalinity (0.305), alkalinity (3210 mgCaCO₃/l) and ammonia (246 mg/l with in optimum operating range). In general, improved process stability as well as performance was achieved during anaerobic co-digestion of TWW with TSW compared to mono-digestion of TWW.     

Optimization of thermo-chemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of kitchen wastes

The use of abundant waste materials with high carbohydrate content may contribute substantially to reduction of biofuels production cost. The present study aimed at optimizing the combined effect of thermo-chemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of kitchen wastes (KW) for maximizing the production of fermentable soluble sugars. To this end, acid pretreatment of KW samples was performed with hydrochloric acid (0–3% HCl) at 30–100 °C for 0–120 min treatment time. Alternatively, alkaline pretreatment of KW samples was performed with potassium hydroxide solution (0–11%) at constant temperature and time (0 °C and 20 min, respectively). KOH pretreatment at such conditions targets to degrade the resistant starch of KW samples. Both acid and alkaline pretreatments were followed by addition of variable levels of enzyme dosage (0–3.6% v/v α-amylase and 0–3.2% v/v amyloglucosidase-AMG) at constant pH, temperature and time (pH = 5, T = 50 °C and t = 30 min, respectively). Based on our results, glucose concentration increased by ～300% after pretreatment with either acid or KOH in combination with enzymatic hydrolysis (2% HCl, 85 °C, 80 min, 0.1% α-amylase, AMG, and 1% KOH, 0 °C, 20 min, 1.1% α-amylase, 0.4% AMG) compared to raw (untreated) KW. Estimating the different Y_G yields at KW loading of 5%, an increase of 192% and 121% for total soluble monosugars and total soluble sugars, respectively, was succeeded compared to untreated KW. The effect of solids loading on the obtained sugar yields using the optimum conditions for thermo-chemical pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis was also tested resulting to 27.5% increase of the soluble glucose yield when half of the solids loading (2.5%) was used. A decrease of total soluble sugars yield by 32.2% was observed when solely acid hydrolysis at optimum conditions from our previous study was applied at 30% solids loading.     

Non-sterile simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of corn leaves and stalks to <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acid without external nutrient addition

Fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass requires auxiliary materials, including nutrients, to ensure the proliferation of microorganisms. Nutrients are usually inexpensive, but their contribution to the cost is considerable because of the very low prices of fermentation products, such as bio-ethanol. Using substances present in native lignocellulosic biomass as nutrients for fermentation was proposed and demonstrated. Leaves and stalks of corn plants were used as biomass, and nutrients were recovered as a nutrient solution by soaking them in water before alkaline peroxide pretreatment. Pretreated biomass and the nutrient solution derived from the same lot were used for non-sterile simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and thermophilic l-lactic acid fermentation (SSF). Using the nutrient solution in the saccharification step did not impact sugar recovery, and instead improved sugar yields because of the presence of eluted sugars in the solution. The l-lactic acid yield of 0.33 g g^?1 based on native biomass weight indicated that the nutrient solution functioned as a source of nutrients and sugars, especially as a source of essential phosphorus. Comparatively, autoclaved SSF yielded less or no l-lactic acid, indicating an apparent inhibitive effect derived from the nutrient solution on bacterial growth.     

Kinetic modeling of enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated kitchen wastes for enhancing bioethanol production

It is well known that use of low cost and abundant waste materials in microbial fermentations can reduce product costs. Kitchen wastes disposed of in large amounts from cafeterias, restaurants, dining halls, food processing plants, and household kitchens contain high amounts of carbohydrate components such as glucose, starch, and cellulose. Efficient utilization of these sugars is another opportunity to reduce ethanol costs. In this study, the effect of pretreatment methods (hot water, acid solutions, and a control) on enzymatic hydrolysis of kitchen wastes was evaluated using a kinetic modeling approach. Fermentation experiments conducted with and without traditional fermentation nutrients were assessed at constant conditions of pH 4.5 and temperature of 30 °C for 48 h using commercial dry baker’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The control, which involved no treatment, and hot water treated samples gave close glucose concentrations after 6 h. The highest and lowest rates of glucose production were found as 0.644 and 0.128 (h^?1) for the control (or no-pretreated (NPT)) and 1% acid solutions, respectively. The fermentation results indicated that final ethanol concentrations are not significantly improved by adding nutrients (17.2–23.3 g/L). Thus, it was concluded that product cost can be lowered to a large extent if (1) kitchen wastes are used as a substrate, (2) no fermentation nutrient is used, and (3) hydrolysis time is applied for about 6 h. Further optimization study is needed to increase the yield to higher levels.     

Regulating the hydrolysis of organic wastes by micro-aeration and effluent recirculation

In this study, the effects of micro-aeration and liquid recirculation on the hydrolysis of vegetable and flower wastes during two-phase solid–liquid anaerobic digestion were assessed. To accomplish this, we evaluated the hydrolysis of five batches of waste that were treated under the following conditions: anaerobic, insufficient micro-aeration (aeration for 5 min every 24 h), and sufficient micro-aeration (aeration for 5 min every 12, 4 and 1 h). Hydrolysis was found to depend on the level of micro-aeration. Specifically, insufficient micro-aeration led to unstable and decreased performance. Conversely, sufficient micro-aeration promoted the hydrolysis of easily biodegradable carbohydrates and proteins, but the microbial activity was later impaired by liquid recirculation using methanogenic effluent. The hydrolysis efficiency under anaerobic conditions was comparable to the efficiency observed under sufficient micro-aeration, while the cumulative TOC of the anaerobic batch was 1.4–2.4 times higher than that of the micro-aerated batches. In addition, liquid recirculation did not have a negative effect on the development of microbial activity under anaerobic conditions, which resulted in the lignocelluloses having a higher hydrolysis efficiency.     

Optimization of micro-aeration intensity in acidogenic reactor of a two-phase anaerobic digester treating food waste

Micro-aeration is known to promote the activities of hydrolytic exo-enzymes and used as a strategy to improve the hydrolysis of particulate substrate. The effect of different micro-aeration rates, 0, 129, 258, and 387 L-air/kg TS/d (denoted as LBR-AN, LBR-6h, LBR-3h and LBR-2h, respectively) on the solubilization of food waste was evaluated at 35 °C in four leach bed reactors (LBR) coupled with methanogenic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Results indicate that the intensity of micro-aeration influenced the hydrolysis and methane yield. Adequate micro-aeration intensity in LBR-3h and LBR-2h significantly enhanced the carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis by 21–27% and 38–64% respectively. Due to the accelerated acidogenesis, more than 3-fold of acetic acid and butyric acid were produced in LBR-3h as compared to the anaerobic treatment LBR-AN resulting in the maximum methane yield of 0.27 L CH₄/g VS_added in the UASB. The performance of LBR-6h with inadequate aeration was similar to that of LBR-AN with a comparable hydrolysis degree. Nevertheless, higher aeration intensity in LBR-2h was also unfavorable for methane yield due to significant biomass generation and CO₂ respiration of up to 18.5% and 32.8% of the total soluble hydrolysate, respectively. To conclude, appropriate micro-aeration rate can promote the hydrolysis of solid organic waste and methane yield without undesirable carbon loss and an aeration intensity of 258 L-air/kg TS/d is recommended for acidogenic LBR treating food waste.     

Influence of composition on the biomethanation potential of restaurant waste at mesophilic temperatures

A synthetic waste was used to study the effect of waste composition on anaerobic degradation of restaurant waste. It was made by blending melted pork lard, white cabbage, chicken breast, and potato flakes, to simulate lipids, cellulose, protein, and carbohydrates, respectively. Four blends of the four constituents with an excess of each component were assayed and compared with a fifth blend containing an equal amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of each of the four components. The methane production and the time course of soluble COD and volatile fatty acids were assessed in batch assays. A high reduction of volatile solids (between 94% and 99.6%) was obtained in all the assays. The methane yield was between 0.40 m(3) CH(4)/kg VS(initial) (excess of carbohydrates) and 0.49 m(3) CH(4)/kg VS(initial) (excess of lipids). The degradation of the lipid-rich assays differed from the others. Fifty percent of the biochemical methane potential was obtained after 3-6 days for all of the assays, except for the one with excess of lipids which achieved 50% methanation only after 14.7 days of incubation. In the assay with excess of lipids, a considerable fraction of COD remained in the liquid phase, suggesting an inhibition of the methanogenic process that was likely due to the accumulation of long chain fatty acids. The hydrolysis rate constants, assuming first order kinetics, over the first 6 days were between 0.12d(-1) (excess of lipids) and 0.32 d(-1) (excess of carbohydrates). The results indicate that anaerobic digestion facilities with large variations in lipid input could have significant changes in process performance that merit further examination.     

Investigation into the effect of high concentrations of volatile fatty acids in anaerobic digestion on methanogenic communities

A study was conducted to determine whether differences in the levels of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in anaerobic digester plants could result in variations in the indigenous methanogenic communities. Two digesters (one operated under mesophilic conditions, the other under thermophilic conditions) were monitored, and sampled at points where VFA levels were high, as well as when VFA levels were low. Physical and chemical parameters were measured, and the methanogenic diversity was screened using the phylogenetic microarray ANAEROCHIP. In addition, real-time PCR was used to quantify the presence of the different methanogenic genera in the sludge samples. Array results indicated that the archaeal communities in the different reactors were stable, and that changes in the VFA levels of the anaerobic digesters did not greatly alter the dominating methanogenic organisms. In contrast, the two digesters were found to harbour different dominating methanogenic communities, which appeared to remain stable over time. Real-time PCR results were inline with those of microarray analysis indicating only minimal changes in methanogen numbers during periods of high VFAs, however, revealed a greater diversity in methanogens than found with the array.     

Biotransformation of explosive-grade nitrocellulose under denitrifying and sulfidogenic conditions

Waste nitrocellulose (NC) is regulated as a hazardous material. The objective of this study was to determine if NC exposed to denitrifying and sulfidogenic conditions would undergo sufficient removal of the nitro groups to yield a material that is no longer explosive. Enrichment cultures were established with methanol as the electron donor for nitrate-reducing conditions and lactate for sulfate-reducing conditions. NC was added to the cultures at 10 g/l. A statistically significant decrease in the nitrogen (N) content of NC occurred in both enrichment cultures, from approximately 13.1-13.2% in virgin NC to 12.2-12.4%. This was accompanied by an increase in nitrogen gas formation. The presence of a primary substrate (methanol and lactate) was necessary to affect this change; NC itself did not serve as an electron donor. In cultures that were carrying out denitrification but were then depleted of nitrate, with methanol still present, a slightly greater removal of nitro groups from NC occurred along with additional formation of nitrogen gas. NC did not have an inhibitory affect on the denitrification process but it did significantly slow the rate of lactate consumption and sulfate reduction. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicated that NC exposed to denitrifying conditions was enriched in hydroxyl groups, consistent with removal of some of the nitro groups by hydrolysis of the nitrate esters. NC exposed to nitrate- and sulfate-reducing conditions and virgin NC were also compared based on their explosive properties using a small-scale burning test. The biologically treated NC exhibited somewhat less reactivity, but was still rated as explosive. The decrease in%N, increase in N2, and FTIR results demonstrated that NC does undergo biotransformation in the presence of nitrate- and sulfate-reducing enrichment cultures, but the extent of denitration does not appear to be adequate to yield a nonhazardous product.     

Kinetics and dynamic modelling of batch anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste in a stirred reactor

A series of batch, slurry anaerobic digestion experiments were performed where the soluble and insoluble fractions, and unwashed MSW were separately digested in a 200l stirred stainless steel vessel at a pH of 7.2 and a temperature of 38 degrees C. It was found that 7% of the total MSW COD was readily soluble, of which 80% was converted to biogas; 50% of the insoluble fraction was solubilised, of this only 80% was converted to biogas. The rate of digesting the insoluble fraction was about four times slower than the rate of digesting the soluble fraction; 48% of the total COD was converted to biogas and 40% of the total nitrogen was converted to ammonia. Soluble and insoluble fractions were broken down simultaneously. The minimum time to convert 95% of the degradable fraction to biogas was 20 days. The lag phase for the degradation of insoluble fraction of MSW can be overcome by acclimatising the culture with the soluble fraction. The rate of digestion and the methane yield was not affected by particle size (within the range of 2-50mm). A dynamic model was developed to describe batch digestion of MSW. The parameters of the model were estimated using data from the separate digestion of soluble and insoluble fractions and validated against data from the digestion of unwashed MSW. Trends in the specific aceticlastic and formate-utilising methanogenic activity were used to estimate initial methanogenic biomass concentration and bacterial death rate coefficient. The kinetics of hydrolysis of insoluble fraction could be adequately described by a Contois equation and the kinetics of acidogenesis, and aceticlastic and hydrogen utilising methanogenesis by Monod equations.     

Effect of inoculum to substrate ratio (I/S) on municipal solid waste anaerobic degradation kinetics and potential

The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of the inoculum to substrate ratio (I/S) on the anaerobic degradation potential of municipal solid waste (MSW). Reconstituted MSW samples were thus incubated under batch anaerobic conditions and inoculated with an increasing amount of inoculum originating from a mesophilic sludge digester. I/S tested values were 0 (no inoculum added), 0.015, 0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.25, 1, 2 and 4 (gVM_inoculum/gVM_waste). The results indicate that the apparent maximal rate of dissolved organic carbon accumulation is reached at I/S = 0.12. Under this level, the hydrolysis process is limited by the concentration of biomass and can thus be described as first order kinetics phenomena with respect to biomass for I/S ratios below 0.12. The maximum methane production rate and the minimal latency are reached at a ratio of 2. In addition to that, both methane signature and ARISA show a shift in the methanogenic populations from hydrogenotrophic to acetoclastic.     

生物滴滤塔处理甲苯废气

分别以生物陶粒和聚氨酯泡沫为生物滴滤塔填料，对甲苯废气进行处理，考察不同生物滴滤塔挂膜启动时间以及气体流量和甲苯质量浓度条件下生物滴滤塔对甲苯废气的去除效果。实验结果表明：生物陶粒为填料的生物滴滤塔所需要的挂膜启动时间更短；在气体流量为450L/h时，以生物陶粒为填料的生物滴滤塔甲苯去除率稳定在72%左右，聚氨酯泡沫为填料时甲苯去除率稳定在65%左右。以聚氨酯泡沫为填料时，随甲苯质量浓度提高，甲苯去除率下降幅度较小，甲苯质量浓度为1.80g/m3时，甲苯去除率仍在72%以上。     

Enhanced methane production from ultrasound pre-treated and hygienized dairy cattle slurry

The effect of hygienization (70 °C, 60 min) and ultrasound (6000 ± 500 kJ/kg total solids (TS)) pre-treatments on hydrolysis and biological methane (CH(4)) potential (BMP) of dairy cattle slurry was studied. The BMP of the untreated slurry (control) was 210 ± 10 Nm(3) CH(4)/ton volatile solids (VS) added; after ultrasound pre-treatment it was 250 ± 10 Nm(3) CH(4)/ton VS(added) and after hygienization 280 ± 20 Nm(3) CH(4)/ton VS(added). The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of the inoculum increased from 22 (untreated) to 26 (ultrasound treated) and up to 28 N ml CH(4)/g VS d, after hygienization. However, only hygienization achieved a positive net energy balance. Both pre-treatments increased the VS-based hydrolysis of slurry (10-96%), soluble nitrogen (N(sol)) content in digestates (20 ± 5%) and biodegradability of the slurry (8 ± 3%) as estimated via elevated VS removal.     

Report: anaerobic digestion of a sulphate-rich high-strength landfill leachate: the effect of differential dosing with FeCl3.

The effect of different dose concentrations of FeCl3 on the performance of a mesophilic anaerobic digester treating a highly alkaline, high-strength and sulphate-rich landfill leachate was tested. The results indicated that sulphate reduction was the predominant reaction and methanogenic processes were entirely inhibited in the reactor without FeCl3 addition. Adding FeCl3 into the reactor restored some methanogenic activity and also improved the rates of sulphate reduction. A combination of sulphate reduction and methanogenic activity resulted in up to 75% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and 85% sulphate removal. Sulphate reduction remained the principle mechanism by which COD removal took place with a methane yield of only between 0.14 and 0.18 m3 CH4 kg(-1) COD removed being achieved. The process was, however, stable and offered advantages for the further treatment or conveyance of the anaerobically treated leachate.     

Mechanical and Physical Properties of Green Biocomposite Based on Medium Density Fiberboard Sanding Powder/Polyethylene/Nanoclay

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) sanding powder is an industrial waste that has not been yet used as a raw material to produce composites. In this study, the influence of nanoclay particles on the flexural and impact strengths and the withdrawal strength of green biocomposites (based on MDF sanding powder/polyethylene/nanoclay) were investigated. For this aim, medium density fiberboard sanding dust and polyethylene were used as the lignocellulosic and thermoplastic material, respectively. In addition, maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene was used in three weight percentages (0, 3 and 6 %) as a coupling agent and compatibilizer, and Cloisite^®15A was used in four weight percentages (0, 2, 4 and 6 %). To prepare samples, wood-plastic granules were produced by using a twin-screw extruder followed by the hot pressing method. The mechanical and physical properties were measured according to the CEN/TS15534:2007 and ASTM-D256 technical specifications. The results showed that the coupling agent improved the mechanical and physical properties of biocomposites; however, its effect might be affected by the nanoclay particles. Furthermore, the ultrastructure of the biocomposites was surveyed with SEM.     

丙烯腈生产废水中聚合物的资源化利用

以丙烯腈生产废水中的丙烯腈低聚物为原料制备聚丙烯酰胺。通过正交实验考察了水解反应条件和交联反应条件对反应的影响。FTIR表征结果显示,丙烯腈低聚物中的氰基已完全水解为酰胺基,产物聚丙烯酰胺中含有酰胺基和羧基。实验结果表明,在自来水加入量100 m L、水解反应温度95℃、m(Na OH)∶m(丙烯腈低聚物)=2.0、水解反应时间3 h的最佳水解反应条件,交联反应温度60℃、质量分数37%~40%的甲醛加入量6 m L、交联反应时间2 h的最佳交联反应条件下,处理20 g丙烯腈低聚物,可得到产物聚丙烯酰胺14.50 g,聚丙烯酰胺的水解度为21.1%、相对分子质量为2.7×106。产品性能满足Q/SH 0046—2007《钻井液用聚丙烯酰胺技术要求》中部分水解聚丙烯酰胺的性能要求。     

二级膜分离—冷凝—吸附工艺处理石化罐区废气

采用二级膜分离—冷凝—变压吸附工艺回收处理含有高浓度挥发性有机物和苯系物的炼厂罐区外排“呼吸气”。结果表明,进气的非甲烷总烃质量浓度范围41 000~182 000 mg/m³,进气中苯、甲苯和二甲苯的质量浓度分别为400~1 400 mg/m³,150~1 600 mg/m³,300~2 100 mg/m³时,尾气中非甲烷总烃质量浓度始终低于80 mg/m³,去除率均高于99.9%,苯、甲苯和二甲苯的去除率分别为99.6%、99.6%和99.8%。抗冲击负荷实验将进气量提高50%,尾气中非甲烷总烃质量浓度仍低于80 mg/m³。二级膜单元可以高效浓缩轻烃,既回收获得可燃气,又解决了轻烃积累所造成的尾气超标难题。