Anaerobic degradation of microcrystalline cellulose: kinetics and micro-scale structure evolution

The degradation kinetics and micro-scale structure change of microcrystalline cellulose during anaerobic biodegradation were investigated. A modified Logistic model was established to properly describe the kinetics, which showed good fitness and wide applicability for cellulose degradation. A maximum degradation rate of 0.14 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved after cultivating for 51.5 h. This result was in good agreement with the scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analysis. Channels of 400-500 nm size started to occur on the crystalline surface of cellulose at around the inflexion time. Accordingly, the crystallinity significantly decreased at this point, indicating a degradation of the crystalline structure zones by anaerobic bacteria. This study offers direct morphological evidence and quantitative analysis of the biodegradation process of cellulose, and is beneficial to a better understanding of the cellulose degradation mechanism.     

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose/Polypropylene Composite Using an Oxidatively Degraded Polypropylene

In this work, an oxidatively degraded polypropylene (DgPP) was studied as a novel coupling agent for fibrous cellulose (FC)/polypropylene (PP) composite. An optimal preparation time of PP thermal oxidative degradation was 18 h at 130 °C, and the DgPP had functional groups such as γ-lactone and acid groups. The spherulite observation of the DgPP suggested miscibility for the undegraded PP. The addition of the DgPP presented the transparency improvement of FC/PP composite, and this behavior was found to be originated from the grafted DgPP, which was produced by the esterification reaction between the of FC and the DgPP. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that the grafted DgPP coated the FC surface, and the tensile strength of the FC/PP composite increased by an appropriate amount of the DgPP addition. These results suggested that the DgPP was suitable for the coupling agent of FC/PP composite.     

氨三乙酸酐改性纤维素对Cd~(2+)的吸附性能

本实验采用氨三乙酸酐改性玉米秸秆纤维素和苎麻纤维素,制备了两种改性纤维素吸附剂NTAA-CS及NTAA-RF,并研究了这两种吸附剂对水中Cd2+的吸附性能.通过元素分析、FTIR及SEM分析发现,纤维材料表面成功引入了氨三乙酸分子中的酯键和氨基基团.在改性纤维素吸附剂投加量为2 g·L-1,Cd2+的初始浓度为200 mg·L-1,p H值为4.0时,NTAA-CS和NTAA-RF对Cd2+的去除率分别为82.6%和90.2%.吸附实验结果表明:改性纤维素吸附剂对Cd2+的吸附是一个快速过程,吸附的最佳p H范围为4.0~7.0.吸附等温线用Langmuir方程的拟合效果优于Freundlich方程.经过5次吸附再生,吸附剂仍可以保持较大的吸附容量.这些结果表明,NTAA-CS和NTAA-RF在去除重金属废水中有较大的应用前景.     

Effects of Smoke Emissions from a Charcoal Kiln on the Functioning of Forest Soil Systems: A Microcosm Study

Long-term charcoal production in small private charcoal kilns (CK) in Eastern Bieszczady Mts. (SE Poland) can cause local smoke contamination of the ambient forest environment. Responses of model soil systems, contaminated or not contaminated by CK smoke, to contrasting combinations of hydrothermic regimes were compared in laboratory microcosms (respiration of soil community, decomposition rate of soil organic matter and cotton stripes, herb seeds germination were studied). The majority of the obtained data show a markedly higher level of soil biological activity in the CK versus the control series. In some cases CK and control soil systems show different patterns of reactions to the tested combinations of microclimate regime. These phenomena should at least partly be attributed to the effects of CK pollution.     

Nanocomposites of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals

Nanocrystals were prepared by acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose microfibrils. These were topochemically trimethylsilylated, in an attempt to reduce their hydrophilicity. Composites were made by dispersing either native or silylated crystals in cellulose acetatebutyrate matrixes and solution casting of the dispersions. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The composites were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The unmodified cellulose crystals exhibited better reinforcement characteristics than the trimethylsilated crystals.     

Glucose production from hydrolysis of cellulose over a novel silica catalyst under hydrothermal conditions

A novel silica catalyst was synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method and tested for the catalytic selective hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. This silica catalyst exhibited a higher catalytic activity than other oxides prepared by the same method, such as ZrO₂, TiO₂, and Al₂O₃. Using silica as a catalyst, cellulose was selectively hydrolyzed into glucose with a glucose yield as high as 50% under hydrothermal conditions without hydrogen gas. The silica catalyst was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD) and textural properties indicated that the synergistic effect between strong acidity and a suitable pore diameter of the silica catalyst may be responsible for its high activity. In addition, the catalyst was recyclable and showed excellent stability during the recycle catalytic runs.     

Process of rice straw degradation and dynamic trend of pH by the microbial community MC1

The process of the rice straw degradation in the fermentor with aeration at 290 ml/h was studied. The results of dissolved oxygen （DO） indicated that the optimum DO during cellulose degradation by microbial community MC1 ranged from 0.01 to 0.12 mg/L. The change model ofpH values was as follows： irrespective of the initial pH of the medium, pH values decreased rapidly to approximate 6.0 after being inoculated within 48 h when cellulose was strongly degraded, and then increased slowly to 8.0--9.0 until cellulose was degraded completely. During the degradation process, 15 kinds of organic compounds were checked out by GC-MS. Most of them were organic acids. Quantity analysis was carried out, and the maximum content compound was ethyl acetate which reached 13.56 g/L on the day 4. The cellulose degradation quantity and ratio analyses showed that less quantity （under batch fermentation conditions） and longer interval （under semi-fermentation conditions） of rice straw added to fermentation system were contributed to matching the change model of pH, and increasing the quantity and ratio of rice straw degradation during cellulose degrading process. The highest degradation ratio was observed under the condition office straw added one time every five days （under semi-fermentation conditions）.     

固相餐厨垃圾厌氧发酵特性

为了研究固相餐厨垃圾厌氧发酵产甲烷特性,对固相餐厨垃圾进行批式厌氧发酵实验,主要考察了pH、VFA、COD以及纤维素酶活的变化情况,并运用修正Gompertz模型对其产气模型进行动力学拟合.实验结果表明,缓冲溶液的添加可明显促进厌氧发酵产甲烷.在添加缓冲溶液条件下,污泥与餐厨垃圾比例为2∶1,1∶1,2∶3和1∶2时,餐厨垃圾都能很好地进行厌氧发酵产甲烷,最大产甲烷产量分别为594.66、449.74、392.93和333.36 mL/g TS.采用修正Gompertz模型分别对2∶1、1∶1、2∶3和1∶2实验组产甲烷曲线进行拟合,得到产甲烷潜力分别为567.57、437.89、381.12和305.60 mL/g TS,最大产甲烷速率分别为89.38、59.81、47.26和25.80 mL/(d·g VS).对厌氧发酵过程中纤维素酶活的变化进行了研究,结果表明,CMC酶活性在提高餐厨垃圾厌氧发酵过程中纤维素的降解起重要作用.     

还田秸秆配施外源纤维素酶效应研究

为探求促进秸秆降解的新途径,采用室内培养法研究了外源纤维素酶对秸秆降解速率及土壤速效养分的影响。结果表明,整个培养期内,小麦秸秆,玉米秸秆加酶处理与不加酶处理降解率都存在极显著差异(p<0.01),到培养结束时小麦秸秆加酶处理降解率高出不加酶处理7.10%～11.86%,玉米秸秆高出8.01%～14.04%;整个培养期内,小麦秸秆,玉米秸秆加酶处理与不加酶处理间土壤速效氮、磷、钾含量都存在极显著差异(p<0.01),培养结束时,小麦秸秆最优处理速效氮、磷、钾含量高出对照4.15mg·kg-1,3.60mg·kg-1,32.35mg·kg-1,玉米秸秆高出6.50mg·kg-1,4.27mg·kg-1,47.97mg·kg-1。结果说明添加外源纤维素酶能够提高秸秆降解速率,促进秸秆养分矿化。