A high performance fermentation process for the continuous production of citric acid from sugarcane molasses by using the combination of submerged calcium alginate-immobilized and surface-stabilized cultures of Aspergillus niger KCU 520 in a continuous flow horizontal bioreactor is described. The citric acid productivity was dependent on the dilution rate with an optimum value of 0.015/h. Presaturation of fermentation medium with sterile air, in addition to surface aeration, before feeding into the bioreactor enhanced the citric acid productivity. The highest productivity, citric acid product concentration and yield obtained were 1.7 kg M(-3)h(-1), 110kg M(-3) and 91\% respectively. The cultures were continuously used for 30 days without any apparent loss in citric acid productivity.
Large amounts of residues generated by agricultural, urban and industrial activities are dumped daily on the soil. This practice deserves special attention because it causes serious environmental problems. This study evaluated the toxic potential of the sugarcane vinasse, a by-product of the sugar-alcohol industry, and the biosolid, a residue produced by wastewater treatment plants, both widely used as fertilizers. The evaluation was performed through bioassays using a typical soil bioindicator, the diplopod Rhinocricus padbergi. The specimens were exposed to soils containing these residues in concentrations that are compatible with the Brazilian regulation for agricultural use. Semi-quantitative immunolabelling analyses of the stress protein HSP70 were performed on the midgut of the studied diplopods. There was a significant increase in the immunolabelling of HSP70 proteins as a response to xenobiotics from both residues, particularly in regions where the function of the cells is the detoxification of the organ (e.g. the hepatic cell layer and specific regions of the epithelium). Higher immunolabelling was observed in the specimens exposed to vinasse in comparison with the biosolid exposure. This demonstrates that the substances in the tested residues had proteotoxic action in the exposed animals and induced a cytoprotective response, which led to higher stress protein immunolabelling. Therefore, caution is needed for the use of such residues in agriculture.
This present study introduces a contemporary innovation of synthesized polymer-silver nanoparticle nanocomposite adsorbent based on sugarcane bagasse (AgNP-SB-beta CD) for the sequestration of emerging micropollutant-bisphenol A from water matrix. Batch adsorption mode was carried out to assess the effectiveness of AgNP-SB-beta CD nanocomposites towards eliminating bisphenol A (BPA). Characterization techniques including SEM, FTIR, and XRD have confirmed the successful incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto bagasse-polymer. At 25 degrees C, pH 7, and contact time of 120 min, the nanocomposites had a maximum uptake capacity of 158.4 mg g(-1)on BPA. The equilibrium isotherm of BPA on AgNPs-SB-beta CD has fitted effectively with Langmuir model while the adsorption kinetics conformed to pseudo-second order. The adsorption phenomenon was controlled mainly by physisorption (via host-guest inclusion van der Waals bonding and pore filling effect). In addition, oxidative degradation of BPA by AgNPs-SB-beta CD could marginally contribute the removal of BPA due to oxidative dissolution of AgNPs at pH 7. The thermodynamic results substantiate the spontaneity and exothermic behaviors of the adsorption phenomenon. The polymeric nanocomposite adsorbent was regenerated five times (using 75\% ethanol) without considerable loss of its adsorption capacity. This authenticates its reusability and consistency performances; accordingly, it can be a market competitor adsorbent for the treatment of water contaminated with BPA.
Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) substrates with different chemical compositions were prepared by different pretreatments including dilute acid (DA), acidic sodium chlorite (ASC), alkali solution (AS), and alkali hydrogen peroxide (AHP). The compositions and chemical structures of pretreated SCB were characterized by HPLC, FTIR, XRD, and SEM. The addition of xylanase can significantly boost cellulase to hydrolyze cellulose and xylan especially for AS and AHP treated substrates. The obvious linear relationships between lignin removal and substrate digestibility were observed. ASC treated substrates obtained the highest digestibility (98.87\%) of cellulose due to sufficiently removing lignin from SCB, whereas AHP treated substrates achieved the highest digestibility (84.61\%) of xylan by cleaving the acetyl group on xylan and extending delignification. It was found that the synergistic effects between cellulase and xylanase were substrate and time specific. The better degree of synergy for the sugar production was in the initial hydrolysis stage but decreased in the later hydrolysis stage.
High activity and stability are essential for (hemi)cellulolytic enzymes used in biomass conversion, while non-productive binding of cellulases to lignin reduces saccharification efficiency and needs to be avoided. One potential strategy is the addition of inexpensive metal ions. This paper describes the influence of divalent metal ions on the activity, thermostability, and saccharification efficiency of (hemi)cellulolytic enzymes produced in-house by Aspergillus niger under solid-state fermentation (SSF). The use of Mn2+ provided the best (hemi)cellulolytic activity and stability, with an increase in endoglucanase activity of up to 57\%. The use of Mn2+ was then investigated in the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse submitted to acid, steam-explosion, and hydrothermal pretreatments. The addition of Mn2+ ions at 10 mM in the saccharification of acid-pretreated bagasse resulted in a 34\% increase in glucose release. These positive effects appeared to be due to a reduction in non-productive enzyme adsorption. The findings suggest that the addition of inexpensive metal ions can help to improve activity, thermostability, and saccharification efficiency of (hemi)cellulolytic enzymes.
Sugarcane bagasse, a largely available waste worldwide, was submitted to solid-state fermentation (SSF) using the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, aiming to produce enzymes. The solid waste generated from SSF was tested as an alternative biosorbent to treat colored effluents containing crystal violet (CV) dye. The biosorbent, here named BW (bagasse waste), was characterized, and experimental tests were performed to verify the influence of pH and dosage on the CV biosorption. Isotherms and biosorption kinetics were performed, and the biosorption thermodynamic parameters were determined. The potential of BW was also evaluated for the treatment of a simulated textile effluent. The maximum biosorption capacity was 131.2 mg g(-1) at 328 K, and the Liu was the most appropriate model to represent equilibrium data. The biosorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The use of BW in the simulated effluent showed that it is an efficient material, reaching color removal values of 85\%. Therefore, the sugarcane bagasse generated from SSF can be considered a potential biosorbent to remove CV from textile effluents. This finding is relevant from the total environment viewpoint, since, at the same time, SSF generates enzymes and a solid waste, which in turn can be used as biosorbent to treat colored effluents.
The development of ultrahigh-surface-area biomass-based carbonaceous electrode materials is a major science and engineering challenge for high-performance supercapacitors. Here we present a type of highly porous carbon material derived from waste bagasse by the purposeful combination of hydrothermal carbonization with chemical activation. The obtained waste bagasse-based carbon materials not only exhibit a valuable hierarchically porous structure with a honeycomb-like texture but also have a very high specific surface area. The highest specific surface area reaches 3151 m(2) g(-1), which is superior to those of other bagasse-based porous carbons reported so far. Benefiting from the combination of hierarchical pore structure and well-developed porosity, such a type of carbon materials serves very well when used as electrodes in both 1.0 and 1.8 V aqueous supercapacitors. For example, the as-prepared carbon electrode gives a high capacitance of 413 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) and a satisfied cycling stability of 93.4\% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles in 1.0-V aqueous supercapacitors. A remarkably high energy density of 22.3 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 220.9 W kg(-1) can be achieved in 1.8-V aqueous symmetrical supercapacitors. These very attractive electrochemical performances enable this highly porous carbon to go far beyond many previously reported carbonaceous electrodes, which presents a great potential for bridging the electrochemical performance gap between conventional nonaqueous and aqueous supercapacitors and opens up new avenues to high-value materials from waste bagasse.
A multi-channel analyzer was used to evaluate biogas potential of sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The Automatic Methane Potential Test System contained fifteen parallel reactors and the same number of gas flow meters attached to the acquisition system. The set of reactors - gas flow meters gave reproducible results during anaerobic digestion of chemically defined carbon source and the units were used to evaluate the biomethane potential of SCB after different pretreatments, such as treatment with water, acid, acid followed by enzymatic treatment and acid followed by treatment with inactive enzymes. Combined pretreatment with 2\% sulphuric acid and enzymatic hydrolysis (3.5\% enzymes) resulted in conversion of 79\% to monomeric sugars present in SCB. SCB treated with acid followed by enzymatic hydrolysis achieved the methane yield of 200 NL per kg VSadded. Enzymatic saccharification of acid pretreated SCB resulted in increase of methane yield by 16 +/- 5\% compared to that from acid treated SCB. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Recently, biochar has shown to be an alternative to waste disposal and a source of nutrients, acting as a soil amendment. The effects of two types of biochar on soil properties and sugar beet production as well as potential for carbon (C) sequestration were evaluated: biochar produced from sewage sludge (SB) and biochar produced from a 1:1 mixture of sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse (MB). A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted using a sandy loam soil from the Brazilian savanna under treatments of MB applications at 2.5\%, 5.0\%, 7.5\%, and 10.0\%, SB application at 5.0\%, and a conventional fertilization (CF) using lime and mineral fertilizers, with no fertilization as a control. After incubation for 45 d, seedlings were transplanted into each pot and cultivated for 55 d. Biochar characterization showed that pyrolysis reduced the biomass volume drastically, but concentrated the trace elements per unit of biochar weight. The MB treatments increased soil total C (by 27.8\%) and pH (by 0.6), reduced the concentrations of nutrients, except for potassium (K), and chromium (Cr), and did not significantly alter lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations. Results of stable isotopes showed that all biochar treatments increased the total soil C stock and stability, suggesting a potential for application in C sequestration, and improved overall soil fertility. However, the biochar treatments also increased the concentrations of trace elements in the soil and plants. The sugar beet yields at 10.0\% MB and 5.0\% SB corresponded to 55\% and 29\% of the yield obtained in the CF treatment, respectively. These results may be due to biochar nutrients not being bioavailable when required by plants or to biochar nutrient adsorption.
Expansion of sugarcane production for satisfying food and bioenergy demands along with decreasing availability of agricultural workers brings about the concerns on changing the traditional sugarcane cultivation and harvesting practice to mechanization. The study aims to assess the effect on climate change impact via life cycle greenhouse gas emissions along with harvesting costs from 5 current sugarcane harvesting practices in the central region of Thailand. The results show that harvested green cane using cutting machines has moderate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to the other options but it has the highest harvesting cost due to the need for hiring cutting machines which can be quite expensive. Moreover, the insufficient availability of cutting machines in some areas has created a problem of system management. This has led farmers to choose the burning of cane as per the past practice due to the ease of finding labor. Therefore, it could be recommended that the actual cost of mechanized harvesting and good management of cutting machine services should be considered if we need to increase mechanical harvesting. There is no significant difference in the greenhouse gas emissions of various harvesting practices as the largest greenhouse gas emissions are actually from the land preparation stage. Even though the harvesting stage does not contribute much to the greenhouse gas emissions, there is still an opportunity for improvement of both GHG and cost performance for which measures are recommended. In addition, there is a need for further study on its contribution to other impacts such as microbiological properties of the soil and local air pollution from sugarcane trash burning. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
There is a worldwide effort to make economically feasible the use of lignocellulosic biomass for production of biofuels. In sugarcane industry, cane juice (sucrose) is fermented for bioethanol production. Sugarcane bagasse is used as fuel in cogeneration systems, to produce steam and electric power to the plant, and the surplus of electric power may be delivered to the grid. The hydrolysis of bagasse to produce second generation ethanol poses a challenge: how much bagasse can be diverted, since the process must continue energetically self-sufficient. This work presents a computational tool developed within an equation-oriented process simulator that couples the simulation of first and second generation bioethanol production with a global optimization algorithm. The tool was robust, optimizing the steady state process in any economic scenario and for different process configurations. Four case studies are presented, and their implications on process internal demands and on the surplus electrical power are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In the present paper, an integrated scheme of first and second-generation bioethanol production is proposed to increase the yield and decreasing thermal energy and freshwater requirements. In this sense, an energy consumption reduction of the integrated process was evaluated through heat exchangers network integration, applying mathematical programming. Then, to reduce freshwater consumption, streams with water disposal for reuse in the process was evaluated, formulating the problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem (MINLP). Bioethanol production from the integrated scheme increased at least 40\% compared it with sugar-bioethanol production scheme. The heat exchanger network with the minimum annual cost was identified. Around of 16\% of freshwater consumption was minimized using a nonconvex nonlinear programming NLP. The integration of second-generation bioethanol to a sugar-bioethanol process could increase, the bioethanol production in Colombia, without an energy and water excessive consumption.
Seeking the reutilization of waste from agriculture and urban sources, studies have presented an option in the inclusion of such waste into new low-cost materials that are environmentally viable. One possibility is the reutilization of sugarcane bagasse ashes (SBA), the final waste in the productive process of the Brazilian alcohol sector. In addition to the behavior of materials with the use of SBA as additions in cement-based materials under normal environmental conditions, the study of the behavior of these materials when exposed to harsh environments is required. Thus, this project evaluated the properties, the compression strength and the bulk density of cement composites with partial replacement of cement by SBA without prior treatment. Also, it analyzed the weight loss and compressive strength of the composites subjected to environments with the presence of chloride ions. A factorial design was adopted to verify the influence of the addition of SBA (5wt\%, 10wt\% and 15wt\%) and water/cement ratio (0.45 and 0.55) in the studied properties. The interaction between the factors was significant. The values obtained from the compressive strength of the manufactured composites showed that it is possible to replace up to 15wt\% of cement for in natura SBA. After a chemical attack with an acid solution of HCl 30\%, it could be observed that all materials had a lower compressive strength, which can be explained by the high weight loss suffered by all composites. Based on the results of compressive resistance, density and weight loss after the attack, it was observed that the mechanical behavior of the composites in relation to the referential conditions were similar. This study showed that it is feasible, in accordance to the studied properties, to use these composites in promoting the partial replacement of cement by this type of waste and its reutilization.
The main objective of the current work is to study the performance of the NiO and Ce(2)O(3)loaded HZSM-5 catalyst on the catalytic upgrading of oxygenated pyrolysis vapours from sugarcane bagasse into high-quality pyrolysis oil consisting of C-6-C(8)hydrocarbons. The experiments were performed at five different pyrolysis reaction temperatures (400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 degrees C) via in situ fixed bed reactor. The HZSM-5 was used as a support, while nickel oxides and/or cerium oxides were impregnated via incipient wetness impregnation method. The catalyst-to-biomass mass ratio was kept constant at 1:1 for all investigated samples. The results revealed that the NiO-Ce2O3/HZSM-5 catalyst has synergistic effects on upgrading the oxygenated pyrolysis vapours into higher contents of C-6-C(8)hydrocarbons (8.82\%) in pyrolysis oil at 500 degrees C compared with other investigated catalysts.
Two Amazonian fungi strains - Aspergillus sp. A1C2-06 and Talaromyces verruculosus A1C2-05 - were studied about their potential as cellulase producers and theis applications in the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse and babassu lignocellulosic biomass. For the cellulase production was studied the influence of cultivation pa-rameters during the solid-state fermentation. The best initial pH were 3,0 and 7,0 for T. verruculosus and Aspergillus sp., respectively, and the optimum temperature was 35 degrees C for both strains. The ideal Mandel' solution volume was 7,5 ml and 10,0 ml for T. verruculosus and Aspergillus sp., respectively. The optimal conditions during the hydrolysis of filter paper cellulose were determined, being 2,8 the optimal pH for both cellulases and the optimal temperature were 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C forAspergillus sp and T. verruculosus, respectively. The cellulases from both Aspergillus sp and T. verruculosus were capable of hydrolyzing the lignocellulosic biomasses but in different degree of saccharification. The saccharification degree for both pretreated biomasses reached 80\% when cel-lulases from T. verruculosus were applied for 72h, while the untreated biomasses reached only 60\% for babassu and 50\% for sugarcane bagasse, indicating that the removal of lignin has an important role in the process of biomass saccharification.
Bacterial cellulose ( BC) is a promising and renewable nanomaterial due to its unique structural features and appealing properties. Intensive study on BC preparation has been mainly focused on biosynthesis by certain bacteria, while the high economic costs of fermentation, especially the carbon sources, remain challenges to its application. In this study, bacterial cellulose was synthesized by Acetobacter xylinum with the acetic acid hydrolysate of bagasse used as carbon source. After the bagasse was pretreated by acetic acid, the components in hydrolysate and the removal rate was investigated, and the pretreatment conditions were optimized as follows: temperature of 160 degrees C, heating time of 60 min, addition of acetic acid of 2.0\% ( m/m), and solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/5. Prior to Acetobacter xylinum cultivation, the hydrolysate was detoxified by activated carbon. The detoxification process was very efficient for BC production, with a yield up to 2.13 g/L when the dosage of activated carbon was 5\% ( m/V). Furthermore, the obtained BC was characterized by scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), which showed that the ribbons width of BC was between 30 and 80 nm. X-ray patterns showed the crystallinity value was 74.6 \% and the crystallinity index ( CI\%) was 66.5 \%, which also evidenced the presence of peaks characteristic of Cellulose I polymorph. In conclusion, it is feasible to produce BC from bagasse hydrolysate. This model of waste recycling could aid in the development of sustainable strategies.
The present paper reviews the experimental characterization of sugarcane biomass ash as a pozzolanic binder for producing sustainable concrete. The process of development of pozzolanic binder from sugarcane crop is proposed through a framework. The effect of combustion temperature and grinding conditions on the pozzolanic property of sugarcane biomass ash is discussed. The physico-chemical characterization, pozzolanic reactivity, a heat of hydration, and rheological performance of sugarcane biomass ash are studied. Furthermore, the water absorption, sorptivity, water consistency, compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, chloride penetration, chloride diffusion, and soundness properties of the concrete are analyzed for the different replacement percentage of cement. Reasonably, 25\% replacement level of cement by sugarcane biomass ash in producing sustainable blended concrete is considered as an optimum replacement. It gives satisfactory results of physicomechanical, durability, and strength properties of blended concrete. The present paper explores various factors responsible for the optimum replacement level of sugarcane biomass ash in the concrete such as growing conditions of sugarcane crop (including regions), combustion conditions and cooling duration of sugarcane biomass ash, ash collection methods, and grinding conditions of ash. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The mixture and motion of fibrous particles of sugar cane bagasse were experimentally investigated in a rotating drum, a configuration frequently used for bioreactors in solid-state fermentation processes. The rotational velocity, filling degree and presence of an inner tube amidst the particles were the controlled variables. The image analysis technique was used to evaluate the radial and axial mixtures. The numbers of rotations used to achieve radial and axial homogeneities were obtained and the radial particle motion described. The minimum numbers of rotations for radial homogeneity were 12, 15 and 17 for filling degrees of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.6, respectively and this number was not influenced by the presence of the inner tube and the rotation velocity. The radial motion was influenced by all the variables and the flow regimes observed were distinct from those previously described in the literature. The passive layer did not behave as a solid body under any of the experimental conditions tested in the absence of the inner tube. When the tube was inserted, stagnant and fast velocities were observed in its vicinity and a porosity profile was noted in the stagnant zone. For both configurations, agglomerates of particles flowed down the free surface rather than a steady flow of particles. The axial diffusion coefficient was experimentally obtained and the simulated tracer concentration presented good agreement with the experimental results. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this paper, thermodynamic equilibrium approaches are used to study the effect of CO2 addition, as coreactant in supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of sugarcane bagasse to improve syngas production. The effects of temperature, pressure, biomass composition and co-reactant composition were evaluated under equilibrium compositions for isothermic systems and thermal behavior for adiabatic systems. The CO2 concentration in feed was analyzed at three different mass compositions: 15, 25 and 35 (wt\%). The Viriat equation of state was used to represent the non-ideality of both isothermic and adiabatic systems. The problems were formulated as optimization problems (non-linear programing) and the software GAMS with the CONOPT solver were used to solve them. Syngas with a H-2/CO molar ratio close to 2 (ideal for further Fischer-Tropsch synthesis application) was obtained with an addition of CO2 as a co-reactant at 35 wt\%. The calculated final temperatures were close to the initial ones, indicating low energy requirements for maintain these reactions. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
This paper discusses mechanical, morphological, infrared spectral, and thermal properties of fly ash/sugarcane fiber reinforced epoxy polymer composites. Samples were prepared with and without the addition of 2 wt\% of fly ash. Sugarcane fiber additions were varied from 0 wt\% to 10 wt\% (with an increment of 2 wt\% for each sample), while the epoxy was used as a binder. A comparative study of these properties was completed on samples with and without the addition of fly ash in the composites. Based on the results obtained, the addition of 2 wt\% of fly ash improved the tensile strength and hardness properties but reduced the flexural strength of the composites. Additions of fly ash reduced bubble or void formation in the composites, while toughening the composites and improving adhesion between the fiber and matrix. Samples with 4 w\% of fiber and 2 wt\% of fly ash composites showed high tensile strength and hardness properties, while 2 wt\% of fiber composites showed high flexural strength.
Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and sugarcane bagasse (SB) are potential feedstocks for the production of bioethanol. In this study OPEFB and SB were pretreated by liquid hot water and dilute sulfuric acid (3\% H2SO4), and continued with enzymatic saccharification. Heating treatment for both methods was conducted in an autoclave at 121 degrees C for 1 hr. The saccharification was performed up to 72 hours with cellulase enzyme loading of 10, 20, and 30 FPU per g biomass. Results showed that OPEFB and SB pretreated with H(2)SO(4)produced higher reducing sugars than those pretreated by liquid hot water. Higher enzyme loading also resulted in higher reducing sugars. Reducing sugars obtained from enzymatic saccharification of OPEFB were higher than those obtained from SB. The highest total reducing sugars (50.48 g/100 g biomass) was obtained from OPEFB pretreated with 3\% H2SO4 at enzyme loading of 30 FPU per g biomass.
The feasibility of extraction of phenol rich oil from the bio-oils obtained through pyrolysis of cashew nut shells and sugarcane bagasse is studied. The extraction rate of phenol rich oil using CO2 as a supercritical fluid is discussed. Operating parameters are optimized for the maximum concentration of phenol and cardanol. Higher yield of oil (50\% by weight) along with higher concentration of phenols and cardanol by present method is found encouraging. The experiments were conducted in the pressure range of 120-300 bar, the temperature range of 303-333 K and the mass flow rate range of 0.7-1.2 kg/h. The process parameters are optimized to maximize the yield of extracts and its contents of phenols and substituted phenols from sugarcane bagasse pyrolysis oil. The oil samples obtained at various operating parameters are analyzed by Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR). (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
IntroductionClostridium tyrobutyricum has considerable prospect in the production of organic acids. Globally, refinery final molasses is rich in sugar and reported to have high levels of accumulation and high emission costs, recognized as an excellent substrate for C. tyrobutyricum fermentation, but there is no suitable method available at present. MethodsIn this study, an acid-base treatment combined with a new green membrane treatment technology - a dynamic ion-exchange membrane -was used to pretreat refinery final molasses, so that it could be used for C. tyrobutyricum to produce butyric acid. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was established to determine the conversion of a large amount of sucrose into fermentable sugars (71.88 g/L glucose and 38.06 g/L fructose) in the treated refinery final molasses. The process of sequential filtration with 3, 1, and 0.45 mu m-pore diameter dynamic ion-exchange membranes could remove impurities, pigments, and harmful substances from the refinery final molasses, and retain the fermentable sugar. Results and discussionThis means that refinery final molasses from the sugar industry could be utilized as a high-value by-product and used for the growth of C. tyrobutyricum, with industrial feasibility and economic competitiveness. Using the treated refinery final molasses as a carbon source, C. tyrobutyricum was screened by the method of adaptive evolution. The strain with butyric acid yielded 52.54 g/L, and the yield of the six carbon sugar was increased from 0.240 to 0.478 g/g. The results showed that combination of C. tyrobutyricum and ionic membrane technology broke through the bottleneck of its utilization of refinery final molasses. This study provided an innovative idea for the C. tyrobutyricum fermentation to produce butyric acid.
Adsorption has been considered as a promising remediation technology to separate organic and inorganic agrochemicals from contaminated soil and water. Low-cost adsorbents, including waste derived materials, clay composites, biochar, and biochar modified materials, have attracted enormous attention for the removal of organic contaminants, including pesticides. In this study, iron-modified base-activated biochar (FeBBC) was prepared by pyrolysis (at 400 degrees C for 1 h) of iron-doped base (KOH) activated sugarcane bagasse for the removal of a widely used insecticide, namely imidacloprid (IMI) from water. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent (FeBBC) was calculated as 10.33 (+/- 1.57) mg/g from Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorbents could remove up to similar to 92\% of IMI from aqueous solution at 23.8 mg/L IMI. Experimental data fitted well with the Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order model, demonstrating physisorption, as well as chemosorption, contributed to the sorption process. Even at highly acidic/basic solution pH, the FeBBC could remove substantial amount of IMI demonstrating hydrophobic interaction and pore diffusion play vital role for removal of IMI. The slight improving of IMI sorption with increasing solution pH indicated the sorption was also facilitated through ionic interaction alongside physical sorption. However, physical sorption including hydrophobic interaction and pore-filling interaction plays a vital role in the sorption of IMI.
The main objective of this study was to produce, under pilot conditions, activated carbons (AC) from two different Caribbean by-products, specifically, sugarcane bagasse and vetiver roots. The produced activated carbons under both physical and chemical activation processes were characterised with respect to their texture and surface chemistry. The textural and chemical analyses showed that the nature of the precursor played a crucial role in determining the main characteristics of the activated carbon that was produced. Indeed, under the pilot production chemical activation conditions, bagasse-derived AC ({''
The biochemical properties of xylanase secreted by Penicilium roqueforti ATCC 10110 during the solid state fermentation of sugarcane bagasse were compared to xylanase by T. lanuginosus (Sigma (R)). The xylanase by P. roqueforti was maximized (19.95 IU.g(-1)) using the Box-Behnken experimental design and the optimized variables temperature, humidity and time. The addition of sucrose and glucose increased xylanase production. Biochemical properties related to time, pH, temperature, effect of ions and organic compounds and kinetic activity were studied and correlated for these two enzymes. Only xylanase by P. roqueforti was thermostable (50-80 degrees C) besides the activating effect in the presence of ions (Co+2, Ca+ 2, Na+1, Mg+ 2, Cu+2) among organic compounds only Trolox had an activating effect for both enzymes. Due to the degree of purity the values of Km and Vmax were distinct between the two enzymes. During 150 days xylanase activity remained above 95\% if kept frozen. Xylanase by P. roqueforti extracted from the fermentation of sugarcane bagasse can be applied in food, beverage, pulp and paper processing.
The present study deals with the evaluation of cost-effective and abundantly available biomass of sugarcane bagasse for the removal of Turquoise Blue PG dye from aqueous solutions. The biosorbent was utilized in its native, modified, and immobilized forms. For the modification of biomass, it was treated with different acids, alkali, chelating agents, surfactants, and organic solvents. The experiments were conducted to assess the effects of process variables such as medium pH (5-9), biosorbent dose (0.05-0.30 g), contact time (0-180 min), initial dye concentration (10-200 mg/L), and temperature (30-60 degrees C). H2SO4-treated biomass was selected as potential-modified biosorbent for the removal of Turquoise Blue PG dye as it showed maximum biosorption capacity (69.73 mg/g). Biosorption process was favorable at pH 5 using low biosorbent dosage. Equilibrium was achieved in 120 min. The kinetic analysis showed that the pseudo-second-order model had the best fit to the experimental data. The Langmuir model provided the best fit for the experimental data of the equilibrium biosorption of Turquoise Blue PG onto sugarcane bagasse. Biosorption process was found to be endothermic in nature. The thermodynamic evaluation of Turquoise Blue PG biosorption on sugarcane bagasse revealed that the biosorption phenomenon under the selected conditions was a spontaneous physical process. Fourier transform infrared analyses demonstrated the involvement of different functional groups, mainly hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amine groups. Consequently, sugarcane bagasse was proved to be a very proficient, low-cost biosorbent, and a promising alternative for eliminating dyes from industrial effluents.
Cashew apple bagasse immobilized yeast was investigated for ethanol production using sugar (glucose and fructose) as a carbon source in an immobilized cell batch reactor. The immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was performed by adsorption of the cell cultured media onto pretreated cashew apple bagasse (CAB). Productivity and sugar conversion was higher when using immobilized cells. On the other hand, substrate/product yield and efficiency of sugar conversion to ethanol were lower when compared to the free cells system. Ethanol concentrations (about 20.63-23.92 g/L in average value), and ethanol productivities using free and immobilized cells (about 2.58-2.99 g/L/h, respectively) were high and stable, during eight hours of fermentation.
This study aims to analyzed green silica content from six (6) different material that usually generated as waste from agriculture, industrial and consumer. The selected materials were sugarcane bagasse, bamboo culm, bamboo leaf, corncob, banana leaf and cigarette butt. These wastes were collected, sorted and cleansed properly before combusted at 650 degrees for 3 hours to produce ash. Each ash from different materials were synthesized to silica by sol-gel method by converting silica to sodium silicate using 1M NaOH and followed with acid precipitation with 1M H2SO4. From these study, sugarcane bagasse ash contains the highest amount of silica, 92.5\% followed with bamboo leaf, 62.72\%; corncob, 27\%; bamboo culm, 20\%; banana peel, 0.35\%; and cigarette ash, 0.1\%. The higher percentage of silica produce from sugarcane bagasse ash and bamboo leaf ash shown their potential for further investigation. (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In this study, waste materials such as beer yeast and sugarcane bagasse (BY and SB) were modified with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to enhance their adsorption capacities for cationic dye: basic magenta (BM). Adsorption factors such as initial concentration, contact time, ion strength were investigated. FTIR demonstrated that a large number of carboxyl groups (-COO-) were introduced onto the surface of the biosorbents. The adsorption capacities of the modified beer yeast (MBY) and the modified sugarcane bagasse (MSB) for basic magenta were 528.1 and 736.5 mg g(-1), respectively, which were 3.3 and 7.6 times greater than those obtained on the unmodified beer yeast (UBY) and unmodified sugarcane bagasse (USB). The adsorption could be finished within 630 min for MBY and 645 min for MSB, respectively. Ion strength experiments showed that it had little effect on the adsorption of BM when the concentration of co-ion (K+) was lower than 0.1 mol L-1. Additionally, the desorption ratio of BM from MBY and MSB were 94.8 and 89.9 \%, respectively, by using the appropriate eluent. These efficient biosorbents have potentials for application in wastewater treatment.
Based on the enrichment culture strategy, a novel N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO)-tolerant cellulase-producing strain Galactomyces sp. CCZUI 1-1 was isolated from soil samples. After the optimization of culture condition, the highest FPA (13.4 U/mL) and CMCase (24.5 U/mL) were obtained. In both culture and reaction media containing NMMO 25\% (w/v), the cellulase from Galactomyces sp. CCZU11-1 still had good activity. Furthermore, high saccharification rate was obtained in aqueous-NMMO media. Moreover, the fermentability of the hydrolyzates, obtained after enzymatic in situ saccharification of the NMMO-pretreated sugarcane bagasse, was evaluated using Saccharomyce scerevisiae. In conclusion, Galactomyces sp. CCZU11-1 is a promising candidate as high NMMO-tolerant cellulase producer and has potential application in future. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This work aimed to obtain and characterize nanofibers from cassava bagasse and peelings, which are waste originating from cassava starch extraction. To isolate the nanofibers, a combination of pre-treatments (alkaline treatment, Q-chelating treatment, bleaching), acid hydrolysis, and a final ultrasonic disintegration step were used. Acidic hydrolysis was conducted at a constant temperature of 60 degrees C; the acid concentration (30, 40, and 50\%) and the treatment time (30, 60, and 90 min) were varied. The nanofibers were characterized for their morphology, surface charge, crystallinity index (XRD), and functional groups (FTIR). The diameters of the nanofibers ranged from 2.3 nm to 5.4 nm. The zeta potential values were lower than -47.7 mV. As expected, all the products derived from acid hydrolysis displayed high crystallinity index. Finally, FTIR analysis confirmed that the isolation processes effectively removed amorphous materials such as lignin and hemicellulose from the nanofibers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The continuous search to combine clean energy supply with the efficient exploitation of bioenergy sources is one of the most recurring efforts to meet global energy demands on an environmentally friendly basis. Sugarcane biorefineries play a central role in this context by providing sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity. However, the high energy required in ethanol production limits resource recovery efficiency in conventional sugarcane processing, motivating the investigation of approaches that maximize energetic gains. This study proposes the application of anaerobic digestion (AD) as the core processing step in sugarcane biorefineries, providing performance data for the biomethanation of juice, molasses and vinasses from different sources, namely, first generation (1G; annexed and autonomous) and second generation (2G) ethanol production. A detailed scenarization-based assessment was also carried out, comparing the proposed AD-based schemes with conventional production chains. Relatively similar performances were obtained in the experimental step, irrespective of the compositional differences of the substrates. However, the energetic potential of juice- and molasses-based methane production was at least 2-fold higher than the ones of all types of vinasses (282.81-627.84 vs. 57.10-131.52 MJ TC-1). Scenario comparison indicated the production of biogas and sugar as the most efficient energetic exploitation (94.4\%) of sugars from sugarcane. Finally, the energy returned on energy invested ratio estimated for biogas-derived electricity exceeded that of ethanol production by 400\%. Thus, AD-based biorefineries have great potential to meet the energy efficiency criteria of sustainable development goals in the coming decades.
Two-step dilute acid and acid-catalysed glycerol pretreatment was developed to maximise sugar yield from sugarcane bagasse. At the laboratory scale, dilute acid pretreatment at 130 degrees C followed by acid-catalysed glycerol pretreatment at 170 degrees C led to a total sugar (C5 + C6) yield of 82\%, 31\% higher than that from one-step acid-catalysed glycerol pretreatment. At the pilot scale, the two-step dilute acid and acid-catalysed glycerol pretreatment led to a maximum sugar yield of 74\%, 13\% higher than that from one-step pretreatment with 52\% reduction in glycerol usage. The enzymatic hydrolysate containing glucose and residual glycerol were used to produce microbial oils by a Rhodosporidium toruloides strain. A fed-batch cultivation strategy led to the pro-duction of 44.8 g/L cell mass, including 26.6 g/L oil, 8.6 g/L protein and 12.7 mg/L carotenoid. The cell mass and oil yields were 19\% higher than those from batch cultivation as feedstock inhibition and catabolite re-pression were alleviated.
To investigate the potential of biochar as a propagation mix component, three experiments were conducted. A phytotoxicity test was conducted with water extract of sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB), SBB mixes (10\%, 30\%, 50\%, and 70\% SBB with 30\% perlite (P) and the rest being peat moss (PM); by vol.), mixed hardwood biochar (HB) mixes (10\%, 30\%, 50\%, 70\% and 100\% HB with PM; by vol.), PM, P, 70\%PM:30\%P, and a commercial propagation mix (exp. 1). None of the mixes caused phytotoxicity. The same biochar mixes (except 100\% HB) were used for the seedling growth test (exp. 2). Both tomato and basil seedlings grown in all of the biochar mixes (except 50\% HB) had significantly lower fresh weight, dry weight and growth index (GI) compared to a commercial propagation mix. Six seedlings from each biochar mix were transplanted into a commercial growing mix and grown for four weeks (exp. 3). Tomato seedlings from all biochar mixes (except 30\% SBB) had similar SPAD (Soil-Plant Analyses Development) and GI to the control. Basil seedlings from all HB mixes, 70\% and 100\% SBB mixes had similar GI to the control. In conclusion, 70\% HB could be amended with PM for tomato and basil seedling production without negative effects on plant biomass.
Carbon storage in long-lived bio-based products is typically ignored or accounted for in a simplistic way in greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint calculations. We quantified the GHG footprint of medium density fiberboard (MDF) in Iran from poplar wood and bagasse, a by-product from sugarcane production. Inventory data was collected from sugarcane and poplar wood plantations and MDF factories in Iran during 2017 -2019 to calculate cradle-to-grave footprints for 1 m(3) of MDF. We quantify the effect of carbon storage, which depends on the crop rotation time and the economic lifetime of the product, with shorter rotation times and longer storage periods leading to lower footprints. Cradle-to-grave GHG footprints of poplar and bagasse-based MDF without accounting for biogenic carbon storage are 6.8 center dot 10(2) kg CO2-eq/m(3) and 8.5 center dot 10(2) kg CO2-eq/m(3), respectively. Footprints are higher for bagassebased MDF than for poplar-based MDF because of a higher electricity use, higher resin use and larger transport distances in Iran. Taking into account carbon storage periods of 10 -60 years decreases the footprints to 345-655 kg CO2-eq/m(3) for poplar-based MDF and 292-771 kg CO2-eq/m(3) for bagasse-based MDF. These results emphasize the importance of appropriately accounting for biogenic carbon storage in GHG footprint calculations of long-lived bio based products.
The global sugarcane industry is under threat due to low international prices and oversupply. This requires new revenue opportunities through a diversification strategy. The economic competitiveness of small-scale, decentralized biorefineries to produce short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) and/or ethanol, both valuable products with growing market applications, in comparison to large-scale, centralized facilities annexed to existing sugarcane mills, was therefore considered. The economic feasibility of three potential scenarios was investigated using AspenPlus process simulations of small- and large-scale facilities. In Scenario 1 only scFOS was produced. In Scenario 2 only ethanol was produced, and in Scenario 3 scFOS and ethanol were co-produced. The small-scale implementation of Scenarios 1 and 3 was economically feasible, with minimum selling prices (MSPs) below market prices. However, in all scenarios the large-scale implementation of technologies in facilities annexed to an existing sugar mill improved economic viability, despite efforts to minimize the disadvantages of small-scale facilities and their capital costs through the selection of simplified process technologies and decentralized processing. Despite this, the small-scale production of scFOS is the preferred investment option for scFOS production due to the very high scFOS production rates of the large-scale scenarios, which could flood the market. Processing of freshly harvested sugarcane in decentralized, small-scale facilities increased the feedstock cost per unit of sugar, in comparison with the use of molasses obtained by annexation to an existing sugar mill. Simplified sugarcane processing to ethanol also lowered the product yield and increased capital costs. Further improvements in process technology design and performance for small-scale facilities are required to make these financially competitive with large-scale facilities.
Sugarcane vinasse is a liquid waste derived from ethanol production. In Brazil, large amounts of this waste are applied to soil as fertigation. In general, this management seems to be beneficial for soil fertility and for some biological parameters, though the published information about the effects of sugarcane vinasse on the soil biota is controversial and the results may vary according to the vinasses' composition. In this study, we assessed the effects of different sugarcane vinasses on microbial growth and activity indicators to verify their influence on soil microbial metabolism. For this purpose, we used two vinasses from different distillery plants (VA and VB) and a vinasse from a laboratory production (VC). Increasing concentrations of these vinasses were amended on two tropical Oxisols, with 33.6\% (RL) and 17.6\% (RYL) of clay, in a microcosm experiment with sugarcane plants. Ten, 30 and 60days after application, we assessed the effects of the vinasses on soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), basal soil respiration (C-CO2), the metabolic quotient (qCO2) and dehydrogenase activity of the soils. We found an increase in MBC, C-CO2, qCO2, as well as in dehydrogenase activity with increasing vinasse concentrations in both soils, when compared to the control. These changes were attributed mainly to the addition of carbon sources (C) of the vinasses to the soils, which improves the general biological activity.
Sugarcane bagasse fibers were pre-treated with sulfuric acid solution to improve the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) composites for automotive parts. It was used maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) as coupling agent. Fibers were characterized by the techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The chemical composition of fibers was also evaluated. PP was mixed to fibers, in proportions of 5 to 10\% (wt/wt) using a thermokinetic mixer model MH-50H. Furthermore tensile specimens were prepared for evaluation of mechanical properties by tensile test. Pre-treatment fibers permitted the removal of other components from sugarcane bagasse. The chemical treatment reduced some of the fibers amorphous components, causing changes in their surface. The addition of pre-treated and compatibilizedfibers to PP matrix caused an increase in the elastic modulus in tensile. It was possible to obtain a more rigid and less deformable material with up to 10\% fiber content. However, the use of the coupling agent showed results superior to other composites.
The production of extracellular amylase by the moderately halophilic bacterium Bacillus cereus was studied in solid state fermentation (SSF). Solid substrates such as rice bran, wheat bran, sugarcane bagasse, black gram husk and green gram husk were studied for enzyme production. Growth on sugarcane bagasse gave the highest amylase activity. The time course for amylase production inferred that 48 h was the optimum duration for higher amylase production. The suitable pH, temperature and inoculum level observed for higher amylase production was pH 7.0, 40.0 degrees C and 2.0\%, respectively. The amylase production of B. cereus was high in maltose (carbon source), yeast extract (nitrogen source), Tween 80 (surfactant) and calcium chloride (metal ion) added medium when compared to other respective sources tested. The halotolerancy of B. cereus for amylase production was 3\% sodium chloride. The sugarcane bagasse can be utilized for the cheap production of amylase from Bacillus cereus. It is less expensive in comparison to synthetic media and is readily available for production purposes.
This study aimed to develop magnetic Fe3O4/sugarcane bagasse activated carbon composite for the adsorption of arsenic (III) from aqueous solutions. Activated carbon (AC) was prepared from sugarcane bagasse by chemical activation using H3PO4 as an activating agent at 400 degrees C. To enhance adsorption capacity for arsenic, the resultant AC was composited with Fe3O4 particles by facile one-pot hydrothermal treatment. This method involves mixing the AC with aqueous solution of iron (II) chloride tetrahydrate, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and ethanol. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted for the adsorption of As (III) onto the composite. The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on the arsenic adsorption were studied. The result showed that the composite could remove the arsenic from the water far more effectively than the plain AC. The highest percentage of arsenic removal was found at pH at 8, adsorbent dose of 1.8 g/L, and contact time of 60 min. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm was used to analyze the equilibrium experimental data. Langmuir model showed the best fit compared to the Freundlich model with a maximal capacity of 6.69 mg/g. These findings indicated that magnetic Fe3O4/sugarcane bagasse AC composite could be potentially applied for adsorptive removal of arsenic (III) from aqueous solutions.
In Brazil, the production of ethanol from sugarcane produces large amounts of lignocellulosic residues (bagasse and straw), which have been driving research and development for the production of second generation ethanol. In the present work, a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing the beta-glucosidase gene from Humicola grisea was used for ethanol production from three different cellulosic sources by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Initially, a enzymatic pre-hydrolysis step was done with a solid: liquid ratio of 1:4, and an enzymatic load of 25 filter paper activity (FPU).g(-1) of cellulosic substrate. Using sugarcane bagasse pretreated cellulignin, crystalline cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose, 51.7 g L-1, 41.7 g L-1 and 13.8 g L-1 of ethanol was obtained, respectively, at the end of 55 hrs of fermentation. The highest ethanol productivity (0.94 g L-1 hrs(-1)) was achieved using sugarcane bagasse pretreated cellulignin. The use of a recombinant S. cerevisiae led to extremely low glucose concentrations when compared to other works reported in literature.
A high biomass loading in ionic liquid (IL) pretreatments that reduces the total cost of the process is potentially a key technique in biorefining. Previously, we demonstreated that, with microcrystalline cellulose, a higher cellulose loading could lead to improved accessibility and consequently higher hydrolytic reactivity, when catalyzed by an acid. In this study, we expand this concept to the lignocellulosic biomass such as begasse. The pretreatment of bagasse was performed with a representative IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, over a biomass loading range of 5-50 wt\% and was subsequently subjected to crystallinity measurements and acid hydrolysis. The results indicated a criteria of the pretreatment condition, which showd a higher pretreatment efficiency at a higher biomass loading. At the optimum pretreatment condition, the hydrolytic reactivity for 33 wt\% biomass loading was 1.4 times higher than that at the conventional loading of 5 wt\%. This concurred with the results that demonstrated a high biomass loading condition produces a lower crystallinity.
Reported benefits of green cane trash blanket (GCTB) on the production of sugarcane include soil water retention, supplement nutrients, regulating temperature, and carbon accumulation in the soil. However, it is still uncertain the extent to which the irrigated sugarcane growth is influenced by GCTB. Thus, this study was aimed to analyze a four-year (from 2013 to 2016) irrigated field experiments by a center pivot system in Brazil to evaluate the effect of the transition from burnt-to-GCTB in terms of evapotranspiration, detailed crop development, growth measurements, and soil temperature changes. The experiment consisted of two treatments (bare soil and GCTB) with detailed soil moisture measured by frequency domain reflectometry (FDR), evapotranspiration measured at field level by Bowen ratio method, and evaluations of crop growth and development over the growing seasons. The result showed that the GCTB did not affect crop growth and development except for a few measurement dates in one season which experienced a severe regional drought. In the other growing seasons, however, the study did not show difference in crop evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and crop growth variables. However, the GCTB reduced the soil temperature and its variability as compared to the bare soil treatment in all four depths monitored during the study, which resulted in an average decrease by 4.9 \& DEG;C in the GCTB treatment in the 0-0.40 m depth profile. Although the GCTB treatment did not increase the yield and ETc, the GTCB in second ratoon (dry year) showed more stalk.m(-2) than bare soil probably due to the lower temperature caused by the sugarcane residue on the soil surface.
The effects of soil properties on crop growth and yield have traditionally been analyzed using classical statistics methodologies. These methodologies do, however, not consider sampling position coordinates and assume independence between samples. This study had the objective of using the state-space approach, which considers sampling position, to evaluate and to discuss a spatial process using variables related to the soil-plant system. For this, six data sets were collected in a sugarcane experiment carried out on a Dark Red Latosol (Rhodic Kandiudalf), at Piracicaba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The sugarcane was planted on a 0.21 ha field, comprising 15 rows, 100 m long, spaced 1.4 m apart, with three treatments (mulching, bare soil and straw burning before harvest) and four replicates, forming a transect of 84 points. In this way, the relationships between the number of canes per meter of row and available soil P, Ca and Mg, clay content and aggregate stability were studied using a first order state-space model. Results show that all of the used state-space equations described the spatial distribution of number of canes better than the equivalent multiple regression equations. It was also identified that the soil clay content spatial series has an effective contribution to describe the number of canes in this study, because it is related to the best performance in each different scenario. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A major challenge that must be overcome for the commercial production of levulinic acid from lignocellulosics is to reduce equipment blockage and corrosion. MethanesuIfonic acid (MSA), a relatively Low corrosive acid, was used to produce organic acids and furfural from pretreated sugarcane bagasse. In general, the type of pretreatment did not affect levulinic acid yield, though it affected furfural yield. However, soda pretreated bagasse produced the highest yields of levulinic acid (similar to 75 mol\%) and furfural (similar to 85 mol\%), albeit under optimized conditions. Hydrolysis residue consists primarily of lignin that has been modified and/or condensed to humic substances, fatty acids, and oligomeric sugars. A conceptual biorefinery utilizing 1 ton of dry bagasse, alkaline-pretreatment, and MSA as a catalyst produced 165 kg soda lignin, 190 kg and 89 kg of levulinic acid and formic acid respectively, and 40 kg furfural.
Pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and coconut fiber was studied by thermal analysis in order to characterize their thermal behavior and to identify their constituents by the aid of their thermogravimetric curves and to determine their heat capacity by means of DSC. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FTIR) was used to determine the main constituents present in both residues. The thermal degradation of sugarcane bagasse and coconut fiber presents two mass loss steps attributed to the release of humidity and to the decomposition of organic material (hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin). It was expected that the results of DSC analysis were almost the same for both types of biomasses.
The synergistic effect of potential inhibitory compounds (organic acids and phenolic compounds) on ABE fermentation was studied with model media containing sucrose and real media prepared from beet and cane sugar refining molasses. The presence of phenolic compounds inhibited ABE fermentation at concentrations as low as 0.5 g/L for gallic acid and 0.1 g/L for catechin. The co-presence of organic acids (2.2 g/L acetic, 1.8 g/L lactic and 0.6 g/L formic) showed a synergistic positive effect that can counteract the inhibitory character of phenolics. This effect was significantly higher at low phenolic concentrations. This means that the inhibitory effect of phenolic compounds on ABE production with Clostridium beijerinckii could be overcome by the presence of organic acids at low concentration in fermentation media. The results were confirmed by using a substrate of molasses. Better fermentation was achieved with beet molasses due to the lower concentration of phenolics, especially catechin. The fermentation using beet and cane sugar refining molasses as substrate (60 g/L) provided an ABE yield of 0.40 g ABE/g sugars and 0.31 g ABE/g sugars, respectively and ABE concentrations of 12.3 g/L (205 g ABE/kg beet molasses) and 7 g ABE/L (120 g ABE/kg cane molasses). (C) 2018 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Reports on the occurrence of aflatoxin producing fungi and aflatoxins in the sugarcane value chain (juice, milled sugarcane, stalk, jaggery and dried yeast samples) have been published in some countries. Aspergillus parasiticus was identified as the main species isolated from the sugarcane system. However, with the introduction of polyphasic taxonomy, new species have been described in the Aspergillus section Flavi and a recent report revealed that Aspergillus novoparasiticus and Aspergillus arachidicola (to a lesser extent) were the main species isolated in samples throughout the sugarcane processing chain. This review aims to highlight the main reports of aflatoxigenic species and aflatoxins in sugarcane and discuss the significance of these species on its production chain.
Converting the chemical and biologically resistant structure of cellulosic biomass into useful products is a technological and economic challenge. The use of sustainable and efficient conversion technology sustainably has been gaining prominence. This work aimed to evaluate the integration of subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) and enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane straw to obtain fermentable products and second-generation ethanol. SWH was conducted under semi-continuous conditions at 200 degrees C, 5 mL/min, and a 19-min retention time. Enzymatic hydrolysis using an enzyme blend produced simple sugars that were evaluated for fermentation using two strategies: (i) Saccharomyces cerevisiae SA-1; and (ii) co-culture of S. cerevisiae SA-1 and Scheffersomyces stipitis NRRLY-7124. Integrating subcritical water and enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in greater fermentable sugar yield (2.40 +/- 0.01 g/L of xylose and 8.9 +/- 0.6 g/L of glucose) than subcritical pre-treatment on its own. The co-culture fermentation strategy was more efficient than fermentation by S. cerevisiae on its own, resulting in 2.8 +/- 0.3 g/L of ethanol. Subcritical water hydrolysis pre-treatment disrupted the lignocellulosic matrix, leading to increased enzymatic accessibility of cellulose, with minimal formation of degradation compounds, and with minimal waste formation. Future work can optimize the hydrolysis process to increase the yield of simple sugars, increase fermentation efficiency by controlling oxygen concentration and removing acetic acid, and consequently increase the yields of second-generation ethanol.
Bioethanol is the main biofuel used in Brazil and USA, produced from sugarcane and corn. Nevertheless, the use of food to produce ethanol has to be replaced by agroindustrial waste or energy crops. The alternative raw material for bioethanol production in Mexico could be sugarcane and blue agave bagasses. In this work, we built a complete simulation process using Superpro Designer (R) software considering only the upstream units of fermentation for the technical and economical evaluation of lignocellulosic ethanol. Such consideration is based on a state-of-the-art analysis of the technology, indicating that technical and economical bottlenecks include pretreatment, saccharification and hexoses and pentoses fermentation. The simulation was carried out at different efficiency levels through a statistical analysis of surface responses and, three different saccharification processes to analyze ethanol production in terms of complete substitution of oxygenates in gasoline distributed in Mexico. The results indicate that ethanol production cost is 1.34 and 1.46 USD/gallon and potential production is 40.13 and 1380 MM gallon/year using blue agave bagasse and sugar cane bagasse, respectively. (C) 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The nonrenewable character and deleterious effects of fossil fuels foster the need for cleaner and more inexhaustible energy sources, such as bioethanol. Especially from lignocellulosic biomasses. However, the economic viability of this product in the market depends on process optimization and cost reduction. This research applied a sequential experimental project to investigate the process of enzymatic saccharification and simultaneous fermentation to produce ethanol with sugarcane bagasse. The differential of the work was the application of the strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae AGY001 which was improved by evolutionary engineering to become thermotolerant and by a heterologous expression based on genomic integration by CRISPR/Cas9 to produce endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase (AsENDO-AsBGL). The maximum ethanol yield found was 89\% of the maximum theoretical yield (released sugars), obtained at temperature concentrations, sugarcane bagasse and inoculum at 40 degrees C, 16.5\%, and 4.0 g/L, respectively (12.5 FPU/g bagasse). The mathematical model obtained can predict approximately 83\% of the data set with 95\% confidence. Therefore, these findings demonstrated the potential of sugarcane bagasse and S. cerevisiae AGY001 strain (CRISPR/Cas9 modified) in bioethanol production without the need for impractical selection media on an industrial scale, in addition to providing useful insights for the development of SSF processes.
Lignocellulosic sugarcane biomass underwent an very low apparent density (0.09 g/cm(3)) were easily obtained by alkaline treatment for partial lignin extraction and then foams with oven-drying aqueous dispersions of fibers. The fiber networks were covalently reinforced through cross-linking by heating the dried material in the presence of citric acid. The lignocellulosic foams were naturally hydrophobic (water contact angle = 117 degrees), without requiring any further chemical modification. The hydrophobicity is attributed to the combination of (1) residual lignin, (2) redeposited lignin that has undergone thermal treatment, (3) the fiber and foam surface roughness, and (4) the structure's ability to trap air. The cross-linked fiber networks showed shape-recovery properties under compressive stress, high absorption capacity, and mechanical resistance when immersed in water and oil. This work demonstrates that lignocellulosic foams from sugarcane bagasse, processed following low cost and green methods, are promising for selective removal of hydrophobic compounds in aqueous environments and in a range of insulating and packaging products.
Treatment of sugarcane molasses distillery wastewater is challenging due to the presence of complex phenolic compounds (melanoidins and polyphenols) having antioxidant properties. Due to zero liquid discharge regulations, Indian distilleries continue to explore effective treatment options. This work examines the concentration of distillery wastewater by forward osmosis (FO) using aquaporin biomimetic membranes and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (MgCl2 center dot 6H(2)O) as draw solution. The operational parameters viz. feed solution and draw solution flow rate and draw solution concentration were optimized using 10\% v/v melanoidins model feed solution. This was followed by trials with distillery wastewater. Under the conditions of this work, feed and draw flow rates of 1 L/min and draw solution concentration of 2M MgCl2 center dot 6H(2)O for melanoidins model solution and 3M MgCl2 center dot 6H(2)O for distillery wastewater were optimal for maximum rejection. Rejection of 90\% melanoidins, 96\% antioxidant activity and 84\% COD was obtained with melanoidins model feed, with a corresponding water flux of 6.3 L/m(2)h. With as-received distillery wastewater, the rejection was similar (85-90\%) to the melanoidins solution, but the water flux was lower (2.8 L/m(2)h). Water recovery from distillery wastewater over 24 h study period was higher with FO (70\%) than reported for RO (35-45\%). Repeated use of the FO membrane over five consecutive 24 h cycles with fresh feed and draw solutions and periodic cleaning showed consistent average water flux and rejection of the feed constituents. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Making full use of the lignocellulose is of great significance to the current biorefinery enterprises. As a natural macromolecule polymer, lignin has a prominent potential as renewable feedstock to produce value-added products. In the present study, the integrated process combined hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) and alkaline delignification was adopted to dissociate bagasse. The HTP process primarily promoted the conversion of hemicelluloses into xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), and the subsequent delignification of substrates was achieved under low-alkaline dosage. Additionally, the lignin fractions originated from the integrated process were comprehensive and structurally elucidated via the NMR and GPC techniques. Furthermore, the effects of the bleaching processes (H2O2, ClO2, and O-3) on the structures of lignin were explored based on the DEL (double enzymatic lignin) isolated from bagasse. It was observed that ClO2 bleaching led to the obvious depolymerization of lignin and augment in p-hydroxyphenyl units, implying that ClO2 bleaching was more efficient in the delignification process. Moreover, Py-GC/MS was also applied to evaluate pyrolytic products of the lignins isolated during the integrated process. Significant amounts of vinyl phenolic compounds were produced from the bagasse lignins, which presented a favorable potential for the lignins in the production of vinyl phenolics.
The fact that Brazil is the world's largest sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) producer, leads to a great concern about the cropping systems used, since the most common practice involves manual harvesting prior to straw burning. Brazilian authorities approved a law prohibiting the burning practice of crop residues prior to harvest. However mechanized harvest creates the new problem of how to deal with the residues. Many studies have proposed the use of these residues as an energy source. The major difficulty in its use is how to economically transport sugarcane harvested biomass from the farm to a processing center. The aim of this work was to develop a model to optimize plant variety selection, minimize the cost of the residual biomass transfer process, to evaluate the economics of using this material, and to address sucrose production and planting area constraints, considering distances from plot to processing center. For this 0-1 multiple objective linear programming techniques were used. The results show the viability of the model in selecting varieties, which provide increased profit from residual biomass use.
Pretreatment of biomass to alter their recalcitrant structures is an essential step to obtain high yield of products via bioconversion processes. In this study, main emphasis was to compare the results evaluated in terms of total reducing sugars (TRS) yield after acid and hot water pre-treatment process performed with laboratory scale equipment using different lignocellulosic biomass. The biomass chosen for this purpose i.e. sugarcane bagasse and bamboo were collected from Guwahati, Assam and their physico-chemical characteristics were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) including proximate and ultimate analysis. Crystalinity of the biomass used was observed to be 33.15\% and 31.29\% for sugarcane bagasse and bamboo respectively. Hot water and dilute acid pretreatment allows selective solubility of hemicellulose which improves the accessibility of enzymes for cellulose hydrolysis. The highest yield of TRS was observed at run order 8 for both acid and hot water pretreatment (23.49 and 26.50 gL(-1)) with respect to sugarcane bagasse. But, the pretreatment results obtained for bamboo was slightly different to that of sugarcane bagasse. The highest yield of TRS was obtained at run order 8 for acid (15.6 gL(-1)) and run order 10 for hot water (17.98 gL(-1)) pretreatment respectively. Irrespective of biomass type, hot water pretreatment process produced more TRS than acid pretreatment process. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is an abundant crop around the world, mostly used to produce ethanol and sugar. Due to its sizeable production, the accumulation of byproducts is extensive. In recent years, these materials have been used to produce high value products for several applications. The rich chemical composition can be explored as a source for phenolic compounds extracts, for the development of bioactive ingredients for the cosmetic industry. Therefore, this review aims to reflect on the potential of sugarcane extracts as ingredients for cosmetics and skin care products. The main conclusions are that, key phenolic compounds present in sugarcane extracts possess antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as inhibitory activity against skin ageing related enzymes and promotes collagen synthesis. These findings support the substantial potential use of these extracts as anti-ageing ingredients and as preservatives for the cosmetic industry, although focused studies for each application must be performed.
Surplus, low value agricultural by-products can be made into granular activated carbons (GACs) which are used in environmental remediation. This study characterized and evaluated GACs, made from these feedstocks, as effective removers of organics and metals from water. The by-products included soft lignocellulosics such as rice straw, soybean hull, sugarcane bagasse, peanut shell, and harder materials such as pecan and walnut shells. The softer materials were combined with a binder, molasses, to produce briquettes and pellets. The precursors were CO2- or steam-activated, and subsequent treatments included oxidation to enhance metal adsorption. Many of the GACs had acceptable physical GAC attributes, such as durability, for commercial usage. GACs made from pecan and walnut shells adsorbed higher levels of benzene, toluene, methanol, acetonitrile, acetone, and 1,4-dioxane from an aqueous mixture than commercial GACs. Neither CO2 nor steam activation was particularly advantageous in enhancing metal adsorption. Oxidation using O-2-N-2 gas increased metal adsorption while (NH4)S2O8 solution did not In a copper solution, oxidized GACs made from soybean hull had three to four times the Cu(II) adsorption capacity of metal-adsorbing, commercial GACs. Oxidized GACs made from soybean hull, sugarcane bagasse, peanut shell, and rice straw adsorbed from a mixture higher amounts of Pb(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) than any commercial GACs. Commercial GACs adsorbed only Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II). The GACs made from the agricultural by-products have considerable potential for adsorption of organics and metals of environmental concern. (C) 1998 SCI.
The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of feeding diets containing corn silage or sugarcane bagasse plus high moisture corn or dry corn grain on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing young bulls. Twenty-eight Santa Gertrudis young bulls averaging 10 months of age and 245 kg of body weight were assigned to a completely randomized block design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Animals were maintained in individual pens during 142 days and were fed sugarcane bagasse (12\% diet DM) or corn silage (20\% of diet DM) supplemented with two energy sources: high moisture corn or dry corn grain. The high moisture corn was grounded and ensiled with 70\% of DM. There was no significant interaction between forage and corn type for any measured variable. Feeding sugarcane bagasse as the sole dietary forage source was satisfactory despite the reduced body weight gain, feed efficiency, carcass weight and dressing, and fat thickness compared to corn silage. The average daily body weight gain with feeding sugarcane bagasse was 1.3 kg while that with feeding corn silage was 1.5 kg. Intake of DM was not affected by forage type or corn source. High moisture corn improved feed efficiency by 9.7\% and reduced liver weight compared to dry corn but no significant differences were observed for the remaining variables.
Background: The search for novel thermostable xylanases for industrial use has intensified in recent years, and thermophilic fungi are a promising source of useful enzymes. The present work reports the heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of a novel thermostable xylanase (GH10) from the thermophilic fungus Malbranchea pulchella, the influence of glycosylation on its stability, and a potential application in sugarcane bagasse hydrolysis. Results: Xylanase MpXyn10A was overexpressed in Aspergillus nidulans and was active against birchwood xylan, presenting an optimum activity at pH 5.8 and 80 degrees C. MpXyn10A was 16\% glycosylated and thermostable, preserving 85\% activity after 24 hours at 65 degrees C, and deglycosylation did not affect thermostability. Circular dichroism confirmed the high alpha-helical content consistent with the canonical GH10 family (beta/alpha)(8) barrel fold observed in molecular modeling. Primary structure analysis revealed the existence of eight cysteine residues which could be involved in four disulfide bonds, and this could explain the high thermostability of this enzyme even in the deglycosylated form. MpXyn10A showed promising results in biomass degradation, increasing the amount of reducing sugars in bagasse in natura and in three pretreated sugarcane bagasses. Conclusions: MpXyn10A was successfully secreted in Aspergillus nidulans, and a potential use for sugarcane bagasse biomass degradation was demonstrated.
Sugarcane bagasse and hydroponic lettuce roots were used as biosorbents for the removal of Cu(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), and Zn(II) from multielemental solutions and lake water, in batch processes. These biomasses were studied in natura (lettuce roots, NLR, and sugarcane bagasse, NSB) and chemically modified with HNO3 (lettuce roots, MLR, and sugarcane bagasse, MSB). The results showed higher adsorption efficiency for MSB and either NLR or MLR. The maximum adsorption capacities (q(max)) in multielemental solution for Cu(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), and Zn(II) were 35.86, 31.42, 3.33, and 24.07mg/g for NLR; 25.36, 27.95, 14.06, and 6.43mg/g for MLR; 0.92, 3.94, 0.03, and 0.18mg/g for NSB; and 54.11, 6.52, 16.7, and 1.26mg/g for MSB, respectively. The kinetic studies with chemically modified biomasses indicated that sorption was achieved in the first 5min and reached equilibrium around 30min. Sorption of Cu(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), and Zn(II) in lake water by chemically modified biomasses was 24.31, 14.50, 8.03, and 8.21mg/g by MLR, and 13.15, 10.50, 6.10, and 5.14mg/g by MSB, respectively. These biosorbents are promising and low costs agricultural residues, and as for lettuce roots, these showed great potential even with no chemical modification.
A fractionation scheme for lignocellulosic biomass where major constituent biopolymers are recovered in applicable forms is essential for integrated biorefinery. In this study, a sequential two-step fractionation of sugarcane bagasse using liquid hot water followed an organic acid-catalyzed aqueous glycerol-based organosolv process was developed. Under optimal conditions, 66.1\% of the hemicellulose was recovered as saccharides by the acid-catalyzed hydrothermal step. Formic acid was superior to H(2)SO(4)and HNO(3)as a catalyst for the subsequent organosolv step using aqueous glycerol in terms of delignification efficiency and selectivity, resulting in a maximum of 78.3\% lignin recovery after acetone extraction with > 90\% purity and better conservation of aromatic subunit structure according to 2D-NMR. The majority of cellulose (86.4\%) was retained as a solid with high purity (74.8\%) and enzymatic digestibility, resulting in 78.2\% glucose recovery. The formic acid-aqueous glycerol-spent liquor could be recycled for at least four consecutive batches with no significant decrease in product yield or selectivity. The work represents an efficient sequential process for fractionation of lignocellulose-derived components which allowed solvent recycling and recovery of high-purity lignin with conserved subunit structure. The separated product streams are suitable for valorization in biorefinery.
The microalgae biofuels are considered a technically feasible alternative to supply the demands of the automotive, aviation and energy sectors. However, the costs associated with cultivation and processing still limit the scale-up of biomass production and its conversion into biofuels. One of the barriers associated with microalgae cultivation is the cost of nutrients used in heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultures. In this review were described and analyzed initiatives to explore effluents or coproducts from production chains of bioethanol and biodiesel for use as sources of nutrients for the cultivation of microalgae. With the purpose of reducing costs and integrating convergent agroindustrial chains, were evaluate the use of vinasse from the first generation of bioethanol plants, hemicellulosic hydrolyzate from the acid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse, crude glycerol produced by the transesterification of oils and fats and washing water of biodiesel for the production of algal biomass.
High contact pressures applied to soil result in a greater degree of compaction, in addition to promoting other negative effects. The objective of this study was to quantify contact areas by using different methodologies, and pressures of farm equipment employed in production activity and evaluate structural changes caused in a Red Latosol with the presence and absence of straw cover. The design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme of type 4 (tire on front axle, tire on rear axle, tire on a sugarcane wagon and metallic track of sugar cane Harvester) x 2 (presence and absence of straw). The contact area (CA) of the run was obtained by three procedures: analytical measure of the area of an ellipse (CA1); digital measurement of area of an ellipse (CA2); and measurement of real contact area (RCA), with digital resources. The contact pressure was calculated from the ratio of mass of each machine's axle and the contact area of the run. The contact area obtained according to the procedure of the ellipse (CA1 and CA2) is overrated when compared to actual area obtained digitally (RCA). The straw reduces the contact pressure in the soil, due to the deep tire treads and consequently, increased contact area. Areas where the traffic of the machines occurred with soil covered with the presence of straw showed reduced soil resistance to penetration, cone index and pre-consolidation pressure, confirming that the increased contact area produced by straw reduced the pressure applied and the compression power dissipated in the soil.
Xylanases are enzymes that catalyze the degradation of beta(1-4) bonds of xylan, which is present in the hemicellulose contained in lignocellulosic residues. Currently, xylanases have a biotechnological potential in the process of hydrolysis of lignocellulosic residues for bioalcohol production of second generation and other products of industrial interest. The hydrolysis step is limiting in these processes, since the enzyme is expensive, and its availability is very limited. The objective of this research was to optimize xylanase production evaluating nitrogen concentration, agitation, type, and concentration of carbon source. From different lignocellulosic residues, 9 strains of the genus Aspergillus were isolated, where SCBH2 strain was the one with the highest xylanase activity and was identified as Aspergillus tamarii. Sugarcane bagasse proved to be the best carbon source over corn stubble and sorghum bagasse, possibly due to its high cellulose content and low lignin content; in addition, ammonium sulfate increased xylanase production over other sources of nitrogen such as yeast extract and urea. The optimal conditions obtained from xylanase production by A. tamarii SCBH2 using a central compound design were as follows: 15 gL(-1) of sugarcane bagasse, 0.7 gL(-1) of ammonium sulfate, and 200 rpm, during 72 h of fermentation increasing the xylanase activity from 1.91 to 10.9 U/mL. These results show feasibility to produce xylanases using low-cost substrates and optimizing operating conditions.
Biodiesel production is made by using edible or vegetable oils; however, their high prices and use as food resource are great limiting factors to their application. During the refining of palm oil, a lower-value by-product known as palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is generated in the fatty acid stripping and deodorization stages. PFAD is potentially a valuable, low-cost feedstock for the production of biodiesel. In this work, the esterification reactions of free fatty acid (FFA) in PFAD over sugarcane bagasse catalysts were studied. The effects of catalyst concentration (1 to 10 wt\%), reaction temperature (30 to 60 degrees C), and molar ratio of oil/methanol (1: 6 to 1: 12) on the conversion of FFA was studied to optimize the conditions for maximum conversion of FFA in PFAD and to observe the appropriate kinetic model for the experimental data. A kinetic model was developed on the basis of the Eley-Rideal mechanism according to the experimental data. The esterification reaction occurred between methanol adsorbed on solid base active sites and FFA from the liquid phase. The surface reaction of FFA with adsorbed methanol was assumed to be rate-determining. The collision factor value and activation energy for P-H model were found to be 1217.7985 L/mol. min and 24.2950 kJ/mol, then for E-R model were 1492.6375 L/mol. min and 19.5391 kJ/mol for E-R model, respectively.
2-Phenylethanol is a valuable flavoring agent with many applications. Although the bioproduction of 2-phenylethanol has been achieved by microbial fermentation, the low titer and high cost hinder its industrial-scale production. The goal of this study is to develop an efficient process for high-level production of 2-phenylethanol from L-phenylalanine. Firstly, candidate hosts for 2-phenylethanol synthesis were screened by evaluating their tolerance to 2-phenylethanol, andBacillus licheniformisDW2 was proven to be a promising strain for 2-phenylethanol production. Subsequently, phenylpyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase from different hosts were screened, and the combination of KivD fromLactococcus lactisand YqhD fromEscherichia coliowned the best performance on 2-phenylethanol synthesis, and the attained strain DE4 produced 3.04 g/L 2-phenylethanol from 5.00 g/L L-phenylalanine using glucose as carbon source. Furthermore, the fermentation process was optimized using molasses as carbon source, and 2-phenylethanol titer was increased to 4.41 g/L. In fed-batch fermentation, the maximum 2-phenylethanol titer reached 5.16 g/L, with a yield of 0.65 g/g on L-phenylalanine and productivity of 0.12 g/(L.h), which was the highest 2-phenylethnol titer reported to date when molasses was used as carbon source. Collectively, this study develops a robust strain as well as the cost-efficient process for 2-phenylethanol production, which lays a substantial foundation for industrial production of 2-phenylethanol.Key points center dot Bacillus licheniformis is an excellent 2-PE stress-tolerant strain.center dot Coexpressed kivD and yqhD is most suitable for 2-PE production in B. licheniformis.center dot High-level production of 2-PE (5.16 g/L) was obtained by engineered strain DE4.
Sugarcane is a major crop in Brazil as well as other tropical areas. The rise of green cane systems that maintain straw on the soil surface after mechanical harvesting alongside extreme precipitation has changed the use and environmental fate of pesticides, mainly herbicides. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effects of straw amounts (0, 7, and 14 t ha(-1)), soil water contents (10 and 18\%, volumetric basis), and herbicide incubation time (0 and 3 days) on the runoff of hexazinone and diuron in green cane systems, under a heavy rainfall event of 120 mm that is becoming more frequent over the decades in tropical areas. A rainfall event of 80 mm h(-1) during 1.5 h was simulated over a 1 m(2) area, using a rainfall simulator with a structure designed to collect runoff. Herbicides in water runoff were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (UPLC ESI QTOF/MS), while herbicides attached to sediments were estimated using K-d values. Sugarcane straw on the soil surface decreased water, sediments, and diuron runoffs, but barely affected hexazinone losses. Crop residues cannot prevent runoff of highly soluble molecules, such as hexazinone. Herbicides' runoffs were much higher in the aqueous phase and at higher soil moisture content. Maintaining 7 t ha(-1) of sugarcane straw on the soil surface was enough to mitigate water, sediments, and diuron runoff, but 3-day herbicide incubation did not affect both herbicides runoffs. Diuron and hexazinone are heavily used herbicides that can reach concerning concentrations in the runoff and contaminate surface waters in vulnerable areas if no control measures are taken.
This work describes the structural changes of bagasse hemicelluloses during the cooking process involving active oxygen (O-2 and H2O2) and solid alkali (MgO). The hemicelluloses obtained from the bagasse raw material, pulp, and yellow liquor were analyzed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and H-1-C-13 2D hetero-nuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy (HSQC). The results revealed that the structure of the bagasse hemicelluloses was L-arabino-(4-O-methylglucurono)-D-xylan. Some sugar units in hemicelluloses were oxidized under the cooking conditions. Additionally, the backbones and the ester linkages of hemicelluloses were heavily cleaved during the cooking process. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The present work encloses the application of ultrasonically blended chemicals in the treatment of waste materials like sugarcane bagasse fiber for presynthesis of microwaves absorbing material/radar absorbing material for different applications. The optimized blended chemicals with alcohol blended acrylic acid are determined by computation of different acoustic parameters with the propagation of ultrasonic wave in frequency ranges from 1 to 5 MHz. The optimum blend of acrylic acid with methanol with 0.4 concentrations, out of all other alcohol group, shows its best characteristics in all frequency ranges for the modification of surface of sugarcane bagasse. The study of elemental dispersion images of untreated and treated sugarcane bagasse fiber signifies the suitability of the material for synthesis of microwave absorbing materials. The presence of many reaction sites on the treated sugarcane bagasse fiber makes its suitability for synthesis of biomaterial. The SEM of treated sugarcane bagasse fiber gives significant explanation for absorption of incident microwave radiation on the biomaterial prepared from this waste. The reflection loss of the synthesized biocomposite shows significant effect of the treatment of ultrasonic wave for microwave absorption at 10 GHz in X-band frequency range.
The present experimental study investigates the different factors which affected the bioenergy generation from industrial biomass waste. In this work, sugarcane bagasse was used as a feedstock for biogas generation in an anaerobic type lab scale digester of 25 liters volume. Cow dung inoculum was used in the experiments. The anaerobic biodigestion was carried out in batch mode with mesophilic temperature of 35 degrees C and 40 days of hydro retention time. The cumulative gas production achieved till 21st day of digestion was 0.24 m(3). Methane and carbon dioxide content were about 37 \% and 48 \% respectively. The pH was measured using digital redox meter, temperature was measured with the digital temperature indicator and biogas flow was measured using gas flow meter. Industrial biomass namely sugarcane bagasse is one of the suitable wastes for bioenergy generation through anaerobic digestion.
We studied the production of surfactin by Bacillus pumilus UFPEDA 448 in solid-state fermentation (SSF), using a medium based on okara with the addition of sugarcane bagasse as a bulking agent. The optimum proportions of okara and sugarcane bagasse were 50\% each, by mass. Due to the relatively high production of proteases during SSF, pre-hydrolysis of the okara with a protease did not improve surfactin levels. The optimum temperature for surfactin production was 37 degrees C, with the incubation temperature affecting the ratios of the various surfactin homologues produced. Cultivation in column bioreactors with forced aeration under optimized conditions gave a surfactin level of 809 mg L-1 of impregnating solution, which corresponds to 3.3 g kg-dry-solids(-1). This is the highest surfactin level that has been produced to date in SSF with a non-recombinant microorganism. The peak O-2 uptake rate was 20 mmol min(-1) kg-initial-dry-solids(-1), corresponding to metabolic waste heat production rate of 182 W kg-initial-dry-solids(-1). The tensioactive properties of the surfactin were similar to those reported in the literature for surfactin produced by submerged fermentation. These results suggest that it might be feasible to use SSF to produce surfactin but at large scale special attention will need to be given to heat removal. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The structural nature of lignin renders it suitable as a renewable source of phenolic compounds. The production of phenols from pyrolysis of sugarcane lignins with impregnated catalysts was investigated by screening of twelve catalysts (Al2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, TiO2, ZnO, MgO, CuO, MoO3, NiO, Ni/Al2O3-SiO2, NaOH, and KOH) at 1 wt.\% content. Sugarcane bagasse lignins were isolated after soda-pulping (SD), soda-anthraquinone-pulping (SAQ) and steam explosion pre-treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (SEH). Pyrolysis was conducted using a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), and captured volatiles were quantified by thermal desorption (TD) gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The TGA results showed that the degradation profiles and char yields were influenced by the presence of catalysts, through modifications in conversion mechanisms. The highest increases in the total yield of phenols were obtained with KOH for SD lignin (+ 25.7\%), CaO for SAQ lignin (+ 59.7\%), and Fe2O3 for SEH lignin (+ 43.0\%). Due to the enhancement of depolymerisation at low temperature (< 350 degrees C), the yields of syringol, guaiacol, and vinylguaiacol increased by 41\%, 32\%, and 43\% for SD lignin, 121\%, 93\%, and 84\% for SAQ lignin, and 72\%, 77\%, and 54\% for SEH lignin respectively. These significant increases in the yields of phenols using 1 wt.\% compared to >= 10 wt.\% reported in literatures demonstrated the effectiveness of impregnation method.
Nanosilica was prepared from sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) and used as additive to the diatomaceous earth (DE). Nanosilica was characterized using laser light scattering (LS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nanosilica has uniform spherical shape and monodisperse distribution with particle diameters of similar to 100 nm. The insecticidal activity of silica nanoparticles (SNPs), Mamaghan DE, Mamaghan DE plus 15\% SNPs and Mamaghan DE plus 20\% SNPs was determined against adults of Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val. and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) at the rate of 400 ppm. Nanosilica enhanced the insecticidal activity of Mamaghan DE, and after 14 d of exposure the adult mortality was more than 86\% and 95\% for T. confusum and R. dominica when SNPs were added to the DE, respectively.
The present research is investigated on the adsorption potential of sugarcane bagasse (SG), acid modified sugarcane bagasse (ASG), base modified sugarcane bagasse (BSG) and activated carbon (AC) as adsorbents for the removal of Cu(II) from synthetic effluent and industrial wastewater in a batch mode process. The surface morphology and surface functionality of the adsorbents were identified by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The influences of the effective parameters including initial Cu(II) ion concentration, pH and adsorbent mass were optimized by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The Cu(II) removal efficiency from synthetic effluent using AC, SG, ASG and BSG was observed as 98.5\%, 88.9\%, 96.9\% and 94.8\%, respectively at equilibrium for adsorbent dose 5 g/L, initial Cu(II) concentration 10 mg/L and pH 5. The Cu(II) removal efficiency using the industrial wastewater was obtained as 83.45\%, 62.53\%, 81.40\% and 71.77\% for AC, SG, ASG and BSG, respectively at adsorbent dose 5 g/L, initial Cu(II) concentration 52.4 mg/L and pH 1.25-1.31. It was determined that the Cu(II) removal efficiency of ASG from synthetic effluent as well as industrial wastewater is comparable with that of AC. The cost analysis has shown that AC is very costly as compared to the other adsorbents used for the studies. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The changes in oxygen functionality of soluble portions and residues from the bagasse methanolysis (BM) and bagasse ethanolysis (BE) at 220, 240, 260, 280, and 300 degrees C were investigated. The highest yields of soluble portions, 40.8 wt\% from BM and 48.1 wt\% from BE, can be obtained at 280 degrees C for 0.5 h. The organic oxygen species evolution of the bagasse and residues were analyzed with Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analyzer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The results show that the contents of oxygen functional moieties between bagasse and residues are significantly different. The cleavage of > C-al-X bonds (X denotes C-al < , O-, N < , and/or S-), especially > C-al-C-al < and > C-al-O- bonds, should be the major reactions during the bagasse alkanolyses. In addition, based on the analysis with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, oxygen-containing organic compounds produced from BM and BE can be divided into alkanols, alkenols, furans tetrahydrofurans, alkyl-substituted phenols \& benzenepolyols, methoxy-substituted benzenes, alkoxy-substituted phenols, benzaldehydes, ketones, esters, carboxylic acids, and other oxygenates. The depolymerization of cellulose and/or hemicellulose to pentose/hexose and/or other small-molecule products could facilitate the formation of cyclopentanones and cyclopent-2-enones. The comparison of the specific methyl and ethyl esters obtained from BM and BE, respectively, confirmed that the 4-hydroxyphenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and/or syringyl units are likely present in the bagasse skeleton. Comparing the organic oxygen transformation during the bagasse alkanolyses will facilitate the utilization of oxygenated chemicals in the biomass-derived oils.
Using agricultural wastes (bagasse) and polyol derived from soy oil as raw materials to develop biodegradable rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) is beneficial to reduce the dependence on petroleum resources and promote the sustainable socioeconomic and environmental development. This study focuses on bagasse as a functional filler to improve and control the mechanical properties and biodegradability of the RPUFs. With the increasing levels of bagasse content, the density and mechanical properties of RPUFs increase. The biodegradation of RPUFs has a greater enhancement compared to the foam without bagasse, and all bio-foams have excellent thermal insulation properties. All changes in foam performance are due to the fact that the active hydroxyl groups on bagasse react with excess isocyanate to form urethane, which affects the structure of RPUFs. In this study, scientific design and molecular regulation theory were applied to improve the utilization value of bagasse and develop high-performance biodegradable RPUFs for thermal insulation materials.
Continuous H-2 and CH4 production in a two-stage process to increase energy recovery from agave bagasse enzymatic-hydrolysate was studied. In the first stage, the effect of organic loading rate (OLR) and stirring speed on volumetric hydrogen production rate (VHPR) was evaluated in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR); by controlling the homoacetogenesis with the agitation speed and maintaining an OLR of 44 g COD/L-d, it was possible to reach a VHPR of 6 L H-2/L-d, equivalent to 1.34 kJ/g bagasse. In the second stage, the effluent from CSTR was used as substrate to feed a UASB reactor for CH4 production. Volumetric methane production rate (VMPR) of 6.4 L CH4/L-d was achieved with a high OLR (20 g COD/L-d) and short hydraulic retention time (HRT, 14 h), producing 225 mL CH4/g-bagasse equivalent to 7.88 kJ/g bagasse. The two-stage continuous process significantly increased energy conversion efficiency (56\%) compared to one-stage hydrogen production (8.2\%).
N-doped biomass-derived porous carbon was synthesized by the pyrolysis of sugarcane-vinasse to develop a novel metal-free catalyst in electrochemical sensing. Vinasse samples were subjected to different pyrolysis temperatures under nitrogen flow to investigate the effect of the pyrolysis temperature on the physical properties of the biomass-derived products. The XPS results displayed that as-pyrolyzed samples contain N atoms with an atomic ratio of 3.02\%. While a low surface area of 1.5 m(2)/g was measured from the sample pyrolyzed at 600 degrees C, the increase in the temperature yielded a large surface area of 620 m(2)/g. Additional heat treatment was implemented to tailor N-binding sites. Samples were then used as electroactive catalysts for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrochemical sensing. Vinasse-P-10@N-based sensors showed much-improved sensor performance in a linear range of 0.03-12 mM with a high sensitivity of 208.97 mu A mM(-1) cm(-2).
The objective was to evaluate the influence of particle size of the solid ground corncob and sugarcane bagasse, used as filter materials, the efficiency of removing pollutants from swine wastewater (SWW). It was used columns containing the filtering material in three particle sizes (0.84 to 1.19; 1.19 to 2.00 and 2.00 to 2.83 mm). To evaluate the efficiency of the system, the influent and effluent were characterized in relation to the following parameters: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), total nitrogen (total-N) total phosphorus (total-P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), total copper (total-Cu) and total zinc (total-Zn). Curves were generated by relating the relative concentrations of the variables and the depth of the filtered SWW. The lowest concentrations of BOD in the effluent were obtained, in general, filters made of materials in its largest size; the removals of COD, TS, total-N, total-P were not significantly influenced by the size of the filter materials; the Na and the K had not been retained in the filter materials, in none of the grain sizes studied, however the removal of total-Zn and total-Cu were generally higher in filters consist of filter materials of smaller particle size.
A series of experiments have been conducted to study the effects of different carbonization temperatures (400, 600, and 800 degrees C) on characteristics of porosity in activated carbon derived from carbonized sugarcane bagassechar at activation temperature of 800 degrees C. The results showed that the activated carbon derived from high carbonized temperature of sugarcane bagassechars had higher BET surface area, total volume, micropore volume and yield as compared to the activated carbon derived from low carbonized temperature. The BET surface area, total volume and micropore volume of activated carbon prepared from sugarcane bagassechars obtained at 800 degrees C of carbonized temperature and activation time of 120 min were 661.46m(2)/g, 0.2455cm(3)/g and 0.1989cm(3)/g, respectively. The high carbonization temperature (800 degrees C) generated a highly microporous carbonwith a Type-I nitrogen adsorption isotherm, while the low carbonization temperature (400 and 600 degrees C) generated a mesoporous one with an intermediate between types I and IInitrogen adsorption isotherm.
This work provides an insight into sugarcane bagasse pre-treatment carried out with greener and more sustainable CO2/H2O system. Temperatures and residence times at a fixed initial CO2 pressure were studied to verify their effects on pre-treatment efficiency with regard to the chemical composition of both water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions as well as to the susceptibility of the latter to enzymatic hydrolysis at high total solids. Also, trends in enzymatic hydrolysis were analysed in function of biomass crystallinity. This work provides an integrated approach in the analysis of upgradable sugars that are released as a result of pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. At optimal pre-treatment conditions, 17.2 g.L-1 sugars were released in the water-soluble fraction mainly as pentoses in monomeric and oligomeric forms. The enzymatic hydrolysis of solids produced at these pre-treatment conditions gave 76.8 g.L-1 glucose in the substrate hydrolysate. The overall sugar yield delivered in both pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was 73,9 mol\%. These results were compared to the chemical effect of hydrothermal and/or physico-chemical effects of N-2-aided hydrothermal processes and showed that the greener processing of biomass pre-treatment with CO2 is advantageous for the integrated valorisation of industrial residues and delivery of upgradable sugars within the biorefinery concept. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are renewable and biodegradable nanomaterials with attractive barrier, mechanical and surface properties. In this work, three different recombinant enzymes: an endoglucanase, a xylanase and a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase, were combined to enhance cellulose fibrillation and to produce CNF from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Prior to the enzymatic catalysis, SCB was chemically pretreated by sodium chlorite and KOH, while defibrillation was accomplished via sonication. We obtained much longer (mu m scale length) and more thermostable (resisting up to 260 degrees C) CNFs as compared to the CNFs prepared by TEMPO-mediated oxidation. Our results showed that a cooperative action of the set of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes can be used as a ``green{''
Cellulases from thermophilic bacteria are likely to be more stable and are required in countless biotechnological applications. Bacillus being a house of thermostable proteins has frequently been studied for the production of cellulases. During the process of composting, distinct temperature changes are observed including significant rise that favors the growth of thermophiles with the ability to degrade plant based waste materials. Therefore, isolation of bacterial strains was carried out from a composting site; screening of the isolates revealed capability of three of the isolates, MAH14, MAH66 and MAH80, to produce endoglucanase (EG) and beta-glucosidase (BGL) at 50 degrees C. On the basis of biochemical characters MAH66 and MAH80 were identified as the strains of Bacillus licheniformis whereas, MAH14 was identified as Bacillus subtilis. The cellulase preparations from these bacteria were studied for their thermostability by investigating the half-life (t(1/2)) and melting temperature (T-m). The MAH80 cellulase exhibited more stability with a T-m of 60 degrees C and a t(1/2) of 70 min at 50 degrees C.The prospected application of cellulase crude preparation from the strains was estimated by carrying out experiments on the saccharification of untreated and alkali-treated sugarcane bagasse (SB) and the data was compared with the saccharificaiton of CMC. Hydrolysis rate from MAH14 of untreated SB was higher as compared to alkali pretreated SB and CMC. The amount of reducing sugars liberated by the action of cellulase preparation from MAH 66 on untreated SB (1.7 mg mL(-1)) was higher than on alkali treated SB (0.29 mg mL(-1)). While the enzyme from MAH14 yielded almost equal amount of sugars when applied either on alkali treated SB (0.56 mg mL(-1)) or on CMC (0.6 mg mL(-1)). Results from this study revealed the capability of indigenous thermophilic bacterial strains for cellulase production and biomass saccharification.
In this paper the concept of fins has been used for heating purpose for improving efficiency of open pan Jaggery making furnace. Pan is the integral part of these furnaces where boiling/concentration of sugarcane juice take place. Parallel fins were provided to the bottom of main pan and gutter pan of IISR Lucknow 2-pan furnace. Choice for type of fins was based on movement of flames and hot flue gases generated due to combustion of bagasse. Fins helped in more heat transfer to the sugarcane juice being concentrated. Considerable improvement in heat utilization efficiency (9.44\%) was observed which resulted in saving of fuel and energy (31.34\%). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lactic acid is an important product arising from the anaerobic fermentation of sugars. It is used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, and food industries as well as for biodegradable polymer and green solvent production. In this work, several bacterial strains were isolated from industrial ethanol fermentation, and the most efficient strain for lactic acid production was selected. The fermentation was conducted in a batch system under anaerobic conditions for 50 h at a temperature of 34 A degrees C, a pH value of 5.0, and an initial sucrose concentration of 12 g/L using diluted sugarcane molasses. Throughout the process, pulses of molasses were added in order to avoid the cell growth inhibition due to high sugar concentration as well as increased lactic acid concentrations. At the end of the fermentation, about 90\% of sucrose was consumed to produce lactic acid and cells. A kinetic model has been developed to simulate the batch lactic acid fermentation results. The data obtained from the fermentation were used for determining the kinetic parameters of the model. The developed model for lactic acid production, growth cell, and sugar consumption simulates the experimental data well.
The beneficiation of agricultural waste is a topical issue in the field of sustainable and renewable energy production. This review focuses on recent methods applied to extract silica and silicon (Si), a major semiconductor material, from different agricultural waste ashes and their application in solar cell nanotechnology. Specific attention is given to such methods as relating to sugarcane bagasse ash, a waste product from the sugarcane processing industry. Also reviewed is the current carbothermal process through which pure silicon is obtained from an inorganic source, quartz. The review also highlights current challenges and opportunities associated with present technologies, and aims to create awareness and provoke the thoughts of researchers, scientists and stakeholders in the energy sector in this area.
The delignification of sugarcane straw (SCS) was investigated using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, {[
Full-scale farming systems rely on tebuthiuron and thiamethoxam to manage sugarcane for controlling weeds and insects, respectively. Both are effective pesticides, but they can harm the surroundings. Moreover, an additional level of routine management, such as spreading vinasse onto field for fertigation, can impact the environmental pollution/contamination positively or negatively. Therefore, we hypothesized the environmental behavior in and analyzed if it could be possible for natural attenuation to effectively dissipate them from the soil. The respirometric bioassay to quantify the microbial metabolism upon the pesticides in association with vinasse or not lasted for 130 days. Vinasse acted similar to an organic source of metabolizable energy. Hence, it enhanced the microbial transformation of target-pesticides into CO2. Soil samples respirometers, where vinasse and pesticides co-existed, became less toxic over a sensitive organism. Therefore, ecotoxicological bioassay cross-validated the synergism of vinasse towards the natural attenuation of tebuthiuron with the opposite true for thiamethoxam. The sigmoidal Gompertz function was more adequate to describe the microbial mineralization of tebuthiuron-thiamethoxam-vinasse associations in soil. This model presented more adequate to describe microbiological degradation than first-order functions. Plainly, analytical insights into microbiological-ecotoxicological ramifications of our exploratory study are timely and provided forward knowledge in naturally remediating agroecosystems.
Rheological studies and fractal kinetic modeling were applied to investigate the enzymatic hydrolysis of steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse (195 degrees C, 7.5 min) using Cellic CTec3 cellulases (Novozymes). Initially, a central composite rotatable design,(CORD),was performed to evaluate the effect of different, enzyme,loadings and substrate total solids (TS) on both substrate apparent viscosity and kinetic parameters of enzymatic hydrolysis. Hydrolysis at 20\% TS for 12 and 961 using 38:0 FPU g(-1) glucan released 52 and 110 g L-1 glucose equivalents from the steam exploded material, respectively, with cellobiose being always below 1.7\% of these readings. Fractal kinetic modeling provided a good fit of both glucan and xylan conversions, and the fractal kinetic parameters k and h had a strong correlation with changes in both substrate TS and enzyme loading. At the center point of the CORD, Cellic CTec3 caused a decrease of 1 order of magnitude in the substrate-apparent viscosity at every 6 h of hydrolysis. Cellic HTec3 had a boosting effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cane bagasse glucans regardless of the low hemicellulose content of the steam-treated material. Glncan hydrolysis was improved by 8\% when 10\% Cellic HTec3 was added to a hydrolysis mixture containing Cellic CTec3 at 38.6 FPU g(-1) glucan. With this, a total production of 120 g L-1 glucose achieved at 72 h using 20\% TS.
In the present investigation, a feasibility study is made to utilize the sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) as an admixture in concrete and examine its role in imparting resistance under elevated temperatures. The ash was obtained from a sugar mill in India where the bagasse was recycled as fuel for the mill. It was characterized for its physical properties and chemical composition. Incorporated as a supplementary cementing admixture, SCBA replaced Portland cement from 0 to 25\% by mass fraction at 5\% increments. Besides a series that was examined at room temperature, the resulting concrete was subjected to elevated temperatures of 300 degrees C, 400 degrees C and 500 degrees C, being exposed for 2 h in each case. The residual compressive and flexural strength were evaluated and compared with the reference performance at room temperature. The results show that the SCBA sample had a grain size distribution very similar to that of the Type GU Portland cement used in this study. X-ray florescence revealed that this ash was chiefly composed of SiO2 (similar to 70\%). At room temperature, the compressive strength of concrete increased till up to 10\% SCBA incorporation. Even at 15\% cement substitution, it matched that of the reference mix containing Portland cement alone. While there was a consistent drop in the compressive strength at higher temperatures, the inclusion of SCBA marginally slows down this deterioration. On the other hand, the flexural strength of concrete containing SCBA was always lower than that seen with Portland cement alone. However, once again, the drop was seen to be less significant up to 10\% cement substitutions. The findings strongly endorse that bagasse ash when used as a supplementary cementing admixture, imparts resistance to concrete against elevated temperatures. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This work investigates the effect of adsorbent geometry on diffusion mechanisms assuming form factors as a new approach in the conception of mass transfer model. Experimental nickel adsorption on activated carbon and sugarcane bagasse were selected as case studies. According to SEM images, the activated carbon geometry can be approximated as a sphere with sphericity of 0.47, while the sugarcane bagasse geometry was considered an infinite cylinder. In both cases, the equilibrium data were suitable elucidated by Sips isotherm and the thermodynamic parameters revealed exothermic and spontaneous adsorption process. The numerical solution of the diffusional model was developed and presented in detail considering the geometry of each case study. Finite difference approximations and nonlinear least squares methods have been successfully used to estimate and predict the dynamic adsorption behavior in terms of mass transfer phenomena. It was observed that the adsorption rate was influenced by the geometry and textural characteristics of the adsorbents. Both surface diffusion (70\%) and pore volume diffusion (30\%) presented a significant contribution in the activated carbon adsorption. However, only surface diffusion (97\%) was significant in the sugarcane bagasse adsorption, since its porosity is three times lower than activated carbon. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Background Lignin in sugarcane bagasse (SB) hinders its utilization by microorganism, therefore, pretreatment methods are employed to make fermentable components accessible to the microbes. Multivariate analysis of different chemical pretreatment methods can aid to select the most appropriate strategy to valorize a particular biomass. Results Amongst methods tested, the pretreatment by using sodium hydroxide in combination with methyltrioctylammonium chloride, an ionic liquid, (NaOH+IL) was the most significant for xylanase production by Bacillus aestuarii UE25. Investigation of optimal levels of five significant variables by adopting Box-Behnken design (BBD) predicted 20 IU mL(- 1) of xylanase and experimentally, a titer of 17.77 IU mL(- 1) was obtained which indicated the validity of the model. The production kinetics showed that volumetric productivity of xylanase was much higher after 24 h (833.33 IU L- 1 h(- 1)) than after 48 h (567.08 IU L- 1 h(- 1)). The extracted xylan from SB induced more xylanase in the fermentation medium than pretreated SB or commercially purified xylan. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy of SB indicated removal of lignin and changes in the structure of SB after NaOH+IL pretreatment and fermentation. Conclusion Combined pretreatment of SB with alkali and methyltrioctylammonium chloride appeared better than other chemical methods for bacterial xylanase production and for the extraction of xylan form SB.
Polymeric biocomposites (Polyaniline/sugarcane bagasse (Pan/SB), polypyrrole (PPy/SB), polyaniline/chitosan (PAn/Ch), polyaniline/starch (PAn/St) and polypyrrole/starch (PPy/St)) were prepared and applied for Acid Black-234 (AB-234) dye removal as a function of pH, reaction time, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration and temperature. The optimum pH for the efficient adsorption for SB, PPy/SB, PAn/SB, PPy/Ch, PAn/Ch, PPy/St and PAn/St were 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 3 and 3, respectively using adsorbent dose of 0.05 g for the reaction time of 60 min. The pseudo-first-order-kinetic model better explained the biosorption processes of SB, PAn/SB, PM/Ch, PPy/St and PAn/St, while pseudo-second-order kinetic model better fitted to the kinetic data of PPy/SB and PPy/Ch. It was observed that the biosorption process of dye showed the satisfactory fitness for Langmuir isotherm for the biosorbents with maximum adsorption capacities 52.6, 100, 90.91, 90.0,71.4, 66.6 and 62.5 for SB, PPy/SB, PAn/SB, PPy/Ch, PAn/Ch, PPy/St and PAn/St, respectively. The thermodynamic study revealed the exothermic nature of adsorption of dye on to biocomposites. Results revealed that polymeric biocomposites are efficient adsorbent and could possibly be used for the adsorption of dyes from textile wastewater. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Lignocellulosic biomass can be utilized to produce ethanol, a promising alternative energy source produced through fermentation of sugars. However, in order to achieve high sugar and ethanol yields, the lignocellulosic material must be pretreated before the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. Dilute acid pretreatment, using SO2, is one of the most promising methods of pretreatment for softwood and agricultural residues. However, handling the high acidity of the slurry obtained from pretreatment and difficulty in recycling/degradation of the impregnating agent are some of the drawbacks of the dilute acid processes. In the present study the influence of utilization of a weak organic acid (lactic acid), as impregnating agent, on the sugar yield from pretreatment, with and without addition of SO2, was investigated. The efficiency of pretreatment was assessed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the slurry obtained by pretreatment, using sugarcane bagasse and spruce, stored for one and two months in the presence of lactic acid separately, as feedstocks. Pretreatment of bagasse after storage with 0.5\% lactic acid resulted in an overall glucose yield, i.e. after enzymatic hydrolysis, of 79\% of theoretical based on the amount available in the raw material. This was as good as pretreatment using SO2 as impregnating agent. However, storage of spruce with lactic acid before pretreatment, with and without addition of SO2, was not efficient and resulted in lower sugar yields than pretreatment using SO2 only. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Resource recovery from agro-industrial wastes in the sugar-ethanol industry is a strategy under wide development. Besides promoting sustainability of the biorefinery plant and mitigating its negative environmental impacts, this strategy may also economically benefit the agro-industry by commercializing recovered added-value resources. In this regard, the sector commonly exploits by-products such as biofuels and biomaterials. This study proposes to build a critical review of a hypothetical integrated biogas plant combined with vinasse treatment and microalgae cultivation annexed within a sugar-ethanol mill. It addresses an innovative approach by proposing a sustainability-oriented plant (in terms of energy and resources) that combines different processes individually discussed in the literature. This strategy contributes to maintaining a closed-loop in the sugar-ethanol industrial plant. The primary data on algal cultivation in a mixotrophic medium (pretreated vinasse) and biogas generation from the anaerobic co-digestion of vinasse and algal biomass are listed. It then focuses on implementing resource recovery techniques aiming at achieving biorefinery sustainability, viz., valorizing nutrients from the biosolids as biofertilizers and disposing of treated vinasse for fertigation of sugarcane crops. In addition, biogas purification may generate biomethane (as a source of heat and electrical energy) and promote supplementary carbon for microalgae cultivation. Lastly, the proposed plant's viability is demonstrated by calculating the system's energy balance and net energy ratio (NER), whose results are +14.49 MJ.m(vinasse)(+3) and 2.0, respectively.
In order to reduce the cost of sophorolipids (SLs) production, we selected waste fried oil (WFO) and cane molasses as co-carbon sources for biosynthesis of SLs by the strain O-13-1, identified as Starmerella bombicola. The SLs production yield reached 49.4 +/- 0.7 g/L during shake-flask fermentation period using two carbon sources. The biosurfactant components, identified by liquid chromatography associated with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, were the mixture homologs of lactonic and acidic SLs of acetylated sophorose binding with octadecanoic, octadecenoic, and octadecadienoic acid moieties. Its critical micelle concentration (36.5 mg/L) and minimum surface tension (34.9 mN/m) were almost similar to those obtained from conventional substrates. The produced SLs possessed high emulsification activity toward various hydrophobic organic compounds and good stability in a wide temperature (10 degrees C-90 degrees C) and pH range (3-14). Cane molasses and WFO were the cheap and easily available feedstock which helped economic production of SLs and reduced the production cost. These SLs indicated good potential in further a wide variety of industrial and environmental applications.
The shortage of scientific betterment in jaggery manufacturing processes results in a high fuel consumption and low heat utilization efficiency of conventional jaggery production plants. In the present investigation, a semi-automatically operated modified jaggery plant (SOMJP) has been designed, fabricated, tested, and analyzed. The modifications include implementation of an automatic bagasse dryer, automatic fuel feeder, and improved pans for preheating and concentrating the sugarcane juice for obtaining jaggery. For comparison purpose, a manually operated conventional jaggery plant (MOCJP) has also been fabricated and analyzed. The SOMJP is observed to have higher overall heat utilization efficiency (80.28\%), lower bagasse consumption (1.38 kg/kg of jaggery prepared), lower draft generated (11.03 N/m(2)) and lesser time taken for jaggery production (21 min) than that of MOCJP. In SOMJP, automatic bagasse dryer utilizing thermal energy of waste hot flue gasses has eliminated the labor and space required for the open sun drying of wet bagasse. This resulted in additional profit year by year to the stakeholders and low payback period of the plant. The SOMJP is also observed to be a highly fuel self-sustainable plant (+12.69 kg/batch).
An adsorbent prepared from sugarcane bagasse with chemical activation by zinc chloride was used to study its sorption potential on removing chromium(VI). In this work the application of response surface methodology (RSM) is presented for optimization of removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqua solutions using activated carbon as adsorbent. While the goal of adsorption of chromium optimization was to improve adsorption conditions in batch process, i.e., to minimize the adsorbent dose and to increase the initial concentration of Cr(VI). A 2(4) full factorial central composite design experimental design was employed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value (R-2 = 0.99) and satisfactory prediction second-order regression model was derived. Maximum chromium removal efficiency was predicted and experimentally validated. The optimum adsorbent dose, temperature, initial concentration of Cr(VI) and initial pH of the Cr(VI) solution were found to be 6.85 g/L, 40 degrees C, 77.5 mg/l, and 8.58 respectively. Under optimal value of process parameters, high removal (>87\%) was obtained for Cr(VI). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The intensive use of pesticides causes harmful effects on ecosystems, and remediation techniques can reduce the ecotoxicity of contaminated soils. Sugarcane straw is a feasible feedstock for biochar production, and it is abundant in the ethanol industry. In this sense, this study assessed the application of biochar from sugarcane straw to reduce the ecotoxicity of soils contaminated with the pesticides fipronil and 2,4-D, alone and in a mixture. Tests at the microcosm level (28 days) evaluated the influence of biochar on the terrestrial worm Enchytraeus crypticus and the eudicot plant Eruca sativa L. At the end of the experiment, elutriate solutions were prepared with soil samples to assess responses on E. sativa and on the cladoceran Daphnia similis. Fipronil and 2,4-D decreased the reproduction of E. crypticus in microcosms, particularly on treatments with fipronil. Biochar reduced the ecotoxicity of fipronil in soils, increasing the reproduction of E. crypticus by 43\% compared with soils without biochar. However, the control with biochar showed a reproduction reduction of 23\% when compared with the control without biochar. In soils with 2,4-D, the germination rates and shoot growth of E. sativa were 2 times greater in biochar-remediated soils compared with untreated soils. Considering the exposure to elutriate, the application of biochar in soils with 2,4-D improved the growth (by 45\%) and germination (by 34\%) of E. sativa. No effects were identified on D. similis at any exposure scenario. Therefore, sugarcane straw biochar can be a viable alternative for reducing the ecotoxicity of pesticides in soils.
This paper discusses the complementarity between hydroelectricity and surplus electricity from sugarcane biomass-based cogeneration plants in sugarcane mills. The paper investigates opportunities and barriers in the context of governments' initiatives, institutions and prevailing regulatory frameworks in Brazil and Nepal. The paper finds that bioelectricity from cogeneration can be a good complementary option for hydroelectric power, helping foster diversification on the generation side and enhance security of electricity supply based on local resources. Bioelectricity potential from sugarcane biomass is estimated to be in the range of 209-313 GWh for Nepal and 62-93 TWh for Brazil. In Nepal, the grid connected bioelectricity can provide power for operating industries, and support local development through rural electrification. In Brazil, the biomass potential can be further enhanced through a better utilization of the biomass in the sugar-ethanol industry to balance hydropower availability. This comparative study offers a reflection on the need for better planning and policies to address the barriers which are hindering the development of bioelectricity even in places where the potential is large. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In order to more conveniently simulate and optimize the solubilization of sugarcane bagasse components during formic acid (FA) fractionation, an extended combined severity factor (CSFext) was defined to integrate various operation parameters as a single factor. Two phenomenological models based on Arrhenius and Logistic equations were further used to describe the phenomenological kinetics. Different data-processing methods were compared to fit the severity parameters and model constants. Both Arrhenius-based and Logistic-based models show satisfying fitting results, though the values of Arrhenius-based CSFext (A-CSFext) and Logistic-based CSFext (L-CSFext) were somewhat different under the same fractionation condition. The solubilization of biomass components increased with CSFext, but two distinct stages could be observed with inflection points at A-CSFext of 42 or L-CSFext of 43, corresponding to bulk and residual solubilization stages, respectively. For the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic solids, the highest initial enzymatic glucan conversion (EGC@6h) was obtained at A-CSFext of 39-40 or A-CSFext of 40-41; however, for a long hydrolysis period (72 h), relatively high glucan conversion (EGC@72h) was observed at A-CSFext of 42-43 or A-CSFext of 43-44. Post-treatment for deformylation with a small amount of lime could help to recover the cellulose digestibility.
The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of using sugarcane tops as feedstock for the production of bioethanol. The process involved the pretreatment using acid followed by enzymatic saccharification using cellulases and the process was optimized for various parameters such as biomass loading, enzyme loading, surfactant concentration and incubation time using Box-Behnken design. Under optimum hydrolysis conditions, 0.685 g/g of reducing sugar was produced per gram of pretreated biomass. The fermentation of the hydrolyzate using Saccharomyces cerevisae produced 11.365 g/L of bioethanol with an efficiency of about 50\%. This is the first report on utilization of sugarcane tops for bioethanol production. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Conductive agro-industrial wastes as accelerants in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic waste is a good technique for developing a rural circular economy, such as producing bioenergy and biofertilizer. This study disclosed the a role of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) in enhancing the bioenergy (biogas) yield and digestate fertility via anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of buffalo dung (BD) and vegetable residue (VR) under mesophilic conditions (37 ᴼC). Firstly, an optimal BD/VR ratio (1:3) was determined based on biogas yield by introducing five different BD/VR ratios (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 0:1) into AcoD systems. Secondly, the biogas yield was increased further by adding SCBA at five different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt\%). Experimental results disclosed that the 1.5 wt\% of SCBA gave the highest cumulative biogas yield (153.67 mL/g VS), COD removal rate (31.18\%), and fertility (5.08\%). Moreover, a framework is suggested to understand the role of SCBA in the enhanced DIET mechanism. This work documents an environmentally friendly and economical technique for developing a rural circular bioeconomy via the AD of organic agro-waste.
The burgeoning attention the synthesis of nanoparticles has received over the years may be attributed to their multifarious use that cuts across nanomedicine, engineering, electronics, among several others. Owing to the increasing demand and need for these nanomaterials in various sectors, the past few years have experienced a quest for cheap and readily available materials that can be utilized for the synthesis of nanoparticles via eco-friendly, reliable, and less energy consuming routes. Sugarcane is a very abundant crop in the world which is visible as it was the world's largest crop by production quantity in 2019. This review therefore seeks to investigate the recent advancements in the utilization of sugarcane in the green synthesis of nanoparticles, detail on the key findings of these studies, identify knowledge gaps, and posit directions for future research. Sugarcane-mediated nanoparticle synthesis is a relatively novel concept with lots of prospects. Sugarcane parts have been used in the synthesis of iron NPs, copper NPs, silica NPs, silver NPs, carbon quantum dots, gold NPs, and zinc oxide NPs. The function of sugarcane in the synthesis is that it serves as a precursor, a stabilizing agent and a reducing agent. The synthesis is eco-friendly and cheap as it does not produce toxic by-products and occur at room temperature, respectively. It is also reproducible, safe, rapid, cost-effective, simple, and bio-compactible. Therefore, more research is encouraged for the production of nanoparticles that have a wide range of applications.
Enormous amounts of plastic wastes are generated worldwide and the approaches related to plastic recycling or reusing have become the research focus in the field of composite materials. In this study, green composites were prepared via melt-blending method using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sourced from plastic bags as a matrix and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fiber as reinforcing filler. The effects of fiber loading (5, 10 and 15 wt\%) and fiber modification on the mechanical and dimensional stability (weight gain by water absorption) properties of the green composites were investigated. Results showed that the inclusion of SCB fiber into recycled HDPE matrix increased the composite stiffness but decreased the mechanical strength and resistance to water absorption. With the fiber modification through alkali treatment, the mechanical strength was remarkably improved, and the modulus and water absorption of the composites were found to be reduced. From the finding, it can be concluded that the prepared green composites free of coupling agent could add value to the plastic and agricultural wastes, and serve a potential candidate to replace some conventional petroleum-based composites.
Solid-state fermentation, using sugar-cane bagasse, and submerged fermentation, using a semi-synthetic medium, were performed for pigment production by Monascus purpureus in both stationary and rotary conditions. Rotary cultures gave higher yields of crude red and yellow pigments than stationary cultures whereas twice the amount was synthesized at an earlier time (day 8) in liquid medium (1,285U yellow pigment/bottle, 1,728U red pigment/bottle). Supplementing the liquid medium with 0.6\% (v/v) corn oil doubled the extracellular pigment yield but halved fungal growth.
This study focuses on the production of cellulase from a thermophilic bacterium Brevibacillus sp. MT5 and prospects of utilizing the enzyme preparation for the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse (SB). The data revealed that cellulase produced at 70 degrees C expressed an IFPU (international filter paper unit) of 1.776 when assayed at 60 degrees C and showed good activity towards SB. Consequently, the conditions affecting saccharification of SB were studied by employing a Plackett-Burman design and reducing sugars were determined by dinitrosalicylic acid method and glucose oxidase kit. The analysis of the design highlighted that the factors affecting the hydrolysis process varies in terms of their significance with respect to the duration of the reaction, however, agitation remained a consistent significant factor throughout the process. Gravimetric analysis displayed a reduction of 49.7 and 22.6\% in cellulose content after saccharification of SB from an industry and SB from a fruit juice vendor, respectively. The effect of enzyme action on SB was further visualized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy that showed increased porosity and a diminished peak for cellulose, indicating degradation of the substrate by the enzyme preparation.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters of hydroxyacids naturally synthesized in bacteria as a carbon reserves. Bacillus subtilis can synthesize and accumulate PHA as carbon source under limiting conditions of nutrients. PHAs are promising candidates for the development of environment-friendly, biodegradable plastics. The aim of the present work was to study the optimization of PHAs using different carbon sources in the media and by using agro-industrial bio-wastes as a replacement for the carbon source. The study also identifies the potential of the strain to produce maximum dry cell weight and PHA from the cheap sources, i.e. waste samples taken from different industries like distillery effluent, sugarcane molasses, milk whey, and paper industry effluent. The use of these low-cost raw materials has the potential to reduce PHA production costs, because the raw material cost contributes a significant part in traditional PHA production processes. On studying the effect of different carbon sources in the medium, it was found that sucrose-supplemented Luria-Bertani medium produced maximum PHA production of 1.58mg/ml in 72h constituting 58.59\% w/w of the total cell dry mass at a pH value of 7.0. By substituting the carbon source in the medium with biowastes from different industries, the maximal production of PHA was 2.5mg/ml PHA from 10\% sugarcane molasses at the neutral pH range. The PHA produced in all the other industrial wastes was not comparable with that of sugarcane molasses. Hence, it can be concluded that sugarcane molasses can be used as a cheap source of carbon and is economical for the production of PHA on a large-scale.
The main objective of this study was production of ethanol from three lignocellulosic biomasses like sugarcane bagasse, rice straw and wheat straw by Sacchromyces cervisae. All the three substrates were ground to powder form (2 mm) and pretreated with 3\%H2O2 + 2\% NaOH followed by steaming at 130 degrees C for 60 min. These substrates were hydrolyzed by commercial cellulase enzyme. The whole fermentation process was carried out in 500 mL Erlenmeyer flask under anaerobic conditions in submerged fermentation at 30 degrees C for three days of incubation period. FTIR analysis of the substrates indicated significant changes in the alteration of the structure occurred after pretreatment which leads to efficient saccharification. After pretreatment the substrates were hydrolyzed by commercial cellulase enzyme and maximum hydrolysis was observed in sugarcane bagasse (64\%) followed by rice straw (40\%) and wheat straw (34\%). Among all these tested substrates, sugarcane bagasse (77 g/L) produced more ethanol as compared to rice straw (62 g/L) and wheat straw (44 g/L) using medium composition of (\%) 0.25 (NH4)(2)SO4, 0.1 KH2PO4, 0.05 MgSO4, 0.25 Yeast extract by S. cervisae.
The aim of the study was to assess the potentiality of an agro-waste (sugarcane bagasse) for removal of the textile dye (Optilan Red) using novel column based filtration unit with a packed column of chemically treated sugarcane bagasse. The treated and untreated sugarcane bagasse (biosorbent) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Effect of initial dye concentration on percentage removal of dye, equilibrium adsorption of sugarcane bagasse, kinetic studies, breakthrough point equilibrium and desorption of dye from the column material were studied. An inverse dependence of initial dye concentration on percent removal of dye was observed, whereas the equilibrium adsorption (q(e)) showed a direct relationship with dye concentration. The time required for reaching breakthrough point was 120 min. Desorption of dye through alkali wash resulted in complete desorption after 1 h washing of the column for its reuse for next cycle. FT-IR analysis shows vibration in valence bands of the hydrogen bond of OH group, and the bands of intra-molecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which results in interaction of treated bagasse with Optilan Red textile dye. The present study showed that more than 93\% removal of the dye can be achieved in the concentration range 10-50 ppm (aqueous solution). The removal efficiency of the column remained almost unchanged for the treatment of dye-house wastewater spiked with the dye. The agro-waste based treatment process shows a considerable potential for a low-cost treatment of dye contaminated water.
A determination of the mobility and bioavailability of metals could provide more comprehensive knowledge about the real environmental potential of anaerobic biodigestion and health risks associated with inappropriately treated wastewater. This study aims to determine the distribution of cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc among the particulate and dissolved fractions in three wastewater types (molasses, vinasse, and acid mine drainage). Affluent and effluent samples from three bioreactors analyzing each wastewater type were collected and separated into dissolved and total fractions; metal partitioning and removal efficiencies from anaerobic treatment were also evaluated. In the influent, substantial proportions of copper and iron (particulate fraction > 70\%) are present in the particulate fraction that can be removed more easily than the dissolved fractions of cobalt, nickel, manganese and zinc (dissolved fraction > 53\%), requiring subsequent removal techniques, such as ion exchange. For biotechnological applications, this study indicates the substantial potential of the anaerobic treatment for metal removal as an innovative eco-friendly process that minimizes the use of non-renewable resources.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of potassium addition to the soil in first and second ratoon sugarcane cultures in a conservationist system. The experiment was conducted at the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in an Acriferric Red Latosol cultured with a IAC SP 93-3046 cane sugar variety after plant-cane cutting. The experiment involved five potassium treatments and four repetitions in randomized block design. The potassium (K) dosages were 27, 54, 108, and 162 kg K ha(-1), and a treatment without potassium. Six months after the start of the experiment, soil samples collected at 0-20 and 20-40 cm in depth were analyzed for K content. Four months after sprouting, plants were evaluated, by tiller numbers, height, diameter, technological analysis of stalks, and nutritional status. In the first ratoon, potassium fertilization increased stalk diameters, increased potassium accumulation in the aerial parts, and increased stalk production. In the second ratoon, there was a water deficiency, and soil application of potassium did not influence plant growth, nutritional status, or production parameters. Application of potassium in cane sugar ratoons did not contribute to stalk technological quality.
Efficient conversion of biomass into energy resources remains one of the biggest challenges faced by humanity in the search for a sustainable energy future. Bioethanol, the most important biofuel, currently produced from first generation feedstock like sugarcane may also be produced from lignocellulosic materials like sugarcane bagasse and straw, which are not a primary food source. Efficient technologies for production of lignocellulosic (or second generation) ethanol, however, are still under development, and challenges concerning its technical, economic and environmental feasibility remain to be solved. Integration of first and second generation ethanol production processes can be more economical, efficient and present lower environmental impacts than stand-alone second generation; thus, integrated first and second generation ethanol production can improve the feasibility of lignocellulosic ethanol and foster its industrial implementation. In this study the integrated production of first and second generation ethanol from sugarcane, including some of its technical, economic and environmental aspects are discussed. The biochemical route for second generation ethanol production, comprised by feedstock pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, is taken as an example. Features of both first and second generation processes that are required to promote an adequate integration are discussed, providing guidance for development of experimental works, especially in second generation process.
In this study, four pozzolan-based geopolymers GP0, GP5, GP10, and GP20 were synthesized by alkaline activation and by substituting 0, 5, 10, and 20\% of the precursor with sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar, respectively. The composites were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyses, and applied to sequester methylene blue (MB) dye in an aqueous medium in batch mode. The alkaline activation of pozzolan-biochar blends resulted in the formation of poly (Ferro-sialate-siloxo)-biochar chains. The adsorption capacity increased with an increase in biochar content from 24.44 to 455.46 mg/g (18-fold) for GP0 and GP10, respectively. The sorption kinetics of MB onto the composites followed pseudo-second-order kinetics while the equilibrium data were best described by the Sips isotherm model. The adsorption process was ther-modynamically spontaneous, endothermic (\& UDelta;H = 14.32-32.20 kJ/mol), and physical. The amount of adsorbent required for the removal of 99\% of a fixed amount of MB in different volumes of effluent was predicted. Cost -analysis indicates that the composites are efficient and cheaper eco-adsorbents than commercial activated car-bon and are suitable alternative candidates for the removal of dyes from water.
A two-step process was developed to produce furfural and levulinic acid (LA) using the solid acid-induced hydrothermal treatment of bagasse. In the first step, hydrothermal pretreatment was applied to treat bagasse for producing furfural using Sn-MMT/SO42- solid acids as catalysts in the biphasic system. In the second step, the treated residue was further hydrothermally treated for producing LA by the continuous use of solid acids. The hydrothermal treatment conditions were comparatively investigated, and the results showed that the highest yield of furfural was achieved up to 88.1\% (170 degrees C, 2.4 h) in the first stage, and the yield of LA was 62.1\% (180 degrees C, 3 h) in the second stage. Therefore, the two-step solid acid-induced hydrothermal treatments could make hemicellulose and cellulose of bagasse to be selectively fractionated and efficiently transformed into furfural and LA, respectively.
The fractionation of sugarcane bagasse, plantain peel and brewer's spent barley to glucose, xylose and lignin was studied using 0.50 and 0.05 wt\% H2SO4 as catalyst in a mixture of 80:20 wt\% GVL:H2O. We obtained glucose and xylose cumulative yields with up to 90, 94 and 88\% for sugarcane bagasse, plantain peel and brewer's spent barley, respectively. We studied the effects of the reaction conditions and physicochemical properties of the agricultural residues on the production of sugars. The production of sugars depends on the physicochemical properties of each residue. The lignin content, biomass crystallinity and ashes composition have the strongest effects on the production of sugars. The lignin can affect the accessibility to hemicellulose and cellulose during the reaction reducing the amount of sugars that can be obtained from the residue. The ashes present in the biomass may have alkaline species that can neutralize the acid catalyst reducing the rate of sugar production for a given acid concentration. The sugar production decreases as the biomass crystallinity increases.
The objective of this work was to determine the properties of particleboard panels made of ``in natura{''
A sustainable future requires novel technologies that transform renewable feedstocks into liquid transport fuels, materials, and fine chemicals. Existing sugarcane biorefineries (sugar mills) generate a wide range of renewable feedstocks that can be readily converted into value-added products. Emerging biorefinery technologies offer further expansion of the products that can be generated in sugarcane biorefineries but biocatalysts that can use by-products and residues from these emerging technologies are needed to fully realize the opportunity these technologies represent. Filamentous fungi are versatile biocatalysts that can transform sugarcane biorefinery by-products and residues into a wide range of valuable products. This review provides an overview of sugarcane-based biorefining, existing and emerging processing technologies with application in sugarcane biorefineries; the residues and by-products generated in such a facility; and the opportunities to use filamentous fungi as biocatalysts to produce enzymes, organic acids, single cell protein, specialized metabolites, and animal feed.
This study aims to evaluate the energy indexes and carbon equivalences (CE) occurring in the Thai sugarcane industry so as to find a sustainable way to produce sugar and renewable energy. Data from energy consumed and produced in the cultivation field and end-user productions for the existing operations of the sugarcane industry show a Net Energy Value (NEV) gain of +120,746.4 MJ/ha-y. The positive sign indicates that the renewable energy output is more than the fossil energy input required in the production processes. Following the concept of Carbon-Balanced Model (CBM), however, the present whole -chain operations of the sugarcane industry are found to emit carbon into the atmosphere instead of reducing carbon emissions. For the production of raw sugar and bioethanol, net carbon emissions were found for existing practice equal to +61.6 kg CE/ha-y with a carbon fixation efficiency of 98.1\%. About 66\% of the emissions were determined to come from the agricultural phase, mostly due to application of chemical fertilizers. Should fossil-based matter used in both agricultural and industrial phases be replaced with renewable materials, the net emission is computed to be 396.0 kg CE/ha-y, resulting in a carbon fixation efficiency of 114.3\%. Thus, this practice will help reduce carbon emissions from the sugarcane industry in contrast to existing practice. From cost analysis, the entire industry is found to earn annual profit about 2.6 times of the total costs. It is revealed that more profit would be gained if lower amount of carbon is emitted. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Background: Biofuels obtained from first-generation (1G) sugars-starch streams have been proven unsustainable as their constant consumption is not only significantly costly for commercial scale production systems, but it could potentially lead to problems associated with extortionate food items for human usage. In this regard, biofuels' production in alkali-thermophilic environs from second-generation (2G) bio-waste would not only be markedly feasible, but these extreme conditions might be able to sustain aseptic fermentations without spending much for sterilization. Results: Present investigation deals with the valuation of ethanologenic potential of locally isolated moderate alkali-thermophilic fermentative bacterium, Bacillus licheniformis KU886221 employing sugarcane cane bagasse (SCB) as substrate. A standard 2-factor central composite response surface design was used to estimate the optimized cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymatic hydrolysis of SCB into maximum fermentable sugars. After elucidation of optimized levels of fermentation factors affecting ethanol fermentation using Taguchi OA L27 (3<\^{
Utilizing agricultural waste and natural fibers minimizes environmental impact and can improve the acoustic and thermal conditions of buildings. Natural fibers can be an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic sound-absorbing materials. This study aimed to investigate the acoustic and thermal properties of insulating materials made from wool and sugarcane bagasse. Thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, acoustic and moisture absorption, and fire properties of five insulating materials made from sheep wool, goat fiber, camel wool as well as pith and fiber bundles of sugarcane bagasse were determined. The measurement of the sound absorption coefficient was performed in an impedance tube. The thermal resistance and thermal conductivity coefficient were measured according to the ASTM D5334-08 Standard. The findings show that camel wool has the highest sound-absorbing performance, thermal insulation, and fire-resistant properties. The lowest value of the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) was 0.52 for goat fiber, and the highest was 0.74 for camel wool. The maximum sound absorption coefficient of camel wool was 0.95 at a frequency above 1000 Hz. Thermal conductivity varies between 0.038 and 0.046W/(M.K). Hence, all materials tested can be considered thermally insulating. The results showed insulating materials made from wool, especially camel wool, had better performance than fiber and pith of sugarcane bagasse.
The production of second-generation fuels from lignocellulosic residues such as sugarcane bagasse (SCB) requires the synergistic interaction of key cellulose-degrading enzymes and accessory proteins for their complete deconstruction to useful monomeric sugars. Here, we recombinantly expressed and characterized unknown GH5 xylanase from P. funiculosum (PfXyn5) in Pichia pastoris, which was earlier found in our study to be highly implicated in SCB saccharification. The PfXyn5 has a molecular mass of similar to 55 kDa and showed broad activity against a range of substrates like xylan, xyloglucan, laminarin and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside, with the highest specific activity of 0.7 U/mg against xylan at pH 4.5 and 50 degrees C. Analysis of the degradation products of xylan and SCB by PfXyn5 showed significant production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) with a degree of polymerization (DP) ranging from two (DP2) to six (DP6), thus, suggesting that the PfXyn5 is an endo-acting enzyme. The enzyme synergistically improved the saccharification of SCB when combined with the crude cellulase cocktail of P. funiculosum with a degree of synergism up to 1.32. The PfXyn5 was further expressed individually and simultaneously with a notable GH16 endoglucanase (PfEgl16) in a catabolite-derepressed strain of P. funiculosum, PfMig1(88), and the saccharification efficiency of the secretomes from the resulting transformants were investigated on SCB. The secretome of PfMig1(88) overexpressing Xyn5 or Egl16 increased the saccharification of SCB by 9\% or 7\%, respectively, over the secretome of PfMig1(88), while the secretome of dual transformant increased SCB saccharification by similar to 15\% at the same minimal protein concentration.
The D-lactic acid producing strain, Escherichia coli HBUT-D, was reengineered for L(+)-lactic acid fermentation by replacing the D-lactate dehydrogenase gene (ldhA) with an L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase gene (ldhL) from Pedicoccus acidilactici, followed by adaptive evolution in sucrose. The resulting strain, WYZ-L, has enhanced expression of the sucrose operon (cscA and cscKB). In 100 g L-1 of sucrose fermentation using mineral salt medium, WYZ-L produced 97 g L-1 of L(+)-lactic acid, with a yield of 90\%, a maximum productivity of 3.17 g L-1 h(-1) and an optical purity of greater than 99\%. In fermentations using sugarcane molasses and corn steep liquor without additional nutrients, WYZ-L produced 75 g L-1 of L(+)-lactic acid, with a yield of 85\%, a maximum productivity of 1.18 g L-1 h(-1), and greater than 99\% optical purity. These results demonstrated that WYZ-L has the potential to use waste molasses and corn steep liquor as a resource for L(+)-lactic acid fermentation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Soil structure has a significant impact on sugarcane production. This research evaluated the effects of controlled traffic on soil physical quality (SPQ). The following four management systems (MS) were evaluated: rainfed sugarcane cultivation and the application of vinasse (RV); irrigated sugarcane cultivation (I); irrigated sugarcane cultivation and application of vinasse (IV), and native vegetation (no sugarcane or irrigation; NV) as a reference. Soil samples were collected within sugarcane rows (WR) and between rows (BR) (used exclusively for agricultural machinery traffic) from mini-trenches for visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) based on a scale from 1 to 5. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected for measuring indicators of SPQ.All SPQ variables differed (p < 0.05) between WR and BR, demonstrating the efficiency of controlled machinery traffic for SPQ. None of the managements systems reached the critical limit of 2.0 MPa for soil resistance penetration. The average of saturated hydraulic conductivity for WR were 220.2 mm h(-1), 126.8 mm h(-1), and 49.4 mm h(-1) to IV, I e RV, respectively. SPQ followed the order: NV > IV > I > RV. The VESS was efficient for estimating SPQ and the scores were below 3.0 in all crop management systems.
A waste material, bagasse, recovered from the sugarcane industry, was used for designing a high-efficiency phosphate adsorbent. Eutrophication is one of the most serious problems afflicting people throughout the world, so the adsorption of low-concentration phosphate from water by the innovation of a bagasse-based adsorbent is important for a greener environment. In this work, the bagasse was esterified with nitric acid and then Fe3+ was chelated to design Fe(III)-complexed bagasse. FTIR, XPS, potential analysis and SEM were used to characterize this adsorbent. The analyzed results showed that the binding site for phosphate adsorption is the iron atom. SEM pictures explained that the adsorbent had a stable structure during the adsorption. The kinetic and isotherm adsorption experiments followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model, respectively. The results of both the characterizations and the adsorption experiments demonstrated that the phosphate was adsorbed onto Fe(III)-complexed bagasse by the coordinate linkage between phosphate and the iron element on Fe-CB. This study suggested that bagasse waste could be designed as high value-added adsorbent materials to adsorb eutrophic ions such as phosphate in water.
The waste from agriculture can be used for biochar production by the pyrolysis process. The present work aimed was to produce sugarcane bagasse biochars using different temperatures and processes (batch and pilot-scale continuous flow). The samples were characterized by FTIR, functional group pKa, elemental analysis, zeta potential, Raman spectroscopy, EPR, and SEM. The FTIR spectra showed bands around 1400-1650 cm(-1) corresponded to vibrations of C-C bonds and pKa revealed the presence of carboxylic acids (pKa <= 5) and lactones (pKa similar to 5-9). The elemental analyses (H/C similar to 0.31) and Raman spectra (I-D/I-G similar to 0.55) confirmed greater carbonization and less structural disorder of the material produced using the continuous flow process. SEM images showed that the biochar morphologies were similar to that of the precursor biomass, with the formation of pores. The continuous flow process is a promising technique for the production of biochars with high carbon contents and aromatic structures, as well as lower defect degrees, compared to biochars produced using a batch process.
Mechanical and durability properties of mortars containing mineral admixtures were analysed. Mortar mixtures were prepared with a water-to-cementitious materials ratio of 0.60 and a cementitious/sand ratio of 1:3.5. A partial replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) by 10\% and 20\% of untreated sugarcane bagasse ash (UtSCBA), and by 10\% and 20\% of untreated fly ash (UtFA) was used practically ``as received{''
Co-cultures for simultaneous production of ethanol and xylitol were studied under different operation bioreactor modes using Candida tropicalis IEC5-ITV and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITV01-RD in a simulated medium of sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzates. Xylitol and ethanol tolerance by S.cerevisiae and C. tropicalis, respectively, was evaluated. The results showed that C. tropicalis was sensitive to ethanol concentrations up to 30g/L, while xylitol had no effect on S.cerevisiae viability and metabolism. The best condition found for simultaneous culture was S.cerevisiae co-culture and C. tropicalis sequential cultivation at 24 h. Under these conditions, productivity and yield for ethanol were Q(EtOH)=0.72gL(-1) h(-1) and Y-EtOH/s=0.37g/g, and for xylitol, Q(XylOH)=0.10gL(-1) h(-1) and Y-XylOH/S=0.31g/g, respectively; using fed-batch culture, the results were Q(EtOH)=0.87gL(-1) h(-1) and Y-EtOH/s=0.44gL(-1)h(-1), and Q(EtOH)=0.27gL(-1)h(-1) and Y-EtOH/s=0.57g/g, respectively. Maximum volumetric productivity in continuous multistep cultures of ethanol and xylitol was at dilution rates of 0.131 and 0.074h(-1), respectively. Continuous multistep production, Q(EtOH) increased up to 50\% more than in fed-batch culture, even though xylitol yield remained unchanged.
Silicon is recognized for providing resistance against various biotic and abiotic stresses and members of poaceae family like sugarcane known to uptake more silicon than any other mineral nutrients. This persuade to conduct this research which was conducted during spring season in march 2021-2022 at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station Kapurthala. This research was conducted to examine the efficacy of different silicon treatments in managing the incidence of early shoot borers (ESB) and its effect on mandibles of larvae along with influence on yield and quality-attributing parameters. There were ten treatments: four doses T-1, T-2, T-3 and T-4 of silicon material 50\% @ 8, 10, 12 and 15 kg/acre, two doses of rice husk ash, T-5 and T-6 and bagasse ash T-7 and T-8 @ 200 and 400 kg/acre, insecticide treatment of Takumi 20 WG (flubendiamide) T-9 and untreated control T-10. The results revealed that treatment T-4 enhanced the available soil silicon, stalk silicon content and silicon deposition as phytoliths in epidermal tissue (SEM images) resulted in an incidence reduction of ESB to 38.75-40.86\% over control with larvae experienced mandibular abrasion feeding on silicon rich tissue. The cultivar CoPb 95 showed highest stalk silicon (2.68\%) content followed by Co 118 (2.61\%) and CoPb 96 (2.53\%) with lowest incidence of ESB, 5.99\%, 6.31\% and 6.94\%, respectively. Maximum yield was also recorded with treatment T-4 in cultivar CoPb 95 (371.96 q/acre) followed by CoPb 96 (361.26 q/acre) and Co 118 (311.24 q/acre) while commercial cane sugar (CCS\%) was highest in treatment T-4 of cultivar Co 118 (13.25\%) followed by CoPb 95 (13.16\%) and CoPb 96 (12.23\%). Results of cost-benefit ratio suggested that silicon material 50\% @ 12 kg/acre was efficient to reduce incidence of ESB. Hence, silicon could be used as a vital component in integrated pest management.
Waste generation from groundnut and sugarcane industries are at high alarming rate due to their disposal constraint. These wastes are currently used as a raw material for the production of compost, fuel, alcohol, and paper. Cellulose and its derivatives are being used in many industries like paper, pharmaceutical, and energy owing to its physicochemical properties. Application of cellulose in the leather industry uses cellulose derivatives as finishing chemicals such as nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose. In the current study, an attempt has been made to find the application of cellulose from groundnut husk and sugarcane bagasse as an auxiliary chemical in leather finishing. Cellulose is extracted from wastes by modified acid hydrolysis method to enhance the yield. Extracted cellulose has been characterized and compared with commercial cellulose sample. From the characterization studies, it confirms that extracted cellulose matched with commercial samples. Extracted cellulose used in leather finishing as an ingredient to upgrade the low-quality leathers, which primarily have grain damages. Cellulose with different concentration of plasticizer has been used in the base coat along with binders and pigments. Finished leathers have been characterized to understand the physical characteristics. From the various analysis, it ascertains that the cellulose has imparted fullness to the finished leather without impacting the aesthetic property. The study provides a better utilization of sugarcane bagasse and groundnut husk wastes in leather industry leading to effective waste management prototype. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The complex chemical and structural arrangement of lignocellulosic biomass demand a pretreatment step to dismantle its coherent nature. The current study was designed to study H2SO4 impregnation before hydrothermal pretreatment (HP) of sugarcane bagasse for biogas production using response surface methodology based on defining factors: temperature (160, 180, 200 degrees C), time (5, 12, 19 min), and H2SO4 concentration (1, 2, 3\% w/v). The H2SO4 impregnation had a paramount impact in combination with temperature and treatment time parameters. The lowest solid yield 12.3\% was recorded in pretreatment run A-HSO (200 degrees C, 19 min, 3\% H2SO4), up to 100\% xylan removal was noted in four pretreatment runs (A-HSO; 200 degrees C, 19 min, 3\% H2SO4, B-HSO; 200 degrees C, 19 min, 1\% H2SO4, C-HSO; 200 degrees C, 5 min, 3\% H2SO4, and O-HSO; 213.6 degrees C, 12 min, 2\% H2SO4), maximum klason lignin increase in insoluble solid fraction (ISF) verified was 358.85\% in pretreatment run O-HSO at 213.6 degrees C, while glucan content reduction (33.18-74.14\%) was also observed in pretreatment runs A-HSO, C-HSO, and O-HSO. Results verified maximum methane recovery of 160.16 NmL (g TVS)(-1) in pretreatment run I-SHO (180 degrees C, 12 min, 2\% H2SO4). Microbial community analysis observed the predominance of Flavobacterium and Desulfosporosinus genera of Bacterial domain and Methanolinea of Archaea domain. H2SO4 impregnation before HP though not suitable for methane production from ISF could be employed in a biorefinery perspective to obtain valuables (chemicals and fuels) due to the production of organic acids rich liquid stream and lignin-rich solid fraction.
Adsorption via activated carbon has been testified as an effective way for removing high molecular weight refractory organic compounds from old landfill leachate which is hard to be treated biologically. The present work reveals the preparation and optimization of sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon (SCAC) by microwave-induced KOH activation for the adsorptive treatment of organic and inorganic contaminants from the mature anaerobic landfill leachate using response surface methodology technique. The effects of variable parameters in SCAC preparation including activation power, activation time and KOH impregnation were studied. Based on the central composite design, the quadratic model was employed in order to correlate the effect of variable parameters in SCAC preparation on adsorptive removal of pollutants. The achieved removal efficiencies of color, COD and ammonia were 97.83, 88.14 and 47.25 \%, based on optimum conditions of SCAC at 550 W of activation power, 7 min of activation time and 1.55 of impregnation ratios. The experimental results showed the capability of SCAC prepared via microwave-induced KOH activation in the treatment of stabilized landfill leachate.
The black liquor (BL) generated in the alkaline pretreatment process is usually thought as the environmental pollutant. This study found that the pure alkaline lignin hardly inhibited the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose (EHC), which led to the investigation on the feasibility of reusing BL as the buffer via pH adjustment for the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. The pH value of BL was adjusted from 13.23 to 4.80 with acetic acid, and the alkaline lignin was partially precipitated. It deposited on the surface of cellulose and negatively influenced the EHC via blocking the access of cellulase to cellulose and adsorbing cellulase. The supernatant separated from the acidified BL scarcely affected the EHC, but inhibited the ethanol fermentation. The 4-times diluted supernatant and the last-time waste wash water of the alkali-treated sugarcane bagasse didn't inhibit the EHC and ethanol production. This work gives a clue of saving water for alkaline pretreatment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Plant growth promoter microorganisms (PGPM) associate with plants with benefits to plant productivity and protection. Among these microorganisms, yeasts have shown potential results. The aims here were to prospect yeasts with PGPM traits from organic maize soil and to evaluate molasses as substrate to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The isolates were selected considering IAA production, phosphate solubilization and phytopathogen control, following the phenotypic characterization. Seven strains were selected, identified by sequencing of D1/D2 domain of rDNA 26S gene and evaluated to produce IAA in molasses and potato dextrose broth (PD) with and without tryptophan. Non-filtered medium (NFM) and cell-free filtrate (CFF) of yeasts were used in an in vivo assay of maize seed germination and initial development. Twentyeight yeasts were isolated, and 82\% tested positive for the PGPM traits. The strains were identified as Torulaspora globosa (three strains), Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida pseudointermedia, Trichosporon asahii and Cryptococcus sp. T. globosa and C. pseudointermedia stood out regarding the IAA production. Molasses was more beneficial to cell growth and/or IAA production to five out of seven yeast strains. In general, the in vivo assay with maize demonstrated that the seed treatment with cell-free filtrates of yeasts promoted the initial development of plants (radicle and coleoptile), and the seed treatment with non-filtered medium resulted in higher maize plant development after 12 days of pot cultivation. The results indicate molasses as a medium for a prospective yeast-based biostimulant product for agricultural use and pointed out for the soil yeast species T. globosa and T. asahii as biological agents to contribute to plant growth promotion.
Hemicellulose, one of the most abundant biopolymers next to cellulose, has been considered as a potential substitute to synthetic polymers. Film casting from water is the most basic route for material applications of xylan. However, depending on plant sources and separation methods, xylans do not always form films and the related mechanism is unclear, which significantly hinders their material applications. We extensively characterized various fractions of bagasse xylan to understand the molecular features promoting the film formation. The side groups of xylans or impurities contributed to the prevention of excessive aggregation or crystallization of xylan molecules, leading to the film-forming capacity. However, once the film is formed, the side groups do not seem to be necessarily contributing to the mechanical resistance.
Sugar cane bagasse ash (SA) is the result of the incineration of residues in the production of sugar which has as its final disposal the sanitary landfills generating environmental impacts. The practice of the circular economy for using SA ash as a stabilizer of clay soils in highway bases and sub-bases requires the study of the potential of ash as an alternative cement. Soil stabilization is commonly done with the addition of cement or lime; however, the production of these materials releases CO2 into the atmosphere. This research estimates the potential use of SA ash as a cementing agent considering the physical, hydraulic, and mechanical properties of clay soil mixed with percentages of 6, 8, and 10\% of Uncalcined Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (USA) and Calcined Sugarcane unit weight, granulometric analysis, and Atterberg limits tests were carried out to evaluate the physical properties of the mixtures. One-dimensional consolidation tests, soil water characteristic curves (SWCC), standard Proctor compaction, unconfined compression, and direct shear were carried out to estimate the mechanical and hydraulic properties of the mixtures. An improvement in the physical, hydraulic, and mechanical properties was found with the addition of USA and CSA. Finally, based on the analysis of the physical, hydraulic, and mechanical properties of the Soil-USA and soil-CSA samples, it was determined that the best option as an alternative cementitious agent is found in the 8\% Soil-CSA mixture due to the improvement in the plasticity index, gravity density, angle of friction, cohesion, and unconfined compressive in comparison with the other samples and the original soil. However, it is essential to mention that this cementitious addition can prejudice the hydraulic properties and consolidation process. It is vital to consider those parameters when realizing any geotechnical design with this mixture.
Natural rubber latex is exceptionally resistant to wear and tear, possess great tensile strength, elongation and resilience, and has high hydrophobicity and film forming character. These combined properties make them a good candidate for dye absorption purpose. The elimination of colour from dye-tainted wastewaters in the textile, dyeing, printing and other related industries has been a crucial hitch to environment. The membrane processes are considered as the simple and effective method to remove dyes than any other methods. Natural rubber latex was mixed with xylan nanopowder extracted from sugarcane bagasse to develop thin films of good porosity. Xylan powder synthesized was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction studies (XRD). Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) studies were done to examine the distribution xylan particles in latex matrix. UV- Visible spectroscopy was used to study the dye absorption. Results shows that xylan prepared are in the nano regime and could be evenly distributed in latex film. The films show exceptional dye absorption properties for both methylene blue and malachite green. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Advances in Material Science and Chemistry-2020.
The objective of this work was to develop a novel organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterial from agricultural biomass waste for environmental applications. The sugarcane bagasse (SB) supported TiO2 hybrids were firstly synthesized via a sol-gel method. A series of characterizations were carried out to reveal the structures and components of obtained hybrids. Due to organic-inorganic hybrid (OIH) effect and element doping, the SB-TiO2 hybrid can expand its optical absorbance ranging from ultraviolet to visible light. The optimal hybrid catalyst prepared with SB doping amount of 2 g in 100 mL titanic gel and calcined at 200 degrees C was able to degradate 95.0\% methyl orange (MO) in 5 h under visible light. This study will pave a new and facile pathway for novel visible light driven photocatalysts based on TiO2 modified by agricultural biomass waste.
Microorganisms play a vital role in bioethanol production whose usage as fuel energy is increasing worldwide. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa synthesize and secrete the major enzymes involved in plant cell wall deconstruction. The production of cellulases and hemicellulases is known to be affected by the environmental pH; however, the regulatory mechanisms of this process are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of the pH regulator PAC-3 in N. crassa during their growth on sugarcane bagasse at different pH conditions. Our data indicate that secretion of cellulolytic enzymes is reduced in the mutant Delta pac-3 at alkaline pH, whereas xylanases are positively regulated by PAC-3 in acidic (pH 5.0), neutral (pH 7.0), and alkaline (pH 10.0) medium. Gene expression profiles, evaluated by real-time qPCR, revealed that genes encoding cellulases and hemicellulases are also subject to PAC-3 control. Moreover, deletion of pac-3 affects the expression of transcription factor-encoding genes. Together, the results suggest that the regulation of holocellulase genes by PAC-3 can occur as directly as in indirect manner. Our study helps improve the understanding of holocellulolytic performance in response to PAC-3 and should thereby contribute to the better use of N. crassa in the biotechnology industry.
The mechanisms behind lignin dissolution with protic ionic liquids (PILs) and their influence over lignin properties remain not fully explored. In this work, physicochemical and structural features of lignins extracted from sugarcane bagasse after pretreatment with a series of PILs (length of the cation chain combined with different anions) were assessed using analytical techniques. It was found that the lignin extracted with shorter chain length cations PILs showed the highest beta-O-4 content. Opposite, the increase of the PILs cation chain length resulted in enhanced depolymerization. All lignins presented high polydispersity (>3.7), while the weight average molecular ranged from 1921 to 13,539 g/mol. The recovered {[
Rise in global fuel demands and approaching towards the `peak-oil,' liquid fuels from non-fossil resources are being considered as promising alternatives. Yeast single cell oil is gaining significant attention as feedstock for biofuels or oleochemicals over tree-borne or algal oil. In the present work, the oil-producing capacity of an oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosaIIPL32 has been enhanced to 1.18-fold by overexpressing the cytosolic malic enzyme through genome integration and cultivating the yeast on sugarcane bagasse derived xylose on 15 L fermenter scale. Detailed in silico modeling and docking study of the malic enzyme of R. mucilaginosa was also carried out to understand its interaction with cofactors involved in lipogenesis. Estimation of fuel properties revealed that the lipid produced by transformed yeast complies with fourteen out of the seventeen fuel properties in the EU, Indian and US standards. We conclude with the plausible use of the engineered yeast for industrial production of oil as an alternative to plant-borne oil for biofuel production in a lignocellulosic-biomass-based biorefinery.
The ever-increasing demand of energy has made it imperative to increase the production of renewable fuels like ethanol. Many studies have reported increase in ethanol production by reducing fermentation by-products like glycerol. Deletion of structural genes like gpd1and gpd2 leads to an increase in ethanol by reducing glycerol; however, it makes the yeast osmosensitive that is not desirable for industrial strains. In this study, genes in the HOG pathway which regulates glycerol synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were targeted for improving ethanol yields in fermentation of sugarcane molasses. Deletion strains of ssk1, hot1, and smp1 were tested and they did not show osmosensitivity. ssk1 and smp1 recombinant strains showed consistent improved ethanol yields. As a result, a double-deletion strain, ssk1smp1, was also constructed, which showed a synergistic effect leading to 6\% increase in ethanol yield and 35\% decrease in glycerol yield. It was also observed that there was a significant decrease in acetic acid yields of all the recombinant strains. Overall, the study demonstrates an industrially viable technique of engineering the HOG pathway resulting in decrease of glycerol and no loss of osmotolerance. These S. cerevisiae strains showed a significant increase in ethanol yields.
The yeast Candida bombicola produces biosurfactant with properties akin to those of sophorolipid (SL) group of compounds. In the present work, the yeast was shown to produce 63.7 g l(-1) SL when grown on a cheap fermentative medium containing sugarcane molasses, yeast extract, urea, and soybean oil. The partially purified SL was characterized and confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, H-1 and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography-in ass spectroscopy (LC-MS) analysis. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and minimum surface tension of the produced SL in aqueous Solution were found to be 59.43 mg l(-1) and 34.15 m Nm(-1), respectively. The emulsification activity and stability with kerosene oil and organic solvents viz. xylene, benzene, and hexadecane were also tested using the produced SL, which yielded better results compared to those reported in the literature.
In this work, water hyacinths, bagasse and rice straw were valorized to produce an innovative biopolymer. Serial steps of extraction, bleaching and conversion of cellulose to be carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as well as the last steps of blending and molding were performed. The CMC was mixed with tapioca starch solution by a ratio of 9:18, and a plastic sizer of glycerol was varied at 2\%, 4\% and 6\% by volume. In addition, bioplastic sheets were further determined in their properties and biodegradation. The results revealed that bioplastics with 6\% glycerol showed a high moisture content of 23\% and water solubility was increased by about 47.94\% over 24 h. The effect of temperature on bioplastic stability was found in the ranges of 146.28-169.25 degrees C. Furthermore, bioplastic sheets with 2\% glycerol could maintain their shape. Moreover, for texture analysis, the highest elastic texture in the range of 33.74-38.68\% with 6\% glycerol was used. Moreover, bioplastics were then tested for their biodegradation by landfill method. Under natural conditions, they degraded at about 10.75\% by weight over 24 h after burying in 10 cm soil depth. After 144 h, bioplastics were completely decomposed. Successfully, the application of water, weed and agricultural wastes as raw materials to produce innovative bioplastic showed maximum benefits for an environmentally friendly product, which could also be a guideline for an alternative to replace synthetic plastics derived from petroleum.
Various techniques are employed nowadays to lessen the harmful consequences of high soil levels of heavy metals (HMs). In this instance, a relatively novel technique to lessen the toxicity of HMs is the use of biochar. In this study, a pot experiment with a randomized complete block design was carried out to examine the impact of sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) on enhancing the development of maize in Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) polluted soil. The variables included planting maize in sandy clay loam soil, which was done in two separate experiments for Cd and Pb, as well as three levels of SBB (0, 2, and 4\% by weight), three levels of Cd (0, 40 and 80 mg kg(-1) of soil from CdSO4.8 H2O, and three levels of Pb (0, 400 and 800 mg kg(-1) of soil from PbSO4). A single application of SBB in 40 and 80 mg kg(-1) Cd-soil significantly increased roots and shoots dry weight by 21.0 and 17.14\% and 57.14 and 32.36\%, respectively compared to control. A single application of SBB in 400 and 800 mg kg(-1) Pb-soil significantly increased roots and shoots dry weight by 39.55 and 12.71\% and 57.46 and 26.29\%, respectively compared to control. SBB increased chlorophyll index, leaf area, plant height and dry weight of roots and shoots due to a decrease in the concentration of Cd and Pb in the roots and shoots. It can be concluded that SBB addition to HMs-contaminated soils is a suitable remedial action that will enhance plant growth.
Lactic acid (LA) is considered for the diversification and value addition to sugar industry in South Africa, through a bioconversion of sugarcane bagasse and leaves. A bioconversion process was modeled in Aspen Plus (R) V8.6 and its environmental impacts were evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment method using SimaPro (R) considering its integration into existing South African Sugar mills. The life cycle approach took into account the whole sugar production chain, including sugarcane cultivation stage, harvesting and transportation of sugarcane, sugar mill, and LA production. The life cycle inventories of the sugarcane cultivation and sugar mill were obtained from literature while Aspen Plus (R) simulation data were used for the LA production. The ecoinvent database of SimaPro (R) was used for all external inputs and fossil-based LA production. Environmental impacts of the biobased and fossil based LA productions were assessed and compared. The total environmental savings of the major impact categories obtained upon replacing a tonne of fossil-based LA with biobased LA are: 3925.65 kg CO2 eq. of global warming potential; 1742.05 kg fossil fuel eq. of abiotic depletion potential; 1296.16 kg 1,4-DB eq. of human toxicity potential; 397.79 kBq U-235 eq. of ionizing radiation potential; 253.97 kg Fe eq. of metal depletion potential; 43.48 kg 1,4-DB eq. of marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential; 42.97 kg 1,4-DB eq. of fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity potential and 18.23 kg SO2 eq. of acidification potential. Auxiliary chemicals used in the biobased LA production are most relevant to the total environmental impacts. Thus, biobased LA production has significantly reduced the impact on the environment, giving 80-99\% environmental savings compared to fossil-derived LA. (C) 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The aim of this study was to develop a novel surfactant-assisted ultrasound pretreatment of sugarcane tops as well as to optimize the effect of various operational parameters on pretreatment and hydrolysis. A novel surfactant-assisted ultrasound pretreatment was developed which could effectively remove hemicelluloses and lignin and improve the reducing sugar yield from sugarcane tops. Operational parameters for pretreatment and hydrolysis were studied and optimized. Under optimal hydrolysis conditions, 0.661 g of reducing sugar was produced per gram of pretreated biomass. The structural changes of native and pretreated biomass were investigated by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). The results indicate that surfactant-assisted ultrasound pretreated sugarcane tops can be used as a potential feed stock for bioethanol production. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Nowadays, agricultural waste is one of the most common types of waste in the world. In Thailand, one of the most popular types of agriculture is sugarcane farming. Sugarcane farming produces waste from harvesting or processing such as bagasse, leaves, etc. Many researchers have tried to make waste from the agricultural sector become useful, whether using it as a renewable fuel or mixed into new material. To use mixed agricultural waste to make new composite materials for advanced engineering, one factor to consider is the fracture toughness of the composite. The fracture toughness of a material can be calculated in many ways, whether by testing a real material, finite element analysis, or prediction with predictive equations. This research uses the artificial intelligence methods that have become popular over the years to create a model to predict the fracture toughness of sugarcane leaves composites, one of the wastes generated from sugarcane farming. The model was used to predict the fracture toughness of sugarcane leaves and epoxy composite influenced by leaf concentration (\%wt.) and loading rate (mm/min). The modeling uses three different artificial intelligence models i.e., Artificial neural network, Generalized regression neural network and Gaussian process regression using data from a limited number of 27 data. The prediction result in the testing period showed the ANN model had an R-2 of 0.8818, a MAPE of 3.40\%, and an RMSE of 0.0876. The GRNN model had an R-2 of 0.9192, a MAPE of 2.81\%, and an RMSE is 0.0738. The GPR model had an R-2 of 0.9085, a MAPE of 3.41 and an RMSE of 0.0773. As for the confirmation of the prediction model, it was found that the performance of the three models declined as the level of the predictive factors changed, but the performance remained within the acceptable range.
Adsorption of arsenite (As(III)) from aqueous solutions onto iron oxide impregnated sugarcane bagasse was investigated in this study. The linear regression analysis showed that Langmuir adsorption isotherm fitted well to the experimental data. Langmuir constants `a' related to the adsorption capacity and `b' related to the binding energy of sorption system were found to be 1.55 mg/g and 46.44 L/mg, respectively. A kinetic study revealed that uptake of As(III) was rapid in the first 30 min after which it slowed down and became almost constant after 90 min, indicating that the equilibrium had been reached. Kinetic data correlated well with the pseudo-second order kinetic model, suggesting that the adsorption process might be chemisorption. Estimated pseudo-second order kinetic rate constant was 2.113 g/mg min. Evaluation of thermodynamic parameters (Delta G,Delta H,Delta S) indicated that the adsorption process was feasible and endothermic in nature.
Current anaerobic digestion (AD) design methods rely on crude empirical models or sophisticated anaerobic digestion models (like ADM1) requiring a large number of parameters which are difficult to obtain experimentally. A simplified model for simulating AD was developed in this work. The model requires knowledge of CH4/CO2 ratio in biogas or indigestible fraction in substrate and batch biomethane potential (BMP) data for estimating three kinetic parameters (maximum specific growth rate, half velocity constant and cell death rate). Reported lab scale BMP data of sugarcane bagasse and spent wash were used to first estimate the kinetics and then to simulate corresponding largescale AD. Simulated results of specific methane yield and digester performance were consistent with available largescale AD data. The potential of the model to simulate single and multistage AD were illustrated. The presented approach and model will be useful for effectively valorising a variety of complex biomass substrates to biogas.
Having rigorous mathematical models is essential for the design and scaling of adsorption columns. In this study, the dynamic behavior of the sulfamethoxazole adsorption on sugarcane bagasse was studied and compared using analytical models and a theoretical mechanistic model. Initially, fixed-bed column tests were carried out at different flow rates and bed heights. Then, the experimental data were fitted with the most widely used analytical kinetic models, and their fit and fixed-bed parameters were compared with the mechanistic model. Of all analytical models analyzed, the Log-Gompertz model was the one that had the best agreed with experimental data. Although some analytical models fitted the experimental data accurately, their usefulness was questionable. Their parameters did not show a clear relationship with the change in operating conditions, and in certain cases had different behavior from that observed in experimentation. Conversely, the mechanistic model not only predicted the breakthrough curves with great accuracy in the initial and transition stage (R-2 > 0.92; SSE < 0.06), but it also estimated relevant parameters. Additionally, the effects of the global mass transfer coefficient (K-i) and the axial dispersion coefficient (D-z) on breakthrough curves were studied using the mechanistic model. Increasing K-i increased the slope of the breakthrough curves with a faster adsorption rate. Similarly, high values of D-z produced lower adsorption capacities of the adsorbent; and it was established that the axial dispersion is relevant in SMX adsorption on SB. The theoretical model presented can be used for the design, scaling, and optimization of adsorption columns. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate selected physical and chemical properties of agricultural byproduct-based activated carbons made from pecan shells and sugarcane bagasse, and compare those properties to a commercial coal-based activated carbon as well as to compare the adsorption efficiency of these carbons for geosmin. Comparison of the physical and chemical properties of pecan shell- and bagasse-based carbons to the commercial carbon, Calgon Filtrasorb 400, showed that pecan shell carbon, but not the bagasse carbon, compared favorably to Filtrasorb 400, especially in terms of surface area, bulk density, ash and attrition. A carbon dosage study done in a model system showed the amount of geosmin adsorbed to be greater for Filtrasorb 400 and the bagasse-based carbon at low carbon concentrations than for the pecan shell carbons, but geosmin adsorption was similar in all carbons at higher carbon dosages. Application of the Freundlich isotherm model to the adsorption data showed that carbons made by steam activation of pecan shells or sugarcane bagasse had geosmin adsorption characteristics most like those of the commercial carbon. In terms of physical, chemical and adsorptive properties, steam-activated pecan shell carbon most resembled the commercial carbon and has the potential to replace Filtrasorb 400 in applications involving removal of geosmin from aqueous environments. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The search for a renewable platform to produce high-value biochemicals and energy that are environmentally correct has been a current concern. A fast and inexpensive bioprocess for amylase production, able to hydrolyze complex residues in fermentable sugars to be used for ethanol production was developed. High titer amylase from Rhizopus oligosporus in solid state fermentation (SSF) was obtained by optimizing the medium supplementation using agro-industrial waste as substrate. Statistical experimental design and partial least square (PLS) regression were used to establish a relation between added chemical compounds and enzyme production, showing that urea was the most important nutrient. Crude amylase extract had competitive performance features giving higher productivities in starch hydrolysis than a commercial glucoamylase. The amylase produced was applied in the proportion of 15 U/g dry cassava bagasse to obtain cassava bagasse hydrolysate (CBH). More than 42\% conversion in reducing sugars was achieved with an efficient 10 h single-step hydrolysis at 55 degrees C in a bioreactor. The concentrated CBH was subsequently used in fed batch process producing 89.2\% ethanol yield. Furthermore, comparing just the cost of the raw materials sugarcane and CHB, the latter demonstrated to be a lower-cost feedstock for ethanol fermentation.
To achieve high corn yield, optimal amounts of nutrients that can be extracted by the crop must be supplied at adequate proportions. Vinasse from sugarcane ethanol production can be applied as a soil fertilizer to corn crops in ethanol production plants. In this context, the present study compared the effects of mineral potassium fertilization with potassium chloride and organic fertilization with concentrated sugarcane vinasse on corn dry matter and grain yield and explored the technical and economic efficiency of these sources. The experiment was carried out at the experimental station of the Federal Institute Goiano, Rio Verde Campus, Brazil. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with three replicates. The treatments comprised two sources of potassium, namely concentrated vinasse and potassium chloride, applied at four doses of potassium, representing 0\%, 50\%, 100\%, and 200\% of the recommended rate for corn. The dry matter accumulation of corn throughout the crop cycle, yield components at harvest, and technical and economic efficiency of the applied potassium sources were measured. Neither potassium dose nor its source affected leaf, stem, and aboveground dry matter accumulation at harvest. Regardless of the potassium source, the 100\% dose produced higher cob dry mass, grain dry mass, grain dry mass per ear, grain yield, number of bags of 60 kg ha(-1) produced per hectare, and harvest index. The agronomic efficiency of vinasse compared to potassium chloride was 68.5\% at the 100\% dose of the recommendation, showing enough potential as an organic fertilizer in corn crop.
In Reunion, changes in harvesting practices have led to increased amounts of sugarcane tops and leaves delivered to factories. To anticipate the changes in sugar recovery processing, laboratory trials were undertaken. Samples with known quantities of tops or green leaves were prepared and cane processing was simulated at laboratory scale: juice extraction, clarification and evaporation with operating parameters similar to those in the factory. Juice and syrup were collected and analyzed for sugar quality parameters, as well as parameters that impact sugar recovery or processing quality: ash and reducing sugars contents were monitored to estimate the sucrose loss to molasses, while calcium, phosphate and oxalate contents were monitored to evaluate the risk of fouling in evaporator. Results highlight a degradation of juice composition with increasing quantities of tops and leaves, an increase in lime consumption, and color. An increase in residual calcium in syrup was observed thus increasing the risk of evaporator fouling. The mixed juice, clear juice and syrup qualities declined in the same proportion and the composition of the juice did not get worse with juice treatment.
The environmental and human health hazards posed by 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) call for effective degradation technologies. This research investigates the design and application of a Bi2O3/Zn3In2S6 heterojunction photocatalyst, a ` S scheme `, which was constructed via a simple hydrothermal method. The photocatalyst was then embedded in a sugarcane bagasse cellulose carrier (SBC/BO/ZIS), demonstrating excellent 2,4-DCP degradation capacity. The results show that S-type Bi2O3/Zn3In2S6 promotes the separation of photogenerated carriers. The SBC/BO/ZIS complex, in comparison with Bi2O3 and Zn3In2S6 alone, amplifies specific surface area (91.7880 m(2)/g) and broadens the light absorption range (570 nm) of materials, showing robust photocatalytic performance. The degradation rate of 50 mg/L 2,4-DCP reached an impressive 97\% within 120 min. The encapsulation of BO/ZIS in SBC not only increases the efficiency of material recovery and recycling but also allows for continuous degradation of 2,4-DCP in cyclic manners, maintaining a degradation rate between 90\% and 97\%. XRD characterization shows that the physical properties of the material are not affected. The degradation of 2,4-DCP was dominantly controlled by active species (.OH and .O-2) identified by electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and free radical trapping experiments. This innovative design significantly enhances sunlight utilization and effectively curbs charge carrier recombination, while also promoting material recoveryand utilization. These attributes establish a foundation for a cost-effective and efficient means of treating actual wastewater containing 2,4-DCP.
Alkaline pretreatment has been commonly used for bioconversion of lignocellulose into fuel ethanol due to its gentle condition. However, the large quantity of water consumption and wastewater generation from the pretreatment and washing steps have been two bottleneck problems for the practical application of alkaline pretreatment. In order to save water consumption and reduce wastewater generation, black liquor (BL) generated in the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) pretreatment process was recycled for pretreating sugarcane bagasse (SCB), and the BL-NaOH-treated SCB without being washed was directly enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented. After 120-h fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis with the addition of 20 FPU cellulase/g cellulose and 2.51 mu L Tween80/ mL hydrolytic slurry, the maximum glucose concentration and enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency achieved 99.95 g/L and 71.02\%, respectively. After 36-h fermentation with the domesticated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the ethanol production reached 44.53 g/L, which amounted to 87.35\% of theoretical ethanol yield. Compared with other water-saving and wastewater-reducing alkaline pretreatments, this technology saved more than 20\% water consumption and reduced over 20\% wastewater discharge. It provides a promising applied technology for cellulosic ethanol production.
In this study, carbonized activated bagasse (CAB) was generated from sugarcane bagasse wastes using a chemical carbonization process to remove crystal-violet (CV) dye, posing a low environmental risk. The CAB obtained is characterised using a Fourier-Transform Infrared spectrophotometer and a scanning electron microscope. The pH, contact time, temperature, adsorbent concentration, and initial concentration of CV dye were all measured. The maximum removal percentage of around 82\% was obtained under optimal conditions of pH 10, 3 h, 25 degrees C, 0.01 g adsorbent dose, and 100 ppm initial dye concentration. According to the kinetic tests, the best kinetic model for CV adsorption was pseudo-second-order. To test thermodynamic parameters such as free enthalpy (H), entropy (S), and energy (G), the Langmuir constant (K) was used, supplemented by the Temkin and Freundlich models. The previous study is supported with a computational studies Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation.
High chemical input is required for enzymatic production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) using xylan extracted from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, enzymatic hydrolysis of alkaline oxidation (AO) treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) directly for the production of XOS was conducted. The effect of AO pretreatment on the chemical compositions and hydrolytic properties of SCB was investigated. The AO pretreatment conditions with low chemical input for the production of XOS were optimized by orthogonal design. Stepwise enzymatic hydrolysis of AO pretreated SCB with xylanase and cellulase produced XOS (1.78 g/L), meanwhile, the cellulose conversion increased from 84.97\% to 91.51\% compared with directly enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulase. HPLC-UV and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis indicated that the obtained XOS products were mainly composed of xylobiose and xylose with a small amount of arabinose/4-O-methylglucuronic acid substituted xylotriose and xylotetraose. The proposed strategy for the co-production of functional XOS and fermentable sugars from SCB showed potential of industrial application.
This study investigated the production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from sugarcane straw (SCS) using steam explosion (SE) pretreatment at pilot-scale, as well as co-production of fermentable sugars and lignin-rich residues for bioethanol and bioenergy, respectively. SE conditions 200 degrees C; 15 bar; 10 min led to 1) soluble XOS yields of up to 35 \% (w/w) of initial xylan with similar to 50 \% of the recovered XOS corresponding to xylobiose and xylotriose, considered the most valuable sugars for prebiotic applications; 2) fermentable glucose yields from the enzymatic hydrolysis of SE-pretreated SCS of up to similar to 78 \%; 3) increase in the energy content of saccharified SCS residues (16 \%) compared to the untreated material. From an integrated biorefinery perspective, it demonstrated the potential use of SCS for the production of value-added XOS ingredients as well as liquid and solid biofuel products.
In this study industrial strains were inoculated, in successive cycles, at high cell density into a sugarcane-based juice containing normal (22\%, w/v) and very high sucrose (30\%, w/v) levels and supplemented with peptone as a nitrogen source. At 30 degrees C, in shaken cultures, in the normal gravity situation, efficient sucrose utilization occurred in both the supplemented and unsupplemented medium. At higher sugar concentrations, supplementation with peptone induced a more efficient fermentation compared with the unsupplemented medium, with higher biomass accumulation and maintenance of cell viability, and ethanol levels as high as 16\% (v/v). Trehalose was also high during the cycles, probably as a necessary response of the yeast to the high stress fermentation conditions. This suggests that it is possible to increase ethanol production by using very-high-fermentation technology and that nutritional supplementation would have a positive effect on the fermentation, allowing for efficient sugar consumption and cell viability maintenance. Copyright (c) 2016 The Institute of Brewing \& Distilling
In recent years, the increase in Brazilian ethanol production has been based on expansion of sugarcane-cropped area, mainly by the land use change (LUC) pasture-sugarcane. However, second-generation (2G) cellulosic-derived ethanol supplies are likely to increase dramatically in the next years in Brazil. Both these management changes potentially affect soil C (SOC) changes and may have a significant impact on the greenhouse gases balance of Brazilian ethanol. To evaluate these impacts, we used the DayCent model to predict the influence of the LUC native vegetation (NV)-pasture (PA)-sugarcane (SG), as well as to evaluate the effect of different management practices (straw removal, no-tillage, and application of organic amendments) on long-term SOC changes in sugarcane areas in Brazil. The DayCent model estimated that the conversion of NV-PA caused SOC losses of 0.34 +/- 0.03 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1), while the conversion PA-SG resulted in SOC gains of 0.16 +/- 0.04 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1). Moreover, simulations showed SOC losses of 0.19 +/- 0.04 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) in SG areas in Brazil with straw removal. However, our analysis suggested that adoption of some best management practices can mitigate these losses, highlighting the application of organic amendments (+0.14 +/- 0.03 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1)). Based on the commitments made by Brazilian government in the UNFCCC, we estimated the ethanol production needed to meet the domestic demand by 2030. If the increase in ethanol production was based on the expansion of sugarcane area on degraded pasture land, the model predicted a SOC accretion of 144 Tg from 2020 to 2050, while increased ethanol production based on straw removal as a cellulosic feedstock was predicted to decrease SOC by 50 Tg over the same 30-year period.
This paper aimed to use the major part of carbohydrate fractions in enzymatic hydrolysate of sweet sorghum bagasse, acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was performed following the ethanol fermentation of hexoses. In batch ethanol fermentation stage, 50.8 +/- 3.2 g/L of ethanol was produced from 111.5 g/L of glucose in hydrolysate. After ethanol recovery by batch vacuum distillation, 123.6 +/- 15.6 g/L of ethanol was obtained in the distillate, while 47.2 +/- 2.5 g/L of xylose was remained in the fermentation broth. The ethanol-free broth was further used as the substrate for ABE fermentation. Compared with yeast remaining scenario, the cell-free ethanol fermentation broth showed a better performance in ABE production. 7.37 +/- 0.33 g/L of butanol and 10.93 +/- 0.54 g/L of ABE solvent were produced after 120 h of batch fermentation. Based on the biorefinery strategy that cascade two-types of fermentation process, the overall solvents yield boosted significantly, about 144.8 g of ethanol, 17.3 g of butanol and 4.8 g of acetone can be produced from 1 kg sweet sorghum bagasse. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bioenergy crops have potential for being a sustainable and renewable feedstock for biofuels and various value-added bioproducts. The study utilizes recently developed transgenic sugarcane ('oilcane') bagasse for chemical-free coproduction of high-value bioproducts, i.e., furfurals, HMF, acetic acid, cellulosic sugars, and vegetative lipids. Hydrothermal pretreatment was optimized at 210 degrees C for 5 min to coproduce 6.91\%, 2.67\%, 5.07\%, 2.42\% and 37.82\% (w/w) furfurals, HMF, acetic acid, vegetative lipids, and cellulosic sugars, respectively from lignocellulosic biomass. Additionally, nanofiltration system in-series was successfully established to recover sugars, furfurals, HMF, and acetic acid from the pretreatment liquor. 1st nanofiltration with Duracid NF membrane rejected similar to 99\% sugars. Concentrated sugars with significantly reduced inhibitory products were obtained in retentate for fermentation. 2nd nanofiltration with NF90 membrane used permeate of 1st nanofiltration as feed and rejected similar to 86\% furfurals. The work demonstrates the feasibility of coproducing and recovering multiple biochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.
In the production of biofuel from lignocellulosic biomass, cost-effective pretreatment technologies play an important role in meeting the worlds demand for bioenergy. In this study, Eichhomia crassipes (EC), sugarcane bagasse (SB) and Metasequoia glyptostroboides (MG) were pretreated by Fenton reagent (FT) and peroxyacetic acid (PAA), respectively, and then subjected to enzymatic saccharification. The optimal pretreatments for the three types of biomass were FT, PAA, and PAA, respectively. Overall, FT exhibited a higher ability to remove lignin from EC and increase the EC carbohydrate contents (from 67.48\% to 86.57\%), while PAA performed better in lignin removal from SB and MG, and increasing carbohydrate contents of SB (from 68.83\% to 90.63\%) and MG (from 71.96\% to 93.73\%). Furthermore, following their respective optimal pretreatments, the cell surfaces of each plant type were observably compromised, with distinct increases to the specific surface area, inner porosity, and enhanced substrate crystallinity, thus entailing significantly improved carbohydrate accessibility to enzymes. The results ultimately indicated that FT pretreatment was more appropriate for plant biomass with lower lignin content and lower crystallinity index (CrI), while PAA pretreatment was more suitable for plant biomass with higher lignin content and higher CrI. These findings will facilitate efforts to improve the feasibility of biomass-to-energy conversion.
This article aims investigating the solvo and hydrothermal liquefaction of sugarcane bagasse. Reaction temperature and solvents play an important role on the yield and physico-chemical properties of the liquefaction products. This study reports the effect of different temperatures, 240 degrees C, 260 degrees C and 280 degrees C and two different solvents, water and ethanol on yield and properties of bio-oil and char. The higher conversion was obtained at the higher temperatures with ethanol. The bio-oil yield ranged from 46.0\% to 51.8\% in presence of water and it ranged from 54.6\% to 62.3\% with ethanol solvent by changing reaction temperature from 240 degrees C to 280 degrees C. The char yield decreased from 36.3\% to 28.2\% and from 39.3\% to 24.7\% in presence of water and ethanol respectively by varying reaction temperature from 240 degrees C to 280 degrees C. The carbon content and HHV were increased and oxygen content was decreased in the products resulting in improved healing and combustion performance. The GC-MS results suggested that the all the bio-oils were mainly composed of phenols and its derivatives, alcohols, esters, hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes and other compounds. The TGA results proposed that the thermal stability of char was improved which is attributed to the reaction temperature of the liquefaction process.
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers help to provide desirable nutrients to plants and release them in a prolonged time. The public concern about environmental protection and efficiency in the use of resources has increased the need to produce eco-friendly and high-performance products. In this work, we report the preparation and properties of the sustained release of spray-dried microparticles based on two biopolymers, chitosan, and nanocellulose. Cellulose rich solid was isolated from waste sugarcane bagasse by chlorine-free alkali peroxide procedure, yielding solids at 45.2\%. Nanocellulose with sulfate groups attached on its surface was obtained by acid hydrolysis, and then it was incorporated into chitosan (CS) and NPK fertilizer solution, followed by spray drying to yield microparticles. The CS microparticles caused a decrease in the initial release rate of NPK, which resulted in extended-release of the entrapped nutrients (around 2 h). The incorporation of 10 wt.\% nanocellulose to microparticles provided the most significant reduction on fertilizer release rate within 5 h. The work demonstrates the potential use of sulfated nanocellulose in biopolymeric matrices to design enhanced fertilizer release systems.
Electric power production using biomass residues from agricultural production using high efficiency electricity generation technologies would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation. This study investigated the case of the sugar industry in Thailand and identified scenarios offering GHG emissions reduction benefits. Electricity generation potential from using sugarcane residues and/or upgrading power generation systems represent beneficial options. The largest potential of electricity export to the national grid can be achieved by upgrading boiler systems of all sugar mills to 103 bar and 515 degrees C. Using 19\% of the generated sugarcane tops and leaves along with bagasse can generate 9 TWh electricity and would reduce GHG emissions by 4.8 Mt CO2 equivalent a year. The economic analysis shows that using high steam pressure boiler configurations for power generation results in substantial reduction in production cost and increase in benefit. (C) 2014 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The higher heating value (HHV) of sugarcane biomass components has been well documented; however, the effect of different soil water levels (abiotic stress) during the growing season on HHV has not been assessed for this energy crop. Drip irrigation in sugarcane production presents a potential to be a disruptive technology for sugarcane mills in terms of water-energy-nexus, making this inextricable relationship more efficient. The objective of this article was to quantify the higher heating value and useful energy from biomass partitions of different sugarcane varieties (Saccharum spp.) drip irrigated at four water levels and four maturation processes (drying off intensity prior to harvesting time); this information is not available in literature to date. The contribution of this article to the state of the art of knowledge are: a) the heating values for sugarcane partitions: bagasse, leaves and pointers did not vary significantly for varieties, water stress levels under drip irrigation and maturation processes; conversely, the heating value for the sheath biomass partition vary significantly for varieties. The average heating values for all treatments for the bagasse, sheaths, leaves and pointers were 18.16, 17.21, 17.64 and 17.84 MJ kg(-1) respectively; b) the useful energy in sugarcane is almost totally dependent on the biomass produced per unit of area; drip irrigation levels and sugarcane variety traits are important in establishing the bioenergy productivity per area; the average value obtained for all treatments was 660.29 GJ ha(-1) year(-1) (36.90 Mg dry mass ha(-1) year(-1)). Drip irrigated sugarcane crops at higher water levels in the soil, resulted a higher intensive land use and less deforestation pressure at sugarcane bioenergy production areas.
The aim of the study was to evaluate continuous bioethanol production from oilseed rape (OSR) straw hydrolysate using Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells immobilised in Lentikat (R) discs. The study evaluated the effect of dilution rate (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 h (1)), substrate concentration (15, 22, 40 and 60 g L (1)) and cell loading (0.03, 0.16 and 0.24 g d. c. w. mL (1) Lentikat (R)) on bioethanol production. Volumetric productivity was found to increase with increasing substrate concentration from 15 g L (1) to 60 g L (1). A maximum volumetric productivity of 12.88 g L (1) h (1) was achieved at a substrate concentration of 60 g L (1) and at a dilution rate of 0.5 h (1). An overall mass balance for bioethanol production was created to determine the energy recovery from bioethanol and concluded that a biorefinery approach might be the most appropriate option for maximising the energy recovery from OSR straw. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A farm at Taoyuan in Taiwan was highly contaminated with decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209), a widely used commercial brominated flame retardant and persistent in the environment, more than 10 years. Since crops are able to absorb and accumulate BDE-209 from soils in our previous research, posing a hazardous risk for humans, it is essential to develop a practical method of soil treatment. Thermal treatment was studied among different approaches. In our previous study (Ko et al., 2022), we found that heating to 450 degrees C for 30 min achieved a complete removal of BDE-209 in soil. However, the high temperature significantly decreased the original soil organic matter (SOM) from 2.47\% to 0.27\%, altering the soil texture, damaging microbial biomass, and thus affecting the revegetation after the thermal treatment. Sugarcane bagasse, a common agricultural residue, served as an amendment to restore soil fertility. Current results indicate that 2.5\% bagasse can improve the SOM in soil by up to 2.73\% and restore its bacterial composition, making the plant growth conditions similar to those of the untreated contaminated soil. In light of the high removal efficiency provided by the 450 degrees C-thermal treatment and the high recovery efficiency of sugarcane bagasse, the strategy presented in this study serves to be a promising method for sustainable remediation.
The production of brandy from wine and bioethanol from sugarcane in distilleries generates vinasses, which are effluents that are rich in organic matter. Since they have a high pollution load characterized by high chemical and biological oxygen demands and a dark color, the depollution of these effluents is inevitable. Pt and Ru catalysts supported on titania and zirconia were explored in the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) processing of cognac and sugarcane wastewaters, in batch mode and in a trickle-bed reactor, at a temperature condition of 190 degrees C and a pressure condition of 70 bar air. The addition of a catalyst promoted total organic carbon (TOC) abatement and the oxidation of ammonium ions formed from organic nitrogen in the effluents to dinitrogen or nitrates. The best results in terms of selectivity to N-2 were obtained by using Pt catalysts; a selectivity of 92\% to N-2 and a TOC removal of 90\% were observed in continuous oxidation of the sugarcane vinasse.
The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) was ethanol produced from direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8 kgCO(2e)/GJ(ethanol). This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5 kgCO(2e)/GJ(ethanol)) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJ(ethanol)/GJ(fossil). (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Purpose China is a big agricultural country and generates a large amount of biomass wastes every year. Biomass is the only renewable carbon source, which can produce biochar through pyrolysis under anaerobic or hypoxic conditions. Biochar has a rich pore structure, large specific surface area and special adsorption properties, and has been widely used in different industries. Different raw materials and pyrolysis conditions influence its yield and pore structure. Methods In our study, a flow chart was established in Aspen Plus V8.4 software to simulate the pyrolysis process of rice straw and sugarcane bagasse, and the feasibility of the model was verified by experiment. Finally, the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) method was used to evaluate the economics of the process of preparing biochar from 1 t rice straw and sugarcane bagasse. Results The simulated value of biochar yield is different from the experimental value. The difference is small at low temperature (300-500 degrees C), and relatively large at high temperature (600-800 degrees C), but both remain between 0.55 and 8.93\%. Calculations indicate that the costs of rice straw and sugarcane bagasse biochar were 0.79 and 0.93 USD/kg, respectively. Conclusion Considering from the aspects of yield, pore structure, energy consumption, and economy of biochar, compared with sugarcane bagasse, rice straw has a more competitive advantage in the preparation of biochar. {[
This study investigated the production of furfural from sugarcane bagasse over niobic acid (Nb2O2 center dot nH(2)O, called as NbO) or niobium phosphate (NbOPO4 center dot nH(2)O, called as NbP) in a one-step process performed in water. The variables temperature (T), the mass of catalyst (mcat), reaction time (rt), and vibration time (Vt) for mixing SCB and catalyst were studied through a design of experiments. After 5 h at 150 degrees C, the furfural yields were 52.1 g kg(-1) for NbO and 59.3 g kg(-1) for NbP, while the yields of xylose and arabinose were, respectively, 69.7 g kg(-1) and 6.4 g kg(-1) for NbO and 147.4 g kg(-1) and 11.1 g kg(-1) when using NbP. It was proved that furfural yield is independent of the SCB genotype. The selective depolymerization and hydrolysis of hemicellulose into monomers and its further dehydration to furfural were observed. The cellulose and lignin remained readily utilizable for further processing. The better catalytic performance of NbP was attributed to the higher ratio of Bronsted to Lewis acid sites on its surface than NbO.
Stillage is the main wastewater from ethanol production, containing a high chemical oxygen demand in addition to acidic and corrosive characteristics. Though stillage may be used as a soil fertilizer, its land application may be considered problematic due its high polluting potential. Anaerobic digestion represents an effective alternative treatment to reduce the pollution load of stillage. In addition, the methane gas produced within the process may be converted to energy, which can be directly applied to the treatment plant. The objective of this paper was to investigate the energetic potential of anaerobic digestion applied to stillage in the sugarcane ethanol industry. An overall analysis of the results indicates energy recovery capacity (ERC) values for methane ranging from 3.5\% to 10\%, respectively, for sugarcane juice and molasses. The processes employed to obtain the fermentable broth, as well as the distillation step, represent the main limiting factors to the energetic potential feasibility. Considering financial aspects the annual savings could reach up to US\$ 30 million due to anaerobic digestion of stillage in relatively large-scale distilleries (365,000 m(3) of ethanol per year). The best scenarios were verified for the association between anaerobic digestion of stillage and combustion of bagasse. In this case, the fossil fuels consumption in distilleries could be fully ceased, such the ERC of methane could reach values ranging from 140\% to 890\%.
A new type of bio-amine-response colorimetric film with excellent flexibility and biodegradability was fabricated by the main components of sugarcane, including sugarcane skin anthocyanin (SSA), bagasse cellulose fibers (CF), and cellulose nanofibers (CNF). Benefiting from the rich hydroxyl groups and large specific surface area of CNF, the sample of adding 10 wt\% CNF in CF (CF/CNF10/SSA) presented good mechanical properties (33 Mpa), reusability (10 cycles), excellent color change (Delta E>5), and excellent antioxidant properties (the free radical scavenging rate of ABTS: 86\%). Furthermore, the film had good water resistance (water contact angle only decreases about 20 degrees after 60 s), color stability up to 28 days, and rapid response to ammonia (1-2 s). Thus, CF/ CNF10/SSA was successfully used as a low-cost, inoxidizable, and pH/NH3 responsive smart tag to monitor the freshness of seafood in real-time, achieving the high-value utilization of sugarcane waste components.
Technology valuation of cellulosic ethanol production by Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 7735 based on the concepts of circular economy was investigated. After an acid-base pretreatment followed by saccharification at 50 degrees C for 72 h, the sweet sorghum hydrolysate was used to produce ethanol at three temperatures: 37, 42, and 45 degrees C. About 17.83 g/L of cellulosic ethanol was reached at 42 degrees C in 24 h, with a yield of 2769.8 L/ha(sorghum), almost double that obtained for corn straw. This was the best cellulosic ethanol production from sweet sorghum bagasse achieved by K. marxianus strain and, therefore, it was used in the technology valuation. This analysis was carried out through the application of the profit equation, in which the revenue corresponded to ethanol sales in the global market in 2020, and the costs were defined by the activity-based costing method. An integration between 1G and 2G ethanol production, without mixing material streams, was considered to improve the technology valuation analysis. As a result, the equivalent to 17.2\% of the profit obtained with the sugarcane juice ethanol was achieved for the sweet sorghum bagasse. Therefore, the technology valuation indicated the potential of sweet sorghum bagasse in the biorefinery ethanol production. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In this work cellulose was extracted from corn/maize straw (Zea mays) by means of an environmental-friendly multistep procedure involving alkaline treatment and a totally chlorine-free bleaching. This multistep procedure efficiently removed lignin and hemicelluloses. The pulp resulting from each step was characterized by attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The optimum pulping time (time of alkaline treatment) was determined by means of thermogravimetric analysis. The extracted cellulose is highly crystalline as verified by X-ray diffraction. The partial acid hydrolysis with sulfuric acid led to the isolation of cellulose whiskers in aqueous suspension as confirmed by light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The depolarization ratio value of these nanocrystals is the same as that determined for cotton whiskers, showing that this ratio does not depend on the cellulose source. The maize whiskers are arranged laterally in bundles with average thickness around five times that of the crystallite.
Sugarcane is an important crop worldwide for sugar and first generation ethanol production. Recently, the residue of sugarcane mills, named bagasse, has been considered a promising lignocellulosic biomass to produce the second-generation ethanol. Lignin is a major factor limiting the use of bagasse and other plant lignocellulosic materials to produce second-generation ethanol. Lignin biosynthesis pathway is a complex network and changes in the expression of genes of this pathway have in general led to diverse and undesirable impacts on plant structure and physiology. Despite its economic importance, sugarcane genome was still not sequenced. In this study a high-throughput transcriptome evaluation of two sugarcane genotypes contrasting for lignin content was carried out. We generated a set of 85,151 transcripts of sugarcane using RNA-seq and de novo assembling. More than 2,000 transcripts showed differential expression between the genotypes, including several genes involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. This information can give valuable knowledge on the lignin biosynthesis and its interactions with other metabolic pathways in the complex sugarcane genome.
With the objective to evaluate the effect of hydrolyzed sugar cane bagasse and sugar cane tops in the performance of cattle, 72 Nellore steers, averaging from 18 to 30 months of age and 293 kg LW were feedlot for 99 days. The treatment consisted in 40.0\% hydrolyzed sugar cane bagasse (BAH) and 20.0\% sugarcane tops (treatments T1 e T4), 20.0 BAH and 40.0\% sugar cane tops (T2 and T5), and 30.0 BAH and 30.0\% sugar cane tops (T3 and T6). Two protein sources: dried yeast, associated with the treatments T1, T2, and T3 and meat meal plus additive (Nutrigen), associated to T4, T5 and T6, were also used. The average daily dry matter intake (kg/animal), the feed:gain ratio (kg DM/kg gain/animal.d) and the average weight gains were for T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, respectively, 4.01, 5.50, 5.06, 4.50. 7.33, and 12.71, 17.14, 13.09, 14.79, 8.79, 17.45, and 12.71 and .234, .420, .342, .516, .420, and .454. The animals fed diets with meat meal pins Nutrigen, showed best animal performance.
This study analyses the sustainability of fuel ethanol production from cane molasses in Indonesia. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to evaluate the net emissions (climate change impact) and energy inputs (resource consumption) in the production chain. The lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the production and use of ethanol are estimated at 29 gCO(2eq) per MJ of ethanol produced which is a 67\% reduction in comparison to gasoline emissions. Net Energy Value (NEV) and Net Renewable Energy Value (NREV) are -7 MJ/I and 17.7 MJ/I, while the energy yield ratio (ER) is 6.1. Economic allocation is chosen for dividing environmental burdens and resource consumption between sugar (i.e, main product) and molasses (i.e. co-product used for fuel production). Sensitivity analysis of various parameters is performed. The emissions and energy values are highly sensitive to sugarcane yield, ethanol yield, and the price of molasses. The use of sugarcane biomass residues (bagasse/trash) for efficient cogeneration, and different waste management options for the treatment of spent wash (effluent of distilleries) are also explored. Surplus bioelectricity generation in the efficient cogeneration plant, biogas recovery from wastewater treatment plant, and their use for fossil fuel substitution can help improve energy and environmental gains. The study also compares important results with other relevant international studies and discusses issues related to land use change (LUC) impact. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
High energy consumption has been one of bottlenecks for bioconversion of lignocellulose into biofuels and biochemicals. A self-designed pilot-scale device with recycling of black liquor (BL) and waste washing water (WWW) was constructed to conduct low-temperature pretreatment and high-solid enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) at ordinary atmospheric pressure. Results showed that enzymatic hydrolysis of WWWwashed BL-WWW-NaOH-treated SCB at 30\% solid concentration for 72 h achieved 91.59 g/L glucose with glucan conversion of 70.94\%. The pretreatment unit shared only 19.68\%-22.43\% of total energy consumption and 8.32\%-8.81\% of total cost. The non-sterile enzymatic hydrolysate could be directly fermented by BL-adapted yeasts to maximally produce 44.82 g/L ethanol at 48 h, while the sterile hydrolysate could not be fermented. 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, furancarboxaldehyde and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural might be the dominant inhibitors in the sterile enzymatic hydrolysate for ethanol production. Finally, a low-emission strategy for cellulosic ethanol production with low energy consumption was proposed.
Pretreatment is an important upstream process that affects the economics of biofuels production from lignocellulose. Hydrotropic reagent sodium xylene sulfonate (SXS) was used in this study to treat wheat straw for efficient butanol production. Effects of temperature, time, SXS concentration on pretreatment were evaluated. In addition, a modified SXS pretreatment method with pH adjusted to 3.5 by formic acid was also conducted for efficient wheat straw conversion by removing hemicellulose fraction. Composition analysis, structure characterization, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation tests were conducted. The results showed that modified SXS pretreatment can be considered as an efficient method for improving wheat straw conversion efficiency for ABE production. The hexoses and pentoses in the enzymatic hydrolysates can be used by C. acetobutylicum for butanol production with 12.41 g L-1 ABE produced, and the overall ABE yield of 100 g ABE/kg wheat straw was obtained. This study revealed that hydrotropic pretreatment provides an alternative potential to the conventional pretreatment processes for butanol production.
It was detail studied that the preparation of new chelating materials derived from bagasse pith for adsorption of Cu2+ ion. The bagasse pith was modified by the ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD) and the mechanism of sorption property for heavy metal ion was studied. The FTIR was used to characterize the esterified pith(EP). The results show that the optimal conditions are 24 h of reaction time and 1.5 g of EDTAD dosage and the maximum adsorption capacity for Cu2+ is 76.76mg/g. The peaks at 1743 cm(-1), 1598 cm(-1), 1408 cm(-1) in FUR suggest carbonyl functions in the materials. The Langmuir model can describe the process of adsorbing Cu(2+)onto EP well.
One of the alternatives to benefit the agroforestry residues is by densification processes. Thus, the goal of this analysis was to evaluate the raw material and briquettes quality produced from the remains of the sugarcane bagasse and Jatropha curcas shell. The biomass was dried and set at 12\% of moisture content and, afterwards, had the treatments prepared. T1 - 100 \% sugar cane bagasse; T2 - 100 \% Jatropha curcas shell; T3 - 75 \% sugar cane bagasse + 25 \% Jatropha curcas shell; T4 - 75 \% Jatropha curcas shell + 25 \% sugar cane bagasse; and T5 - 50 \% sugar cane bagasse + 50 \% Jatropha curcas shell. The briquettes were produced with the assistance of a hydraulic briquette machine at temperature of 80 +/- 2 degrees C and pressure of 140 kgf cm(-2), kept for a period of five minutes. The main energy and physic mechanical aspects of the briquettes were bulk density, energy density, volumetric expansion, dynamic resistance and tensile strength by diametric compression. It was confirmed that the briquettes produced from 100 \% Jatropha curcas shell showed superior energy density, they were also more resistant to tensile strength by diametric compression and to the dynamic resistance test, they even presented higher volumetric expansion compared to the ones produced from 50 \% sugarcane bagasse + 50 \% Jatropha curcas shell.
In order to obtain better bacterial species or strains for production of short side chain-poly{[
Pretreatment of biomass is one of the most challenging steps in the process of second-generation (2G) ethanol and biochemical production. Dilute acid pretreatment is a widely adapted and convenient method to recover pentose (C5) as well as hexose (C6) sugars due to its featured solubilization of hemicellulose and cellulose before and after enzymatic saccharification, respectively. In the present study, dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was statistically optimized using the face-centered composite design (FCCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) in terms of acid concentration (0.1-3\% v/v), solid loading (5-20\% w/v) and residence time (15-60 min) at constant temperature of 121 degrees C followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial cellulase (Novozymes Cellic CTec2) for enhanced combined sugar yield (CSY) comprising of C5 and C6 sugars in pretreated as well as saccharified hydrolysates. Optimized process parameters found in the study were 2.18\% (v/v) acid; 14.35\% (w/v) solid loading; and 29.49 min residence time. CSY under optimized conditions was found to be 521.42 +/- 7.2 g/kg raw SCB with 72.06 +/- 1.0\% sugars recovered out of the maximum theoretical sugars present in the raw biomass. Total reducing sugar yields in pretreated and saccharified hydrolysates were found to be 215.28 +/- 2.4 and 306.14 +/- 5.3 g/kg raw SCB, respectively. Morphological and structural changes in optimized pretreated and saccharified biomass further validated the efficiency of optimized pretreatment applied in the present study. The maximum ethanol concentration, volumetric productivity and yield from released sugars were calculated as 10.82 +/- 2.2 g/L, 0.45 +/- 0.9 g/L/h and 0.42 g/g-glucose consumed or 71.45 +/- 2.5 g/kg raw SCB, respectively. Ethanol yield obtained from the fermentation of dilute H2SO4-pretreated SCB was corresponding to 82.4\% of the theoretical ethanol yield.
An experiment was carried out to evaluate how mineralized nitrogen from cane trash and urea nitrogen applied to the soil is utilized by sugarcane ratoon. The field experiment was carried out from October 1997 to August 1998 on a Paleudalf soil in Piracicaba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Four treatments were established: (T1) application of a vinasse and urea mixture over the whole soil area covered with cane trash-N-15 (crop residue); (T2) application of a vinasse and urea-N-15 mixture over the entire soil area covered with cane trash (crop residue); (T3) application of a vinasse and urea-N-15 mixture over the whole area without cane trash; (T4) urea-N-15 buried in furrows on either side of the cane rows, with previous application of vinasse on the soil without cane trash. The experiment was installed in a randomized block design with four replications. Components of crop productivity; accumulation of nitrogen in the aerial part of the sugar cane ratoon; and the crop's use of N-15 nitrogen of urea and of mineralized cane trash were evaluated for each treatment. The plant development occurred in a 315 day cycle and was similar in both conditions, with and without cane trash. Ten-16 \% of the total nitrogen accumulated in shots of sugarcane ratoon came from the fertilizer and an average of 4 \% was absorbed from the mineralized N of cane trash. Mean efficiency of the utilization of urea nitrogen by sugarcane ratoon was 17 \%, with no difference among treatments, and that of the cane trash 8 \%. Cane trash nitrogen was available to the plant towards the late crop cycle.
Due to the environmental risks that humans may be exposed to, whether from nature or industrial waste, in this study the water resulting from the dyeing bath was treated with sugarcane bagasse to reduce damage to the environment. Waste water of dye bath was also used to dye the polyester fabrics.
Despite recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) presenting economic and environmental benefits, it has inferior fresh and hardened state properties. Recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) obtained from demolished concrete demand more water to satisfy their absorption capacity than natural aggregates; therefore, concrete incorporating the higher volume of RCA leads to inferior properties. Using a suitable plasticizer, water demand of RAC can be reduced as noted by many researchers; hence, properties of RAC are improved. Moreover, sugarcane molasses is a by-product of sugar mills and has water-reducing properties; therefore, it can be used as a cheap substitute of conventional plasticizers. In this study, the influence of four different concentrations of molasses (0\%, 0.25\%, 0.50\% and 1\% by weight of cement) on the properties of RAC is investigated using three different water-cement (W/C) ratios (0.45, 0.50 and 0.55). Workability, fresh density, compressive strength, water absorption, sorptivity coefficient and chloride penetrations are investigated. The results encouraged the use of 0.25-0.50\% molasses in RAC for maximum strength and durability. Blank and molasses-added mixes showed maximum strength and durability at 0.55 and 0.50 W/C ratios, respectively.
Cassava bagasse (CB) is one of the largest yielding agricultural residues in Thailand. Thus, utilization of CB in cellulose extraction with amylase-assisted pretreatment was carried out in this research. Amylase pretreatment was used for starch removal, followed by bleaching with sodium chloride. Subsequently, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were prepared using high-pressure homogenization. The chemical composition of the fibers at different stages showed an increase in the alpha-cellulose content from 19.27 +/- 0.36 to 50.45 +/- 0.46\%. In contrast, the starch content clearly decreased from 61.60 +/- 0.38 to 7.20 +/- 0.42\%. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated a smooth surface on the bleached fibers due to the removal of non-cellulosic compounds. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the diameter of the CNFs was in the range 15-30 nm after high-pressure homogenization at 15,000 psi for 30 passages. Moreover, the crystallinity and thermal stability were evaluated using X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The crystallinity of the CNFs was 63.40 +/- 0.48\%; whereas the temperature of maximum decomposition of the CNFs was 325 A degrees C. Therefore, the CNFs prepared from amylase-treated CB using high-pressure homogenization could be applied as a reinforced matrix in material research.
In this work, N-doped biomass derived porous carbon (NSBDC) has been prepared utilizing low-cost agricultural waste-sugarcane bagasse as the prototype, and needle-like PANI as the dopant. NSBDC possesses a special 3D interconnected framework structure, superior hierarchical pores and suitable heteroatom doping level, which benefits a large number of applications on ion storage and high-rate ion transfer. Typically, the NSBDC exhibits the high specific capacitance (298 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)) and rate capability (58.7\% capacitance retention at 20 A g(-1)), as well as the high cycle stability (5.5\% loss over 5000 cycles) in three-electrode systems. A two electrode asymmetric system has been fabricated employing NSBDC and the precursor of NSBDC (sugarcane bagasse derived carbon/PANI composite) as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively, and an energy density as high as 49.4 Wh kg(-1) is verified in this asymmetric system. A NSBDC-based whole symmetric supercapacitors has also been assembled, and it can easily light a 1.5 V bulb due to its high energy density (27.7 Wh kg(-1)). In addition, for expanding the application areas of NSBDC, it is also applied to lithium ion battery, and a high reversible capacity of 1148 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) is confirmed. Even at 5 A g(-1), NSBDC can still deliver a high reversible capacity of 357 mAh g(-1) after 200 cycles, indicating its superior lithium storage capability.
In sugarcane biorefineries, energy integration plays a fundamental role regarding by-product destination and final sales profitability. In biorefineries, the by-product of the sugar/ethanol production process - sugarcane bagasse - can be burned in boilers to produce steam to supply the thermal demands of the plant. Normally, the quantity of bagasse from the plant exceeds the quantity necessary for supplying the energy requirements of the plant. This surplus can be used for either (i) additional electricity production and selling to the grid or (ii) second -generation (2G) ethanol production. To maximize profit, the plant should be flexible to produce either electricity or 2G ethanol according to the current market prices of these products. In this work, an approach is presented for designing a flexible heat exchanger network (HEN) based on a multiperiod synthesis. It involves assessing probabilities of occurrence for different bagasse use scenarios. These values are obtained from a pinch-based approach for screening optimal heat integration in a range of ethanol/electricity prices. A multiperiod HEN synthesis problem is then solved with variable flow rates. Results show that maximum bagasse diverted to 2G ethanol production is increased from 66\% to 77\% with the new HEN compared to the original design considered.
Cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and nanocellulose were prepared from three agricultural waste resources: pineapple leaf (PALF), banana rachis (BR), and sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Each waste resource was first converted into microcrystalline cellulose which was subsequently converted into cellulose nanoparticles by using mild (30\% w/v) and strong (60\% w/v) sulfuric acid concentrations for extraction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize each waste resource and extracted cellulosic materials. Furthermore, nanocelluloses were studied by zeta potential, size analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cellulose nanowhiskers were successfully obtained and isolated with a 33\% average yield by applying a mild acid treatment. Substrates BR and SCB proved to be more promising agricultural waste resources in terms of their crystalline cellulosic content and properties.
The study investigated an integrated bioprocessing of raw and by-products from sugarcane and dairy industries for production of non-digestible prebiotic and functional ingredients. The low-priced feedstock, whey, molasses, table sugar, jaggery, etc., were subjected to transglucosylation reactions catalyzed by dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides MTCC 10508. HPLC analysis approximated production of about 11-14 g L-1 trisaccharide i.e. 2-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-lactose (4-galactosyl-kojibiose) from the feedstock prepared from table sugar, jaggery, cane molasses and liquid whey, containing about 30 g L-1 sucrose and lactose each. The trisaccharide was hydrolysed into the prebiotic disaccharide, kojibiose, by employing recombinant beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli. The enzyme beta-galactosidase achieved about 90\% conversion of 2-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-lactose into kojibiose. The d-fructose generated by catalytic reactions of dextransucrase was targeted for catalytic transformation into rare sugar, d-allulose (or d-psicose), by treating the samples with Smt3-d-psicose 3-epimerase. The catalytic reactions resulted in the conversion of similar to 25\% d-fructose to d-allulose. These bioactive compounds are known to exert a plethora of benefits to human health, and therefore, are preferred ingredients for making functional foods.
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) crops provide carbon (C) for soil through straw and root system decomposition. Recently, however, sugarcane producers are considering straw to be removed for electricity or second generation ethanol production. To elucidate the role of straw and root system on the carbon supply into the soil, the biomass inputs from sugarcane straw (tops and dry leaves) and from root system (rhizomes and roots) were quantified, and its contribution to provide C to the soil was estimated. Three trials were carried out in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 2006 to 2009. All sites were cultivated with the variety SP81 3250 under the green sugarcane harvest. Yearly, post-harvest sugarcane residues (tops, dry leaves, roots and rhizomes) were sampled; weighted and dried for the dry mass (DM) production to be estimated. On average, DM root system production was 4.6 Mg ha(-1) year(-1) (1.5 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and 11.5 Mg ha(-1) year(-1) (5.1 Mg C ha-1 year(-1)) of straw. In plant cane, 35 \% of the total sugarcane DM was allocated into the root system, declining to 20 \% in the third ratoon. The estimate of potential allocation of sugarcane residues to soil organic C was 1.1 t ha(-1) year-1; out of which 33 \% was from root system and 67 \% from straw. The participation of root system should be higher if soil layer is evaluated, a deeper soil layer, if root exudates are accounted and if the period of higher production of roots is considered.
Amidoximated bagasse (Am-B) was prepared by treating sugarcane bagasse fibers with acrylonitrile in the presence of sodium hydroxide followed by aqueous hydroxyl amine. Adsorption of some heavy metal ions, namely, Cu(II), Hg(II), Ni(II), Cr(III), and Pb(II) on the prepared Am-B at different metal ion concentration, intervals, and temperatures was studied. Also, the selectivity of the prepared Am-B toward adsorption of the aforementioned metal ions in an equimolar mixture was studied. The effect of regeneration of Am-B using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA), up to five times, on its adsorption capacity of the aforementioned metal ions was investigated. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Erythritol is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that can be used as a sugar substitute and humectant for different products such as confectionaries, tablets, etc. Methods such as extraction and chemical synthesis for erythritol synthesis are not feasible or sustainable due to lower yield and higher operating costs. In the present study, erythritol is produced through the submerged fermentation of cane molasses, a by-product of the cane sugar industry, in the presence of the osmophilic yeast Candida magnoliae. Erythrose reductase enzyme assay was used for quantifying erythritol yield. Plackett-Burman's design screened the three most influential factors viz. molasses, yeast extract, and KH2PO4 out of 12 contributing factors. Further, the concentration of molasses (200-300 g/L), yeast extract (9-12 g/L), and KH2PO4 (2-5 g/L) were optimized using response surface methodology coupled with numerical optimization. The optimized erythritol yield (99.54 g center dot L-1) was obtained when the media consisted of 273.96 g center dot L-1 molasses, 10.25 g center dot L-1 yeast extract, and 3.28 g center dot L-1 KH2PO4 in the medium. After purification, the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of erythritol crystals from this optimized fermentation condition showed 94\% purity. Glycerol was produced as the side product (5.4\%) followed by a trace amount of sucrose and mannitol. The molecular masses of the erythritol were determined through mass spectrometry by comparing {[
Sugarcane bagasse, a waste material generated by the sugar-alcohol industry, is rich in lignocellulosic components such as cellulose and hemicellulose. The bagasse can be employed as a raw material in the pulp and paper industry, but is currently rarely used for this purpose, due to the availability of traditional sources such as Eucalyptus and Pinus. The objective of this work was to compare the physical and mechanical properties of papers produced using the cellulose extracted from sugarcane, Eucalyptus, and Pinus by the Kraft method. Four paper samples were produced using cellulose obtained from the following fiber sources: (I) 100\% sugarcane bagasse; (II) 100\% Eucalyptus; (III) 75\% Eucalyptus + 25\% Pinus; (IV) 75\% sugarcane bagasse + 25\% Pinus. Physical and mechanical tests were performed based on regulatory methodologies of the paper industry. The results indicated that the physical and mechanical characteristics of the paper produced from the sugarcane cellulose were similar to those of the traditional paper produced using Eucalyptus. Particular features such as good tearing resistance and tensile strength, as well as increased porosity and moisture, could be adjusted according to the intended use of the paper. Therefore, sugarcane bagasse can be considered a sustainable alternative to Eucalyptus and Pinus for the production of high quality paper, adding value to this agricultural residue.
This work aims to avoid pollution of the environment resulting from ashes accumulated due to the burning of agricultural wastes. Also, it aims to reduce the cost without impairing the mechanical properties of rubber vulcanizates. For this reason, this work was carried out as a possible solution by incorporation of cellulose fibers derived from bagasse waste as reinforcing fillers in rubber composites. Besides, it aims at reporting an investigation on a series of mixtures based on natural ground bagasse powder (GBP) and carbon black (CB) as reinforcing fillers to study their effects on the mechanical and physical properties of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. The GBP obtained from the grinding machine has a selective grain size distribution ranging from about 20 mu m to 180 mu m. In addition, 2.5 phr of added maleic anhydride was used to improve the interfacial adhesion between SBR and agricultural waste fillers (i.e. bagasse). Tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus at 100\% elongation, resilience and hardness (Shore A), degree of swelling, and thermal properties of the rubber vulcanizates were studied. The prepared samples were also analyzed by X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopy. The advantage of choosing the 25 phr bagasse concentration as a pivoting factor makes the road clearer to investigate that the optimum concentration of bagasse to be used simultaneously with CB in SBR composites is 30 phr. Furthermore, it was found from the obtained results that the addition of GBP up to 50 phr is possible without impairing the mechanical properties of SBR vulcanizates.
Vegetation biomass production in North-East India within Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot is luxuriant and available from April to October to consider their potential for bioethanol production. Potential of six lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) sources; namely, sugarcane bagasse (BG), cassava aerial parts (CS), ficus fruits (Ficus cunia) (FF), ``phumdi{''
The main objective of the present work is to investigate the influence of nickel to cerium ratio on Hydrogen exchanged Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (HZSM-5) towards the catalytic upgrading of sugarcane bagasse derived oxygenated pyrolysis vapours into C-6 - C-8 hydrocarbons in pyrolysis oil via in-situ fixed bed reactor. The pyrolysis reaction temperature and catalyst to biomass mass ratio were kept constant at 500 degrees C and 1:1 respectively for all the investigated samples. The HZSM-5 was used as a support at 94 wt.\%, while the balance 6 wt.\% was impregnated with various weight of nickel and cerium as promoters based on the nickel to cerium ratios via incipient wetness impregnation method. The nickel to cerium ratios are as follows: 1:5 (NC1), 2:4 (NC2), 3:3 (NC3), 4:2 (NC4), and 5:1 (NC5). The results show that all the metal modified HZSM-5 catalysts had greatly suppressed the formation of coke contents (9.0-10.5 wt.\%) compared to the HZSM-5 catalyst (NCO) (15.1 wt.\%). The highest pyrolysis oil yield (60.5 wt.\%) was achieved by NC2 catalyst. Among the tested nickel to cerium ratios, the NC3 catalyst has demonstrated to be the potential candidates in the catalytic upgrading of sugarcane bagasse derived oxygenated pyrolysis vapours into higher contents of C-6 - C-8 hydrocarbons in pyrolysis oil (8.82\%).
The use of lower cost components for the cultivation of a recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae overexpressing G6PDH, recently obtained, was investigated. The utilization of yeast extract as nitrogen source and sugar cane blackstrap molasses or glucose as carbon sources was studied for G6PDH production, under three different C:N ratios: 7, 10, and 14. The results for cell concentration, enzymatic activity and total reducing sugar concentration, evaluated throughout the cultivations, demonstrated that the use of sugarcane blackstrap molasses and yeast extract, at a C:N ratio of 10, provided the highest G6PDH activity (P-max = 5180 U/L), with a three-fold increase in comparison to the original culture medium. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Brazilian experience of more than three decades in the development and production of fuel ethanol from sugarcane has been an example of the technical and institutional requirements for the sustainable development of second generation ethanol (lignocellulosic ethanol) production. The main goal of this paper is to demonstrate the positive sugarcane conditions for the development of second generation ethanol. In order to do that, different industrial scenarios are considered to discuss technical and economic aspects of present and future sugarcane biorefineries. Furthermore, a carbon balance is performed to assess the added value to the carbon present in different sugarcane biorefinery products. The current Brazilian sugarcane production, which is processed in more than 400 mills, is around 600 Tg y(-1), occupying an area of 78,000 km(2). It can supply 84 Tg of bagasse at no cost and about 42 Tg of trash, which can be processed as a lignocellulosic material for ethanol production or other higher added value products in a biorefinery as carbon balance results showed that a biorefinery is able to add value to the carbon presented in the sugarcane using second generation technologies. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
To alleviate the severe environmental problems such as global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions from the large-mass production and consumption of petroleum-based plastics, an immediate shift to biomass-based plastics is required. Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer in the earth, and should be the desirable resource of bioplastics. In particular, cellulosic mixed esters (CMEs) present customizable properties depending on the glucose purity, molar mass, and degree of substitution (DS). However, the isolation of cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass and its conversion to plastics requires a multistep process. An ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate (EmimOAc), has been reported to readily produce polysaccharide-based plastics directly from sugarcane bagasse via homogeneous transesterification. The product exhibits superior melt-flowability compared to similar CMEs but reduced mechanical properties and thermal stability owing to its excess hemicellulose and trace amounts of lignin. The objective in this study is to develop a facile method for one-pot production of the enhanced polysaccharide-based plastics containing with a properly reduced amount of hemicellulose. Firstly, a simple pretreatment of bagasse is attempted by increasing the dissolution temperature from 110 to 140 \& DEG;C to activate the weakly acidic proton at the C2 position of the Emim cation. The resultant mixture is partially decanoylated and then peracetylated at 80 \& DEG;C in one pot, followed by methanol precipitation to obtain polysaccharide acetate decanoate (PSAD). The hemicellulose-derived low molar mass fraction in the product is reduced, and the PSAD exhibits improved thermal stability (351 \& DEG;C), tensile strength (38 MPa), and elastic modulus (1.4 GPa) comparable to those of cellulose acetate decanoate made from pulp.
In this study, the effect of nickel (Ni) addition on the microstructure and corrosion resistance properties of porous alumina (Al2O3) composites shaped with sugarcane bagasse pore-forming agent were evaluated. Plain and Ni-reinforced porous alumina sampels (Al2O3-xNi-RH; x = 2, 4, 6 and 8wt\%) were prepared using the powder metallurgy method. Experimental results showed that the porosity (50.4-57.1vol\%) and the pore size (62-109 mu m) of the porous alumina composites increased with rising content of Ni reinforcement. The XRD results showed that the Al2O3 matrix and Ni reinforcement reacted during the heat treatment process to produce nickel aluminate (NiAl2O4) spinel. Corrosion resistance results showed that the porous alumina composites exhibited better chemical stability in strong alkali solution as compared with strong acid solution.
Vinasse and whey are wastewaters that are produced in large quantities in the sugar-to-ethanol and dairy industries, respectively. They pose a considerable threat to the environment due to the high concentration of nutrients and COD. In this study, the potential of producing protein-rich fungal biomass and biomethane from vinasse and whey through a two-stage biorefinery was examined. In the first stage, an edible and safe for human filamentous fungus, Neurospora intermedia, was cultivated on these wastewaters. To maximize the fungal biomass yield, the cultivation parameters, i.e., pH, vinasse to whey ratio, incubation time, and nutrients supplementation, were optimized. The highest yield of 12.0 g biomass per L of wastewaters was obtained by cultivation at pH 6.5 and vinasse to whey ratio of 25:75 (v/v) for 96 h with nitrogen source supplementation. The N. intermedia biomass contained about 45\% protein and noticeable essential amino acid contents, comparable to commercial sources of protein for aquatic feed such as soybean meal and fishmeal. In the second stage, the effluent of fungal cultivation was anaerobically digested to produce 425 mL/g VS biomethane. Overall, 1 m(3) of wastewater yielded 5.4 kg crude protein and 10.3 m(3) methane, accompanied by 93.3\% COD removal.
Purpose The swelling characteristics and cracking of expansive clayey soils usually lead to their low yield, and as a result, large areas of expansive soils remain uncultivated and unproductive. There is a need for the development of simple, low-cost technologies which will bring these soils into production. The amendment of expansive clayey soils with agricultural waste products is a key goal for enhancing their production potential. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative effects of crop residues on the physiochemical and mechanical properties of expansive clayey soils. Method In this study, the potential soil amendments used include uncharred rice husk, rice husk biochar, uncharred sugarcane bagasse, and sugarcane bagasse biochar. The biochar was pyrolyzed at 450 degrees C. The amendments were applied into the soil at four applications rates: 0, 2, 5, and 10\% by weight of soil (w/w), respectively. The mixture was then incubated in a glasshouse for 280 days. Results Charred and uncharred rice husk and sugarcane bagasse improved the physico-mechanical properties related to soil expansion. The liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), plasticity (PI), coefficient of linier extensibility (COLEcore), volumetric shrinkage (VS), fissures' dimensions, and crack area density (CAD) of the soil decreased with an increase in treatment application rate. On the contrary, saturated water content increased with an increase in dosage. Conclusions 10\% level of amendment application resulted in significantly improved soil properties than either 2\% or 5\% doses. Moreover, 2\% level of amendment application is more preferable than 5\% according to feasibility and economic point of view.
Extracting juice from sugarcane is a complex and nonlinear process. It is very important to comprehend mechanical properties and constitutive model of the milled mixture of sugarcane for understanding sugarcane crushing process. In this paper, mechanical properties of the milled mixture were investigated by uniaxial compression tests, repeated loading tests and direct shear tests. The elastic-plastic constitutive model was established by using isotropic elastic materials and Modified Cam-Clay model based on phase transition state. Both Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus of the milled mixture were proportional to the loading stress; the compression index and swelling index are 2.23 and 0.10, respectively; and the cohesive force and friction angle are 25.25 kPa and 21.63 degrees, respectively. At last, the proposed constitutive model was verified by uniaxial compression tests. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for the study of mechanism and simulation of sugarcane crushing processes, and is of guidance for the improvement of sugar production process and equipment. Practical applications In this article, the prepared cane and bagasse are collectively called the milled mixture of sugarcane, which includes solid fiber, juice, and air. The interaction of three components of milled mixture can lead to difficulties in extracting juice, an increase in processing energy consumption and other undesirable conditions. In this paper, the mechanical properties and constitutive model of milled mixture of sugarcane are studied. This research can provide a new method for the simulation of sugarcane milling process, and has enlightening significance for the optimization of crushing equipment and technological parameters to improve juice extraction efficiency.
This study deals with the influence of biochar use on sugarcane growth and nitrate-nitrogen percolation losses, as well as chemical and physical properties of Shimajiri maji soil. Two varieties of biochars, biosolids and bagasse (residues of sugarcane stalks after juice extraction), were mixed with Shimajiri maji soil. Changes in nitrate-nitrogen concentration in percolating water, specific gravity, and available soil moisture before sugarcane planting and after harvest were investigated. Indices of sugarcane growth (stem diameter and length), Brix, and yield of estimated available sugar in each plot were estimated. Results indicated that bagasse charcoal reduced soil dry density and increased available moisture of Shimajiri maji soil. Maintaining suitable soil water content increased yields and sugar content of sugarcane, while nitrate-nitrogen concentration in percolating water also decreased. Hence, bagasse charcoal use may reduce nitrogen loads in Shimajiri maji soil.
The aim of this study is to analyse the economic viability of cooking biomass briquettes made from coconut shells, rattan waste, banana peels, and sugarcane bagasse by replacing conventional fuels such as fuelwood, charcoal and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The life cycle cost method and the sensitivity analysis based on a 10-year lifetime are applied to a typical Cameroonian household with an annual cooking energy requirement of 950 kWh. According to the results, briquettes made from coconut shells have the lowest life cycle cost (384.6euro), while those made from banana peels have the highest cost (729.6euro). The fuelwood replacement has the highest present value of net benefit. Among the three conventional fuels investigated, wood charcoal is the cheapest. Changes in the price of conventional fuels and the market discount rate affect the economic feasibility of biomass briquettes. With the exception of the banana peel briquettes, briquettes are more cost-effective than fuelwood, wood charcoal and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. Decision makers should consider ways to include massive household use of biomass briquettes in sustainable development because they could be a leading mover in sustainable development.
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have become popular owing to their biodegradability and recyclability. In this study, the influence of water as a co-solvent is demonstrated to enhance the properties of choline based ternary DESs. A fast and energy-efficient microwave-assisted pre-treatment process was developed for delignification of sugarcane bagasse (SB). The effectiveness of SB fractionation was revealed by incorporating Lewis acids (MgCl2.6H20, NiCl2.6H20) with the DESs for pre-treatment and Choline chloride: Ethylene glycol: NiCl2.6H20 (CC:EG:NI) at a molar ratio 1:2:0.016 with 20w\% water as a co-solvent provided the most promising result, with 84\% delignification and 99\% enzyme digestibility. Water was also employed as an anti-solvent to facilitate lignin solubility and exhibited up to 26w\% lignin yield from DES liquor with maximum DES recovery of 95\% (w/w). Water distinctly affects the density, viscosity, and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the DES and its impact on the process dynamics is worth further exploration.
The study aimed at the production and characterization of biopolymer polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by Bacillus endophyticus. The usage of refined (sucrose 2-4\%) and inexpensive unrefined (sugar cane molasses 2-4\%) carbon source was evaluated by varying the media components via shake flask method and batch cultivation in bioreactor. The optimal PHA production of 10.7g/L of PHA from 15.37g/L of cell density was obtained using 4\% sugarcane molasses (SCM) at 250rpm using optimized medium obtained through statistical experimental design. Batch cultivation with increased agitation rate and addition of feeding nutrients provided by SCM significantly lead to enhanced PHA production by the test organism by increasing the overall cell density. According to the statistical model, the increase in the sugar concentration (>4\%) by SCM had a negative effect on PHA production. Characterization by FTIR and H-1 NMR was performed to confirm the biopolymer that has been produced by Bacillus spp.
Sugarcane bagasse and hydroponic lettuce roots were used as biosorbents for Cu(II), Fe(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II) removal from monoelemental solutions in aqueous medium, at pH5.5, using batch procedures. These biomasses were studied in natura (lettuce roots, NLR, and sugarcane bagasse, NSB) and modified with HNO3 (lettuce roots, MLR, and sugarcane bagasse, MSB). Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich non-linear isotherm models were used to evaluate the data from the metal ion adsorption assessment. The maximum adsorption capacities (q(max)) in monoelemental solution, calculated using the Langmuir isothermal model for Cu(II), Fe(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II), were respectively 24.61, 2.64, 23.04, and 5.92mg/g for NLR; 2.29, 16.89, 1.97, and 2.88mg/g for MLR; 0.81, 0.06, 0.83, and 0.46mg/g for NSB; and 1.35, 2.89, 20.76, and 1.56mg/g for MSB. The Freundlich n parameter indicated that the adsorption process was favorable for Cu(II) uptake by NLR; Fe(II) retention by MLR and MSB; and Zn(II) sorption by NSB, MLR, and NSB and favorable for all biomasses in the accumulation of Mn(II). The Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm was applied to estimate the energy (E) and type of adsorption process involved, which was found to be a physical one between analytes and adsorbents. Organic groups such as O-H, C-O-C, CH, and C=O were found in the characterization of the biomass by FTIR. In the determination of the biomass surface charges by using blue methylene and red amaranth dyes, there was a predominance of negative charges.
Using pure sugars for fermentative biohydrogen (bioH2) production is known as an economically impeditive approach due to the high costs of raw materials, which leads to the frequent exploitation of residual streams. However, the potentials of using biodigestion as a core processing step in sugarcane biorefineries opens up a wide range of biotechnological possibilities, in which sugar-rich materials may be fermented without adding acquisition costs. This study aimed to finalize the full optimization of the continuous longterm (630 d) thermophilic (55 ?C) bioH2 production from molasses, defining adequate hydraulic retention time (HRT) levels. Details of temporal and spatial metabolite distribution profiles coupled to the characterization of microbial communities provided the most complete picture of molasses acidogenesis to date. BioH2 evolution (8.5 NL-H2 L-1 d-1) in full optimized conditions, i.e., HRT ?10.0 h, organic loading rate (OLR) ?86.0 kg-CODt m- 3 d-1 and pH ?5.38, exceeded the individual application of optimal OLR (4.5 NLH2 L-1 d-1) and pH (2.4 NL-H2 L-1 d-1) by almost 200\% and 350\%, respectively. Biomass washout naturally controlled substrate availability (6.21 ? 2.1 g-COD g- 1VSS d-1 for over 300 d), preventing performance losses in the long-term. BioH2 derived from acetic- and butyric-type fermentations was observed in the basal portion of the reactor, whilst butyrate and bioH2 from reverse ?-oxidation using lactate prevailed in the bed region. The Thermoanaerobacterium genus was the main group involved in such pathways, and the contribution of the Caproiciproducens genus in caproate production was also revealed.\& nbsp;These findings provide consistent directions to scale-up acidogenic systems towards an effective exploitation of full-scale bioH2 production.
Background Molasses is a wildly used feedstock for fermentation, but it also poses a severe wastewater-disposal problem worldwide. Recently, the wastewater from yeast molasses fermentation is being processed into fulvic acid (FA) powder as a fertilizer for crops, but it consequently induces a problem of soil acidification after being directly applied into soil. In this study, the low-cost FA powder was bioconverted into a value-added product of gamma-PGA by a glutamate-independent producer of Bacillus velezensis GJ11. Results FA power could partially substitute the high-cost substrates such as sodium glutamate and citrate sodium for producing gamma-PGA. With FA powder in the fermentation medium, the amount of sodium glutamate and citrate sodium used for producing gamma-PGA were both decreased around one-third. Moreover, FA powder could completely substitute Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, and Fe3+ in the fermentation medium for producing gamma-PGA. In the optimized medium with FA powder, the gamma-PGA was produced at 42.55 g/L with a productivity of 1.15 g/(L center dot h), while only 2.87 g/L was produced in the medium without FA powder. Hydrolyzed gamma-PGA could trigger induced systemic resistance (ISR), e.g., H2O2 accumulation and callose deposition, against the pathogen's infection in plants. Further investigations found that the ISR triggered by gamma-PGA hydrolysates was dependent on the ethylene (ET) signaling and nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related proteins 1 (NPR1). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report to use the industry waste, FA powder, as a sustainable substrate for microbial synthesis of gamma-PGA. This bioprocess can not only develop a new way to use FA powder as a cheap feedstock for producing gamma-PGA, but also help to reduce pollution from the wastewater of yeast molasses fermentation.
Phenol biodegradation by cells of Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, both free and immobilized onto cashew apple bagasse, an alternative support widely acknowledged as cheap and abundant, was studied. Microscopy analyses revealed that the yeast was successfully immobilized by adsorption with an efficiency of 45.4\%. The best conditions for phenol biotransformation were found to be at 30 degrees C, pH 6.0, 150 RPM and with 1100 mg L-1 of initial phenol concentration, for both free and immobilized cells. The adapted and immobilized strain was more resistant to higher phenol concentrations. The metabolic pathway of the phenol biotransformation was the orthocleavage of the aromatic ring by the enzyme 1,2-dioxygenase. The biocatalyst showed a high operational stability and the storage studies revealed that 85\% of the immobilized cells-CAB remained effectively retained during storage at 4 degrees C up to 30 days. The results obtained confirm the applicability of cashew apple bagasse as a support matrix for the immobilization of C. tropicalis ATCC 750 and endorses the protocol proposed as a potential biotechnological process for phenolic degradation in industrial wastewater.
The production of new thermally insulating composite materials from solid residues such as charcoal from sugarcane bagasse (CSB) is of great importance because it takes advantage of materials that might otherwise pollute the environment. Therefore, for this study, we obtained composite materials based on a portland cement (CPC-30R) matrix and CSB particles with a 4 : 1 water-cement ratio and CSB concentrations of 5\%, 10\%, and 15\% by weight. The thermal conductivities of these materials were characterized following ASTM guideline C177, their CSB morphological properties were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their compositions were determined using energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results show that the composite materials have reduced thermal conductivities. The metallic oxide percentage composition of the CSB was also determined. It was observed that there was a reduction in thermal conductivity when CSB was used as compared to 100\% CPC-30R, and the influence of the CSB concentration on thermal conductivity was measured.
In this study, highly porous N/S doped magnetic carbon aerogel (N/S-MCA) was successfully fabricated using sugarcane bagasse based cellulose and used for the removal of bisphenol-A (BPA) from aqueous solution. The fabricated N/S-MCA nanocomposite derived from cellulose was characterized by various analytical techniques and supports the formation of the N/S-MCA in good yield and high purity. The batch adsorption studies were used for the adsorption of BPA onto N/S-MCA. The maximum removal of the BPA (98-99\%) by the N/S-MCA was noted at pH 7, temperature 343 K, and initial BPA concentration of 100 ppm. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics, as well as Langmuir isotherms. The thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption (the Gibbs free energy, entropy, and enthalpy) supported the spontaneity of the adsorption process. The results revealed that the mechanism on the synergistic adsorption between N/S doped magnetic carbon aerogel and BPA will therefore be an important guideline to design a carbon based adsorbent for high-efficient adsorption of environmental pollutants. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Hydrogen (H-2) is considered a key raw material for a transition to a more sustainable economy. This work assessed the sustainability of a sequential process in two stages (acidogenic + methanogenic) for the synthesis of H-2 and methane (CH4) from vinasses. The considered systems were as follows: system-1 (S-01: synthesis of H-2, catalytic reforming of CH4, and purification of H-2) and system-2 (S-02: synthesis of H-2, electricity generation from the CH4, and purification of H-2). Life cycle assessment (LCA) performed with openLCA for the functional unit (FU: 1.00 kg H-2, 99.9\% purity) concluded that the consumption of electricity and steam is the hotspot of the process because they exert an important impact on environmental categories like global warming (GWP: 86-94\%), eutrophication of water bodies (FEP: 87-95\%), acidification (TAP: 79-92\%), and formation of photochemical oxidants (EOFP and HOFP: 78-91\%). Production of 1.00 kg of H-2 would lead to the emission of 218 (S-01) and 302 (S-02) (kg CO2-Eqv/kg H-2); utilization of the steam excedents from the sugarcane mill and the energy integration of the H-2 production process could reduce that footprint about 80\% (S-01: 33.5 and S-02: 17.2 kg CO2-Eqv/kg H-2). The economic analysis revealed that the production cost (S-01:15.4 and S-02: 8.50 US\$/kg H-2) is within the range reported for different technologies (5.27-17.2 US\$/kg H-2). Results suggest that changing the management of vinasses and integrating the existing processes in a sugarcane mill could contribute to the transition of a country to a hydrogen-based economy.
This study addresses the assessment of potential nitrification inhibitor (NI) 3,4-dimethylpyrazol-phosphate for mitigation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the joint application of concentrated vinasse (CV) and urea in soils under different pHs. An incubation experiment was performed under controlled conditions to evaluate the effect of the organo-mineral fertilization containing CV and Urea (N rate: 120 kg N ha(-1)) on N2O emissions, as well as the efficiency of the NI addition, at different soil pHs (4.5 and 6.0). The treatments were: Control; Urea; Urea + NI; CV; CV + Urea; and CV + Urea + NI. The soil pH greatly influenced the N2O production with emissions 3.8-fold higher at pH 6.0 than at pH 4.5. Besides, the joint application of CV + Urea increased the N2O emissions by 1.3 and 2.9-fold (185 and 1141 mg N m(-2)) compared to Urea treatment (138 and 391 mg N m(-2)) at pH 4.5 and 6.0, respectively. The addition of NI was efficient under both soil pHs, decreasing N2O emissions by 92 and 88 \% in the Urea treatment and 71 \% and 91 \% in the CV + Urea treatment at pH 4.5 and 6.0, respectively. Our results indicate that soil pH has a large influence on N2O emissions and little effect on the NI efficiency.
Surface chemistry, morphological and physical properties of nano-particles in soils affect the settling behaviour of suspended particles in sedimentation clarifiers used in the raw sugar manufacturing process. This paper reveals subtle differences in the chemical specie compositions between soils that have good settling behaviour and those that do not using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). TOF-SIMS was further used to provide an understanding of differences between wet and dry soils that influence their settling behaviour. Differences in packing arrangements of the nano-particles in the soils and the presence of inter voids between individual particles and between microflocs, as revealed by high resolution microscopic techniques, provided evidence that the use of high density particles such as sugarcane bagasse fly ash was effective in increasing the settling rate of slow settling soils.
Process integration is an interesting option to reduce costs and improve the economic viability of new processes in sugarcane mills. Brazil has a prolific sugar-energy sector, with hundreds of sugarcane mills that could possibly act as sources of carbon, energy, and water for annexed plants. While many studies analyze the integration of new technologies into sugarcane biorefineries as greenfield plants, the assessment and establishment of integrated processes into existing plants will help detecting process bottlenecks and enabling the required levels of integration to be better understood prior to designing a full-scale, greenfield biorefinery. The present review provides an overview of the possibilities for sugarcane mills to diversify the portfolio of products from sugarcane biomass - beyond ethanol, sugar, and electric energy. The work initially considers the integrated production of market-ready sugarcane-derived products, such as animal feed, industrial salts, and hydrocarbons in existing Brazilian plants. Finally, the study outlines the prospects for future integration of non-traditional process alternatives in sugarcane mills, namely bioplastics, organic acids, molecular hydrogen, and advanced lignocellulosic compounds. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.
Penicillium echinulatum was evaluated as a cellulolytic enzyme producer in shaking flasks and bioreactor submerged culture using sugarcane bagasse as carbon source. Sodium hydroxide delignified steam-exploded pretreated bagasse (SDB) and hydrothermal pretreated bagasse had a maximum filter paper activity (FPase) of 2.4 and 2.6 FPU/mL, respectively. Delignified acid pretreated bagasse and Celufloc 200TM (CE) carbon sources displayed maximum FPase of 1.3 and 1.6 FPU/mL while in natura bagasse (INB) provided the lowest enzyme activity, ca. 0.4 FPU/mL. Measurement of surface specific area of lignocellulosic material and scanning electron microscopic images showed a possible correlation between fungal mycelia accessibility to lignocellulosic particles and obtained cellulolytic enzyme activity of fermentation broth. Fed-batch experiments performed in a controlled bioreactor attained the highest value of FPase of 3.7 FPU/mL, enzyme productivity of 25.7 FPU/L h, and enzyme yield from cellulose equal to 134 FPU/g with SDB. Enzyme hydrolysis of steam-pretreated bagasse accomplished with the obtained supernatant of fermentation broth (10 FPU/g of biomass and 5 \% w/v) performed better than commercial cellulose complex. The results showed that P. echinulatum has potential to be used as an on-site enzyme platform aiming second bioethanol production from sugarcane lignocellulosic residue.
Encouraging the development of sustainable agriculture is very important to reduce the negative effects of land overuse. Enhanced efficiency fertilizer combined with sustainable policies improves the effectiveness of fertilizer use. However, there is a gap in the literature to comprise how these materials behave concerning biodegradation, release in water, and soil, demanding more research. Composites of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate), sugarcane bagasse fibers, and potassium nitrate were melting-processed in an internal mixer chamber with different approaches to best trap the nutrient. For this purpose, we evaluated the composites regarding the nutrient release, in water and soil, and biodegradability. In water, the material with fibers released 20\% less fertilizer than those without fibers during the first 9 h. The mathematical modeling performed to the release data indicated a predominance of the Peppas-Sahlin model among the three models studied. Also, fibers induced a decrease in nutrients lixiviation and favored biodegradation due to polymer crystallinity reduction. Sugarcane bagasse composites display the potential to slow the nutrients release and reduce the amount of polymer. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Several composite hydrogels were prepared by in situ incorporation of sugarcane bagasse cellulose (CB) and a natural polymer gelatin (GT) in to the polyacrylic copolymer network by free radical solution polymerization. The hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA, DMA, SEM, EDAX, pH at point zero charge and swelling reversibility at varied pH in water. The effects of the synthesis parameters on sorption of Cu (II) from water by the resulting hydrogels were studied and the results were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design (BBD). The hydrogel prepared with optimized parameters was further studied for sorption of Cu (II) at varied process conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A novel bone tissue engineering material with a merit of good biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties was fabricated with a top-down method. In this work, sugarcane was first treated in NaClO2/acetate buffer to remove lignin, i.e. delignification, and the effect of delignification on pore size of sugarcane is explored bby varying the soaking time in the buffer. Results show that 4 h is the optimal delignification time to ensure good mechanical properties of the sugarcane. The subsequent surface modification with alendronate trihydrate has an advantage to facilitate the final deposition of hydroxyapatite (HAp) due to the fact that the introduction of phosphate groups can effectively improve the nucleation efficiency of HAp. We found that the deposited HAp on sugarcane stem templates can form a bioactive hybrid scaffold material with a hierachical pore structure. Fortunately, during the delignification process of the cellulose structure in the sugarcane stem is not destroyed, thus the hierarchical pore structure remains. The final obtained hybrid scaffold presents a three-dimensional anisotropic porous structure and its longitudinal strength is much higher than the radial strength. The anisotropic property can provide a good mechanical support for scaffold applications. Moreover, the CCK-8 test shows that the cell viability is higher than 95\%, indicating that the scaffold exhibits no cytotoxicity. Our investigation demonstrates that the presented hybrid scaffold derived from sugarcane stem has a great potential in the application of bone tissue engineering.
The psychrotolerant microfungus Aspergillus terreus strain AKM-F3 (GenBank Accession No. KF417464) was investigated for the production of cold-active endoglucanase using sugarcane bagasse. The effects of different process parameters were studied for hyperproduction. Optimum production was found at 15 degrees C with an initial pH of 5.0 at 120 h. For enzyme production, 1 mM ZnCl2, 0.01\% aspartate, 2\% lactose, and 3\% NaNO3 were regarded as potent inducers. The final production gave an activity 3.764-fold higher than the unoptimized conditions. The molecular weight of purified endoglucanase was 55 kDa, showing a 3.464-fold purification increase with a 23.925\% yield having 75.279 U/mg of specific activity. The K m and V max values of the purified enzyme were found to be 0.37 mg/mL and 24.63 U/mg, respectively. The enzyme was more active at 35 degrees C and pH 4.0, whereas more stability was observed at 0 degrees C and pH 7.0. Ca2+, Mn2+, and all tested organic solvents were found to be activators of endoglucanase. EDTA had very low effect, whereas the most active inhibitor was sodium deoxycholate. The present study successfully produced a cold-active endoglucanase with novel properties that can be used for the degradation of cellulosic wastes in cold regions and the economically sound removal of unwanted extra microfibrils from cotton.
Interrill erosion occurs as a result of detachment of soil surface particles caused by raindrop impact and their transportation by overland flow (drag and suspension), which contain the organic matter and nutrients that are essential for agricultural production. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of different soil cover types on the overland flow in interrill erosion in an area of sugarcane cultivation. The following situations were evaluated: bare soil, sugarcane straw mulch, sugarcane canopy cover, sugarcane canopy cover + sugarcane straw mulch three and 12 months after sugarcane harvest. The laminar flow regimes were slow and interrill soil erodibility of the Red-Yellow Argisol was 1.87 x 10(6) kg s m(-4) due to the occurrence of kaolinite and mica. Sugarcane straw mulch increased hydraulic roughness, while the standing sugarcane crop intercepted rain and delayed the start of overland flow, increasing water infiltration and decreasing interrill erosion rates.
Microorganisms play a crucial role in lignocellulosic degradation. Many enriched microbial communities have demonstrated to reach functional and structural stability with effective degrading capacities of industrial interest. These microbial communities are typically composed by only few dominant species and a high number of usually overlooked rare species. Here, we used two sources of lignocellulose (sugarcane bagasse and straw) in order to obtain lignocellulose-degrading bacteria through an enriched process, followed the selective trajectory of both abundant and rare bacterial communities by 16S rRNA gene amplification and analyzed the outcomes of selection in terms of capacities and specialization. We verified the importance of pre-selection by using two sources of microbial inoculum: soil samples from a sugarcane field with history of straw addition (St15) and control samples, from the same field, without amendments (St0). We found similitudes in terms of stabilization between the abundant and rare fractions. We also found positive correlations of both abundant and rare taxa (like Caulobacteraceae and Alcaligenaceae) and the degradation of lignocellulosic fractions. Differences in the inocula's initial diversity rapidly decreased during the enrichment resulting in comparable richness levels at the end of the process; however, the legacy of the St15 inoculum and its specialization positively influenced the degradation capacities of the community. Analysis of specialization of the final communities revealed increased straw degradation capacity in the communities enriched in bagasse, which could be potentially used as a strategy for improving lignocellulose waste degradation on the sugarcane fields. This work highlights the importance of including the rare fraction of bacterial communities during investigations involving the screening and assessment of effective degrading communities.
We report on the nearly complete genome sequence of Clostridium beijerinckii strain Br21, formerly isolated from a sugarcarne vinasse wastewater treatment plant. The resulting genome is ca. 5.9 Mbp in length and resembles the size of previously published C. beijerinckii genomes. We annotated the genome sequence and predicted a total of 5323 genes. Strain Br21 has a genetic toolkit that allows it to exploit diverse sugars that are often found after lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment to yield products of commercial interest. Besides the whole set of genes encoding for enzymes underlying hydrogen production, the genome of the new strain includes genes that enable carbon sources conversion into butanol, ethanol, acetic acid, butyric acid, and the chemical block 1,3-propanediol, which is used to obtain polymers. Moreover, the genome of strain Br21 has a higher number of ORFs with predicted beta-glucosidase activity as compared to other C. beijerinckii strains described in the KEGG database. These characteristics make C. beijerinckii strain Br21 a remarkable candidate for direct use in biotechnological processes and attest that it is a potential biocatalyst supplier.
Agroforestry industries in the world generate lignocellulosic wastes that can be a huge problem of pollution, or the wastes can be used for different biotechonological applications such as substrates for microorganism growth and enzyme production. Fungi such as Aspergillus niger can grow in almost every substrate and produce hydrolytic enzymes such as endoxylanases, giving added value to agroforestry wastes generated by industries in the northeast of Argentina. In this context, the aim of this work was to use agroforestry wastes as substrates for the production of endoxylanases by Aspergillus niger and to optimize nitrogen sources and physical variables for the highest endoxylanase activity. A. niger LBM 055 and A. niger LBM 134 produced high endoxylanase levels when they were grown with sugarcane and cassava bagasses as carbon sources. A. niger LBM 134 reached the highest endoxylanase activity when nitrogen sources and physical variables were optimized. The fungus exhibited up to 110 U mL(-1) of endoxylanase activity when it was grown with sugarcane bagasse and more than 160 U mL(-1) with cassava bagasse. Therefore, endoxylanase production was optimized using agricultural bagasses and cost 20 times less than enzyme production using synthetic xylan.
A 22 full factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of sulfuric acid loading and residence time on the composition of sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate obtained in a 250-L reactor. The acid loading and the residence time were varied from 70 to 130 mg acid per gram of dry bagasse and from 10 to 30 min, respectively, while the temperature (121 degrees C) and the bagasse loading (10\%) were kept constant. Both the sulfuric acid loading and the residence time influenced the concentrations of xylose and inhibitors in the hydrolysate. The highest xylose concentration (22.71 g/L) was achieved when using an acid loading of 130 mg/g and a residence time of 30 min. These conditions also led to increased concentrations of inhibiting byproducts in the hydrolysate. All of the hydrolysates were vacuum-concentrated to increase the xylose concentration, detoxified by pH alteration and adsorption into activated charcoal, and used for xylitol bioproduction in a stirred tank reactor. Neither the least (70 mg/g, 10 min) nor the most severe (130 mg/g, 30 min) hydrolysis conditions led to the best xylitol production (37.5 g/L), productivity (0.85 g/L h), and yield (0.78 g/g).
Membranes of cellulose acetate from sugarcane bagasse (CA), as well as blends of this cellulose acetate and polystyrene from plastic cups (CA/PS) were produced by casting utilizing dichloromethane as solvent at the concentration 12\% w/w. The membranes were characterized regarding ion diffusion by dialysis and properties of pure water permeation rate, PEG rejection (utilizing an aqueous solution 1\% w/v of polyethylene glycol (PEG), 45 and 80 kDa). Thermal characterization by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were also performed. The morphology of the membranes' cross-sections was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The experiment of ion diffusion by dialysis showed that the ion diffusion coefficient of CA membrane is comparable to that found in the literature for membranes of commercial cellulose triacetate, 8.47 x 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1), while the ion diffusion coefficient of blends decreased as PS was added to the system. Regarding transport driven by pressure, CA membrane presented low rejection of PEG 80 kDa. These results showed that CA membrane could be used in a range of application comprehending the process of ultrafiltration or microfiltration.
Pursuing strategies that diversify the productive matrix of bio-based industries is essential for the growth of value chains in the bioeconomy and thus achieving the goals of a sustainable economy. Among these potential industries, the sugarcane industry is an essential player and one of the largest industries in reinserting residues in the production chain. Among these successful cases in sugarcane industries, the use of bagasse for electricity generation and, recently, the generation of biogas from vinasse stands out. However, an intriguing case in this sector is that of second-generation (2G) ethanol, which, despite having already overcome its technical barriers, is still not economically viable. Experts estimate that in 2030, 2G ethanol technology will cost less than a first-generation ethanol production plant. One of the paths to this transition is the co-production of chemicals derived from lignin. This work investigates whether any of the following chemicals, benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX), vanillin, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and Phenol, are capable of making second-generation ethanol economically viable, using not only profit as a metric but also the risk associated with investing in a new plant. This analysis is done through the portfolio theory and the construction of an optimization model that mimics the production process of an actual sugarcane mill. Unlike previous studies, C-VaR is used as a risk metric, a coherent risk measure. It was possible to conclude that 2G-ethanol becomes economically viable when its production is associated with vanillin or PAN through the proposed model. In addition to showing that lignin is capable of enabling the production of 2G ethanol, through the production of PAN, the methodology presented in this work can be expanded to test other potential products with high added value and thus contribute to the growth of the value of chains green in the bioeconomy.
The worldwide production of sugar generates large volumes of bagasse wastes, which are burnt in uncontrolled manner for heating boiler, which are deposited in landfills, which create negative effects in the environment. The ash obtained by burning bagasse is generally used as Supplementary Cementing Material (SCM) in concrete production without proper knowledge of pozzolanic material characterization. This paper summarizes the results obtained from the various techniques to determine pozzolanic mineral profiles in sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). Techniques employed in the present study include X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) spectrometer, Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermal Analysis {[
Lignocellulosic biomass from sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) could potentially be a major feedstock for second-generation biofuel production. Consequently, selecting sugarcane varieties with favorable biomass characteristics, typically less enzymatic recalcitrance and better saccharification yield without sugar-yield penalty, will be important in sugarcane breeding. Economical and high-throughput techniques for profiling the major biomass components of this complex system will facilitate selection of clones with ideal lignocellulosic composition from large numbers of genotypes in breeding programs. We used a combined high-throughput profiling approach to evaluate the biomass composition of samples from a sugarcane germplasm collection. This employed near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for fiber characterization and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining the sugar content in juice. The results for 331 samples, from a diverse sugarcane population of 186 genotypes, derived from 143 parents of different genetic backgrounds, showed that high-quality NIR spectroscopic predictions were feasible for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives values in fiber, and sugars in juice were suitably analyzed by HPLC. The analysis of total biomass indicated that this NIR- and HPLC-based high-throughput method allowed a robust phenotypic assessment of a large number of samples for the key biomass traits in the sugarcane system, including total dry biomass, fiber, sugar content, and theoretical ethanol yields, and could potentially become the method of choice for sugarcane germplasm screening in breeding programs targeting the support of biofuel production.
The anaerobic digestion of filter cake and its co-digestion with bagasse, and the effect of gradual increase of the organic loading rate (OLR) from start-up to overload were investigated. Understanding the influence of environmental and technical parameters on the development of particular methanogenic pathway in the biogas process was an important aim for the prediction and prevention of process failure. The rapid accumulation of volatile organic acids at high OLR of 3.0 to 4.0 g(vs).L-1.day(-1) indicated strong process inhibition. Methanogenic community dynamics of the reactors was monitored by stable isotope composition of biogas and molecular biological analysis. A potential shift toward the aceticlastic methanogenesis was observed along with the OLR increase under stable reactor operating conditions. Reactor overloading and process failure were indicated by the tendency to return to a predominance of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis with rising abundances of the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales and drop of the genus Methanosarcina abundance.
In this work, five different NaOH-catalyzed ethylene glycol (EG) pretreatments together with water-soluble sulfonated lignin (SL) were used for enhancing sugarcane bagasse (SCB) enzymatic digestion. The results showed that the coupling of NaOH and EG into a one-pot pretreatment (10\%NaOH/EG) was more beneficial to improve SCB enzymatic hydrolysis than that of single 10\%NaOH or EG pretreatment, or the two-step pretreat-ment of NaOH and EG in different sequence (10\%NaOH+EG and EG + 10\%NaOH, respectively). The highest glucose yield of this work was 91.2 \%, mainly released from the SCB that pretreated with 10\%NaOH/EG at 130 C for 60 min and 72 h enzymatic hydrolysis. The adding of SL into the enzymatic hydrolysis step could significantly lower the cellulase dosage and hydrolysis time from 20 FPU/g and 72 h to 10 FPU/g and 24 h, respectively, meanwhile keeping a high glucose yield of 90.4 \%. The characterization of various pretreated or un-pretreated SCB confirmed that the improvement of hydrolysis efficiency of SCB after 10\%NaOH/EG pretreatment was closely related to the removal of various components barriers in SCB and the fragmentation of pretreated solid. It can be concluded that the developed NaOH-catalyzed ethylene glycol pretreatment was an efficiency way to enhance the sugar release from SCB.
A thermodynamic equilibrium model was used to predict the composition of syngas produced by oxygen-blown biomass gasification at different operating conditions. The effects of temperature, pressure, moisture content, steam to biomass ratio and equivalence ratio (ratio of the amount of oxygen that is fed to the gasifier as a fraction of the oxygen required to achieve full combustion) were studied using sugarcane bagass e and pyrolysis slurry derived from sugarcane bagasse as feed. Taking kinetic limitations into account, the optimum operating conditions to maximise gasification efficiency, or to produce the stoichiometric H-2/CO syngas ratio of 2, were determined for each feedstock and integrated with a process model for Fischer-Tropsch liquids production. The maximum over all process efficiency of 51\%, of which 40\% was in the form of Fischer-Tropsch liquids, corresponded with the maximum gasification efficiency of 75\%, based on atmospheric gasification of bagasse with 5\% moisture at a temperature of 1100 K, equivalence ratio of 0.25 and steam to biomass ratio of 0.75. Operating the gasifier at a steam: biomass ratio of 2.25 to yield an equilibrium H-2/CO ratio of 2 increased the Fischer-Tropsch liquid yield, while inclusion of a shift reactor downstream from the gasifier had the same effect and was apparently more energy efficient. However, maximising the Fischer-Tropsch liquid yield did not necessarily increase the process thermal efficiencies. It was also observed that the thermal process energy efficiencies previously reported for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis from atmospheric biomass gasification with a shift reactor, could be improved by 10.7\% by excluding the shift process, although 5\% less liquid fuel energy would be produced. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fungal strains were screened for lipase producing activities and 10 strains were classified as good producers. Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., and Penicillium sp. exhibited the highest activities when fermented in wheat bran (WB) and soybean bran (SB). No fungal growth was observed using sugarcane bagasse (CB). An experimental design was applied to incorporate CB into the fermentation process for lipase production by Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp., and to evaluate the best moisture content for the substrate. Strains studied achieved maximum lipase activities with 25\% CB combined with 75\% WB or SB at 40\% moisture content. The highest lipase activities were observed for WB and SB, and for SB combined with CB using Aspergillus sp. Fermentation of 96 h was the optimum period for enzyme production.
This article reviews the history and current state of ethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil and presents a strategy for improving ecosystem services and production. We propose that it is possible to produce ethanol from sugarcane while maintaining or even recovering some of Brazil's unique neotropical biodiversity and ecosystem climate services. This approach to the future of sustainable and responsible ethanol production is termed the midway strategy. The midway strategy involves producing the necessary biotechnology to increase productivity while synergistically protecting and regenerating rainforest. Three main areas of scientific and technological advance that are key to realizing the midway strategy are: (i) improving the quality of scientific data on sugarcane biology as pertains to its use as a bioenergy crop; (ii) developing technologies for the use of bagasse for cellulosic ethanol; and (iii) developing policies to improve the ecosystem services associated with sugarcane landscapes. This article discusses these three issues in the general context of biofuels production and highlights examples of scientific achievements that are already leading towards the midway strategy.
Producers look for co-products to increase the value chain and production flexibility. With a high market aggregate value, the production of cello-oligosaccharides (COS) as functional oligosaccharides from cellulosic substrates has been investigated. As COS/cellopentaose production process are rarely described in the literature, this study estimated the cellopentaose production cost and performed a life-cycle assessment of the cellopentaose production process previously developed using sugarcane straw as a substrate. The results demonstrated that, through the six scenarios studied, it was possible to obtain a cellopentaose unit production cost varying between USD 0.40 and 1.15/mg, and that optimization in the upstream sector can reduce the total plant direct cost and the overall life-cycle impact. The results also suggested that a better understanding of the hydrolysis solid/liquid proportion is necessary to reduce the bulk material cost. An environmental impact reduction of between 16.2\% and 19.9\% was also observed. In terms of the integrated biorefinery concept, sugarcane straw fermentation represents a prospective technology for the production of COS. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd
Field studies were conducted from 2000 to 2005 to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage on agronomic characteristics of two peanut cultivars, cultivated in rotation with sugarcane harvested without burning. Tillage systems included reduced tillage, no-tillage, and conventional tillage, which were arranged in a split-plot randomized complete block design with four replications in two different types of soil, Oxisol and Ultisol, located in Ribeirao Preto and Pindorama cities, SP, Brazil. Tillage treatments were main plots while subplots were peanut genotypes (IAC-Tatu ST and IAC-Caiapo). Results of seven experiments showed no statistic difference on pod yield, kernel yield, number of pods and pegs, between the conservation tillage systems and the conventional tillage, but a decrease on stand of plants can occur. Three out of seven experiments, showed a significant interaction between the cultivar and tillage system. The response of different tillage systems for cv. IAC-Caiapo was lower than for cv. IAC-Tatu ST. No-tillage system can show increase (between 6.5 and 9\%) on mature kernel rate as well as good or better soil moisture during a dry period.
Rice straw was pretreated using an industrial grade glycerol for ethanol production. The pretreatment was conducted at 130-210 degrees C for 1-24 h with 5\% solid loading. The glucan content in the regenerated rice straw increased with increasing pretreatment temperature and time. The production of fermentable sugars initially increased as the pretreatment temperature and reaction time increased, but then decreased somewhat at the higher temperatures and with longer reaction duration. The highest amount of reducing sugar produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis was achieved at 190 degrees C for 10 h with 5\% solid loading, optimal condition for the glycerol pretreatment of rice straw. Furthermore, it was observed that glycerol pretreatment with the addition of HCl improved the digestibility of fermentable sugars by 4-5 times that of untreated samples. Fermentation of hydrolysates resulted in an ethanol yield of 0.44 g/g sugar, corresponding to a theoretical yield of 84.3\%. It was concluded that acidified glycerol is one of the good candidates of the organic solvent for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Phenanthrene removal by Penicillium frequentans was compared under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions in a solid culture amended with low quantities of an agricultural residue. An inoculum of P. frequentans grown on sugarcane bagasse pith was mixed with soil spiked with 200 mg l(-1) of phenanthrene, to obtain a final bagasse/soil ratio of 1:16. The C/N ratio was adjusted to 60 and the moisture content to 40\%. The oxygen concentrations were adjusted to 20\%, 10\%, 5\%, 2\% and close to 0\%, in the soil-gas phase for each treatment. There were statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in the metabolic activity at different oxygen concentrations, measured as CO, production. Phenanthrene removal rates increased with oxygen concentration, reaching 52\% removal after 17 days of incubation for the treatment with 20\% O(2). Nevertheless, oxygen-limited (microaerophilic) conditions did not preclude phenanthrene degradation.
This review aims to provide an extensive examination of the significance of sweet sorghum and bagasse in the context of bioethanol and biogas production. The review analyzes the available literature on sweet sorghum and bagasse as potential feedstocks for bioenergy production. It examines their physical and chemical properties, cultivation requirements, various pretreatment methods, fermentation processes, efficiency, and environmental implications. It also assesses the economic viability of and potential barriers to commercialization. Moreover, the importance of technological advancements in biomass conversion efficiency, fermentation processes, and enzymatic hydrolysis has been reviewed. The substrates' rich cellulose and hemicellulose content enhances the efficiency of conversion processes. Remarkable advancements have been observed in fermentation techniques, with genetic engineering strategies offering potential avenues for performance enhancement. The assessment of environmental implications underscores the importance of optimizing conversion yields and energy balance to establish a sustainable bioenergy production framework. Techno-economic analyses affirm the economic feasibility of deriving bioethanol and biogas from sweet sorghum and bagasse. This thorough analysis emphasizes the substantial potential of sweet sorghum and bagasse as valuable feedstocks for bioethanol and biogas production.
Several fungal species were isolated from different sources: post-harvest sugarcane residue, soil, decomposing forest litter and from mycelia obtained from the inner parts of fresh fungal fruiting bodies collected in Las Yungas region (Argentina). These isolates were first screened for their ability to produce carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) degradation and guaiacol oxidation. After primary screening, seventeen isolates were further tested for their ligninolytic ability by assessing polyphenoloxidase, laccase, manganese peroxidase and endoxylanase activities. Based on their lignocellulolytic activities, five isolates (named Bjerkandera sp. Y-HHM2, Phanerochaete sp. Y-RN1, Pleurotus sp. Y-RN3, Hypocrea nigricans SCT-4.4 and Myrothecium sp. S-3.20) were selected for liquid and solid-state fermentation assays in culture media including sugarcane debris. Lignocellulolytic enzymes production, dry mass loss and phenol concentration in the water soluble fraction were then evaluated. Results suggest that native strains with lignocellulolytic activity are suitable to increase post-harvest sugarcane residue decomposition and support the use of these strains as an alternative to pre and post-harvest burning. Biological treatments using Phanerochaete sp. Y-RN1, Pleurotus sp. Y-RN3 and Myrothecium sp. S-3.20 could be used to degrade and increase the accessibility to lignocellulose components of sugarcane residue. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pretreatment is a necessary step in the process of biorefinery of lignocellulosics. Here, a novel sequential sugarcane bagasse (SCB) pretreatment method was developed based on potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and alkaline deacetylation (AD) under mild conditions. The co-pretreatment could efficiently remove the lignin and acetyl groups, resulting in a holocellulose-rich (83.5\%) solid with superior degradability and a high overall recovery of holocellulose (81.2\%). Meanwhile, the highest ethanol titer of 120.77 g/L and succinic acid production of 34.84 g/L were obtained by simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) without the sterilization process for the pretreated SCB (equivalent to an ethanol yield of 0.36 g/g and a succinic acid yield of 0.10 g/g from the holocellulose in raw SCB). These results demonstrated that a high level of bioethanol and bio-based succinic acid can be achieved by the combination of the newly-developed SCB pretreatment method and the robust yeast strain.
Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable way to obtain densified energy and increase the raw material value in three different products: biochar, bio-oil, and gas. Agricultural waste is a promising biomass due to its high availability, especially in tropical countries, and lack of destination besides combustion. The bioenergy and biorefining potential were evaluated for four agricultural wastes: corn stover (CS), bean pods (BP), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), and pineapple crowns leaves (PCL) through an extensive physical and chemical characterization by proximate, ultimate and compositional analysis, high heating value (HHV), ash chemical composition, thermogravimetric analysis and analytical pyrolysis through Py-GC/MS. The results show that the biomasses present high HHV (16.1-19.3 MJ kg(-1)), low moisture and ash content, and high volatile content (77.8-82.8\%), which are great characteristics for bio-oil production. According to Py-GC/MS results, the main pyrolysis products were phenols, furans, and C-1-C-4 oxygenated compounds. CS and BP presented a high phenolics yield (26.5\%), which could be potentially recovered through biorefining. PCL showed the greatest energetic potential due to its highest HHV and could generate a high-quality fuel after deoxygenation routes. The bio-oil of these biomasses is a potential source of value-added chemicals after biorefining routes.
Biomass production, utilization and losses from 1993 to 2012 were analysed in Fiji. Total theoretical annual average biomass potential is 83 PJ. Sugarcane alone is capable of generating potential energy of 52 PJ annually, and 137.64 million litres of ethanol could be produced from sugarcane, cassava and sweet potatoes per annum. Sugarcane (excluding the local sugar consumption) has the potential to produce 129.25 million litres of ethanol which is 29 \% more than the total gasohol imported in 2010. Bagasse has the potential to generate 8.2 PJ of energy in Fiji.
The present study is based on the mycelial growth of 37 Pleurotus strains, belonging to P. djamor, P. ostreatus, and P. pulmonarius species. The strains were grown on sugarcane bagasse, using 2 kinds of inoculation: (1) spawn prepared on wheat seeds, and (2) mycelium grown within solid water-agar culture with no nutrients added. Based on differences found in the mycelial growth, 6 strains were selected to determine the production of certain hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes throughout the full growth cycle at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 days (incubation period), also including the primordia formation, fruiting, and postharvest stages. The production of laccase and Mn-peroxidase was clear during the incubation stage, decreased during the fruiting stage, and increased again during the postharvest stage. In addition, the production of cellulases, cellobiohydrolases, and xylanases was low during the incubation period, increased during the production of fruiting bodies, and declined during the postharvest. There was a visible inverse correlation between the content of soluble phenols of the substrate and the laccase production at 8 (r = -.85) and 12 (r = -.92) incubation days. The incubation period varied between 12 and 45 days among the studied strains. Their biological efficiency was generally good, with values between 65.3\% and 118.8\%.
The phthalation of bagasse was investigated comparatively with the three main isolated components in 1-allyl-3-methylidazium chloride (AmimCl) to reveal the reaction behavior of bagasse. In the first two parts, the detailed changes of cellulosic and hemicellulosic components in bagasse were elucidated during phthalation. In Part 3, the phthalation of lignins was performed in AmimCl with various ratios of phthalic anhydride/lignins from 10 to 50 mmol/g. The phthalation degree ranged from 41.1\% to 68.8\% for the phthalated lignins. The aliphatic hydroxyls of lignins were more easily phthalated than the phenolic hydroxyls as revealed by P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and two dimensional (2D) heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) confirmed the attachment of phthaloyl group onto lignins. Severe degradation of lignin macromolecules was found at high ratios of phthalic anhydride/lignins (30 to 50 mmol/g) by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis. These results provide a detailed understanding of reaction behaviors of lignins during bagasse phthalation, which are beneficial to prepare composites based on phthalated lignocellulose with better properties.
In recent years a great attention has been focused on preparing highly efficient, cheaper and ecofriendly adsorbents which used for heavy metals removal from wastewater. This work deals with the use of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) adsorbent for removal of Fe (III), Mn (II) and Pb (II). SEM and FTIR spectroscopy were used for characterization of the prepared adsorbent. Also the adsorption effects under different conditions of pH, adsorbent weight, initial metal concentrations, contact time and temperature on the percent of heavy metals removal were investigated. Adsorption isotherm investigation indicated that, Fe metal was fitted to Temkin model, where Mn and Pb metals were fitted to the Freundlich model. The study of thermodynamic parameters showed that, the negative values of Delta G degrees indicated that the adsorption of (Fe, Mn and Pb) on SCB is a spontaneous process.
In this study, we investigated the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated sugarcane bagasse using eight different enzymatic blends obtained from concentrated crude enzyme extracts produced by Penicillium funiculosum and Trichoderma harzianum as well as from the extracts in combination with a commercial enzymatic cocktail. The influence of different levels of biomass delignification, degree of crystallinity of lignicellulose, composition of enzymatic activities and BSA on enzymatic hydrolysis yields (HYs) was evaluated. Our X-ray diffraction studies showed that crystallinity of lignocellulose is not a key determinant of its recalcitrance toward enzymatic hydrolysis. In fact, under the experimental conditions of our study, an increase in crystallinity of lignocellulosic samples resulted in increased glucose release by enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, under the same conditions, the addition of BSA had no significant effect on enzymatic hydrolysis. The most efficient enzyme blends were obtained by mixing a commercial enzymatic cocktail with P. funiculosum or T. harzianum cellulase preparations (HYs above 97\%) followed by the concentrated extract of P. funiculosum alone (HY= 88.5\%). Increased hydrolytic efficiencies appeared to correlate with having an adequate level of both beta-glucosidase and xylanase activities in the blends. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the South American straw material Paja Brava were investigated. Suitable process conditions for an SO2-catalyzed steam pretreatment of the material were determined and assessed by enzymatic digestibility of obtained fiber slurries for 72 h at a water insoluble solids (WIS) content of 2\%. The best pretreatment conditions obtained (200 degrees C, 5 min holding time and 2.5\% SO2) gave an overall glucose yield following enzymatic hydrolysis of more than 90\%, and a xylose yield of about 70\%. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation of glucose and xylose (SSCF) of the pretreated material using the xylose-fermenting strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae TMB3400 was examined at WIS contents between 5\% and 10\%. In agreement with previous studies on other materials, the overall ethanol yield and also the xylose conversion decreased somewhat with increasing WIS content in the SSCF. In batch SSCF, the xylose conversion obtained was almost 100\% at 5\% WIS content, but decreased to 69\% at 10\% WIS. The highest ethanol concentration obtained for a WIS content 01 10\% was about 40 g/L, corresponding to a yield of 0.41 g/g in a fed-batch SSCF. The Paja Brava material has previously been found difficult to hydrolyze in a dilute-acid process. However, the SSCF results obtained here show that similar sugar yields and fermentation performance can be expected from Paja Brava as from materials such as wheat straw, corn stover or sugarcane bagasse. (C) 2010, The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved.
In this study, 10 wt\% sugarcane bagasse fiber-reinforced starch foam composites were prepared with different oregano essential oil (OEO) contents in the range of 2-8 wt\% to improve the antimicrobial effectiveness of bioactive packaging. FT-IR analysis confirms that OEO penetrates into starch foam composite. From the result of antimicrobial activity, the incorporation of 8 wt\% OEO in starch foam composite achieves the minimum inhibitory concentration against Escherichia-coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus-aureus (S. aureus). OEO is more effective against S. aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) than E. coli (Gram-negative bacteria). The water absorption capacity and hygroscopicity of foam composite decrease with increasing OEO content. The lowest monolayer value is observed in starch foam composite containing 8 wt\% OEO. The soil biodegradation rate and flexural strength of samples slightly decrease with increasing OEO content. As a result, starch foam composite containing OEO can be applied as bioactive packaging to preserve foods.
The building of multivariate calibration models using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and partial least squares (PLS) to estimate the lignin content in different parts of sugarcane genotypes is presented. Laboratory analyses were performed to determine the lignin content using the Klason method. The independent variables were obtained from different materials: dry bagasse, bagasse-with-juice, leaf, and stalk. The NIR spectra in the range of 10000-4000cm(-1) were obtained directly for each material. The models were built using PLS regression, and different algorithms for variable selection were tested and compared: iPLS, biPLS, genetic algorithm (GA), and the ordered predictors selection method (OPS). The best models were obtained by feature selection with the OPS algorithm. The values of the root mean square error prediction (RMSEP), correlation of prediction (R-P), and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were, respectively, for dry bagasse equal to 0.85, 0.97, and 2.87; for bagasse-with-juice equal to 0.65, 0.94, and 2.77; for leaf equal to 0.58, 0.96, and 2.56; for the middle stalk equal to 0.61, 0.95, and 3.24; and for the top stalk equal to 0.58, 0.96, and 2.34. The OPS algorithm selected fewer variables, with greater predictive capacity. All the models are reliable, with high accuracy for predicting lignin in sugarcane, and significantly reduce the time to perform the analysis, the cost and the chemical reagent consumption, thus optimizing the entire process. In general, the future application of these models will have a positive impact on the biofuels industry, where there is a need for rapid decision-making regarding clone production and genetic breeding program.
Natural adsorbents are a good alternative to remove antibiotic residues from wastewater. In this study, the adsorption capacity of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) onto sugarcane bagasse (SB) and corn cob (CC) in a continuous fixed-bed was compared. Brunauer Emmett Teller, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Boehm titration, and point of zero charge (pH(pzc)) were used to characterize both adsorbents. The adsorption capacity (q(e)) and the removal percentage of SMX (\% R) were investigated at different different flow rates (2, 5, and 7 mL min(- 1)) and adsorbent masses (4 and 6.4 g), and a constant initial concentration of 5 mg L- 1. The results of the characterization showed that SB has a morphology with more dispersed particles and a specific surface higher than CC (2.6 > 1.2 m(2) g(- 1)). Boehm titration indicates that both the surface of SB and CC have a greater amount of acid groups, which is in agreement with FTIR and pH(pzc) results. The continuous fixed-bed experiments showed that \% R and q(e) of SMX are higher with SB in all the tests. The highest q(e) and maximum \% R was 0.24 mg g(- 1) and 74\% with SB, and 0.15 mg g(- 1) and 65\% using CC. In most cases, the q(e) of both adsorbents decreased with the increase of flow rate and bed height. An analysis suggests that hydrogen bonds could be the main factor favoring the SMX adsorption with SB. Finally, the intraparticle diffusion was the rate-controlling step, predominating the pore-volume diffusion resistance.
In sugarcane biorefineries, the lignocellulosic portion of the sugarcane biomass (i.e. bagasse and cane trash) can be used as fuel for electricity production and/or feedstock for second generation (2G) ethanol. This study presents a techno-economic analysis of upgraded sugarcane biorefineries in Brazil, aiming at utilizing surplus bagasse and cane trash for electricity and/or ethanol production. The study investigates the trade-off on sugarcane biomass use for energy production: bioelectricity versus 2G ethanol production. The BeWhere mixed integer and spatially explicit model is used for evaluating the choice of technological options. Different scenarios are developed to find the optimal utilization of sugarcane biomass. The study finds that energy prices, type of electricity substituted, biofuel support and carbon tax, investment costs, and conversion efficiencies are the major factors influencing the technological choice. At the existing market and technological conditions applied in the upgraded biorefineries, 300 PJ y(-1) 2G ethanol could be optimally produced and exported to the EU, which corresponds to 2.5\% of total transport fuel demand in the EU. This study provides a methodological framework on how to optimize the alternative use of agricultural residues and industrial co-products for energy production in agro-industries considering biomass supply chains, the pattern of domestic energy demand, and biofuel trade. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Natural fibrous cellulose was extracted from sugarcane bagasse, the major solid waste produced in the sugarcane industry. Extracted cellulose fibers were loaded with Cu2O nanoparticles by adsorbing Cu2+ ions on the surface of fibers and followed by wet chemical reduction using sodium borohydride. Cu2O nanoparticles loaded cellulose fibers were made into a film (CuCL film) structure. The CuCL film was characterized by different techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, XPS, and BET. The catalytic efficiency of CuCL film was evaluated with nitrophenol reduction reaction. CuCL film exhibited 97 \% catalytic efficiency for 4-nitrophenol and good reusability up to 4th cycle. CuCL film also reduced 2, 4-dinitrophenol and 2, 4, 6-trinitrophenol with 91 \% and 87 \% efficiency.
The pyrolysis of three sugarcane residues (internal bagasse, external and whole plant) has been carried out in a pilot bubbling fluidized bed pyrolyzer operating under a range of temperature from 300 degrees C to 600 degrees C and two vapor residence time (2 and 5 s), with the aim of determining their pyrolysis behavior including products yields and heat balance. The composition of the product gases was determined, from which their heating value was calculated. The liquid bio-oil was recovered with cyclonic condensers and separated into two phases, an aqueous phase and an organic phase. The energy content of the organic phase was determined in comparison with common fossil fuels. Activated carbon adsorption and distillation at 110 degrees C were used to treat the aqueous phase, with the aim of recovering valuable hydrocarbons and purifying the aqueous phase for wastewater disposal. Furthermore, the thermal sustainability of the pyrolysis process was estimated by considering the energy contribution of the product gases and of the liquid bio-oil in relation to the pyrolysis heat requirements. The optimum pyrolysis temperatures were identified in terms of maximizing the liquid yield, maximizing the energy from the product bio-oil, and maximizing the net energy from the product bio-oil after ensuring a self-sustainable process by utilizing the product gases and part of bio-oil as heat sources. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A simple, green, and efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of biologically active 1,4dihydropyrano{[
For nearly a century the Hawaiian sugar industry has produced most of the steam and electricity needed to process sugarcane and to power its factories and irrigation pumps. This use of bagasse (the fibrous by-product of milled sugarcane), cane leaves and tops has made the Hawaiian sugar industry among the most efficient in the world in converting biomass into electricity - in comparison with typical worldwide cane-to-electricity conversion productivities of approximately 10 kWh per tonne of cane, Hawaiian sugar factories today generate, on average, about 60 kWh per tonne of cane and, in some factories, 100 kWh or more. Plantations in Hawaii produce about 800 million kWh annually, and, after satisfying virtually all of their internal power requirements, export roughly 400 million kWh to public utility companies.
Editor: Ewa Korzeniewska In order to mitigate the problems associated with the deposition of biomass ashes, it becomes essential to use these materials efficiently. One solution to the problem is utilization of these wastes in the concrete industry. Due to the massive development of infrastructure, the demand for cement is tremendously rising which results in the surge of cement concrete by 30 billion tonnes every year. Plant-based straw and husk ashes are residual waste containing high amounts of silica, which can also be accommodated as a pozzolanic material in concrete. This study presents a complete review of various husk and straw ashes and their impacts on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete including its preparation, microstructure, workability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. Special emphasis has been given to the durability characteristics of concrete focussing on porosity, water penetration, carbonation, acid resistance, sulphate, and chloride attack. The data gathered shows that fineness of ashes provides filler and pore refinement effect and gains additional hydration products, resulting in an improvement of the mechanical and durability properties of concrete. The addition of ashes as supplementary cementitious materials in concrete enhances the mechanical performance up to a certain replacement. The optimum level of replacement for rice husk ash, wheat straw ash, and sugarcane straw ash was observed at 10-20\%. While wheat husk ash, groundnut husk ash, rice straw ash, and millet husk ash provide optimum strength gains at 10\% replacement of OPC. An increase in the replacement content of mostly ashes has a positive effect on water absorption and resistance to acid, sulphate, and chloride attacks.
The scaling-up of lindane-contaminated soils bioremediation from microcosms to mesocosms bioaugmentated with an actinobacteria quadruple culture and biostimulated with sugarcane filter cake (SCFC) was surveyed. Mesocosms of silty loam soil, clayey soil, and sandy soil were polluted with the pesticide, bioaugmented with the mixed culture, biostimulated with adequate amounts of 0.5 mm SCFC particles, and assessed during 63 days maintaining environmental parameters with minimal intervention. Samples were taken to determine residual lindane, heterotrophic microorganisms, enzymatic activities, and bioremediation effectiveness using ecotoxicity tests with Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa, and Lycopersicon esculentum. The bioaugmentation and biostimulation of the three soils improved lindane removal, microbial counts, and enzymatic activities, and reduced pesticide T-1/2, regarding the values obtained in non-bioremediated controls. The removal process was significantly affected by the soil type, and the highest pesticide dissipation (82.6\%) was detected in bioremediated sandy soil. Ecotoxicity tests confirmed the bioremediation success through a rise in the vigor index of seedlings compared to non-treated soils (R. sativus: 12-22\%; L. sativa: 12-20\%; L. esculentum: 30-45\%). Finally, scanning electron microscopy corroborated soil colonization by actinobacteria. Successful scaling-up of the combined application of an actinobacteria quadruple culture and SCFC as an appropriate strategy for restoring lindane-polluted soils at mesocosms-scale was confirmed.
The effluent from sugarcane molasses based distilleries leads to environmental pollution due to its large volume and the presence of dark brown coloured compounds. In this study, a bacterial consortium isolated from waterfall sediments was selected as a molasses-decolourizing agent. The effect of culture conditions and medium composition on decolourization activity and growth of the bacterial consortium was investigated. The bacterial consortium was able to grow and decolourize molasses wastewater under facultative and anaerobic conditions in general. Aerobic culture conditions at pH 7 and 9 in molasses wastewater containing LB medium exhibited high growth but poor decolourization. The addition of a supplementary nutrient source in molasses wastewater medium significantly increased the decolourization activity of the bacterial consortium by up to 26.5\% within 48 h under anaerobic conditions. Comparison of 16S rDNA sequences indicated that the bacterial consortium which showed decolourization activity under aerobic conditions consisted of Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Comamonas sp., Klebsiella oxytoca, Serratia marcescens and unidentified bacteria, whereas, the anaerobically enriched consortium consisted of Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella oxytoca, Bacillus cereus and Citrobacter farmeri, a mercury-resistant bacterium, and an unidentified bacterium. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles indicated that the community structures of aerobically and anaerobically enriched bacterial consortium were different.
Though improvements in processing and technology are important, the fluctuating price of inputs such as molasses, corn, sugar beet, sugarcane, sweet sorghum, starch, etc. and their seasonal availability play an important role in ethanol industry. As a matter of fact, the ethanol industry based on conventional resources has reached its saturation point. Technologies for ethanol production from lignocellulosics are being developed by scientists world over with the objective of exploiting the potential of a resource, which is otherwise considered a waste, to generate energy. The focus has been to produce ethanol in a cost-effective manner, besides aiming to find use of its by-products as food supplements for cattles, etc. Recent developments like adoption of technologies such as dry grind fractionation, which is now commercially viable, would reduce the cost of milling; wet milling being costintensive and dry milling requiring smaller plants.
A viable process based on a low cost production media is desired to enhance the economics of fermentative production of L-lactic acid. Attempts were made to exploit two agro-industrial wastes, cassava bagasse and sugarcane bagasse, as a raw material and inert solid support using solid-state fermentation (SSF). Gelatinised cassava bagasse was enzymatically hydrolysed and starch hydrolysate containing reducing sugar was used to moisten the inert sugarcane bagasse, which was used as the solid support for SSF. This substrate was supplemented with 0.5 g/5 g support NH4CI and yeast extract. SSF was carried out in 250 in] Erlenmeyer flasks at 37 degrees C using Lactobacillus delbrueckii as inoculum. Key parameters such as initial moisture content and initial sugar were optimised statistically by response surface methodology. A maximum of 249 mg/gdS L-lactic acid was obtained after 5 days of fermentation under the optimised conditions with a conversion efficiency of about 99\% of the initial reducing sugars. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
During the past few decades, much effort has been devoted to increasing the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to create biofuels, biochemicals, biocomposites, and a host of other bioproducts to replace fossil-based products. Recently, the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass received much more attention in ionic liquids with strong hydrogen-bond-destroying ability to produce lignocellulosic derivatives containing new functionality. In present study, carboxyl groups were attached onto sugarcane bagasse (SCB) by the homogenous modification of SCB with maleic anhydride in ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) without any catalysts. The parameters optimized included maleic anhydride concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time required in the process. The extent of maleation of SCB was measured by the weight percent gain (WPG), which increased with an increment of maleic anhydride concentration between 1:1 and 5:1 (g/g, maleic anhydride/SCB). It should be noted that WPG decreased at wild conditions, including long reaction duration (>60 min) and high temperature (>110 degrees C). The results from FT-IR and solid-state CP/MAS C-13 NMR spectroscopies indicated that the maleation of hydroxyl groups in lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses all occurred. XRD, SEM and TGA/DTG analyses of the native and modified SCB showed that the cellulose crystalline structure of SCB was significantly destroyed after dissolution, maleation, and regeneration in IL. However, the remained cellulose crystalline structure did not change except remarkable decrystallization. The thermal stability of the maleated SCB decreased at low temperature (lower than 300 degrees C), and increased at high temperature (above 300 degrees C) compared with that of native ball-milled SCB. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
This paper presents the techno-economics of greenfield projects of an integrated first and second-generation sugarcane biorefinery in which pentose sugars obtained from sugarcane biomass are used either for biogas (consumed internally in the power boiler) or n-butanol production via the ABE batch fermentation process. The complete sugarcane biorefinery was simulated using Aspen Plus (R). Although the pentoses stream available in the sugarcane biorefinery gives room for a relatively small biobutanol plant (7.1-12 thousand tonnes per year), the introduction of butanol and acetone to the product portfolio of the biorefinery increased and diversified its revenues. Whereas the IRR of the investment on a biorefinery with biogas production is 11.3\%, IRR varied between 13.1\% and 15.2\% in the butanol production option, depending on technology (regular or engineered microorganism with improved butanol yield and pentoses conversion) and target market (chemicals or automotive fuels). Additional discussions include the effects of energy-efficient technologies for butanol processing on the profitability of the biorefinery. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Although hydrothermal treatments for biomass fractionation have been vastly studied, their effect on the depolymerization of isolated lignins in terms of yield, composition, and compatibility of the produced lignin bio-oils with bioconversion is still poorly investigated. In this study, we evaluated the hydrothermal depolymerization of an beta-O-4'-rich lignin extracted from sugarcane bagasse by alkaline fractionation, investigating the influence of temperature (200-350 degrees C), time (30-90 min), and solid-liquid ratio (1:10-1:50 m.v(-1)) on yield of bio-oils (up to 31 wt\%) rich in monomers (light bio-oils). Principal Components Analysis showed that the defunctionalization of the aromatic monomers was more pronounced in the most severe reaction conditions and that the abundance of more hydrophobic monomers increased in more diluted reactions. While the high-molecular-weight (heavy) bio-oil generated at 350 degrees C, 90 min, and 1:50 m.v(-1) failed to support bacterial growth, the corresponding light bio-oil rich in aromatic monomers promoted the growth of bacteria from 9 distinct species. The isolates Pseudomonas sp. LIM05 and Burkholderia sp. LIM09 showed the best growth performance and tolerance to lignin-derived aromatics, being the most promising for the future development of biological upgrading strategies tailored for this lignin stream.
The homogeneous modification of bagasse was investigated without additional catalysts in three solvents with MA and SA as derivatizing reagents. The results indicated that derivatization of bagasse in {[
We investigated the impact of ionic strength, hardness and surfactant on the removal of the widely used drug naproxen (NAP) onto the developed porous sugarcane bagasse (PSB). The experiments demonstrated that increases in ionic strength, surfactant and hardness impacted on the removal of NAP from aqueous phase. The surface of the developed materials showed very high (52 \%) carbon content and low (2.3 \%) moisture content. The presence of hydroxyl and carboxylate groups might be responsible for the removal of NAP, as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic study. The developed material showed relatively higher surface area of 669.76 m(2) g(-1), and pore volume of 1.15 cm(3) g(-1) with average particle size of 37.5 A mu m, justifying its utility for the adsorption process. The developed material also showed heterogeneous surface morphology and graphite-like pattern. The mechanism of adsorption was explained based on spectroscopic analysis. The computed thermodynamics parameters (Delta HA degrees A = -22.03 kJ mol(-1), Delta SA degrees A = -54.53 J mol(-1) K-1 and Delta GA degrees A = - 5.50 kJ mol(-1)) confirmed the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. Experiments were also conducted to optimize the operating parameters for maximum possible removal of NAP from aquatic environment. Regeneration of spent adsorbent was carried out using microwave irradiation, achieving similar to 83.11 \% desorption. The energy recovered from the loaded NAP in terms of higher heating value was 14.15 MJ kg(-1), further enhancing its utilization. The low cost of PSB (USD 19.49) also justifies its utilization for wastewater treatment from the economic perspective.
The present work aimed at establishing an efficient degradation and energy recovery system form sugarcane bagasse (SCB) through hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment, thermophilic hydrogen production and mesophilic methane production. The degradation ratio of HPAC pretreated SCB (HPAC-SCB, 2\%, w/v) exceeded 90\% under the biological hydrolysis of C. thermocellum without enzyme addition. The hydrogen yield in the co-culture fermentation of T. thermosaccharolyticum and C. thermocellum from HPAC-SCB (2\%, w/v) reached 226 mL/g substrate. The long-term hydrogen fermentation was successfully established with 1.59 L/(L.d), 0.159 L/g substrate for average hydrogen productivity and yield, respectively. Methane production of 0.341 L/g COD (chemical oxygen demand) added was recovered by semi-continuous methane fermentation from hydrogen-producing effluent at 12 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT). Average energy recovery of 8.79 MJ/kg SCB was obtained under the optimal conditions. The present work indicated the promising application of the established process in valorization of lignocellulosic bio-waste. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Waste straw biomass is an abundant renewable bioresource raw material on Earth. Its stubborn wooden cellulose structure limits straw lignocellulose bioconversion into value-added products (e.g., biofuel, chemicals, and agricultural products). Compared to physicochemical and other preprocessing techniques, the steam explosion method, as a kind of hydrothermal method, was considered as a practical, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method to overcome the above-mentioned barriers during straw lignocellulose bioconversion. Steam explosion pretreatment of straw lignocellulose can effectively improve the conversion efficiency of producing biofuels and value-added chemicals and is expected to replace fossil fuels and partially replace traditional chemical fertilizers. Although the principles of steam explosion destruction of lignocellulosic structures for bioconversion to liquid fuels and producing solid biofuel were well known, applications of steam explosion in productions of value-added chemicals, organic fertilizers, biogas, etc. were less identified. Therefore, this review provides insights into advanced methods of utilizing steam explosion for straw biomass conversion as well as their corresponding processes and mechanisms. Finally, the current limitations and prospects of straw biomass conversion with steam explosion technology were elucidated.
This work describes the synthesis of glycerol-derived polyurethane nanocomposite films containing unmodified cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) or hexamethylene diisocyanate-modified cellulose nanowhiskers ((CNW)-C-HDI) as a mechanical support. Cellulose was prepared from sugarcane bagasse using a delignification and whitening approach that is wholly free of chlorine. CNW's were obtained by acid hydrolysis in hydrochloric acid. The formation of nanocomposites was demonstrated by NMR, TEM, FTIR and WAXD. The films with different concentrations of CNW and (CNW)-C-HDI were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, and stress-strain measurements. The samples experienced plastic deformation as subjected to an increasing elongation load, and right after yield limit, they fractured without necking. In such a case, the limit tension, which is the maximum stress supported by the sample, matches with the rupture tension. Polyurethane nanocomposites with CNW (CNW-PU) showed values of modulus of elasticity and tensile strength higher than (CNW)-C-HDI-PU.
Microbial lipids were produced by both rice straw hydrolysates and recycled pretreated glycerol. First, lipid fermentation of glucose via Cryptococcus curvatus was optimized by response surface methodology. Variables were selected by Plackett-Burman design, and optimized by central composite design, achieving 4.9 g/L total lipid and 0.16 g/g lipid yield, and increased further as glucose increased from 30 to 50 g/L. Secondly, after pretreatment, 72\% lignin of rice straw was removed with glucose yield increased by 2.4 times to 74\% at 20\% substrate and 3 FPU/g. Subsequently, its hydrolysates produced high total lipid (8.8 g/L) and lipid yield (0.17 g/g). Finally, recycled glycerol reached the maximum total lipid of 7.2 g/L and high lipid yield of 0.16 g/g. Based on the calculation, 2.9 g total lipid would be produced from 1 g rice straw and the recycled glycerol, with a similar composition to soybean oil.
The world has been searching for clean and renewable alternatives to provide new materials and energy and, consequently reducing the dependence on petroleum fossil fuels. Sugarcane has become an important raw ma-terial as a solution for this demand since it is grown in more than 100 countries and can potentially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this context, the production of biomaterials and biofuels and their effective use are promising ways to reach these goals. Brazilian government policies have created the optimal scenario to consolidate the first sugarcane 1G biorefinery with biofuels, sugar and bioelectricity production, trying to reach sustainable and low-cost solutions. After the establishment of the 1G technology, the 2G and 3G technologies are being developed, bringing new possibilities for value-added biochemicals production, in integrated systems with minimized emissions with a non-waste vison and circular bioeconomy. This review presents the current status and future perspectives of sugarcane as a potential biofactory. The present and future of Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery are discussed in terms of the exploitation of sugarcane, research and innovation with the integrated production of sugar, biofuels, bioelectricity, biopolymers, organic acids, enzymes and other biomolecules, as well as the use of process-generated liquid and solid by-products and/or wastes.
The experimental research, process design principles, and engineering practice of a bagasse pulp production line that could run both totally chlorine-free (OP)Q(PO) and elemental chlorine-free (OP)D(EOP) bleaching sequences are discussed in this paper. Under specified process conditions, the oxygen delignification rate was up to 50\% and the brightness of unbleached pulp increased. The (OP)Q(PO) sequence bleached pulp had a brightness of 83.1\% ISO and an intrinsic viscosity of 888 mL/g, and the (OP)D(EOP) sequence bleached pulp had a brightness of 85.7\% ISO and an intrinsic viscosity of 905 mL/g. Pulp quality produced from both bleaching sequences was better than pulp bleached by the chlorination, alkaline extraction, and hypochlorite (CEH) sequence. The wastewater was discharged only from the Q or D stage, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of Q or D stage was about 650 mg/L or 1100 mg/L, respectively. It was easy to alternate between these two bleaching sequences, and the bleached pulp quality from these sequences was stable.
In the present study, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse, poppy capsule pulp, and rice husk were conducted in a fixed bed reactor at 550 degrees C in nitrogen atmosphere. The moisture (5\%-8\%), ash (4\%-17\%), volatile matter (60\%-76\%), and fixed carbon analyses (11\%-24\%) of the utilized biomass were conducted. The decomposition behavior of biomasses due to the heat effect was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis . In the pyrolysis of biomasses separately, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with sugarcane bagasse (27.4\%). In the co-pyrolysis of the binary blends of biomass, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with the rice husk and sugarcane bagasse blends. While the mean bio-oil yield obtained with the separate pyrolysis of these two biomasses was 23.9\%, it was observed that the bio-oil yield obtained with the co-pyrolysis of biomass blends was 28.4\%. This suggested a synergistic interaction between the two biomasses during pyrolysis. It was observed that as the total ash content in the biomasses used in the pyrolysis increased, the bio-oil yield decreased, and the solid product content increased. Characterization studies of bio-oils were conducted by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Results of these studies revealed that, all bio-oils were mainly composed of aliphatic and oxygenated compounds. The calorific values of bio-oils were determined by calorimeter bomb. Based on the GC-MS, the bio-oils with high fatty acid and its ester content also had high calorific values. The highest calorific value was 29.68 MJ kg(-1), and this was obtained by pyrolysis of poppy capsule and sugarcane bagasse blend.
This work describes the on-line characterization of minor flavones from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) juice by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array UV detection and mass spectrometry (LC/UV/MS) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-collision-induced dissociation (APCI-CID-MS/MS) and post-column derivatization using UV shift reagents. HPLC-UV analysis with shift reagents provided information about the substitution pattern in the flavonoid skeleton and, combined with MS data, these techniques allowed for the on-line identification of five ``garapa{''
Lignin has been considered as a promising sustainable feedstock for high value-added aromatic chemical production. Here, we propose a novel and efficient process for lignin depolymerization in the presence of cooperative ionic liquid pair, which affords excellent catalytic activity and char inhibition capability. Under the optimized reaction condition, 66.7\% lignin conversion is achieved, yielding 14.5 wt.\% phenolic monomer, numerous volatile products (identified by GC-MS) and negligible char formation. The structural evolution of the sugarcane lignin was intensively investigated via comparative characterization of raw and regenerated lignin using HSQC, H-1 NMR, FT-IR, GPC and elemental analysis. All three structural lignin units are degraded in this process, where, H-lignin is found to be the most susceptible. Satisfactory lignin depolymerization performance was found for the cooperative ionic liquid system, even after the fifth run, demonstrating a reasonable reusability.
Lignocellulosic biomass provides attractive nonfood carbohydrates for the production of ethanol, and dilute acid pretreatment is a biomass-independent process for access to these carbohydrates. However, this pretreatment also releases volatile and nonvolatile inhibitors of fermenting microorganisms. To identify unique gene products contributing to sensitivity/tolerance to nonvolatile inhibitors, ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain LY180 was adapted for growth in vacuum-treated sugarcane bagasse acid hydrolysate (VBHz) lacking furfural and other volatile inhibitors. A mutant, strain AQ15, obtained after approximately 500 generations of growth in VBHz, grew and fermented the sugars in a medium with 50\% VBHz. Comparative genome sequence analysis of strains AQ15 and LY180 revealed 95 mutations in strain AQ15. Six of these mutations were also found in strain SL112, an independent inhibitor-tolerant derivative of strain LY180. Among these six mutations, null mutations in mdh and bacA were identified as contributing factors to VBHz tolerance in strain AQ15, based on the genetic and physiological analysis. The deletion of either gene in strain LY180 increased tolerance to VBHz from approximately 30-50\% (vol/vol). Considering the location and physiological role of the two enzymes in the cell, it is likely that the two enzymes contribute to the VBHz sensitivity of ethanologenic E. coli by different mechanisms.
. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet have been considered as potential energy crops. They have many advantages in terms of ethanol production compared to corn and sugarcane, such as lower requirements for water and fertilizers, higher tolerance to drought, and lower competition with the food sector. Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet stems are rich in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) (sucrose, fructose, and glucose), and their biomass has to be crushed for juice extraction. However, the extraction efficiency of WSC varied widely depending on the press type used and the parameters considered during the pressing process (stripping stems from leaves or not, compressive force magnitude, smooth or grooved press rollers, number of times of biomass pressing, etc.). WSCs are easily degradable, causing technical challenges related to crop handling before pressing and juice storage thereafter. Some studies focused on stem preserving methods, whereas others dealt with extending the shelf life of the juice. To make the use of sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet as energy crops more profitable, the bagasse (residue) generated from biomass pressing can be valorized in different ways, mainly as silage or for second generation ethanol production. The objective of this review was to assess the efficiency of different presses used for juice extraction and discuss various methods tested for WSC conservation from deterioration as well as possible bagasse valorization.
The conversion of plant-based lignocellulosic materials into alternative fuels entails various pretreatment strategies (chemical, physico-chemical or enzymatic) to boost the release of sugar constituents from biomass. This investigation reports the influence of different pretreatment techniques such as acid, alkali and steam treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis in single and (or) consolidated system, for releasing fermentable reducing sugars from sugarcane bagasse (SB) and corn cobs (CC) (major agricultural residues). Alkaline pretreatment facilitated maximal lignin removal, 83.2 and 69.4\% from CC and SB, respectively, thereby expediting enzymatic hydrolysis by in-house xylanases produced from indigenously isolated Aspergillus tubingensis strains, AUMS60 (Xyn60) and AUMS64 (Xyn64A, B). The major operating conditions for enzymatic treatment of raw and pretreated residues were set at a substrate loading of 2\% (w/v), an enzyme loading of 100-500 U g(-1) substrate and incubation at 40 degrees C, 140 rpm for 72 h. Treatment with Xyn60 and Xyn64A, B resulted in 81.4\% (72 h) and 75.9\% (24 h) saccharification of delignified SB and CC, respectively. Scanning electron micrographs and Fourier transform infrared spectra corroborated structural deformations induced by physico-chemical pretreatment processes, thereby validating the maximal enzymatic hydrolysis of delignified substrates. The analysis of enzyme hydrolysis products suggested higher saccharification of hemicellulosic fraction as compared with cellulose. The observations of the present study signify that the thermotolerant in-house enzymes show great potential in the saccharification of lignocelluloses within a short span of time and may open a new vista for biomass valorization in the bioenergy sector. (c) 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.
This study represents an integrated and sustainable approach to mine fullest potential of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) for the production of bio-H-2 and bioethanol along with organic farming. Experiments were designed in three phases, where feasibility of bio-H-2 production was initially evaluated with pure xylose and further validated with real field feedstock (i.e, SCB). Acid pretreatment of SCB with 2\% H2SO4 (v/v) yielded xylose rich hydrolysate (21.8 g xylose/100 g SCB), which was subjected to dark fermentation for bio-H-2 and VFA production. Heatpretreated inoculum at pH 7.0 showed maximum bio-H2 fraction of 34.2\% (v/v) with corresponding volumetric yield of 204.5 mL H-2/g xylose. 5200 mg/L of VFA was noted with butyrate and acetate as the major fermentative metabolites. The unhydrolysed biomass recovered after acid hydrolysis of SCB was further subjected to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for bioethanol production. SSF of cellulose rich recovered biomass with cellulase enzyme showed 86.56\% (w/w) depolymerization of cellulose into glucose and production of 241.2 mg ethanol/g treated SCB by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lastly acidogenic effluent (AE) from bio-H-2 production process was utilized as phosphate solubilizing organic fertilizer for the cultivation of chick pea (Cicer arietinum). Regular supplementation of AE showed beneficial effect on phosphate solubilization in soil and uptake by plants. The obtained results confirm the feasible utilization of segregated streams of SCB for bio-H2 and bioethanol production with integrated organic farming in a closed loop approach. This integrated strategy would extract maximum potential of the agri-biomass feedstock with net-zero waste discharge.
The development of viable biorefinery routes for the valorization of lignocellulosics into usable products remains a challenge. Despite the significant progress in lignin valorization using the lignin-first approach or lignin-stabilization strategy, a number of issues still remain including poor monomer yield with grasses and the use of toxic chemicals and H-2 with high pressure. Herein, we report a highly effective oxidation-hydrogenation catalytic process for the complete depolymerization of sugarcane bagasse using Pd/C in the presence of atmospheric pressure O-2 and alcohol as a solvent. Under the optimum reaction conditions, 31.7 wt\% of ferulic acid (FA) and p-coumaric acid (pCA) derived aromatic esters and 25.8 wt\% of other four aromatic monomers were obtained based on the lignin content. In this one step approach, molecular O-2 adsorbed on the catalyst surface enhanced the formation of atomic hydrogen by alcohol oxidation, and hence improved the efficiency of the overall reductive depolymerization process. A linear correlation between the pCA content and its corresponding ester was obtained irrespective of the biomass source or whether the lignin is in the native or technical form. Another feature of this process is the separation of methylated mono-sugar derivatives and a cellulose-rich solid fraction that is readily fermentable. A plausible reaction mechanism was hypothesized which indicates that the carbon defect on the surface and the enhanced oxygen content are strongly correlated with the high activity of the Pd/C catalyst.
To improve the financial sustainability and business management of composting facilities, mostly small-scale and manually operated facilities, the simultaneous optimization of the process and quality of the final product must be prioritized. This study used artificial neural networks (ANNs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) as tools to evaluate the composting of biowaste (BW) with different cosubstrates (i. star grass (SG) and ii. a SG and sugarcane filter cake (SFC) mixture). The simulation aimed to maximize product quality in the shortest processing time by varying the mixing ratio and turning frequency. The simulation showed optimal conditions with a turning frequency of twice per week with the following mixtures: (i) BW:SG (72.9:27.1), 76 days of processing; and (ii) BW:SFC:SG (60:16:24), 88 days of processing. The results showed the effect of the type of carbon source in the cosubstrates on the retention time, which may imply the need for a larger area in composting facilities. On the other hand, the findings show that a minimum time is required to achieve a product that meets quality standards, although a longer processing time reduces the agricultural value of the compost. This model can be used to define design criteria and operating conditions and select a cosubstrate that can contribute to improving the agricultural quality of the final product. {[
Agricultural by-products can be upcycled into environmentally-sustainable, inexpensive chitinous materials and nanofibers derived from fungal mycelium for composites, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and water treatment applications. This study determined the suitability of common agricultural by-products as medium for fungal growth. Growth was measured by quantifying ergosterol, a unique fungal product, in solid and liquid media. The results reveal that fungi grew less on rice hull, sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw agricultural by-products than on commercial wheat grains. However, the liquid agricultural by-product blackstrap molasses facilitated very high biomass production, outperforming the commonly used laboratory nutrient malt extract. Hyphal fusion, sheet formation and hyphal diameter metrics of fungi growing on each substrate were evaluated by SEM to assess suitability for chitin nanofiber production. Utilising these materials offers a cheap, renewable, easily-isolated, and abundant alternative to problematic crustacean chitin that when implemented on a large scale could rapidly upcycle low-value agricultural by-products into high-value chitinous materials.
Agro-industrial wastes provide potential sources of carbon for production of fungal enzymes applied for various biotechnological applications. In this study, 23 strains of Aspergillus niger were systematically investigated for their capability on production of carbohydrate-processing enzymes used in industries. The strains were grown on glucose or selected agricultural wastes comprising varied chemical compositions as the sole carbon source. As a control, glucose induced basal activities of amylase, pectinase, and xylanase in only a few strains, while the CMCase, beta-glucanase, and invertase activities were detected only when the carbon source was switched to the agro-industrial biomass. According to one-way ANOVA analysis, banana peels containing lignocellulosic components with high pectin and starch contents with its easily digestible nature, were found to be the best carbon source for inducing production of most target enzymes, while the cellulose-rich sugarcane bagasse efficiently promoted maximal levels of beta-glucanase and xylanase activities. The starch fiber-rich cassava pulp also effectively supported the activities of amylase and most other enzymes, but at relatively lower levels compared to those obtained with banana peel. The A. niger TL11 strain was considered the most potent strain for production of all target enzymes with the CMCase, xylanase, pectinase, beta-glucanase, amylase, and invertase activities of 76.15, 601.59, 160.89, 409.20, 426.73, and 1186.94 U/mL, respectively. The results provide insights into the efficiency of various carbon sources with different chemical compositions on inducing the target enzymes as well as the dissimilarity of A. niger strains on the production of different carbohydrate-processing enzymes.
Fulvic acids are highly beneficial molecules promoting several soil functions such as nutrient absorption, metal transportation and improving soil structure. These activities are assisted by their molecular structure upon interaction with soil medium. The present study describes the isolation of fulvic acids (FA) from mature marine fish waste and sugarcane bagasse co-compost using alkaline extraction method and studying its molecular and structural characteristics using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. UV-visible spectroscopic analysis of fulvic acids revealed presence of absorption peak at 264 nm due to characteristics of double bonds of aromatic or unsaturated compounds. Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis of fulvic acids showed emission (455 nm) and excitation (395 nm) spectrum respectively. The photometric ratio (E-4/E-6) and fluorescence index (FI) confirmed high humification degree of FA. The low color co-ordinate values (L{*
In Mexico, the generation of agave bagasse (AB) has increased considerably in recent years, given the growing global demand for tequila and other products from agave plants; around 45 thousand tons of AB are produced monthly only from tequila production. Despite the potential of AB to produce high-value metabolites, its use is limited. Several efforts have been made to mitigate the environmental problem caused by the final disposition of AB; however, the use of AB to produce enzymes has not been widely explored. This work presents a comparative analysis of the bioconversion of AB by Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium citrinum to produce cellulases and xylanases by solid-state fermentation, using wheat straw (WS) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as control feedstocks. The highest cellulase productions were obtained on AB with 10,112 and 7,347 U/kg of AB by P. citrinum and A. fumigatus, respectively. Regarding the xylanase production, the best producer was A. fumigatus (125,250 U/kg of WS), while the maximum xylanase production on AB was 28,974 U/kg of AB by P. citrinum. These results show the promising potential of AB to produce lignocellulase enzymes and open the vision towards implementing a circular economy strategy around the agave plant transformation. {[
Phanerochaete chrysosporium was used to investigate the degradation of bagasse and the activities of cellulase and f3-glucosidase in a Cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil. The soil was treated with sugarcane bagasse (5\%) and the experiment was performed as a repeated measures design with three factors, a Cd treatment (0, 20 and 40mg Cd kg-1), addition of fungi (inoculation with P. chrysosporium and uninoculated) and experimental duration (sampling at days 1, 20, 50 and 90) with three replicates. At the end of the experiment, the concentration of Lignocellulosic compounds, carbon fractions, Cd availability, biological properties and f3-glucosidase and cellulase activity were measured. A higher Cd bioavailability (40mg Cd kg-1 compared to 20mg Cd kg-1 with a control) resulted in lower enzyme activity, lower carbon fractions (cold and hot water extractable and peroxidizable carbon), lower soil biological properties (soil respiration and soil microbial carbon) and lower degradation of bagasse (higher amount of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin). Fungal inoculation and incubation time resulted in these properties being modified to some extent. Lignocellulosic compounds decreased during the incubation and in fungus-inoculated treatments, indicating bagasse degradation. The activity of enzymes was higher in fungus-inoculated treatments (7.12 \& mu;g PNG g-1 soil-1 h-1 for f3-glucosidase and 0.17 \& mu;mol min-1 for cellulase) than in uninoculated treatments (6.39 \& mu;g PNG g-1 soil-1 h-1 for f3-glucosidase and 0.13 \& mu;mol min-1 for cellulase). P. chrysosporium effectively degraded sugarcane bagasse, even in Cd polluted soil. However, a decrease in Cd availability occurred from day 1 to day 90, but the activity of the different enzymes did not increase as much as might have been expected. For each Cd level, the concentration of lignocellulosic compounds probably had more of an effect on enzyme activity than the bioavailability of Cd.
An alcoholic fermentation process is described, involving molasses, the main by-product of the sugar industry, blended with crude olive oil mill wastewaters (OOMWs) and immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells on delignified cellulosic material (DCM). For comparison, fermentations with free cells were also carried out. Initially, the optimum blending mixture for molasses dilution was sought after, while at a second step repeated batch fermentations at a temperature range 5-30 degrees C were performed to monitor the operational stability of the system. A 1/1 ratio of OOMWs/tap water blending mixture and cell immobilization resulted in higher fermentation parameters. Ethanol concentration and daily productivity values recorded at temperatures >= 20 degrees C (up to 67.8 g L-1 and 67.6 g L-1 d(-1), respectively) could be adopted by the industrial sector, although the decline in fermentation efficiency observed, probably due to the toxicity effects of OOMWs. Finally, the potential of OOMWs treatment for ethanol production is highlighted and assessed.
Composites were manufactured from glass fiber, bagasse fly ash, and epoxy matrix and examined their mechanical and physical properties. The percentages of bagasse fine ash, glass fiber, and matrix were designed at 10\%, 15\%, 20\%, 25\%, and 30\% with 30\% glass fiber and conducted density, flexural strength, hardness, absorption of water, and swelling properties of thickness. Composites were prepared by manual layering. ASTM standards were followed in preparing the samples. According to the results, the bagasse fine ash percentage variation was significant in the composite but had no linear effects on its hardness and flexural strength. A 20\% bagasse fine ash composite had the highest flexural strength and hardness at 27.65 MPa and 52.86 HRA, respectively, which are significantly (>0.002) higher than composites of 30\% bagasse fine ash, along with the highest density. This study measured water absorption and swelling of composite samples immersed in distilled water for 192 h. As the bagasse ash content increases, these values were linearly increased until saturation occurs.
The production of biofuels using sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as substrate can be considered an environmentally friendly approach, due to the possibility of combining energy production with the reuse of agroindustrial wastes. This study was undertaken to explore the applicability of a new extract with the enzymes (Lac(mix)) isolated from Chaetomium cupreum for SCB pretreatment. Lac(mix) was more active at pH of 2.2 to 4 and 50 to 60 degrees C. Further, the individual and mutual effects of SCB concentration (6.6 to 23.4 g L- 1), enzyme concentration (0.066 to 0.234 U L- 1), and incubation time of the SCB with Lac(mix) (19 to 221 min) on SCB pretreatment were evaluated using a response surface methodology and central composite design. The optimized conditions were 23.4 g L- 1 SCB, 0.234 U mL(- 1) laccases, and 2.44 h resulting in 547 +/- 108 mg L- 1 of total sugars. This value agrees with the predicted value (455 +/- 41 mg L- 1) by the statistical model. Through the SCB pretreated with Lac(mix) fermentation, 96.1\% more H-2 and 22.5\% more organic acids were observed compared to SCB without pretreatment. Therefore, laccases improve delignification, maximizing biomass fermentation for biofuel production.
Thraustochytrid, Aurantiochytrium sp., produces various lipids such as polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and other hydrocarbons, which are useful in the fields of health foods, cosmetics, fine chemicals, and biofuels. Lignocellulosic biomass, which is abundant and cheap, is a promising feedstock for producing cheaper bulk and high-value-added products using Aurantiochytrium sp. However, the steam explosion of lignocellulosic biomass for efficient enzymatic saccharification generates substances that inhibit the growth of microorganisms. In this study, the inhibitory activities of these by-products on the growth and lipid production of Aurantiochytrium sp. were investigated. Aurantiochytrium sp. was found to be highly sensitive to furfural and vanillin and moderately sensitive to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and syringaldehyde. Washing steam-exploded bagasse with water, followed by activated charcoal treatment, significantly reduced furfural, which was a major inhibitory component in the saccharified solution.
The aim of this work was to obtain the Weed infestation patterns in sugarcane plantation with a history of mechanical harvest without previous straw burning. Twenty-eight plots were chosen in the Ribeirao Preto region, in the state of Sao Paulo, with evaluation and collection units being demarcated in each plot, in a proportion of two per hectare, which consisted of areas (4 rows of 4 meters in length) maintained free of any weed control method. Samplings were carried out at 120 days after cut with quadrants (0.5 m x 0.5 m) cast twice at random at each evaluation and collection unit. The following phytosociological indices were calculated from the obtained data: relative importance and aggregation index of species or group of species. Grouping analysis was carried out utilizing as the similarity coefficient the Euclidian distance and the Unweighted Pair-Group Method using arithmetic averages. It was possible to distinguish four groups as a function of relative importance and five plot groups as a function of the aggregation index, with formation of subgroups within some groups.
Filamentous fungi are prolific producers of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and important agents that carry out plant cell wall degradation in natural environments. The number of fungal species is frequently reported in the millions range, with a huge diversity and genetic variability, reflecting on a vast repertoire of CAZymes that these organisms can produce. In this study, we evaluated the ability of previously selected ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi to produce plant cell wall-degrading enzyme (PCWDE) activities and the potential of the culture supernatants to increase the efficiency of the Cellic (R) CTec2/HTec2 for steam-exploded sugarcane straw saccharification. The culture supernatant of Penicillium ochrochloron RLS11 showed a promising supplementation effect on Cellic (R) CTec2/HTec2, and we conducted the whole-genome sequencing and proteomic analysis for this fungus. The size of the assembled genome was 38.06 Mbp, and a total of 12,015 protein-coding genes were identified. The repertoire of PCWDE-coding genes was comparatively high among Penicillium spp. and showed an expansion in important cellulases and xylanases families, such as GH3, GH6, GH7, and GH11. The proteomic analysis indicated cellulases that probably enhanced the biomass saccharification performance of the Cellic (R) CTec2/HTec2, which included enzymes from GH3, GH6, and GH7 families.
Organosolv lignin is an emerging bio-additive for creating functional properties in various products with its advantages in high-purity, sulfur-free, biocompatibility, and solubility in green solvents. In this study, effects of thermal and physical modification on alterations of functional properties and particle size distribution of isolated organosolv lignin from sugarcane bagasse (OLB) were studied. Thermal treatment of OLB at increasing temperatures from 170 to 230 degrees C in 70\%w/w aqueous ethanol led to alteration of phenolic hydroxyl content, while ultrasonication resulted in homogeneous size distribution of the modified OLB according to laser diffraction and scanning electron micrograph. The highest ultraviolet light absorbance and antioxidant activities were obtained at 190 degrees C treatment which were correlated to the highest phenolic group content. Application of the modified OLB at 3\% w/w in a base cream formulation resulted in enhancement of the anti-UV activity to exceed SPF 50 with increasing antioxidant activity in the product. The work provides basis on modification of organosolv lignin for application as a potent functional additive in cosmeceutical products.
Straw return has positive effect on improving soil ecological environment, and now there are serious ecological problems of arable land in China. Therefore, the concept of basic straw returning amount (BSRA) was put forward based on soil protection functions, and literature review and scenario analysis method were adapted to design BSRA. Based on this, a bottom up dynamic accounting model was built, which considering the changes of sown area, unit crop yield, planting structure and crop straw utilization. Then, the model was applied to assess the potentials of straw resources for bioenergy production. Usable straw resources in low, middle and high BSRA scenario (Table 1) are 265.70,180.25 and 117.51 Tg respectively in 2030, mainly composed of paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) stalk, maize (Zea mays L.) stalk and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) stalk in low and middle scenario, and maize stalk, potato stalk and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) stalk in high scenario. Available crop residues mainly distribute in Sichuan, Henan, Heilongjiang and Shandong Province under the three scenarios. There will be interzone spatial transfer of usable straw resources, over time, mainly transferring to Northeast China, North China and Northwest China. The usable straw amount will have shape decrease in August and September as the increase of BSRA.
This paper presents a research on the environmental impacts of particleboards produced from wastes, based on a comparative Life Cycle Assessment study. The particleboards were manufactured in laboratorial scale from the following residues: sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum spp.) and pine wood shavings (Pinus elliottii). The study was developed following the methodological guidelines of ISO 14040. The functional unit adopted was the m(2) of the particleboards produced and the impacts were evaluated by the Environmental Development of Industrial Products method. The results indicated that pine particleboard present the highest environmental impact potential. Our findings suggested that the factors that mostly aggravated the environmental impacts were: the distance between the raw materials and the production site, and formaldehyde emissions (FE). The first is related to the combustion of fossil fuel during the acquisition of raw material, which achieved the values of 2185.94 g/m(2) for consumption of non-renewable resources for pine particleboard and 893.53 g/m(2) for bagasse particleboard. The second is related to the use of urea-formaldehyde resin, responsible for the FE into the air during production. The FE is accountable for the contamination of approximately 7,800,000.00 m(3) of air per m(2) of particleboard produced, and was the factor with the greatest impact in human toxicity potential. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The present research aims to propose a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) between the coffee capsules recycling process and the process of obtaining composites with coffee capsule outer packaging reinforced with 5 and 10\% m/m of sugarcane bagasse fibers to evaluate the environmental impacts of each approach. The impact categories taken into consideration were: global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, ozone formation, acidification and eutrophication, terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecotoxicity, human carcinogenic toxicity, and human non-carcinogenic toxicity. The LCA of these materials show that obtaining composites process have favorable results in terms of environmental impacts compared to the recycling process of a coffee capsule in all impact categories. The values of acidification and eutrophication for the obtaining composites process were due to fertilizers' use to cultivate sugarcane bagasse used to obtain the composite. The contribution analysis showed that the increase of fiber content decreases the amount of coffee capsule outer packaging necessary to acquire the composite and, consequently, reduces the environmental impacts caused by the process. GHG emissions indicated that the recycling process of coffee capsule residues has a higher CO2 eq emission. It was possible to observe that all analyses showed that the environmental performance of the process of obtaining composites of coffee capsule residues reinforced with sugarcane bagasse leads to a more sustainable approach when compared with the process of recycling coffee capsules, which is a sustainable alternative for recycling polymeric materials.
Formiline pretreatment pertains to a biomass fractionation process. In the present work, Formiline-pretreated sugarcane bagasse was hydrolyzed with cellulases by batch and multi-step fed-batch processes at 20\% solid loading. For wet pulp, after 144 h incubation with cellulase loading of 10 FPU/g dry solid, fed-batch process obtained similar to 150 g/L glucose and similar to 80\% glucan conversion, while batch process obtained similar to 130 g/L glucose with corresponding similar to 70\% glucan conversion. Solid loading could be further increased to 30\% for the acetone-dried pulp. By fed-batch hydrolysis of the dried pulp in pH 4.8 buffer solution, glucose concentration could be 247.3 +/- 1.6 g/L with corresponding 86.1 +/- 0.6\% glucan conversion. The enzymatic hydrolyzates could be well converted to ethanol by a subsequent fermentation using Saccharomices cerevisiae with ethanol titer of 60-70 g/L. Batch and fed-batch SSF indicated that Formiline-pretreated substrate showed excellent fermentability. The final ethanol concentration was 80 g/L with corresponding 82.7\% of theoretical yield. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This review discusses the relative merits of sweet sorghum and sugarcane crops for the expanding bioethanol sector in Nigeria. We have compared, from a number of perspectives, sugarcane molasses and sweet sorghum stalk juice as biomass sources for Nigerian fuel alcohol fermentations and the findings indicate that sweet sorghum is most suited in terms of the adaptability of this crop to harsh climatic and cultivation conditions. In terms of environmental impact, sweet sorghum cultivation is more water efficient, requires less energy input, fertilization and agrochemical application. The concept of life cycle analysis was used to compare the environmental, social and economic impacts of using sweet sorghum stalk juice and sugarcane molasses. Sweet sorghum represents a more favourable biomass source and there is great potential for sustainable development and utilization of sweet sorghum for bioenergy production in Nigeria. However, there is need for well defined, structured, coordinated, targeted and monitored scientific efforts and investments in order to realize maximum associated benefits.
Background: Liquid vinasse (LV) has probiotic properties and low pH. It is fed to animals as a solution to the disposal problem of this by-product. Objective: To evaluate the effects of increasing dietary levels of LV on growing performance, egg quality and economic viability for Japanese quails. Methods: One hundred sixty Japanese quails were included in a randomized study with five dietary treatments and four replicates per treatment. The treatments consisted of adding 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10\% LV to a commercial quail feed for 84 d. Results: The LV inclusion resulted in a linear decrease in daily intake of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), gross energy, calcium, phosphorus, and in the feed conversion ratio. However, it resulted in a linear increase in egg-specific weight, eggshell weight, CP content in the DM, and a quadratic change in the ether extract content of the egg. The price per dozen eggs decreased linearly with the inclusion of LV. Conclusion: The best results were obtained by adding 10\% LV, which made egg production more profitable.
Sourced from biomass as a byproduct from cellulose separation, lignin has the potential to be valorized as a bioproduct. A low-pressure process that uses ecofriendly chemicals to separate out lignin from waste biomass has been investigated. Deep eutectic solvents are biodegradable, low volatility solvents that are capable of biomass deconstruction, even of recalcitrant secondary agricultural residues from food processing. In this study, lignin has been extracted from sugarcane bagasse and coffee chaff using deep eutectic solvents. In addition, lignin from sugarcane bagasse has been carboxymethylated. These lignins were added to cement to explore their effect on workability of the mix, and subsequent compressive strength and porosity. Pretreatment with deep eutectic solvent was found to successfully extract lignin-rich material from sugarcane bagasse and coffee chaff. These lignins extracted from waste biomass were found to be feasible plasticizer candidates, since when used as plasticizers at 0.3 wt\% they increased the workability of cement paste. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Ethanol production implies in by-products generation, mainly vinasse and stillage, respectively generated from sugarcane and corn ethanol production in flex plants. Both by-products require efficient treatment routes to avoid environmental side-effects to support energy recovery. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the techno-economic potential of bioenergy (electric and thermal energy) production from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of vinasse and stillage. Three scenarios were defined: (a) Scenario 1, AD of vinasse; (b) Scenario 2, AD of stillage; and (c) Scenario 3, AD of vinasse and stillage in an integrated process. From the results, the methane production was estimated at 3.8 x 106 m3 year-1 considering the AD of stillage and vinasse in Scenario 3. The electricity and thermal energy generation was estimated as 14.61 GWh year-1 and 1.37 x 105 GJ year-1, respectively. This energy would mitigate 1096.05 and 7659.27 ton CO2eq year-1 when replacing fossil fuel energy. The profitability analysis indicated a positive net present value in the scenarios evaluated, however, the highest value was achieved for Scenario 3 (7,890,407.44 USD). For the integrated process, an internal return rate of 86.87\% and a payback of 0.68 year were observed. The sensitivity analysis showed that the project profitability is highly dependent on electricity and thermal energy selling prices. In conclusion, AD demonstrated to be a feasible alternative for vinasse and stillage management in an integrated process, being a sustainable technology to the circular economy transition and energy matrix decarbonization.
Air-dried samples of sweet sorghum, sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, maize leaves and silphium were utilized without chemical pretreatment as sole energy and carbon sources for H-2 production by the extreme thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. The specific H-2 production rates and yields were determined in the batch fermentation process. The best substrate was wheat straw, with H-2 production capacity of 44.7 L H-2 (kg dry biomass)(-1) and H-2 yield of 3.8 mol H-2 (mol glucose)(-1). Enzymatically pretreated maize leaves exhibited H-2 production of 38 L H-2 (kg dry biomass)(-1). Slightly less H-2 was obtained from homogenized whole plants of sweet sorghum. Sweet sorghum juice was an excellent H-2 source. Silphium trifoliatum was also fermented though with a moderate production. The results showed that drying is a good storage method and raw plant biomass can be utilized efficiently for thermophilic H-2 production. The data were critically compared with recently published observations. (C) 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane plays a central role in sugar and ethanol production. Ethanol from sugarcane is considered sustainable since lignocellulosic residues can increase crop productivity without altering planted areas, providing a valuable portion of the compensation for carbon dioxide emissions caused by fossil fuels. In this way, developing biotechnologies applied to increase sugarcane productivity is essential, especially in coping with stressful environments, which may cause a loss of productivity. This review first scrutinizes the literature to analyze the international collaborations among researchers working with sugarcane biotechnology, driven by sugarcane-producing countries, to understand its biochemical and molecular physiology associated with local environmental features. We then examine the literature to highlight some scientific improvements related to genetics and genomics and the use of omics tools for understanding sugarcane physiology. These new technologies have helped improve sugarcane's physiological performance, addressing increased productivity without expanding the planting area, to important traits for resistance to stresses associated with global climate change. However, one of the most critical challenges remains the sequencing of the sugarcane genome, which still needs to be improved for precise genetic engineering strategies. We conclude that systems biology approaches integrating large amounts of data are essential. We need integration capable of affording specific modifications in the sugarcane genome (e.g., using CRISPR-Cas9 technology) to control plant behavior precisely. Coupled with modeling tools (e.g., Integration Assessment Modeling), this approach could provide the necessary precision control of designed plants to cope with a changing environment.
Catalytic co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and polystyrene (PS) was conducted in a fixed bed reactor over microporous HZSM-5, mesoporous metal oxides (MgO, CaO) and their blends to examine the effect on pyrolytic liquid yields and quality. Though the catalyst addition decreased the liquid yield, improvement in mono-aromatic hydrocarbon yield with the least content of oxygenates was achieved in the catalytic trials. Results revealed that HZSM-5 showed maximum conversion efficiency of acids, furans and phenols acting as hydrocarbon source for aromatic production. Basic MgO, with acidic HZSM-5, was found to conduce better catalytic performance yielding improved oil quality compared to HZSM-5:CaO catalyst. Mass ratio of 1:3 HZSM-5:MgO exhibited most eminent synergistic effect with maximum (56.8 wt\%) mono-aromatic hydrocarbon (MAH) yield and lowest (20.8 wt\%) poly-aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. Additionally, increased calorific value and density upgradation comparable to standard diesel fuel quality were observed in the presence of dual catalyst layout.
Rotational molding is a polymer manufacturing technique through which hollow and seamless parts having complex geometries can be manufactured. Polyethylene, especially Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is most preferred base material for rotational molding. Bio composites of jute/LLDPE and Sugar Cane Bagasse (SCB)/LLDPE prepared using rotational molding were investigated. Investigation includes processability analysis, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. Large hollow seamless plastic products can be easily molded by rotational molding process. A determined thermal stability along with a broad processing window is some requisite variant requirement of resin needed to be incorporated for this technique. Though Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) satisfies such requirements, but it deliberately depicts deficiency in application where structural strength is an essential specification. Numerous additives and reinforcements have been evinced to satiate this void. The present study investigates the effect of Sugarcane Bagasse (SCB) and Jute as an additive with LLDPE in order to ensure requisite processibility and improvised mechanical properties and even assessing the underlying mechanism to observe the fiber dispersion for rotational molding process. Fourier Transform Infrared Technique (FTIR) and Melt Flow Index (MFI) tests were considered to verify the roto moldability for the prepared bio composites in distinguished concentrations. The results obtained were then characterized mechanically based on tensile and impact strength. Thermal Stability viz. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was also investigated to divulge the crystallinity impact of SCB and Jute with LLDPE when compared with pure matrix. Experiments revealed 5\% of fiber addition manifested an improvised effect considering roto moldability and mechanical properties of end product.
Sisal is a potential raw material for the production of bioproducts because it has high contents of cellulose and hemicellulose that generate fermentable sugars and can produce compounds of value for industrial use. The present study evaluates the structural composition of sisal bagasse to use it in the production of arabitol and xylitol. Sisal bagasse was characterized by determination of the moisture, pH, ash, soluble solids, extractives, alpha cellulose, holocellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Electron microscopy and infrared and X-ray diffraction analyses were also performed. The cell growth of the yeastDebaryomyces hanseniiin synthetic media was tested to determine the best conditions for the fermentation in the sisal bagasse hydrolysate. The results showed high amounts of hemicellulose (22.91\%) in sisal bagasse biomass when compared to sugarcane and the conversion of hemicellulose, breaking into pentoses in the hydrolysed liquor from the sisal bagasse, was efficient (liquor rich in pentoses). These evidences were obtained through analytical determinations such as SEM and physical analyses of infrared and X-ray diffraction; in addition, the results showed thatD. hanseniigave excellent arabitol production (1.14 g L-1) values in the sisal bagasse hydrolysate medium, thus demonstrating the importance of the biomass for obtaining bioproducts.
Sugarcane bagasses from three experimental sugarcane hybrids and a mill-reference sample were used to compare the efficiency and mode of action of acid and alkaline sulfite pretreatment processes. Varied chemical loads and reaction temperatures were used to prepare samples with distinguished characteristics regarding xylan and lignin removals, as well as sulfonation levels of residual lignins. The pretreatment with low sulfite loads (5\%) under acidic conditions (pH 2) provided maximum glucose yield of 70\% during enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulases (10 FPU/g) and beta-glucosidases (20 UI/g bagasse). In this case, glucan enzymatic conversion from pretreated materials was mostly associated with extensive xylan removal (70-100\%) and partial delignification occurred during the pretreatment. The use of low sulfite loads under acidic conditions required pretreatment temperatures of 160 degrees C. In contrast, at a lower pretreatment temperature (120 degrees C), alkaline sulfite process achieved similar glucan digestibility, but required a higher sulfite load (7.5\%). Residual xylans from acid pretreated materials were almost completely hydrolysed by commercial enzymes, contrasting with relatively lower xylan to xylose conversions observed in alkaline pretreated samples. Efficient xylan removal during acid sulfite pretreatment and during enzymatic digestion can be useful to enhance glucan accessibility and digestibility by cellulases. Alkaline sulfite process also provided substrates with high glucan digestibility, mainly associated with delignification and sulfonation of residual lignins. The results demonstrate that temperature, pH, and sulfite can be combined for reducing lignocellulose recalcitrance and achieve similar glucan conversion rates in the alkaline and acid sulfite pretreated bagasses. (C) 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Sugarcane bagasse was used as a cellulose resource to prepare transparent and flexible cellulose hydrogel films. On the purification process from bagasse to cellulose, the effect of lignin residues in the cellulose was examined for the properties and cytocompatibility of the resultant hydrogel films. The cellulose was dissolved in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide solution and converted to hydrogel films by phase inversion. In the purification process, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment time was changed from 1 to 12 h. This resulted in cellulose hydrogel films having small amounts of lignin from 1.62 to 0.68\%. The remaining lignin greatly affected hydrogel properties. Water content of the hydrogel films was increased from 1153 to 1525\% with a decrease of lignin content Moreover, lower lignin content caused weakening of tensile strength from 0.80 to 0.43 N/mm(2) and-elongation from 452 to 26.5\%. Also, similar tendency was observed in viscoelastic behavior of the cellulose hydrogel films. Evidence was shown that the lignin residue was effective for the high strength of the hydrogel films. In addition, scanning probe microscopy in the morphological observation was suggested that the trace lignin in the cellulose hydrogel affected the cellulose fiber aggregation in the hydrogel network. The trace of lignin in the hydrogels also influenced fibroblast cell culture on the hydrogel films. The hydrogel film containing 1.68\% lignin showed better fibroblast compatibility as compared to cell culture polystyrene dish used as reference. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Two clean pretreatments, ozonolysis (OZ) and planetary ball milling (BM) were applied separately and in combination to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of corn straw. Pretreatment of corn straw by OZ and BM alone improved the enzymatic hydrolysis significantly, primarily through delignification and decrystallization of cellulose, respectively. When combined, OZ-BM and BM-OZ pretreatments made the enzymatic hydrolysis more efficient. The glucose and xylose yield of corn straw treated with OZ for 90 min followed by BM for 8 min (OZ90-BM8) reached to 407.8 and 101.9 mg/g-straw, respectively under cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g-straw, which was fivefold more than that of untreated straw. Under much lower cellulase loading of 1.5 FPU/g-straw, the glucose and xylose yield of treated straw OZ90-BM8 remained at 416.0 and 108.4 mg/g-straw, respectively, while the yield of untreated straw decreased. These findings indicate that the combined OZ-BM can be used as a promising pretreatment for corn straw. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This study aims at analyzing the influence of agroindustrial waste incorporation into red ceramics to produce lightweight aggregates sintered in a microwave oven. Sustainable artificial lightweight aggregates are sought out, particularly in the context of a circular economy. At first, red clay, sugarcane bagasse ash, and rice husk ash were characterized by means of X-ray fluorescence, loss on ignition, X-ray diffraction, grain sizing, true specific mass, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Three different ceramic masses were extruded: the reference, with no added waste; clay with 40\% sugarcane bagasse ash; and clay with 40\% rice husk ash. All samples were presintered in a conventional oven at 600 degrees C for 60 min. Conventional sintering occurred at temperatures between 700 degrees C and 1,100 degrees C at a 10 degrees C/min heating rate. Microwave sintering occurred for 5, 10, and 15 min, at a 50 degrees C/min heating rate in a chamber coated with silicon carbide (susceptor). After sintering, specimens were characterized regarding linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent specific mass, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that microwave sintering increased compressive strength, decreased water absorption, and provided microstructure refinement. The addition of waste reduced specimens' specific mass after sintering. Sugarcane bagasse ash-added red ceramic specimens sintered in a microwave oven yielded values close to those of Brazilian expanded clay, thus appearing as an alternative for production of more sustainable lightweight aggregates, in view of greater agroindustrial waste utilization and lower energetic consumption during the sintering process. (C) 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Lignocellulosic materials represent a very important and promising source of renewable biomass. In order to turn them into fermentable sugars, synergism among the different enzymes that carry out bioconversion of these materials is one of the main factors that should be considered. Experimental mixture design was performed to optimize the proportion of enzymes produced by native strains of Trichoderma harzianum IOC 3844, Penicillium funiculosum ATCC 11797, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 1004, resulting in a proportion of 15, 50, and 35\%, respectively. This mixture was able to hydrolyze 25 g/L of pretreated sugarcane bagasse with 91\% of yield after 48 h of enzymatic reaction. Synergism along the hydrolysis process, besides the influence of lignin, hemicellulose, and solids loading, were also studied. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Rotatable Design was used to optimize solids and protein loadings to increase glucose release and enzymatic hydrolysis yield. The optimum solid and protein loadings established with RSM were 196 g/L and 24 mg/g cellulose, respectively, and under these conditions (94.1 +/- 8) g/L of glucose were obtained, corresponding to a hydrolysis yield of 64\%. (c) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1222-1229, 2016
Biochar (BC) is a promising soil amendment that can enhance water retention and plant-available water capacity while mitigating CO2 emissions. We investigated the effect of sugarcane bagasse-derived BC on the water retention properties of a calcaric clay soil amended with 3\% (wt/wt) BC produced at three pyrolysis temperatures (400 degrees C, 600 degrees C, and 800 degrees C). For BC pyrolyzed at 800 degrees C (BC800), water retention curves of soil amended at 1\%, 5\%, and 10\% (wt/wt) were also measured. Water retention curves were measured immediately after amending soil with BC (all types and rates) and after a 180-day incubation period for soils amended with 3\% BC. The hydrophobicity of BC pyrolyzed at 400 degrees C (B400) was the highest of the three temperatures tested, resulting in the lowest water retained in soil amended with BC400, but only for measurements done before incubation. During incubation, the hydrophobicity of B400 decreased as the aliphatic compounds became exhausted by oxidation of the BC surfaces. The available water capacity of the clay soil increased significantly by more than 60\% when amended with BC at rates greater than of 3\% wt/wt (P < 0.05).
This experimental research was conducted to study the combined effect of agricultural by-product wastes on the properties of concrete. The coconut shell ash (CSA) was utilized to substitute cement content ranging from 0 to 20\% by weight of total binder and sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) to substitute fine aggregates (FA) ranging from 0 to 40\% by weight of total FA. In this regard, a total of 300 concrete specimens (cylinders and cubes) were prepared using 1:1.5:3 mix proportions with a 0.52 water-binder ratio. The study investigated the workability, density, permeability, and mechanical properties in terms of compressive and splitting tensile strengths. Additionally, the total embodied carbon for all mix proportions was calculated. It was observed that with an increase in CSA and SCBA contents, the workability, density, and permeability reduced significantly. Due to CSA and SCBA being pozzolanic materials, a gain in compressive and splitting tensile strengths was observed for certain concrete mixes, after which the strength decreased. The increase in embodied carbon of SCBA increased the total embodied carbon of concrete; however, it can be said that C15S40 which consists of 15\% CSA and 40\% SCBA is the optimum mix that achieved 28.75 MPa and 3.05 MPa compressive and tensile strength, respectively, a reduction of 4\% total embodied carbon.
India is the second most sugarcane producer in the world and generates 10 million tons of bagasse ash every year. Bagasse ash is generally spread as fertilizer in the field. It is the most frequent method of disposing of bagasse ash. However, it contains heavy metals which may lead to adverse effect on the yielding of the crop. Hence, some scholars recommend not using bagasse ash as fertilizer. Previous studies indicated that bagasse ash has been significantly used as a fine aggregate in concrete. As a fine aggregate bagasse ash also has the potential to be an alternative filling material. However, a comprehensive characterization of bagasse ash as an alternative filling material is significantly lacking. The present study aims at the characterization of bagasse ash as an alternative filling material instead of natural material. A series of direct shear test and permeability test were conducted for this purpose. The effect of water content and dry density on the shear strength parameter and permeability were studied. The test results show that angle of internal friction and apparent cohesion increase up to optimum moisture content and decreased after wards. The permeability of test specimen decreased with an increase in dry density. As a result, bagasse ash is comparable with conventional fill material.
In this study, pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was performed in fixed bed tubular reactor under the conditions of nitrogen atmosphere, by varying temperature and different particle sizes. The effect of final pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 500 degrees C and the nitrogen flow rate from 50 to 200 cc min(-1) on the pyrolysis product yields from sugarcane bagasse have been investigated. The Maximum bio-oil yield obtained is 24.12 wt\% at the final pyrolysis temperature of 450 degrees C, N-2 flow rate of 50 cc min(-1) and particle size of mesh number - 8 + 12. The yield of biooil decreases with increase in temperature from 450 to 550 degrees C and N-2 flow rate from 50 to 200 cc min(-1). The various characteristics of pyrolysis oil obtained under these conditions were identified on the basis of standard test methods. The empirical formula of pyrolysis oil with a heating value of 37.01 MJ Kg(-1) was established as CH1.434 O-0.555 N-0.004. The results from the pyrolysis show the potential of sugarcane bagasse as an important source of liquid hydrocarbon fuel.
Commercial furfural, an important platform chemical, is produced from acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. The manufacturing processes are inherently inefficient, and so it is necessary to value add to substantial amounts of residue obtained. The structural features of bagasse furfural residue and the lignins extracted from it by three NaOH treatments have been studied in order to understand the transformations that occurred by these treatments. 2D-NMR and Py-GC/MS of the furfural residue revealed that it contains mostly lignin and depolymerized cellulose moieties and the complete absence of xylans as a result of their hydrolysis during the furfural production process. In addition, the analyses revealed that the furfural residue contains 44\% of H-type lignin units, in comparison to 11\% for bagasse, and most of the lignin interunit linkages present in bagasse have disappeared. The pyrograms show that the furfural residue produced unusually high phenol content, which was attributed to the high levels of ``H-type{''
Clostridium thermocellum is the most efficient cellulose-degrading bacterium known for producing cellulosome, which was used to directly degrade sugarcane bagasse (SCB) with limited glucose accumulation. However, the glucose production was significantly enhanced with 0.25\% Triton X-100 and 30 U g(-1) of beta-glucosidase supplementation. A glucose accumulation of 21.33 +/- 0.35 g L-1 and substrate degradation of 61.91 +/- 0.77\% from 60 g L-1 sodium hydroxide-pretreated SCB were reached, with a 609.41\% and 75.53\% increase over the control (3.01 +/- 0.26 g L-1, 35.27 +/- 2.91\%), respectively. More interestingly, a synergism between C. thermocellum cultures and Cellic (R) CTec2 (30 CBU per g, 1.2 FPU per g substrate) in the enzymolysis of Avicel was observed and the glucose concentration and saccharification ratio of Avicel reached 56.90 +/- 1.20 g L-1 and 94.8\% at 60 g L-1 Avicel. Moreover, a highest glucose concentration of 83.17 g L-1 was achieved at 100 g L-1 Avicel. The present work provides an effective and promising process for industrial saccharification of cellulose.
High-dose nitrogen (N) fertilization has been widely adopted to achieve higher yield in intensive sugarcane monocropping system in Southern China, while long-term excessive N fertilization causes high N losses and negative environmental impacts. Biochar (BC) has been considered a soil amendment to potentially improve soil fertility and crop productivity. However, little is known about the effects of N fertilization combined with BC on sugarcane growth, rhizosphere soil characteristics and microbial community composition. In this study, a greenhouse-pot experiment with six treatments in triplicates was carried out to examine the responses of rootshoot growth, rhizosphere soil properties and bacterial communities to different BC and N fertilization treatments in sugarcane monocropping soil (duration over 20 years). The results demonstrated that N fertilization combined with BC promoted the aboveground growth of sugarcane, while different dose of BC exhibited a significant effect on switching root and shoot growth responses. With the increase in the BC amendment rate, the rhizosphere soil pH, TC and C/N ratio increased correspondingly. As compared with the N-only treatment, N fertilization combined with moderate dose of BC significantly decreased soil NO3--N and nitrification potential (SNP), whereas N treatment with higher-dose BC resulted in a sharp increase in SNP. DESeq2 analysis revealed that N fertilization coupled with higher BC-amendment enriched Mesorhizobium, Porphyrobacter, Rhizobacter and Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil pH, NO3--N and C/ N were key edaphic factors that shifted the soil bacterial community composition, especially for nitrifying flora and N-fixing flora. The above findings suggest that the combination of N fertilization with moderate-dose BC might be an alternative strategy to promote crop growth and soil sustainability under sugarcane monocropping system.
Ion chromatography (IC) offers the sugar technologist a simple, reliable technique for the simultaneous separation and determination of inorganic and organic ions in complex process mixtures. Identification and measurement of ions present in sugar liquors are important factors in understanding and maximising sugar recovery. Choice of IC column packing, eluent composition and pH, and detection mode (suppressed and non-suppressed) are shown to be useful variables when analysing sugar factory products, especially the multivalent ions such as phosphate and organic acids (aconitic and oxalic acid). The IC methods show good agreement with conventional analysis methods (potentiometric titration, atomic emission and absorption). IC also produced excellent repeatability and recovery from these matrices. Examples of the application of IC analysis in applied sugar research and processing problems include clarification studies, degradation of molasses, sugar solution colour removal and factory process problems. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
While the pre- harvest sugarcane burning is a disused practice, green harvest requires changes concerning ratoon cultivation due to the presence of a thick layer of straw. The experiment, conducted in a mechanical green harvesting area cultivated with sugarcane, consisted of two stages: in the first stage, the mechanical straw cutting performance of flat disks with different geometry edges was evaluated, considering two types of disks and 10 replications in a completely randomized design; in the second stage, the effect of soil chiseling on both sides of planting lines, using shanks with straw cutting flat disks, was assessed, as well as fertilizer deposition form. The experimental design in the second stage was completely randomized, with seven treatments and five replications. Treatments consisted of a combination of two straw cutting disks ( smooth or toothed edge), chiseling presence or absence, and fertilizer deposition forms ( broadcast, on the planting line, and incorporated into chiseling furrows). The toothed disk differed from the smooth one, presenting lower values of horizontal and vertical forces, and torque. The agroindustrial variables pol (\%), brix (\%), fiber (\%), and ATR ( kg Mg- 1) were not influenced by the fertilizer deposition form and soil chiseling. However, the localized fertilizer deposition increased crop yield when compared with broadcast fertilization.
Impact of macro-organisms in biological processes had been considerably studied but some of the discrete interactions that exist between macro- and micro-organisms still remain complex and sometimes elusive. Agro-waste is a type of waste that remains highly inevitable in our society and its disposal is a subject of concern. Therefore, this study aimed to degrade sugarcane bagasse which is a significant agro-waste in Malaysia, while trying to understand the interaction between microbes and earthworm utilized in the bioprocess. Sugarcane bagasse was blended with spent tea in equal ratio before composting with the aid of Eudrilus eugeniae and introduced microbial consortia. Though varied, pH values across the amendments tended towards alkaline state, just as the available Phosphorus (P) and exchangeable Potassium (K) increased in the value. Total organic carbon (TOC) across the amendments showed reduction in value; 47\% in TS (tea and sugarcane bagasse), whereas 25\% in TS6M (Tea + sugarcane bagasse +6 microbes) and 68\% in TS3M (tea bagasse +3 microbes). However, weight loss in Eudrilus eugeinae was found to be proportional to the reduced time of degradation. TS3M at 33\% worm weight loss was recorded at 11 day degradation time, than TS6M (27\%) and TS (16\%) that showed 13 and 20 days degradation time respectively. Weight loss in earthworm is correlated with microbial interaction and can be a reflection of rate decomposition of organic components of agro-waste in a vermicomposting process.
New substrates and fermentation conditions have been drawing researchers' attention to increase the bioethanol productivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acid hydrolysis of Spirulina biomass and its use in association with molasses in ethanol production with and without magnetic field (MF) application. Hydrothermal hydrolysis of Spirulina biomass hydrolysis was evaluated. The highest reducing sugar concentration (79\% w w(-1)) was obtained with sulfuric acid 5\% (v v(-1)), 121 degrees C, 30 min, and 500 g L-1 of biomass. This hydrolyzed biomass and molasses were used as substrates in the alcoholic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae by varying the biomass/molasses (B/M) ratio: 25, 50, and 75\% (v v(-1)). The medium 25\% B/M had higher ethanol yield at 78.9\% and productivity of 0.72 g L-1 h(-1). MF application did not increase the cell growth and ethanol production. This is the first study that integrates molasses and microalgal biomass substrates for ethanol production and presents some new information about magnetic fields application that is still little explored in the literature. {[
Reusing organic wastes in land applications would enhance the recovery of resources, following the concepts of the circular economy. The sugarcane-based sugar industry produces various by-products (e.g., sugarcane filter mud, molasses, and bagasse) that have the potential to contribute to crop production and soil fertility, owing to their high contents of organic matter and nutrients. Although the agricultural benefits of compost utilization in agriculture have been well-documented, to the best of our knowledge, few scientific data are currently available on the effects of sugarcane filter mud combined with the application of compost for increasing crop production. Thus, a field experiment was carried out to study how sugarcane filter mud, in combination with two compost sources, affected the growth and yield of sweet maize (Zea mays var. saccharata). We compared (i) two types of compost made from brassica residue and household waste applied at a rate of 9 t ha(-1), and (ii) two application rates of sugarcane filter mud: 0 and 2 t ha(-1) to two controls without any compost application: one with (+SFM) and one without (-SFM) sugar filter mud. The results highlighted that all crop growth and yield parameters benefited more from the domestic waste compost than from the brassica straw compost. Moreover, the addition of sugar filter mud to the compost further boosted the crop performance. Based on the above results, we concluded that the addition of sugarcane filter mud to locally available composts is a feasible approach for more sustainable production of sweet maize, combining efficient waste disposal and the provision of organic matter to the soil.
Economical removal of fermentation inhibitors from lignocellulosic hydrolysate plays a considerable role in bioconversion of lignocellulose biomass. In this work, the textural properties of polyacrylamide/polystyrene interpenetrating polymer networks (PAM/PS IPNs) on adsorption of fermentation inhibitors from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate (SCBH) were investigated for the first time. The results showed that, the specific surface area, pore diameter and surface polarity had important influence on its adsorption performance towards sugars, organic acids, furans and acid-soluble lignin. The PAM/PS IPNs under the optimal copolymerization situation achieved the high selectivity coefficients of 4.07, 14.9, 21.2 and 25.8 with respective to levulinic acid, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and acid-soluble lignin, and had a low total sugar loss of 2.09\%. Overall, this research puts forward a design and synthetic strategy for adsorbent to remove fermentation inhibitors from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.
In this research, a thermophilic Clostridiales consortium was enriched with pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSCB). Then the hydrogen production of Clostridiales consortium through dark fermentation had been greatly improved through two-step strengthening. Firstly, food waste was added to optimize C/N ratio of substrate to 10.47. Secondly, Fe-Mn impregnated biochars (Fe center dot Mn center dot SB) were supplemented to the co-substrate fermentation system to further improve hydrogen production. Overall, the hydrogen production (1.71 mL H-2/mL-culture) and yield (586.19 mL H-2/g-carbohydrate) of Clostridiales were increased by 113.75\% and 32.48\% compared with that of fermentation from single PSCB, respectively. The mechanism of Fe center dot Mn center dot SB promoting hydrogen production was further elucidated. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that Fe center dot Mn center dot SB could increase the relative abundances of dominant hydrogenogen and stabilize community structure. PICRUSt analysis indicated Fe center dot Mn center dot SB boosted substrate degradation and carbon metabolism. Electrochemical analysis implied Fe center dot Mn center dot SB promoted reducing power and release of cytochrome c, stimulating extracellular electron transfer (an 18.39\% increase in power density). Carbon metabolism analysis indicated that Fe center dot Mn center dot SB enhanced hydrogen-producing pathways and suppressed hydrogen-consuming pathways. The present work established a feasible process for hydrogen production by Clostridiales consortium fermentation from co-substrate, deepened the understanding of metal-modified biochars improving hydrogen production, and provided references for future research.
In this paper, effect of alkali-steam explosion pre-treatment on various agro-waste raw materials was evaluated for enhancing the quality of recycled paper. The alkali-steam explosion had a minimum cellulose reduction in the case of sugarcane bagasse (3.8 +/- 0.21) and arecanut fibers (4.5 +/- 0.83\%) and identified as a good fiber sources for paper making in terms of strength and final quality of recycled papers. X-ray diffraction pattern study exhibited that there was an enhanced intensity of cellulose content. Coloring on recycled paper with natural pigments could be used as a packing material with bactericidal activity. This forms the first report on the application of stable pigments for value addition in paper industry which increases the marketability of recycled paper.
Batch, fed-batch, and semicontinuous fermentation processes were used for the production of xylitol from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate. The best results were achieved by the semicontinuous fermentation process: a xylitol yield of 0.79 g/g with an efficiency of 86\% and a volumetric productivity of 0.66 g/L/h.
In this novel, we developed a modern and efficient adsorbent that may serve as environmental protection and sustainable development for removing some metal ions such as Fe and Zn from aqueous solution. The new adsorbent was synthesized by mixing the sugarcane bassage biochar with nano-magnetite (SCB-BC/Fe3O4) to form nano-composite. High resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging shows the synthesized nano-composite with 40 nm average diameters. The adsorption kinetic of metals on the nano-composite was discussed, and the equilibrium equation of the metal ions was found following Langmuir isotherm model. The experimental data showed that the synthesized (SCB-BC/Fe3O4) nano-composite can quantitatively remove the metal ions from water by removal efficiencies of 90\% and 96\% for Fe and Zn respectively. It can be concluded that the synthesized adsorbent can be used for removal of heavy metals from water and/or wastewater as one of the treatment stages in treatment plants.
Environment-friendly composites reinforced with bagasse fiber (BF), a kind of natural fiber as the remains from squeezed sugarcane, were fabricated by injection molding and press molding. As appropriate matrices for injection molding and press molding, polypropylene ( PP) and polycaprolactone-cornstarch (PCL-C) were selected, as a typical recyclable resin and biodegradable resin, respectively. The mechanical properties of BF/PP composites were investigated in view of fiber mass fraction and injection molding conditions. And the mechanical properties and the biodegradation of BF/PCL composites were also evaluated. In the case of injection molding, the flexural modulus increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction, and the mechanical properties decreased with an increase in cylinder temperature due to the thermal degradation of BF. The optimum conditions increasing the flexural properties and the impact strength were 90 degrees C mold temperature, 30 s injection interval, and in the range of 165 to 185 degrees C cylinder temperature. On the other hand, as to BF/PCL-C fully-green composites, both the flexural properties and the impact strength increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction. It is considered that the BF compressed during preparation could result in the enhancement in mechanical properties. The results of the biodegradability test showed the addition of BF caused the acceleration of weight loss, which increased further with increasing fiber content. This reveals that the addition and the quantities of BF could promote the biodegradation of fully-green composites.
Sao Paulo State is a global reference in the cultivation and production of sugar cane derivatives, and side roads, many of them dirt ones, are used to move the crop between the harvesting area and the sugar and alcohol processing plants. To transport the production from the plants to distribution centers, roads have been the main logistics means, not only in Sao Paulo State but also all over Brazil. However, only 12.4\% of the roads in the country are paved. Moreover, the lateritic soil is the most common in the country, and it needs to be stabilized to compose bases and sub-bases of pavements, which makes the costs of having roads paved even higher. The objective of this research is to study the stabilization of lateritic soil, using the ashes of the sugarcane bagasse burning, in order to enable its use in layers of pavements. The research carried out collected samples of the soil and the ashes, in a plant located in the region of Barretos. Normative tests were carried out to characterize and classify soil and ash. The gray - lime soil mixture was used to evaluate the stabilization. The results showed a CBR (California Bearing Ratio) gain of the natural soil, which initially had CBR 40\% and after incorporation of ash and lime reached CBR 82\%, thus making feasible the use in base layers of paving.
Activated carbon (AC) was produced from sugarcane bagasse using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and steam activation for syrup decolorization. The HTC temperature was 180-240 degrees C over 30-90 min of holding time and the steam activation temperature was 700-900 degrees C at 1 h. Results showed that dry-basis AC yield was in the range of 10.4-27.1\%. The maximum Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of the product was 390 m(2)/g. The average pore size of the AC was 2.2 to 2.5 nm with total pore volume of 0.1-0.25 cm(3)/g. Decolorization tests showed that the AC produced from low-temperature HTC had better decolorization performance with maximum removal rates of 63.4\% and 74\% in batch-type and fixed-bed, continuous-flow decolorization, respectively. International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) unit reduction of the produced AC was about 62\%. This study shows that the AC produced can be used for low-cost preliminary syrup decolorization in sugar mills, offering circular utilization of agricultural residues.
The aim of this study was to explore the utilization of garlic straw residues as source for the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Garlic straw (GS) was first purified using chemical alkali extraction (ATGS) and then bleached (BGS) before the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-GS) by acid hydrolysis (H2SO4). The chemical composition of GS was determined according to TAPPI standards and showed that it is composed by 41\% wt cellulose, 18\% wt hemicelluloses and 6.3\% wt lignin, among other components. Then, the obtained fibers were extracted and characterized by several techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed changes in the peaks at 1731, 1556 and 1244cm(-1), indicating that the alkali treatment partially removed hemicelluloses and lignin from the fiber surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to investigate the morphology of the produced CNC. The crystallinity index of the GS was 37.4\%, and it increased to more than 68\% after the acid hydrolysis. The garlic straw had better thermal stability than those of the cellulose obtained after the bleaching treatment and of the nanocrystals isolated following acid hydrolysis. The CNC presented a needle-shaped nature, an average diameter and length of 6nm and 480 nm, respectively, leading to an aspect ratio of approximately 80. These promising results proved revalue of this by-product for the production of CNC and its potential use as reinforcement in the preparation of nanocomposites. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A bifunctional enzyme has been created by fusing two Bacillus subtilis enzymes: the -1,31,4-glucanase (BglS, EC 3.2.1.73) that hydrolyzes plant cell wall -glucans and the copper-dependent oxidase laccase (CotA, EC 1.10.3.2) that catalyzes the oxidation of aromatic compounds with simultaneous reduction of oxygen to water. The chimeric laccase/-1,31,4-glucanase was created by insertion fusion of the bglS and cotA genes, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The affinity-purified recombinant chimeric enzyme showed both laccase and glucanase activities, with a maximum laccase activity at pH 4.5 and 75C that showed a V-max 30 higher than observed for the parental laccase. The maximum glucanase activity in the chimeric enzyme was at pH 6.0 and 50C, with a slight reduction in V-max by approximate to 10 compared with the parental glucanase. A decreased K-M resulted in an overall increase in the K-cat/K-M value for the glucanase activity of the chimeric enzyme. The hydrolytic activity of the chimera was 20 higher against natural milled sugarcane bagasse as compared with equimolar mixtures of the separate parental enzymes. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated the approximation of the two catalytic domains in the chimeric enzyme, and the formation of an inter-domain interface may underlie the improved catalytic function.
The present study is conducted to synthesize vinasse-derived biochar, followed by modification with Micro and Nano MgO in an attempt to assess their effects on the phosphate (P) removal from aqueous medium. Based on the characterization results of modified biochars and adsorption capacities, Nano-MgO Functionalized ones have proven to be more capable in P removal, with the specific surface areas of 119.98-125.41 m(2)/g and maximum P adsorption capacity of 188.67 mg/g. The dependencies of adsorption on initial P concentration (50-350 mg/L), contact time (5-90 min), and solution pH level (3-11) were investigated by 20 experiments designed via CCDbased RSM. The regression analysis showed a good fit of the experimental data to the second-order polynomial model with coefficient of determination (R-2) value of 0.9916 and model F-value of 131.82. The optimum conditions of pH (7.00), contact time (75 min), and initial P concentration (250 mg/L) were recorded from desirability function. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. In addition, the isotherm and kinetic studies indicated that the Freundlich and the pseudo-second order are the best fitted models for the P adsorption. Further, the P removal efficiency declined slightly in the presence of other co-existed anions, while acted relatively selective towards P. Finally, the P-loaded biochar could be properly regenerated by 1.0 M HCl solution, and the pot experiments proved its applicability as a P fertilizer substitute, increasing the plant growth rate - averagely, the height by 40 \% and the dry mass by 59 \%.
In this paper, ions i.e. Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ were absorbed by the amphoteric bagasse hemicelluloses, and the influences of pH value, adsorption time and the initial concentration of metal ion have been studied. The results show that the optimal adsorption pH values for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ are 6.5, 6.0 and 7.5, respectively. The adsorption capacity to ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ reaches the maximum values when the adsorption time is 180 min. Net adsorption to ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ increases with increasing the initial concentration of the metal ions. Analysis results of adsorption dynamics show that the adsorption of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ follows Ho `s Pseudo second-order kinetics linear model. It can be seen from the adsorption isothermal research that absorption of the amphoteric bagasse hemicelluloses to ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ can be well described by the Langmuir isotherm linear model. Moreover, the theoretical values of the maximum absorption capacity q(max) for ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ were determined to be 21.98 mg/g, 81.97 mg/g and 31.85 mg/g, respectively.
The use of chopped sugarcane stalk (CSS) as a roughage for lactating cows was examined using four Holstein crossbred cows in a private dairy farm in Khon Kaen, Thailand, in comparison with rice straw (RS), which is the conventional roughage in the dry season in the region. Cows were subjected to the following two dietary treatments: Diet 1) RS with commercial concentrate feed, and Diet 2) CSS and RS with commercial concentrate feed. The diet was switched over every 3 weeks. The amount of concentrate was determined by the experience of the owner of the cows. RS and CSS were given ad libitum. There was no difference in milk production between two groups, although the total DMI was less in cows fed CSS. Solid-not-fat (SNF) content in milk was significantly higher in the cows given CSS. The NEFA content was significantly lower in the animals given CSS, which suggested that cows given only RS as roughage would be suffering from energy malnutrition. Therefore, it was considered that CSS feeding improved energy supply, which resulted in higher SNF in milk. In the nutritional point of view, the present study clearly showed CSS can be used as a roughage for dairy cows in the dry season.
Paddy and sugarcane are commonly harvested around the world along with Bangladesh. The abundant amount of byproduct of these crops can be efficiently used industrially to produce reinforced composites product. In this paper, the effects of the weight percentage of sugarcane bagasse on compressive and tensile properties were evaluated, in conjugation with rice husk and sawdust. The composites were fabricated with 40 wt. \% of epoxy resin as a binder with other filler by press forming and the wt. \% of binder was kept constant. The lower percentage of binder made the composites cost effective with another advantage of lightweight, biodegradability and eco-friendly. The wt. \% of sawdust was kept the same for each specimen to evaluate the consequence of wt. \% of bagasse. Among the filler component, the percentage of bagasse was varied to 10 wt. \%, 30 wt. \%, 50 wt. \% and 70 wt. \%. In this study, it was evaluated that with the decreasing of the wt. \% bagasse the tensile strength increased. The compressive strength increased up to certain decreasing weight percentage of bagasse and after that again the compressive strength decreased.
In order to decrease corn straw crystallinity for improving reducing sugar yield, physicochemical pretreatments plus enzymatic hydrolysis were investigated. The results showed that hemicellulose and lignin degradation rates in corn straw treated with physical method (ultrasound wave (group 12), extrusion + ultrasound wave (group 14), extrusion + ultrasound wave + microwave (group 15)) combined with chemical compounds (lime + sodium hydroxide + hydrogen peroxide) were significantly higher than the untreated corn straw (P < 0.05). After the above three physicochemical pretreatments were fulfilled and followed by enzymatic hydrolysis, the cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin degradation rates and reducing sugar yield were respectively increased by 51.38\%, 82.44\%, 64.63\% and 378.86\% in group 12, 69.61\%, 86.05\%, 62.88\% and 421.77\% in group14, 61.59\%, 74.51\%, 56.19\% and 425.98\% in group 15, compared with the untreated corn straw (P < 0.05). The scanning electron microscope showed that straw structure treated with extrusion + ultrasonic + chemical pretreatment was more seriously damaged than that with single physical or chemical pretreatment. The different sequences of physicochemical treatments had different effects on corn straw degradation. It could be concluded that the optimal physicochemical pretreatments plus enzymatic hydrolysis were effective for corn straw degradation and reducing sugar yield. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The main objective of this work is to assess the impacts of integrating new biomass conversion technologies into an existing sugarcane industrial processing plant in terms of its multi-objective optimal operating conditions. A typical sugarcane mill is identified and a second generation ethanol production pathway is incorporated to give the operator the possibility of controlling the ratio between the rates of burning bagasse and straw (sugarcane tops and leaves) to their second generation processing to achieve optimal ethanol and electricity outputs. A set of equations describing the associated conversion unit operations and chemical reactions is simulated by the Monte Carlo method and the corresponding operating envelope is constructed and statistically analyzed. These equations permit to calculate ethanol production and electricity generation in terms of a virtually infinite number of scenarios characterized by two controlled variables (burning bagasse and straw mass flow rates) and several uncontrolled variables (biomass composition, cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin yields, fermentation efficiencies, etc.). Results reveal that the input variables have specific statistical characteristics when the corresponding operating states lay near the maximum energy limit (Pareto frontier). For example, since the objectives being optimized are intrinsically antagonistic, i.e. the increase of one dictates the decrease of the other, it is better to convert bagasse to ethanol via second generation pathway because of the high energy requirements of its dewatering prior to combustion and low heat content of cellulose and hemicelluloses compared with lignin. Another interesting result concerns biomass composition: for both bagasse and straw, higher lignin contents favor simultaneously optimality and robustness.(C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In this paper, ions i.e. Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ were absorbed by the carboxyl bagasse hemicelluloses, and the influences of pH value, adsorption time and the initial concentration of metal ion have been studied. The results show that the optimal adsorption pH values for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ are 5.5, 5.5 and 7.5, respectively. The adsorption capacity to ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ reaches the maximum values when the adsorption time is 180 min. Net adsorption to ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ increases with increasing the initial concentration of the metal ions. Analysis results of adsorption dynamics show that the adsorption of Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ follows Ho `s Pseudo second-order kinetics linear model. It can be seen from the adsorption isothermal research that absorption of the carboxyl bagasse hemicelluloses to ions Cu2+, Pb(2+)and Cd2+ can be well described by the Langmuir isotherm linear model. Moreover, the theoretical values of the maximum absorption capacity q(max) for ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ were determined to be 20.28 mg/g, 82.64 mg/g and 30.58 mg/g, respectively.
Burgeoning pesticide usage in agriculture sector required to be evaluated by assessing the adsorption rate in soils. The herbicide triasulfuron was used in this research to analyze its sorption behavior in seven distinct soils using batch equilibrium methodology. The adsorption coefficient (K-d) values ranged from the 3.32 to 29.7 mu g/mL. Peshawar soil displayed the highest K-d value because of the distinct physiochemical properties when compared with the other six samples. Gibbs free energy exhibited negative values displaying less contact between soil particles and pesticides, showing the exothermic nature of the phenomena. A negative association was observed between the pH of the soil samples and K-d (R-2 = -0.71) but a direct relation with the organic content (R-2 = 0.74). Triasulfuron mitigation was performed by the economical remediation of soils using acid-activated charcoal prepped from Saccharum officinarum husk. Activated carbon derived from biomass displayed the great potential for triasulfuron removal from soils.
AimsThis study aimed to evaluate new d-xylose-fermenting yeasts from Brazilian ecosystems for the production of second-generation ethanol. Methods and Resultsd-xylose-fermenting yeasts isolated from rotting wood and wood-boring insects were identified as the species Scheffersomyces parashehatae, Scheffersomyces illinoinensis, Spathaspora arborariae and Wickerhamomyces rabaulensis. Among the yeasts tested, those of Sc. parashehatae exhibited the highest ethanol production when cultivated on complex medium (Y-p/s(et)=0437gg(-1)). Sheffersomyces illinoinensis and Sp. arborariae showed similar ethanol production in this assay (Y-p/s(et) up to 0295gg(-1)). In contrast, in sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate, Sc. parashehatae and Sc. illinoinensis exhibited similar ethanol production (Y-p/s(et) up to 0254gg(-1)), whereas Sp. arborariae showed the lowest results (peak Y-p/s(et)=0160gg(-1)). Wickerhamomyces rabaulensis exhibited a remarkable xylitol production (Y-p/s(xyl)=0681gg(-1)), but producing low levels of ethanol (Y-p/s(et)=0042gg(-1)). ConclusionsThe novel d-xylose-fermenting yeasts showed promising metabolic characteristics for use in fermentation processes for second-generation ethanol production, highlighting the importance of bioprospecting research of micro-organisms for biotechnological applications. Significance and Impact of the StudyThis study widens the scope for future researches that may examine the native yeasts presented, as limited studies have investigated these species previously.
A shrinking-layer model by modification of classical shrinking-core model was developed based on cell wall multi-layered structure for delignification of sugarcane bagasse with sulfuric acid (SA) catalyzed atmospheric acetic acid (AA) fractionation. The general model for overall rate of delignification was obtained and further employed to evaluate the mass transfer effects on delignification. It was found that the external diffusion could be neglected under the studied fractionation conditions, while the internal diffusion appeared to play an important role. The effective diffusion coefficient for lignin within the biomass was estimated as 6.7x10(-14)-1.6x10(-12)m(2)/s depending on temperature, solid content in the system and molecular weight of lignin. However, surface reaction also seems to be a limiting step to the overall rate of delignification. At the early stage of delignification, both internal diffusion and reaction were controlling steps, while at the late stage reaction seems to be the controlling step.
High solids loading hydrolysis (HSLEH) of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) pretreated by low temperature aqueous ammonia soaking (AAS) was performed to obtain high concentrations of glucose and further fermentation to high concentration of ethanol. HSLEH was performed by fed batch addition of substrate and one-time enzyme feed at starting point. When the solids loading at 40\% was tried in fed-batch hydrolysis, the observed concentrations of glucose and ethanol were 119 g/l and 58.4 g/l respectively. When laccase (200 U/g solids) with 1-HBT (25 mg/g solids) as a mediator was added to cellulase in HSLEH, the glucose and ethanol concentrations were further enhanced to 157 g/l and 72.4 g/l. The present glucan conversion of 74\% in HSLEH was higher when compared with the reported values for biomass pretreated by high temperature steam explosion, acid and alkali pretreatments. The present ethanol concentration (72.4 g/l) was also higher than the reported levels of ethanol in the second-generation bioethanol production. As HSLEH of biomass by low temperature AAS has not been reported so far, the present results clearly demonstrates that LMS assisted HSLEH of biomass pretreated by low temperature AAS is promising for cellulosic ethanol production.
Ensiling of sugarcane trash (SCT) and sugarcane stalks (SCS) was studied to assess the effects of molasses (MOL) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant on methane potential. The experiment was run for 70 days and monitoring parameters were analyzed at days 0, 5, 15 and 70. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests performed with fresh and ensiled material at day 70 showed an increase in methane potential by 24.0\%, 23.4\%, 1.7\% and 71.1\% for SCSctr, SCTctr, SCTmol and SCTmol + lab, respectively. Such improved performance is explained by the formation of organic acids (mostly acetate and lactate) which were able to decrease the pH of the silages from 5.7-5.9 to 3.8-4.2 for all SCT treatments and from 5.9 up to 3.4 for SCS treatment. Thus, the ensiling process provided similar effects to a pre-treatment at low acid concentrations, which in turn improved the digestibility of the cellulosic biomass for methane production.
A down-flow fixed-structured bed reactor (DFSBR) was operated for 277 days treating a mixture of synthetic substrates simulating an iron-rich acid mine drainage (AMD) and the soluble fraction of a sugarcane vinasse. The synthetic sugarcane vinasse was used as electron donor for biological sulfate reduction, resulting in influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) close to 4000 mg L-1 and volumetric organic loading rate of 4.8 g L(-1)d(-1). The influent sulfate concentration was kept close to 2000 mg L-1 (volumetric sulfate loading rate of 2.5 g L(-1)d(-1)) while a gradual increase of iron concentration (2-400 mg L-1) was applied. COD removal efficiencies were higher than 93\% and the sulfate removal efficiencies were close to 100\%. With the highest iron concentration (400 mg L-1) applied, the DFSBR achieved 95\% of iron removal efficiency. The precipitate collected at the reactor bottom showed increasing concentrations of fixed suspended solids (FSS), as well as an increasing proportion of iron, indicating the possibility of metal recovery from the system. The association between sulfidogenic and methanogenic processes also enables energy recovery from the methane-rich biogas produced. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Environments where lignocellulosic biomass is naturally decomposed are sources for discovery of new hydrolytic enzymes that can reduce the high cost of enzymatic cocktails for second-generation ethanol production. Metagenomic analysis was applied to discover genes coding carbohydrate-depleting enzymes from a microbial laboratory subculture using a mix of sugarcane bagasse and cow manure in the thermophilic composting phase. From a fosmid library, 182 clones had the ability to hydrolyse carbohydrate. Sequencing of 30 fosmids resulted in 12 contigs encoding 34 putative carbohydrate-active enzymes belonging to 17 glycosyl hydrolase (GH) families. One third of the putative proteins belong to the GH3 family, which includes beta-glucosidase enzymes known to be important in the cellulosedeconstruction process but present with low activity in commercial enzyme preparations. Phylogenetic analysis of the amino acid sequences of seven selected proteins, including three beta-glucosidases, showed low relatedness with protein sequences deposited in databases. These findings highlight microbial consortia obtained from a mixture of decomposing biomass residues, such as sugar cane bagasse and cow manure, as a rich resource of novel enzymes potentially useful in biotechnology for saccharification of lignocellulosic substrate.
The addition of sugarcane pulp sand (SCPS) and paper grain sand (PGS) to concrete bricks was proven effective in this study. This research not only investigated the engineering of incorpo-rating SCPS and PGS into concrete bricks to build lightweight bricks but also examined the possibility of substituting fine aggregates with agricultural and industrial wastes to safely dispose of or recycle wastes. Concrete bricks were subjected to multiple tests, such as scanning electron microscopy, to evaluate their compressive strength, flexural strength, bulk density, apparent porosity, water absorption, unit weight, and microstructure. The primary objective of this research was to determine the optimal blend of crushed SCPS and PGS to replace fine aggregates. In accordance with the current study, compressive strength was increased when the ideal mixing ratio of fine aggregate substitution with ground SCPS and PGS was achieved. Fine aggregate replacement ratios from up to 10 \%, 20 \%, 30 \% and 40 \% waste products. In addition to the use of wastes, replacing fine aggregates with agricultural and industrial wastes. Compared with the control sample, the bricks with SCPS + PGS-10 \% demonstrated significantly better mechanical characteristics after 28 days, with compressive strength increasing by 8.52 \% and flexural strength increasing by 18.43 \%. Microstructure research validated the effectiveness of SCPS + PGS in improving brick strength and unit weight. In addition to production, generic nonstructural light bricks reduce overall carbon emission, agricultural and industrial wastes and required construction materials, solving environmental pollution problems caused by construc-tion waste in the future.
In this study, sugarcane molasses essential oils (SMEOs) were extracted by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD); the components of SMEOs were identified and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). SMEOs were loaded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) and their sustained-release activity was evaluated. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity assays pertained to inhibiting the auricle swelling caused by xylene in mice, the peritoneal permeability increased inflammation in mice induced by acetic acid and the inflammation caused by granuloma hyperplasia in mice. We demonstrated that the main components of SMEOs were isoamylol, ethyl acetate, isobutanol, isovaleraldehyde, 2-methyl-butanal, furfural and 2-acetylpyrrole. The SMEOs loaded into MSNPs formed MSNP-SMEOs, which enhanced the stability and slow-release performance compared with SMEOs. The main components of SMEOs can inhibit inflammation, and the development and application of SMEOs in the fields of food and medicine have certain potential.
Conversion of lignocellulose to sugars involves two main processes, namely pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Lignocellulose pretreatment leads to the degradation of enzymatic recalcitrance of substrate for achieving efficient saccharification. In this study, liquid hot water (LHW), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were as reagents used to pretreat sugarcane bagasse (SB). Results showed that LHW, HCl, and NaOH pretreatment could solubilize 95.3\%, 94.7\% xylan and 88.7\% lignin, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated SB showed that the maximum glucose (26.0g/L) and xylose (12.7g/L) concentration were produced by NaOH pretreatment, and slightly more glucose and less xylose were produced after HCl pretreatment compared to LHW pretreatment. Addition of Tween 80 or xylanase could significantly improve both glucose and xylose production. At 48h, the glucose increase for LHW, HC1 and NaOH pretreatment was 38.3\%, 26.4\% and 8.0\%, respectively, and the xylose increase for them was 35.0\%, 24.9\% and 1.7\%, respectively. Fractal-like kinetics showed that the value of rate constant increased after the addition of Tween 80 or xylanase, and the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis mainly depended on rate constant other than fractal dimension of substrate. Totally, substrate accessibility was dominated for efficient of lignocellulose to sugar compared to enzyme loading. The application of fractal-like theory on the heterogeneous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose was quite successful.
Lignocellulosic waste (LCW) is an abundant, low-cost, and inedible substrate for the induction of lignocellulolytic enzymes for cellulosic bioethanol production using an efficient, environmentally friendly, and economical biological approach. In this study, 30 different lignocellulose-degrading bacterial and 18 fungal isolates were quantitatively screened individually for the saccharification of four different ball-milled straw substrates: wheat, rice, sugarcane, and pea straw. Rice and sugarcane straws which had similar Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy profiles were more degradable, and resulted in more hydrolytic enzyme production than wheat and pea straws. Crude enzyme produced on native straws performed better than those on artificial substrates (such as cellulose and xylan). Four fungal and five bacterial isolates were selected (based on their high strawase activities) for constructing dual and triple microbial combinations to investigate microbial synergistic effects on saccharification. Combinations such as FUNG16-FUNG17 (Neosartorya fischeri-Myceliophthora thermophila) and RMIT10-RMIT11 (Aeromonas hydrophila-Pseudomonas poae) enhanced saccharification (3- and 6.6-folds, respectively) compared with their monocultures indicating the beneficial effects of synergism between those isolates. Dual isolate combinations were more efficient at straw saccharification than triple combinations in both bacterial and fungal assays. Overall, co-culturing can result in significant increases in saccharification which may offer significant commercial potential for the use of microbial consortia.
Restricted activities of individual plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, i.e., cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase, on plant biomass are due to the complex interactions among structural polysaccharides and lignin components of plant cell wall. This can be overcome through altering the structural components by subjecting biomass to physicochemical pretreatments. In present studies, experiments were undertaken with the rationale that applying tailor-made cocktail formulations to pretreated biomass, by striking a synergy between core cellulolytic (C) and/or accessory xylano-pectinolytic (X, P) enzymes from the Bacillus strains B. safensis M35, B. altitudinis R31 and B. altitudinis J208, should enhance the saccharification. Efficiency of individual and substitutive cocktails for saccharification of raw, NaOH, and NH4OH pretreated sugarcane bagasse was demonstrated and compared. Among the individual CP, CX, PX, and CPX cocktails, the CPX cocktails yielded enhanced and maximum saccharification of 71.4-81.3\% and 17.0-17.28\% from NaOH and NH4OH pretreated biomass as compared to the 7.1-7.6\% from raw. After finding xylanases and pectinases from the three Bacillus strains compatible with each other, substitutive cocktail CPXsub was prepared by putting all these accessory enzymes with core cellulase. This enhanced saccharification to 84.02\% and 25.52\% from NaOH and NH4OH pretreated biomass as compared to 8.91\% from raw. With the support of HPLC, FTIR, and SEM analyses, results clearly confirmed the high saccharifying potential of tailor-made substitutive cocktails due to synergistic and accessory nature of xylanases and pectinases to the core commercial cellulase.
The production of biochar, bio-oil, and biogas from sugarcane bagasse (SB) is investigated via catalytic microwave-assisted torrefaction where calcium oxide is employed as a microwave absorber. Using the Taguchi approach, three parameters of microwave power, holding time, and catalyst concentration are considered. The optimal combination of the three parameters provides the highest energy yield of 77.64\%. The highest calorific value is recorded at 24.66 MJ.kg(-1), demonstrating a 46.96\% improvement compared to the dry-basis raw feedstock. The results from ANOVA indicate that microwave power significantly affects the energy yield, followed by the holding time and catalyst concentration. Scanning electron microscopy shows severe degradation of SB surfaces while XRD curves demonstrate the retention of the crystalline structures of the torrefied SB samples. The main compounds identified in the bio-oil are phenolic compounds. FTIR results show no significant changes in the functional groups after acid-washing and catalyst impregnation. The upgrading energy index profiles portray that light torrefaction conditions lead to higher energy efficiencies, rendering higher energy yields while consuming less energy inputs. Overall, catalytic microwave-assisted torrefaction with calcium oxide is a feasible technique to transform SB into bioenergy products such as biochar, bio-oil, and biogas. More importantly, attaining a balance between product quality and energy efficiency is crucial for the feasible production of fuels that are ready for industrialization.
This study outlines the effect of citric acid leaching on the quality and stability of fast pyrolysis bio-oils from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and sugarcane trash (SCT). The quality of bio-oil was probed by GC-MS analysis, elemental composition, higher heating value, water and solids content, pH, dynamic viscosity and stability (ageing). Pyrolysis was performed at 500 degrees C in a fully controlled, continuously operated plant with a biomass throughput of ca. 300 g.hr-1. While citric acid leaching causes a decrease of the average bio-oil yield with 5\%, it does not lead to a bio-oil with improved fuel-related properties. However, the bio-oil composition became more advantageous in light of its biorefining. Indeed, citric acid leaching led to an increased levoglucosan concen-tration - a promising platform chemical - of 17\% for SCB and of to 35\% for SCT (based on relative abundance in GC-MS). In tandem, the concentration of carboxylic acids and phenols in the bio-oil decreased after citric acid leaching, which is beneficial for downstream purification of levoglucosan. Regarding the non-condensable gases, CO and CO2 represented between 88\% and 91\% by weight of the total non-condensable gases produced in py-rolysis. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that optimized biomass demineralization pretreatment with citric acid could produce bio-oil at high yield and rich in high-value chemical compounds like levoglucosan. Biomass demineralization pretreatment however, does not result in bio-oil with improved quality for fuel pur-poses, nor does it necessarily lead to bio-oil having higher stability.
An environmentally friendly Pickering stabilizer was developed by upcycling sugarcane bagasse (SCB) into a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), which was subjected to surface modification by using quaternary ammonium compound to enhance its amphiphilic characteristics. The changes in microstructural properties of modified cellulose nanocrystal (m-CNC), such as surface functional group, thermal stability, surface morphology, elemental composition, and particle size distribution were investigated. Results indicated the success of quaternary ammonium compound grafting with the presence of a trimethyl-alkyl chain on the cellulose structure, while the m-CNC preserves the needle-like nanoparticles in length of similar to 534 nm and width of similar to 20 nm. The colloidal profile of m-CNC-stabilized oil-water emulsion gels with different concentrations of m-CNC (1-5 wt\%), and oil:water (O:W) ratios (3:7, 5:5, 7:3) were examined. The emulsion gel stability study indicated that the optimal concentration of m-CNC (3 wt\%) was able to stabilize all the emulsion gels at different O:W ratios with an emulsion index of >80\% for 3 months. It is the minimum concentration of m-CNC to form a robust colloidal network around the small oil droplets, leading to the formation of stable emulsion gels. The emulsion gel with O:W ratio (3:7) with 3 wt\% of m-CNC rendered the best m-CNC-oil-droplets dispersion. The m-CNC effectively retained the size of oil droplets (<10 mu m for 3 months storage) against coalescence and creaming by creating a steric barrier between the two immiscible phases. Furthermore, the emulsion gel exhibited the highest viscosity and storage modulus which was able to prevent creaming or sedimentation of the emulsion gels.
Magnetic carbon were synthesized from sugarcane bagasse using hydrothermal carbonization followed by thermal activation was converted to solid state as beads (hydrogels SACFe) using sodium alginate and applied as adsorbent in removal sulfamethoxazole in batch and column mode. From adsorption parameter analysis it was confirmed that 0.6 g L-1 SACFe was effective in removing 50 mg L-1 of SMX at pH 6.2. Sorption of SMX on SACFe beads followed Elovich kinetics and Freundlich isotherm. It was further confirmed that sorption occurred on heterogeneous surface of SACFe beads with chemisorption as rate limiting step. Maximum adsorption capacity was obtained as 58.439 mg g(-1) pH studies revealed that charged assisted hydrogen bonding, EDA interactions are some of the mechanism that favoured removal of SMX. From column studies it was found that bead height of 2 cm and flow rate of 1.5 mL min(-1) found to be best in removing pollutant. Thomas model fitted better the experimental data stating that improved interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate act as major driving force tool in obtaining maximum sorption capacity. Breakthrough curve was completely affected by varied flow rate and bed height. Column adsorption was effective in reducing COD and BOD levels of sewage which are affected by toxic pollutants and miscellaneous compounds. Feasibility analysis showed that SACFe beads could be employed for real-time applications as it is cost, energy effective and easy recovery.
A high efficient and eco-friendly sugarcane cellulose-based adsorbent was prepared in an attempt to remove Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ from aqueous solutions. The effects of initial concentration of heavy metal ions and temperature on the adsorption capacity of the bioadsorbent were investigated. The adsorption isotherms showed that the adsorption of Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ followed the Langmuir model and the maximum adsorptions were as high as 558.9, 446.2 and 363.3 mg.g(-1), respectively, in single component system. The binary component system was better described with the competitive Langmuir isotherm model. The three dimensional sorption surface of binary component system demonstrated that the presence of Pb2+ decreased the sorption of Cu2+, but the adsorption amount of other metal ions was not affected. The result from SEM-EDAX revealed that the adsorption of metal ions on bioadsorbent was mainly driven by coordination, ion exchange and electrostatic association. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The application of the recirculation process in the biological wastewater treatment process was considered as an effective approach in promoting biomass retention and mixing intensity, enhancing the performance of treating wastewater. In this study, a recirculated sequencing batch reactor (R-SBR) was developed in the treatment of anaerobically digested vinasse. The comparative study of the conventional sequencing batch reactor (without recirculation process) and R-SBR was determined through the treatment performances and kinetic studies. The chemical oxygen demand and ammonium reduction of R-SBR (52.5 +/- 8.0\% and 31.7 +/- 7.9\%) were higher than the conventional sequencing batch reactor (31.8 +/- 4.3\% and 17.3 +/- 5.3\%) at the feed flow rate of 1.0 L/day. This result revealed that the enhancement of the mass transfer between activated sludge and substrate could improve the biodegradation of the R-SBR. Moreover, the effect of feed flow rate as a significant factor to achieve effective biodegradation was determined in the R-SBR system. The maximum chemical oxygen demand reduction (63.0\%) and ammonium reduction (41.3\%) of R-SBR were achieved at the lowest feed flow rate (1.0 L/day) from 1.0 to 5.0 L/day. The chemical oxygen demand reduction of R-SBR could be explained by using pseudo-first-order kinetics with rate constant (k(1)) (0.0356 day(-1)). The kinetic study revealed that the R-SBR achieved the most effective performance at the lowest feed flow rate. Thus, the recirculation process as a feasible process improved the treatment performance in the R-SBR system at low feed flow rate.
Biomass-derived humins produced in the biorefining of biomass represent an attractive feedstock for thermochemical processes. This work examines the purification and characterization of humins derived from sugarcane bagasse and rice husks (H-SCB and H-RH, respectively), followed by the kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of its pyrolysis. Pyrolysis was assessed via thermogravimetric analysis, and a global reaction model was adopted to address pyrolysis kinetics. To boost the quality of fit between the kinetic model and thermoanalytical data, the analyses are based on Vyazovkin's method. The activation energy of H-SCB increased from 166.09 to 329.76 kJ mol(-1). In contrast, the activation energy of H-RH decreased from 163.31 to 84.99 kJ mol(-1). According to the results of the generalized master-plot approach, the governing reaction mechanism shifted among order-based models, nucleation, and diffusion-controlled particle mechanisms. Thermodynamic properties showed that the process is endothermic, with the thermal decomposition of H-SCB being more reactive (Delta S-average = -0.004 kJ mol(-1) K-1) compared to H-RH (Delta S-average = -0.05 kJ mol(-1) K-1). Also, the heat absorbed helps the humins to achieve a more ordered state close to a conversion of 0.50. Furthermore, a difference of about 7 kJ mol(-1) between the enthalpy of the reaction and the average activation energy indicates the formation of favorable product with humins' considerable bioenergy potential. These findings are the first reported data on the forecast kinetic curves and pyrolysis mechanism of biorefinery-derived humins, and these results will enable process design for the thermochemical conversion of these emerging materials to produce energy and other products.
The use of raw sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as sand replacement in the production of engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) can improve its cost-effectiveness and practicality. A recent study by the authors showed that the use of raw SCBA as a replacement to sand in ECC mixtures substantially enhances the tensile ductility and provides mild improvements in tensile strength; however, it also indicated a need to further elucidate the mechanisms producing such improvements. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of raw SCBA as a sand replacement in ECC's fundamental fiber-bridging relationship, sigma (delta), through single crack tensile test (SCTT) using 1\% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber volume fraction. The PVA fiber volume fraction was reduced from 1.5\% in the previous study to 1\% in this study to ensure that a single crack was produced, which is a necessary condition to obtain the fundamental sigma (delta) relationship. A total of five mixtures were evaluated at different replacement levels of sand with raw SCBA (i.e., 0\%, 25\%, 50\%, 75\%, and 100\%). SCTT results revealed that raw SCBA produced minor effects on the fiber-bridging capacity but significantly increased the complementary energy (J'(b)). A positive correlation was observed between the pseudo strain-hardening (PSH) strength index and raw SCBA content. Since the PSH strength index was higher than the recommended value (i.e., 1.3) for robust PSH behavior, it was concluded that the main factor contributing to tensile ductility enhancements was the increase in the PSH energy index resulting from the notable increase of J'(b) and potential decrease in matrix fracture toughness.
A novel combined biosorption-precipitation process has been designed and applied to recycle Pb2+ from low concentration lead containing wastewater. Pb2+ was firstly removed selectively from wastewater by pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) modified sugarcane bagasse (SB) fixed-bed column, and then, it was desorbed into the concentrated eluate and recycled by adding chemical precipitant. Adsorption performance of the column and optimum desorption and precipitation condition for Pb2+ were investigated in detail. Results showed that the as-prepared column could efficiently remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution and optimum condition for Pb2+ precipitation in eluate was at pH3.0 and molar ratio of precipitant to Pb2+ of 5:1 by using Na3PO4 as precipitant. Recovery experiment illustrated that Pb2+ was selectively removed from wastewater containing ions of Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Ca2+, K+, and Na+ through competitive substitution adsorption on the modified SB, and mass ratio of the five metal ions in eluate was 96.8:0.7:0.7:0.7:0.5:0.5. Pb2+ in this concentrated and purified eluate solution was recycled efficiently by adding Na3PO4. The combined method had great potential in application of heavy metal recovery from wastewater.
Bioethanol production has increased in demand as a replacement for conventional fuels. This work studies the use of apple pomace, which corresponds to 45\% (w/w) of dehydrated apple production, as a reliable and inexpensive source for bioethanol production. Additionally, the vinasse obtained from the process as a byproduct is analyzed. Apple pomace has important properties for energy purposes, with high soluble sugar (6\%-8\%), organic compounds and low protein content. The carbohydrates were consumed in 99.3\% in 144 h at a temperature of 30 degrees C and in a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YSC) concentration of 0.10 g/L. The bioethanol purity produced, 99.5\% (v/v), was quantified by gas chromatography and calorific value (23.21 MJ/kg). This high purity, which fulfills the EN 15376, ASTM D 4806 Standard, allows its use as a fuel and oil additive. Moreover, it can be stated that vinasse obtained from alcohol distillation is a compound that has physicochemical values like other vinasses. Finally, Chile, as the most important exporting country of dehydrated apples in the world, has great potential to take advantage of the use of this raw material for bioethanol and vinasse production.
A new regenerable adsorbent was successfully prepared by modifying maize straw (MS) with succinic anhydride in xylene. The succinylated-maize straw (S-MS) was characterized by FTIR, solid-state MAS C-13 NMR spectroscopy, SEM-EDX and point of zero charge analysis. NaS-MS was successfully obtained after deprotonating the carboxylic acid groups of S-MS by Na2CO3 solution. Batch experiments were carried out with NaS-MS for the removal of Cd(II). The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration and temperature were investigated. The experimental data were best described by a pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption models. Thermodynamic parameters (Delta G, Delta H, and Delta S) were also calculated from data obtained from experiments performed to study the effect of temperatures. NaS-MS could be regenerated at least five times in saturated NaCl solution without any loss. Furthermore, similar to 97\% of adsorbed Cd(II) ions could be recovered as the metal oxide. Finally, the adsorption mechanism of NaS-MS was discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The efficient transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars is essential for building bioeconomies. Sugarcane is an important agricultural crop in a number of Latin American countries, including Brazil and Argentina. Herein culms from two different sugarcane (SC384 and SC724) and two energy cane varieties (EC3116 and EC3118) bred in Argentina were evaluated for sustainable production of second-generation biofuels and green chemicals. Changes in the biomass crystallinity, structure, and morphology introduced by pretreatments were investigated using X-ray diffraction (DRX), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Enzymatic hydrolysis yields of untreated and pretreated sugarcane and energy cane culms were determined and correlated with physical analyses and chemical composition characterizations. Overall, after combined acid and alkali pretreatment, enzymatic convertibility was highly efficient for all studied sugarcane and energy cane varieties, reaching over 97\% of theoretical conversion yields. High crystallinity indices and crystallite sizes of pretreated culms and SEM results and CLSM were consistent with the removal of lignin, solubilization of hemicellulose, and amorphous parts of lignocellulose imprinted by the pretreatments. High potential of culms from sugarcane and energy cane varieties cultivated in Argentina for sustainable production of renewable lignocellulosic sugars and their transformation into green chemicals and fuels was demonstrated.
The effect of 2\%v/v silane and 4\%v/v hydrogen peroxide treatment on mechanical, physical and morphological characterization of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fiber reinforced bio-phenolic hybrid composites has been evaluated in this work. The treated OPEFB and SCB fibers has been prepared with different ratio while maintaining 50\%wt fiber loading, and then incorporated with the bio-phenolic resin by hand layup technique to produce pure and hybrid composites. Universal testing machine INSTRON has been used for tensile, flexural, and compressive strength analysis. Water absorption and thickness swelling are determined after 24 h. Fracture behaviour, void and fiber pull out of the specimen was observed by using scanning electron microscope in morphological analysis. The hybridization of silane treated 7OPEFB:3SCB fiber indicates better highest performance on tensile strength and modulus with 11.67 MPa and 1348.43 MPa. The silane treated 5OPEFB:5SCB hybrid composites show highest flexural and compressive strength, 16.82 MPa and 6.53 MPa, respectively. Obtained result showed silane treated 3OPEFB:7SCB hybrid composites displays lowest water absorption and thickness swelling after 24 h analysis and show less void content. This study indicated that 2\%v/v silane coupling agent gives better enhancement of mechanical properties compared to 4\%v/v hydrogen peroxide treatment. Silane treated 5OPEFB:5SCB fiber reinforced bio-phenolic hybrid composites fulfil requirement of the mechanical and physical properties needed for insulation board as per standard. It can be concluded from this study that silane treatment improve the performance of agriculture residue and the hybridization of bio-composites have potential to develop new class of eco-friendly thermal insulation and sustainable wall building materials. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The ability of Aspergillus tamarii V12A25 to use caffeine as sole nitrogen source was investigated in solid state fermentation (SSF) using two different supports, polyurethane foam (PUF) and sugarcane bagasse. Caffeine can be used in SSF as the sole nitrogen source, the carbon source being saccharose. If a simpler nitrogen source (ammonium sulphate, urea) is added to the medium containing caffeine, this source will be used first allowing fungal growth. If saccharose is still present when the simple nitrogen source has been degraded, caffeine will be used as the nitrogen source, together with saccharose. Caffeine at a concentration of 8 g/l has no effect on fungal growth when a simple nitrogen source is not limiting. The main difference between the two solid supports was the time required to complete the fermentation. With sugarcane bagasse as the support, substrates (caffeine, ammonium sulphate, urea) were degraded almost twice as fast as with PUF as the support. Theophylline and 3-methylxanthine, the major products from caffeine degradation, disappeared completely from the culture medium shortly after caffeine degradation stopped. The major advantage of using PUF support over sugar cane bagasse is that the former allows determination of fungal biomass which is not possible with the latter. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The simultaneous hydrolysis/dehydration reaction of sugarcane bagasse, rice husk and corncob was studied under hot compressed water in the presence of TiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2-ZrO2 at 473-673 K. Among them, the reaction of corncob at 573 K in the presence of TiO2-ZrO2 produced the highest furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) yields (10.3\% and 8.6\%) with less by-products (i.e. glucose, fructose, xylose, and 1,6-anhydroglucose) selectivities. It was found that the catalyst preparation procedure and calcination temperature strongly affected its reactivity. Catalysts prepared by (co-) precipitation method gained higher reactivity than those prepared by sol-gel and physical mixing methods. The suitable calcination temperature for TiO2 and ZrO2 was at 773 K, whereas that for TiO2-ZrO2 was at 873 K; the XRD patterns revealed that different portions of phase formation were observed over catalysts with different calcination temperature. The portion of these phase formations affected the acidity-basicity of catalyst and thus the catalyst reactivity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The development of a novel nanobiosorbent derived from waste molasses for the adsorptive removal of arsenic (As) has been attempted in this study. Waste molasses were chemically ameliorated through a solvothermal route for the incorporation of iron oxide, thereby producing iron oxide incorporated carbonaceous nanomaterial (IOCN). Synthesis of IOCN was confirmed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) analysis. The surface area and porous behavior of IOCN were elucidated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) assessments. The experimental conditions for adsorption were first modeled using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the central composite design (CCD), considering the parameters: adsorbate dosage, adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time. RSM optimizations were improved upon using a three-layer feed-forward multilayer perceptron (MLP) based Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. Optimization through ANN model resulted in the increase of the maximal As adsorption efficiency to similar to 96\% for IOCN. The IOCN isotherm plots show the best fit for the Sips isotherm, and the reaction kinetics follows the pseudo-second-order model, indicating the chemisorption mechanism for As adsorption. Evidence for direct coordination of As to the surface of adsorbents was further confirmed by FTIR spectroscopic studies before and after As adsorption. The high adsorption efficiencies and the low-cost facile synthesis of the IOCN nanosorbent from agro-industrial waste indicate their potential for commercial applications.
Bagasse activated carbon (AC) and the new type of activated carbon (KAC) prepared with reactivation method of ZnCl2-KOH were modified with triethylenetetramine (TETA) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). The as-modified adsorbents for CO2 separation were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, N-2 adsorption-desorption, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When the content of amine group is 5\%, the CO2 adsorption quantity of TEPA-loaded adsorbents reaches the highest at 60 degrees C (3.62 mmol/g for KAC and 1.98 mmol/g for AC, respectively). With a more abundant pore structure, KAC is more suitable for amine modification and its adsorption capacity of CO2 is higher than that of AC after amine modification. Cyclic adsorption-desorption tests showed satisfactory regenerations for the modified adsorbents. Compared with other adsorbents, such as activated carbon, microporous zeolite, and mesoporous molecular sieve reported in literature, the new adsorbent prepared from the by-product of sugar industry has good performance (1.05-3.14 mmol/g larger than those of others) under the same conditions (60 degrees C and 15\% partial pressure). The results are expected to provide scientific basis for the practical application.
In the global pursuit of sustainable production and cleaner consumption strategies, bio-based plastics have been increasingly developed, produced, and used in the field of renewable materials. This study performs technoeconomic and environmental assessments of polylactic acid (PLA) produced via lactic acid from sugarcane juice fermentation in integration with a typical Brazilian ethanol distillery. PLA presents net negative GHG emissions: -0.25 kg CO2 eq./kg PLA from cradle to factory gate. It shows lower environmental scores than traditional fossil-based plastics in global warming and fossil resource scarcity categories. However, it reveals the highest impacts in terrestrial acidification and land occupation due to sugarcane cultivation. PLA from this study also presents a smaller global warming potential in comparison to other PLA cited in the literature since the energy demand from all industrial stages is supplied by sugarcane bagasse and straw combustion. Production cost is estimated at US\$ 1.41/kg PLA in a venture that reaches an Internal Rate of Return of 29.4 \%. PLA's minimum selling price of US\$ 1.58/kg is lower than the stipulated US\$ 2.66/kg market price. The attractive environmental results coupled with this competitive economic performance show that the proposed route can contribute to sustainable production within the plastics sector. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugars released by thermochemical pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass are possible substrate for hydrogen production. However, the major drawback for bacterial fermentation is the toxicity of weak acids and furan derivatives normally present in such substrate. This study aimed to investigate the metabolism involved in hydrogen production by the isolate Enterobacter LBTM2 using 10, 20 and 30-fold diluted synthetic (SH) and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose (SBH) hydrolysates. In addition, the effects of acetic acid, formic acid and furfural on the bacterial metabolism, as well as detoxification of SBH with activated carbon and molecularly imprinted polymers on the hydrogen production were assessed. The results showed the best hydrogen yield was 0.46 mmol H-2/mmol sugar for 20-times diluted SH, which was 2.3-times higher than obtained in SBH experiments. Bacterial growth and hydrogen production were negatively affected by 0.8 g/L of acetic acid when added alone, but were totally inhibited when formic acid (0.4 g/L) and furfural (0.3 g/L) were also supplied. However the maximum hydrogen production of SBH2O has duplicated when 3\% of powdered activated carbon was added to the SBH experiment. The results presented herein can be helpful in understanding the bottlenecks in biohydrogen production and could contribute towards development of lignocellulosic biorefinery.
Bagasse was pretreated by pectinase, and both the control and pretreated bagasse were subjected to soda-anthraquinone (AQ) pulping. There were significant improvements in pulp properties after pectinase treatment, such as relative increases of brightness (5.5\%), breaking length (17.1\%), burst factor (16.5\%), and tear factor (7.0\%). The samples were analyzed by a fiber analyzer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The pectinase treatment changed the material properties, which would improve the efficiency of subsequent pulping, such as increasing the fiber length (20.0\%), lowering the fines length (10.6\%), and increasing the percentage of flexible fiber. Pectinase treatment removed some non-cellulose components; in particular, the pectin and alcohol-benzene extractives were decreased by 19.4\% and 37.3\% after enzymatic treatment. The hemicellulose and lignin were decreased by 5.5\% and 1.9\%, respectively. A bulkier and more collapsed fiber surface was observed in the treated fibers, which suggested greater pore volume and more accessible surface area. Treatment caused a slight incline by 4.8\% in the crystallinity index. Some chemical structures in pectin, hemicellulose, and lignin were partly broken, showing the effect of pectinase treatment on the degradation of non-cellulose components. Pectinase treatment prior to pulping is therefore recommended, given its efficiency and eco-friendly nature.
Streptomyces misionensis strain PESB-25 was screened and selected for its ability to secrete cellulases. Cells were grown in a liquid medium containing sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as carbon source and corn steep liquor (CSL) as nitrogen source, whose concentrations were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A peak of endoglucanase accumulation (1.01 U.mL(-1)) was observed in a medium with SCB 1.0\% (w/v) and CSL 1.2\% (w/v) within three days of cultivation. S. misionensis PESB-25 endoglucanase activity was thermoacidophilic with optimum pH and temperature range of 3.0 to 3.6 and 62 degrees to 70 degrees C, respectively. In these conditions, values of 1.54 U mL(-1) of endoglucanase activity were observed. Moreover, Mn2+ was demonstrated to have a hyperactivating effect on the enzyme. In the presence of MnSO4 (8 mM), the enzyme activity increased threefold, up to 4.34 U.mL(-1). Mn2+ also improved endoglucanase stability as the catalyst retained almost full activity upon incubation at 50 degrees C for 4 h, while in the absence of Mn2+, enzyme activity decreased by 50\% in this same period. Three protein bands with endoglucanase activity and apparent molecular masses of 12, 48.5 and 119.5 kDa were detected by zymogram.
The effect of the imbibition temperature on the operational performance of the extraction stage is not fully clarified. Additionally, many criteria referred to on this issue are contradictory, inconclusive, or not supported by industrial data. Due to such limitations in knowledge, this research aims to analyze the influence of imbibition temperature on: i) temperature of the milling train juices, ii) moisture and sucrose composition of bagasse, and iii) starch composition of milling train juices. The results indicate that the imbibition temperature has no in-fluence on the mixed juice temperature and does not allow the minimum recommended temperature for asepsis (65 degrees C) in all juices of the milling units to be reached. Moreover, from the experiments performed, it is estab-lished that bagasse moisture increases by 1.6-1.8 units, and sucrose extraction reduces by 12\% when the imbibition temperature varies from 85 degrees C to 40 degrees C. The starch composition of the mixed juice increases by 15\% when the imbibition temperature rises from 40 degrees C to 85 degrees C. The research provides new statistical evidence for a better understanding and operational control of the effect of imbibition temperature.
Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of sugarcane vinasse and glycerol can be profitable because of the destination of two biofuel wastes produced in large quantities in Brazil (ethanol and biodiesel, respectively) and the complementary properties of these substrates. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of increasing the organic loading rate (OLR) from 2 to 20 kg COD m-3 d-1 on the AcoD of vinasse and glycerol (50 \%:50 \% on a COD basis) in a ther-mophilic (55 degrees C) anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR). The highest methane production rate was observed at 20 kg COD m-3 d-1 (8.83 L CH4 d-1 L-1), while the methane yield remained stable at around 265 NmL CH4 g-1 CODrem in all conditions, even when influent vinasse reached 1811 mg SO42- L-1(10 kg COD m-3 d-1). Sulfate was not detected in the effluent. Bacterial genera related to sulfate removal, such as Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium, were observed by means of shotgun metagenomic sequencing at 10 kg COD m-3 d-1, as well as the acetoclastic archaea Methanosaeta and prevalence of genes encoding enzymes related to acetoclastic methanogenesis. It was concluded that process effi-ciency and methane production occurred even in higher sulfate concentrations due to glycerol addition.
In this study, new methods to improve the mass production of the Philippines fruit fly Bactrocera philippinensis Drew \& Hancock were assessed. A new adult screen cage equipped with perforated egging tubes was designed. The replacement of sweet potato with sugarcane bagasse, rice straw or powdered corn as an alternative bulking agent in the standard artificial larval diet was found to lead to positive results in large-scale rearing. Rearing protocols and product quality control procedures for egg incubation, sieving of pupae and pupal holding were examined. The adoption of these new rearing procedures at low cost was found to increase the production of the Philippines fruit fly in a mass-rearing facility without reducing the fitness of the insect.
The sugar-energy sector stands out in the production of electrical energy in the Brazilian energy matrix. The updating of Law 9,427 allowed increasing the limit of power injected in the transmission or distribution systems of existing projects from 30 to 50 MW, encouraging studies of expansion and/or implementation of new cogeneration projects. This study analyzed technologies to enhance energy cogeneration in a plant that sells about 27 MW of surplus power. For this, were studied the use of straw, electrification of drives by steam turbines, and high-drainage rollers (lotus mill roller), which allows reducing bagasse moisture, increasing its lower calorific value (LCV) and, consequently, electrical energy generation. Mass and energy balances in the energy plants of the proposed cases were performed using the software IPSEpro. Economic analyses were carried out using the conventional techniques of economic engineering (payback period, net present value NPV, internal rate of return IRR, and return on invested capital ROIC). These analyses allowed the technical and economical identification of cases with viability, according to the value of the electrical energy sold.
Both value-added utilization of agricultural waste to prepare catalytic materials and selective conversion of biomass-based carbonyl compounds are hot topics. Herein, sugarcane bagasse (SB), a main by-product of cane sugar manufacturing industry, was directly assembled with HfCl4 and methanesulfonic acid (MSA) via a one-step hydrothermal method for scalable preparation of Hf-containing coordination complex (Hf@SB-MSA). Characterization results revealed that the coordination between Hf4+ and phenolic hydroxyl, alcohol hydroxyl, carboxyl groups in SB resulting in the formation of Lewis acid (LA) and Lewis base (LB) sites, while sulfonic group in MSA providing Bronsted acid (BA) sites. The cooperative role of LA, BA and LB in Hf@SB-MSA delivered prominent catalytic performance for catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of levulinic acid (LvA) to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) with isopropanol as solvent and H-donor at mild reaction conditions (GVL yield was up to 99.1\%). Heterogeneity and recycling experiments further revealed the good recyclability of Hf@SB-MSA, which can be easily separated from the reaction mixture by filtration and repetitively used at least five reaction runs without an obvious loss of activity. More gratifyingly, Hf@SB-MSA also displayed superior universality for the CTH of various carbonyl compounds to their corresponding alcohols with yields up to 90\%.
Open burning of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarurn) has a large impact in regional atmospheric pollution and global climatic change. In this research, pollutant emissions from sugarcane residues burning were measured in order to determine the emission factors (EFs) of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), K, Na, Ca, Mg, NO3-, SO42-, NH4+, and Cl- contained in particulate matter (PM), as well as EFs of the gaseous pollutants, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4) and 37 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Experiments were carried out in an open combustion chamber equipped with isokinetic sampling, following EPA 5 and modified EPA 201-A methods. Preliminary tests showed that continuous feeding of residues does not represent the open burning carried out in the field since flaming stage is sustained, thus batch feeding of residues was used to perform around 30 experiments. Gaseous pollutants EFs were 1618 +/- 108, 25.7 +/- 2.04 and 2.29 +/- 0.13 g kg(-1) for CO2, CO and CH4 respectively, while C-2 compounds have the highest EF of VOCs. PM10 and PM2.5 accounted for 55\% and 36\% of total PM mass, whereas carbonaceous species (EC and OC) accounted for 66\% in PM2.5 and 58\% in PM10 and total PM mass. Emission factors of EC varied from 0.34 to 0.37 g kg(-1), and EF of OC were 0.44, 0.67 and 1.2 g kg(-1) for PM2.5, PM10 and total PM, respectively. Highest EFs of determined elements and anions were K and Cl-, respectively. Heavy PAHs such as benzo{[
Aluminium waste is tremendously increasing all over the world. The recycling of this aluminium scrap is more beneficial economically and environmentally as compared to primary aluminium production. The component consisting of aluminium can be recycled repeatedly. Aluminium waste hybrid composites are recent generation of metal matrix composite (MMC) that have the potential of fulfilling recent demand for advance application. The compatibility between the various metal matrix \& reinforcement materials make it possible to obtain component mechanical and thermal properties of these MMCs. In this study waste sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) was used as reinforcement to cast MMC by stir casting method. Scrap aluminium is used as a matrix material \& \% reinforcement varying from 0 to 2.5 weight \%. Scrap aluminium collected from electric cable as a matrix and bagasse ash as reinforcement is used to manufacture composite successfully by using stir casting method. The microstructure of composite shows the uniform distribution of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) particles in scrap aluminium (Al) alloy. It is observed that hardness properties are increased along with reinforcement content or reinforcement \%.
The applicability of sulphurised activated carbon (SAC) as adsorbent for the effective removal of Co(II) from aqueous solutions was investigated. Bagasse pith, a sugarcane industry waste, was used for the synthesis of SAC. Bench scale batch experiments were performed to study the effects of various parameters such as pH, contact time, initial concentration, temperature, ionic strength and adsorbent dose on the adsorption process. Maximum adsorption was observed at the pH range of 4.5-8.5. With an initial concentration of 50 and 100 mg dm(-3) of the adsorbate at pH 6.0, the percentage adsorptions were found to be 90.3 and 81.0\%, respectively. SAC showed a high adsorption capacity for Co(II) removal compared with laboratory and commercial grade activated carbons. Equilibrium studies were conducted to study the effects of initial concentration and temperature for the adsorption of Co(II) onto SAC. The results indicated that adsorption process obeys Langmuir isotherm model other than Freundlich model. An empirical relationship has been suggested to predict the percentage Co(H) removal at any time for known values of adsorbent dose and initial adsorbate concentration under the investigated conditions. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The production of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) from bagasse was optimized through a novel green approach by combining an organosolv pretreatment with microgrinding. Bagasse was processed through organosolv pretreatment with trifluoroacetic acid (OPT) as a catalyst to provide precursor fibers with full control of chemical components for NFC production. The mass balance of the pretreated bagasse through OPT (OPTB) was determined by its chemical components and total organic carbon analysis. OPT was found to be an efficient and energy-saving strategy for recovering cellulose, as well as hydrolyzing hemicellulose and lignin. Noncellulosic contents in OPTB fibers were optimized to obtain a high NFC yield through microgrinding. The highest NFC yield relative to the mass of precursor fibers of 72\% was achieved through mechanical defibrillation of the OPTB containing noncellulosic content of 29\%, which generated nanofibrils with the average diameter of 9 nm. In biorefinery principles, OPT not only converted 57\% of bagasse to solid cellulosic fibers for NFC preparation, but also 30\% of bagasse to valuable bioproducts including the hemicellulose-derived xylose (19\%) and lignin-derived organosolv lignin (11\%). The combined OPT and microgrinding produced NFC and simultaneously extracted bioproducts from bagasse while using easily recoverable and low environmental impact reagents.
Polydispersed biomass has as one of the main features variations in particle dimension and size. Mean diameter determination methods by screening are widely used due to their relative simplicity and low cost. However, when applied for heterogeneous materials such as polydispersed biomass, they can lead to misleading results. Thus, we evaluated three methods for determining mean diameter of polydispersed biomass particles, aiming at most accurate results. The methods are based on size fractionation by mechanical sieving: one analytical (Sauter diameter) and two by graphical analysis of particle distribution functions (Mass Distribution Density - MDD and Cumulative/Augmentative Distribution - CAD). The method based on graphical analysis of mass distribution density (MDD) was the most efficient for sugarcane bagasse analysis, once it enabled detecting different populations and clearly identifying their respective characteristic dimensions. Therefore, it is a powerful tool for particle size analysis of polydispersed biomass.
Biorefinery process of corn cob bagasse was investigated by integrating microbial lipid and ABE fermentation. The effects of NaOH concentration on the fermentations performance were evaluated. The black liquor after pretreatment was used as substrate for microbial lipid fermentation, while the enzymatic hydrolysates of the bagasse were used for ABE fermentation. The results demonstrated that under the optimized condition, the cellulose and hemicellulose in raw material could be effectively utilized. Approximate 87.7\% of the polysaccharides were converted into valuable biobased products ( similar to 175.7 g/kg of ABE along with similar to 36.6 g/kg of lipid). At the same time, almost half of the initial COD ( similar to 48.9\%) in the black liquor could be degraded. The environmentally friendly biorefinery process showed promising in maximizing the utilization of biomass for future biofuels production. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Background: Sugarcane is a subtropical crop that produces large amounts of biomass annually. It is a key agricultural crop in many countries for the production of sugar and other products. Residual bagasse following sucrose extraction is currently underutilized and it has potential as a carbohydrate source for the production of biofuels. As with all lignocellulosic crops, lignin acts as a barrier to accessing the polysaccharides, and as such, is the focus of transgenic efforts. In this study, we used RNAi to individually reduce the expression of three key genes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway in sugarcane. These genes, caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT), ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), impact lignin content and/or composition. Results: For each RNAi construct, we selected three events for further analysis based on qRT-PCR results. For the CCoAOMT lines, there were no lines with a reduction in lignin content and only one line showed improved glucose release. For F5H, no lines had reduced lignin, but one line had a significant increase in glucose release. For COMT, one line had reduced lignin content, and this line and another released higher levels of glucose during enzymatic hydrolysis. Two of the lines with improved glucose release (F5H-2 and COMT-2) also had reduced S:G ratios. Conclusions: Along with improvements in bagasse quality for the production of lignocellulosic-based fuels, there was only one line with reduction in juice sucrose extraction, and three lines with significantly improved sucrose production, providing evidence that the alteration of sugarcane for improved lignocellulosic ethanol production can be achieved without negatively impacting sugar production and perhaps even enhancing it.
A halophilic and alkali-tolerant Chromohalobacter sp. TPSV 101 with an ability to produce extracellular halophilic, alkali-tolerant and moderately thermostable xylanase was isolated from solar salterns. Identification of the bacterium was done based upon biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequence. The culture conditions for higher xylanase production were optimized with respect to NaCl, pH, temperature, substrates and metal ions and additives. Maximum xylanase production was achieved in the medium with 20\% NaCl, pH-9.0 at 40A degrees C supplemented with 1\% (w/v) sugarcane bagasse and 0.5\% feather hydrolysate as carbon and nitrogen sources. Sugarcane bagasse (250 U/ml) and wheat bran (190 U/ml) were the best inducer of xylanase when used as carbon source as compared to xylan (61 U/ml). The xylanase that was partially purified by protein concentrator had a molecular mass of 15 kDa approximately. The xylanase from Chromohalobacter sp. TPSV 101 was active at pH 9.0 and required 20\% NaCl for optimal xylanolytic activity and was active over a broad range of temperature 40-80A degrees C with 65A degrees C as optimum. The early stage hydrolysis products of sugarcane bagasse were xylose and xylobiose, after longer periods of incubation only xylose was detected.
Xylose-to-xylitol bioconversion using 2.5 or 10\% (v/v) rice bran extract was performed to verify the influence of this source of nutrients on Candida guilliermondii metabolism. Semisynthetic medium (SM) and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate detoxified with ion-exchange resins (HIE) or with alteration in pH combined with adsorption onto activated charcoal (HAC) were fermented in 125 mL Erlenmeyer flasks at 30 degrees C and 200 rpm for 72 hours. Activated charcoal supplemented with 2.5\% (v/v) rice bran extract was fermented by C. guilliermondii in a MULTIGEN stirred tank reactor using pH 5.0 and 22.9/hour oxygen transfer volumetric coefficient. Higher values of xylitol productivity (0.70, 0.71, and 0.62 g.Lh(-1)) and xylose-to-xylitol conversion yield (0.71, 0.69, and 0.63 g.g(-1)) were obtained with 2.5\% (v/v) rice bran in semisynthetic medium, ion-exchange resins, and activated charcoal, respectively. Moreover, during batch fermentation, the xylitol volumetric productivity and fermentation efficiency values obtained were 0.53 g.Lh(-1) and 61.1\%, respectively.
The pozzolanic activity of aluminum recycling waste (AW) was evaluated along with sugarcane bagasse ash (BA) and zeolite (ZE) to give a more sustainable use. These materials were characterized and submitted to the pozzolanic activity test by a modified Chapelle test and the compressive strength of mortars prepared with limestone Portland cement (LPC). The final solids were characterized again to determine the hydrated products. The main reactive chemical components of AW are Al2O3 and MgO, which are in the form of hydroxides, such as nordstrandite (Al(OH)(3)), meixnerite ({[
Acid-catalysed crude glycerol (ACG) pretreatment was carried out at 110 degrees C and 130 degrees C for mild fractionation of sugarcane bagasse into fermentable sugars and high-quality lignin. ACG pretreatment at 110 degrees C led to sugar yields of 71\%-74\%, comparable to those with acid-catalysed reagent-grade glycerol (AG). ACG pretreatment removed more lignin (53\%-75\%) than AG pretreatment (38\%-49\%), likely due to the presence of organic impurities in ACG. Hence, 28\% more lignin was recovered from ACG pretreatment hydrolysate than with the AG pretreatment. NMR analysis revealed that recovered lignin was modified by glycerol through etherification of beta aryl ethers and esterification of hydroxycinnamic acids, which prevented lignin condensation and led to the generation of beta-O-4 linkage-rich lignin at mild conditions (110 degrees C for 3 h and 5 h). This study suggests that crude glycerol is a suitable low-cost solvent for mild fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars and high-quality lignin for value-adding applications.
In this study, sugarcane bagasse fiber was used for medium density fiberboard (MDF) manufacturing. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of maleic anhydride (MA) and press temperature on the mechanical (static bending, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond) and physical properties (thickness swelling, water and steam absorption) of the boards. This study showed that all the MDF panels made from bagasse fibers treated with MA at 190 degrees C press temperature had the highest values among the other types of panels for general purpose boards. In addition, treated fibers at 190 degrees C showed minimum steam absorption. The absorption of steam increased with increase in time from 12 to 120 h in all the treatments. Beyond 120 h no additional absorption of steam was found in any of the six MDF boards. Overall results showed that MDF panels made from bagasse exceed the EN standards for internal bond, modulus of elasticity, and static bending. However, thickness swelling values were higher (poor) than requirements. For this reason, additional work needs to be done on improving the physical properties of particleboard produced from bagasse.
This study demonstrated the performance of the sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) impregnated with calcium oxide (CaO) as a novel heterogeneous basic catalyst in biodiesel production. The SCBA was prepared by calcination for 2 h at 500 to 800 degrees C and impregnated with CaO loadings (10 to 40 wt.\%). The prepared SCBA/CaO catalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed desorption of carbon dioxide (TPD-CO2), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface characteristics. A series of transesterification reactions were conducted to evaluate the performance of the catalysts. As a result, highest FAME yield of 93.8\% was obtained by using SCBA(600 degrees C) CaO(40\%) catalyst at 20:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, reaction temperature of 65 degrees C, with 6 wt.\% catalyst in 3 h. Besides, the catalyst can be reused up to 5 reaction cycles with biodiesel yield of 93.0\% and 70.3\% at first and fifth cycles, respectively. In this work, it was found that the natural SiO2 in the SCBA has a significant role to enhance the catalytic performance and reduce the catalyst's deactivation drawback by minimizing the leaching of active sites.
Pretreatments to sugarcane bagasse (SCB) such as CaCl2, alkali, ammonia, steam and milling showed 91\%, 46\%, 47\%, 42\% and 56\% adsorption of Solvent Red 5B (SR5B); 92\%, 57\%, 58\%, 56\% and 68\% adsorption of simulated dyes mixture (SDM), and 86\%, 45\%, 49\%, 44\% and 56\% adsorption of a real textile effluent (RTE), respectively. However, the untreated SCB showed 32\%, 38\% and 30\% adsorption of SR5B, SDM and RTE, respectively. Adsorption of SR5B on CaCl2 pretreated SCB follows pseudo-second order kinetics. SEM and FTIR analysis reveals the delignification of CaCl2 pretreated SCB. SR5B, SDM and RTE adsorbed on CaCl2, alkali, ammonia, steam and milling pretreated SCB were decolorized under solid state fermentation using isolated Providensia staurti strain EbtSPG. Tray bioreactor study showed 86\% American Dye Manufacturers Institute (ADMI) removal of RTE in 72 h. Biodegradation of adsorbed SR5B was confirmed using FTIR, HPLC and HPTLC. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The structural diversity of monomethyl branched-chain fatty acids (mBCFAs) expanded their application in biolubricants, biofuels for enhancing cold flow and thermo-oxidative properties. Current study focuses on mBCFAs production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate in biorefinery approach with halophilic Lentibacillus salarius BPIITR. Halophilic bacterium exhibited tolerance towards furan aldehydes up to 150 mM in minimal medium and produced 3.40 +/- 0.13 and 2.47 +/- 0.15 gL-1 lipid rich in mBCFAs, in xylose and glucose rich non-detoxified hydrolysate, respectively at bench-scale bioreactor. In addition, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and 2-fur-ancarboxylic acids were co-produced as value-added products up to 41.34 +/- 4.73 and 59.84 +/- 5.17 mM, respectively. The biosynthesized bacterial oil exhibited onset oxidation temperature of 319.5 degrees C and low tem-perature viscosity ratio of 2.92. The accumulated lipid was rich in triacylglycerol content more than 67 \% with 12-methyl tetradecanoic acid as major fatty acid.
This study demonstrated the improved polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production via high cell density cultivation of Bacillus megaterium BA-019 with balanced initial total sugar concentration and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) weight ratio. In the 10 L stirred fermentor operated at 30 A degrees C, pH 7.0, 600 rpm, and 1.0 vvm air, with the initial total sugar concentration of 60 g/L and urea at the C/N weight ratio of 10:1, 32.48 g/L cell biomass with the corresponding PHB weight content of 26.94 \% and volumetric productivity of 0.73 g/L h were obtained from batch cultivation. Continuing cultivation by intermittent feeding of the sugarcane molasses along with urea at the C/N weight ratio of 12.5:1 gave much improved biomass and PHB production (90.71 g/L biomass with 45.84 \% PHB content and 1.73 g/L h PHB productivity). Similar biomass and PHB yields were obtained in the 90 L stirred fermentor when using the impeller tip speed as the scale-up criterion.
Studies on reactivity of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), obtained by an autogenous combustion process, with low loss on ignition and three different particle sizes were carried out (SCBA-1, SCBA-2 and SCBA-3). The ashes were characterized by their particle size distribution, chemical composition, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The ash with lowest particle size was SCBA-3, followed by SCBA-2, which both were finer than SCBA-1. Calcium hydroxide/SCBA blends were assessed by means of loss of electrical conductivity (Lc), TGA and FESEM. Portland cement/SCBA pastes were analyzed through isothermal calorimetry, TGA, FESEM and compressive strength. Results showed that SCBA with lowest particle size (SCBA-3) presented highest reactivity, which resulted in statically significant better compressive strength than that of control paste (with only Portland cement) after 28 days of curing. The improvement on compressive strength by employing SCBA-3 respect to control and SCBA-1 were 17.9 and 14.1\%, respectively, after 180 days of curing. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PurposeThe microorganisms that possess diverse and improved traits for biotechnological applications provide an opportunity to address some of the current industrial challenges such as the sustainability of fuel energy and food. The aim of this study was to isolate and select the potential yeast isolates from sugarcane bagasse for single oil production.MethodsThe oleaginocity of the yeasts was confirmed through a gravimetric analysis of lipids, Nile red, sulfo-phosphovanillin (SPV) and a gas chromatography method for fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The identification of the selected yeasts was carried out through a 5.8S of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 26S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences. The carbohydrate and protein contents were estimated using phenol-sulfuric acid and hot trichloroacetic acid method, respectively.ResultsThe yeast isolates accumulated lipids of between 28\% and 67\% of the dry cell weight, and 22-33\% based on the SPV assay, qualifying them as oleaginous yeasts. The selected yeasts were identified as Candida ethanolica and Pichia manshuriica. The lipids contained high levels of fatty acids in the following order: oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and linoleic acid, which made up 82\% of the total lipids.ConclusionAll the six selected yeast strains have the potential to produce single cell oils and other metabolites. The fatty acids composition of the selected yeast species was found to be suitable for the applications in biofuel, nutraceutical, and food industry. The yeast strains require evaluation in lignocellulosic hydrolysate for the production of single cell oils to be cost effective.
Lactic acid is one of the top 30 potential building-block chemicals from biomass, of which the most extensive use is in the polymerization of lactic acid to poly-lactic-acid (PLA). To reduce the cost of PLA, the search for cheap raw materials and low-cost process for lactic acid production is highly desired. In this study, the final titer of produced L-lactic acid reached a concentration of 185 g.L-1 with a volumetric productivity of 1.93 g.L-1.h(-1) by using sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate as the sole carbon source simultaneously with cottonseed meal as cheap nitrogen sources under the open fed-batch fermentation process. Furthermore, a lactic acid yield of 0.99 g per g of total reducing sugars was obtained, which is very close to the theoretical value (1.0 g.g(-1)). No D-isomer of lactic acid was detected in the broth, and thereafter resulted in an optical purity of 100\%, which exceeds the requirement of lactate polymerization process. To our knowledge, this is the best performance of fermentation on polymer-grade L-lactic acid production totally using lignocellulosic sources. The high levels of optically pure L-lactic acid produced, combined with the ease of handling and low costs associated with the open fermentation strategy, indicated the thermotolerant Bacillus sp. P38 could be an excellent candidate strain with great industrial potential for polymer-grade L-lactic acid production from various cellulosic biomasses.
The present study focused on the screening and optimization of biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by Bacillus spp. using cost-effective substrates. Among 602 local Bacillus isolates, Bacillus thuringiensis B417-5 produced the highest amount of PHB (2.278 g/L, 60.07\% of dry cell weight, DCW). 1H NMR and FTIR analyses of the extracted polymer revealed the characteristic peaks of PHB. The optimization results showed that the highest PHB accumulation (2.768 g/L, 72.08\% of DCW) was achieved when culturing B. thuringiensis B417-5 in a nitrogen-deficient medium containing 1\% total sugar from sugarcane juice and 0.5\% yeast extract, with a pH of 7.0 and an incubation temperature of 37 degrees C for 48 h. B. thuringiensis B417-5 can thus be considered a good candidate for large-scale production of PHB. We are reporting for the first time that sugarcane juice is a promising carbon source for economical PHB production by B. thuringiensis.
The effect of non-catalytic protein addition on the adsorption/desorption behavior of individual cellulase components on/from substrates during the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose and steam exploded sugarcane bagasse (SEB) were investigated. The addition of non-catalytic protein enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis of SEB, but did not enhance the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. During the hydrolysis of SEB, adsorption of beta-glucosidase (BGL) was prevented in the presence of non-catalytic protein. Cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) and endoglucanase I (EG I) desorbed from the substrate after temporary adsorption in the presence of non-catalytic protein during SEB hydrolysis. This suggested that reduction of the non-specific adsorption of cellulase components, CBH I, EG I, and BGL, on lignin in SEB led to the improving of enzymatic hydrolysis. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Present invention was indented for characterization and adsorptive (batch and column) treatment of sugar industry distillery spent wash to remove COD (chemical oxygen demand) and color using sugarcane industrial waste, bagasse fly ash (BFA). Distillery spent wash was extremely polluted including acidic pH and very high value of COD, BOD (biological oxygen demand) and color. Sophisticated techniques such as BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area, pore volume, pore diameter, particle size distribution, porosity, FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), chemical composition by XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) were utilized to analyze BFA as an adsorbent and revealed that BFA surface was highly porous and consisted of various oxides. In batch treatment, different process parameters such as contact duration and temperature w.r.t adsorbent dose, thermodynamic studies and isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich model) were analyzed. Column adsorption was performed using various variables (bed height, particle size distribution and flow rate), breakthrough parameters and isotherms (Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, BDST and Adams and Bohart model). Adsorption capacities were increased with increasing BFA dose, contact duration, temperature, bed height and decreasing flow rate and average particle size. The maximum adsorption capacity of Langmuir and Thomas model was achieved up to 124.5 mg g(-1) and 0.1394 mg g(-1), respectively, for COD and 109.8 (Hazen L) gm(-1) and 0.2547 (Hazen L) gm(-1), respectively, for color. Sugar Industry wastewater stream, i.e., distillery spent wash was shown to be feasible using own industrial solid waste, BFA.
Sugarcane leaves (SL) pretreated by alkali was used as substrate to enhance biogas production via mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) in this study. Effectiveness of different concentrations of NaOH pretreatment on AD performance was investigated. Results showed that compared to untreated sample of SL, the lignocellulose (LCH) content of NaOH pretreated group was decreased by 5.79\%-16.85\%. However, the cumulative biogas production of the pretreated samples increased in the range of 34.54\%-82.67\%; moreover, T90 was shorten by 5-7 d. The highest anaerobic digestibility of SL was achieved at 6\% NaOH pretreatment, which produced 287.30 mL/g TS of biogas. A significant interactive effect of the three parameters (temperature, SL/manure mixing ratio and C/N ratio) was found on the biogasification of anaerobic co-digestion, and a maximum biogas production was achieved at 36.2 degrees C, mixing ratio of 1.6 and C/N ratio of 29.2. These show that the verification experiment confirmed the optimization results. This study provides meaningful insight for exploring efficient pretreatment strategy and optimal condition to stabilize and enhance AD performance for practical application.
One of the sustainable and the most effective methods for controlling wind erosion is protecting the ground surface by mulching and vegetation cover. This study was done to assess the effect of organic and inorganic mulches and also compaction levels on soil properties and growth characteristics of caper plants, as one of the important shrubs to combat desertification in hot-humid areas. Results suggested that sugarcane bagasse and palm waste compost mulches significantly increased soil organic carbon (OC), nutrients (available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), and moisture, and decreased soil electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and temperature. Petroleum mulch increased soil penetration resistance (69.50 kPa) and temperature (25.50). Petroleum and cement-slag mulch, and also their combination (petroleum-cement mulch) decreased soil moisture to the minimum extent. For either compaction level, using petroleum mulch increases penetration resistance. Compaction decreased soil moisture by 0.96\% and increased total neutralizing value (TNV) and bulk density (BD) by 1.52\% and 0.31 g cm(-3), respectively. For either compaction level, soil porosity increased with the application of sugarcane bagasse mulch and palm waste compost. Using sugarcane bagasse mulch and palm waste compost increased stem length, leaf number, above ground and root weight, and shoot to root ratio of caper plant. Soil temperature (a = -0.70, R-2 = 55.70\%, P <= 0.001), EC (a = -0.87, R-2 = 42.49\%, P <= 0.001) and penetration resistance (a = -1.32, R-2 = 17.03\%, P <= 0.01) decreased with increasing soil moisture. BD (a = -1.20, R-2 = 37.08\%, P <= 0.001) decreased with increasing soil OC. Findings suggested the significant effect of organic mulches on improving some soil properties and growth characteristics of caper plants.
A method for the selective extraction of hemicellulose from wheat straw involving cold alkaline extraction and subsequent separation by precipitation with ethanol is proposed. Wheat straw affords selective separation of the hemicellulose fraction from the cellulose and lignin fractions with the proposed method. The hemicellulose yield was optimized by using a 2n factor design to examine the influence of temperatures (temperature was designed between 20 and 40 degrees C), operation times (operation time was designed between 30 and 60 min) and alkali concentrations (alkali concentration was designed between 80 and 120 g L-1). These conditions allowed 56.1\% of all hemicellulose initially present in the raw material, and 59.1\% of the lignin, to be extracted. Subsequent separation of hemicellulose in the liquid phase from the cold alkaline extraction by precipitation with ethanol provided a fraction containing 39.4\% of all hemicellulose (45.2\% hemicellulose in extract/total extract) and only 12\% of all lignin in the raw material. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The pulping runs for bagasse were carried out by using NH4OH-KOH-AQ as cooking liquor. IR was employed to study the characteristic change of bagasse and obtained pulp. The delignification mechanisms and kinetics of NH4OH-KOH-AQ pulping for bagasse were investigated. The dissolution of lignin proceeds could be divided into three distinct phases, named a bulk phase of delignification, a supplementary phase, and a residual phase. The rate of delignification reaction was found to be 1.0, 0.72 and 0.14 with respect to residual lignin, hydroxide ion and AQ, respectively. Values were obtained for the rate constants at a number of temperatures and the activation energy was found to be 45.29 kJ/mol. A kinetic model of delignification could be expressed as - dL/dt = 5.25 x 10(5) exp(-5448/T)L{[
Two-stage delignification of sugarcane bagasse with acetic acid and ozone was investigated. The better pulp was obtained pulping bagasse in aqueous solution of acetic acid (80\% volume) at 145 degrees C during 60 min. The liquor/bagasse ratio (LIE) was 10: 1 and the kappa number was 44; it fell to 10 in the ozone stage due to selectivity of acetic acid medium. Pulp reaches a brightness of almost 70\% Elrepho and the strength properties are similar to those of soda pulps without refining and better than acetosolv pulps.
The Brazilian sugarcane sector has increased the adoption of conservation practices based both on mechanized harvest without burning and on the use of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) to improve crop sustainability. However, there is no information about the impact of these practices on sugarcane diseases. This study aims at investigating the effect of conservation practices on the incidence and severity of spontaneous sugarcane diseases, considering soil tillage, planting season, residue maintenance, and sources of nitrogenous fertilizers. Two experiments were conducted, being one during the cane-plant cycle and the other carried out throughout the sugarcane cycle until the second ratoon. The simultaneous occurrences of ring spot, caused by Leptosphaeria sacchari Breda de Haan, and red rot leaf infection, caused by Colletotrichum falcatum Went, were the only diseases observed in the experiments regardless of the conservation practices. The use of reduced tillage, conventional tillage, and non-tillage as well as the planting season and the depth of the sugarcane trash layer did not influence the severity of the diseases. However, BNF reduced the severity of foliar diseases in the first and second ratoons. The overall disease severity affected the dry biomass of sugarcane in the first ratoon. The results can assist disease management strategies considering the new scenario of sugarcane production in Brazil.
The leaves of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) are agricultural waste that is burnt before harvesting. This project aims to find an alternative way to increase the value of sugarcane leaves and decrease air pollution by using the leaves as raw material to produce succinic acid and biochar. Reducing sugars were extracted from the leaves by H2SO4 hydrolysis. The sugars were then fermented by Yarrowia lipolytica TBRC 4417 to produce succinic acid. The solid residue was used as the raw material for biochar production by pyrolysis. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (350, 400, and 450 degrees C) and nitrogen gas flow rate (5, 10, and 15 L.min(-1)) on the specific surface area of biochar were determined. The adsorption capacity of mixed nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound solution at various concentrations by biochar was also investigated. The hydrolysis condition was at 1\%v/v of H2SO4, 100 g.L-1 of sugarcane leaves, and hydrolysis time of 60 min. The hydrolysate yielded sugar monomers at a concentration of ca. 13.00 g.L-1 of xylose and 2.00 g.L-1 of glucose. The fermentation process of extracted reducing sugar from sugarcane leaves by Yarrowia lipolytica TBRC 4417 was studied at 30 degrees C for 84 h. with 120 rpm shaking. It was found that Yarrowia lipolytica TBRC 4417 produced succinic acid in glucose, mixed glucose and xylose, and extracted reducing sugars. The maximum succinic acid yield of 0.061 g succinic acid/g sugar consumption was obtained. For biochar production, the maximum specific surface area of 301.19 m(2).g(-1) was found at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 degrees C and the N-2 gas flow rate of 10 L.min-1. The maximum adsorption capacity of the mixed solution was 28.45 wt\%. The adsorption capacity of biochar was N>P>K at a total concentration of 100 mg.L-1. This study demonstrates the agricultural waste's potential value as a useful feedstock for the biological generation of succinic acid and biochar.
White-rot fungi are considered to be promising biotechnological tools to complement or replace the current technologies for the treatment of effluents from textile production plants. The aim of this work was to investigate the decolorization capacity of Ganoderma weberianum B-18 in solid state fermentation with sugarcane bagasse as a substrate and ligninolytic inducer as well as to decolorize and detoxify industrial effluents by this strain in a laboratory scale packed-bed bio-reactor. The results demonstrated that G. weberianum B-18 indeed showed to possess decolorization capacity in solid state fermentation with sugarcane bagasse supplemented with synthetic dyes. Moreover, fungal biomass of G. weberianum B-18 immobilized in sugarcane bagasse in a packed-bed bioreactor was shown to efficiently decolorize and detoxify different dyes and authentic industrial effluents in semi-continuous conditions. In this decolorization process, laccase enzymes secreted by the fungus played the main role. Hence, a packed-bed reactor with G. weberianum B-18 immobilized in sugarcane bagasse seems to be a suitable system for the further development of an efficient bioprocess for large-scale treatment of dye-containing wastewaters.
A novel approach to improve ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse is proposed. Biomass was pretreated with sodium hydroxide, sulfuric, oxalic, and maleic acids (1\% w/v) at different temperatures (130-170 degrees C) and times (10-30 min). The pretreatment with NaOH at 160 degrees C for 20 min was found to be the most efficient for further enzymatic saccharification. A semi-continuous fermentation system coupled with a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation strategy was used, attaining fermented liquor every 24 h. The amount of enzymes needed for saccharification was optimized, as well as the production time and ethanol concentration. The process occurred with near to complete depletion of glucose, obtaining ethanol concentrations ranging from 8.36 to 10.79\% (v/v). The whole system, at bench scale, showed stability over 30 days, and ease of management and control. This strategy may improve cost efficiency in the production of cellulosic ethanol at industrial scale.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the adsorption of phosphorus (P) and changes in the concentrations of organic and inorganic forms of P in a Neossolo Quartzarcnico (Typic Quartzipsamment) after 9 years of successive cultivation with sugar cane without burning to harvest. Therefore, two areas, one in which cane sugar was planted and a native forest reference area, located in the municipality of Paraipaba-CE, were selected. In each area, samples were collected at depths of 0-0.025, 0.025-0.05, 0.05-0.10, 0.10-0.20, and 0.20-0.30 m, and the levels of organic (Po) and inorganic (Pi) phosphorus obtained by sequential extraction, the remaining phosphorus, and the maximum adsorption capacity of phosphorus by the soil were determined. In general, the permanence of straw on the soil surface under sugarcane cultivation promoted the maintenance of Po levels in the surface layers of the profile. The Po accumulated predominantly in the Po fraction extracted with sodium bicarbonate in both areas. Regarding the Pi content, changes were more evident during cultivation due to the effect of successive phosphate fertilizer applications. The fraction extracted with 0.1 mol L-1 sodium hydroxide was the most representative, with the highest levels of P uptake. P adsorption was influenced by the initial content of the nutrient in the soil and no relationship between P adsorption and organic matter content was observed. The highest level of adsorption was observed in the bottom layer of the forest area (133.3 mg kg(-1)) and the lowest level of adsorption was observed on the surface layer of the area under sugarcane cultivation (59.5 kg mg(-1)).
This research aimed at increasing the cell density and production of the homopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by Bacillus megaterium BA-019, using renewable and inexpensive bioresources as a substrate. A higher cell density and a greater PHB production level were obtained by using sugarcane molasses and urea as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The limitation of nitrogen at a C/N molar ratio of 25 resulted in enhanced cell growth and PHB production in batch cultures. Fed-batch cultivation with the feeding nutrient composed of MSM with sugarcane molasses, urea and trace elements, and controlled by a pH-stat feeding control, lead to a significantly enhanced cell concentration and PHB production. The optimal feeding medium in this system required a higher total sugar concentration (400 g/l) and a C/N molar ratio of 10 mol/mol. Under these conditions the highest attained cell mass (72.6 g/l DW) and PHB content (42\% of cell dry wt) were achieved in a short cultivation time (24 h), leading to improved PHB productivity (1.27 g/l/h). However, dissolved oxygen was limiting and thus the system is likely to be suboptimal and capable of even further improvements to the PHB production rate. (C) 2008, The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved.
In sugarcane bagasse gasification, char recirculation to the gasifier improves the syngas quality and process efficiency. To determine the effect of char properties on the reaction kinetics, in this work, the pregasification pyrolysis temperature, particle size, and catalyst (potassium) loading were varied. Char samples were prepared at 750-900 degrees C via pyrolysis and gasified isothermally in a thermogravimetric analysis unit at 850 degrees C with CO2, and gasification data were modeled using the random pore and extended random pore models. Increasing pyrolysis temperatures did not affect the char morphology and surface composition but did reduce the surface area, as determined by N-2 adsorption, decreasing initial gasification rates, and the overall fitted rate constants. Reduction of the particle size via ball milling decreased the time required for complete conversion and changed the shape of the rate versus conversion curves from monotonically decreasing to concave down. The char sample prepared via pyrolysis at 900 degrees C was an exception, having a maximum rate at similar to 10\% conversion without ball milling. After ball milling of the char sample prepared at 750 degrees C, there was an accumulation of ash (Al and Si) on the surface of the particles and a reduction in the surface area, consistent with the ash blocking pores-the porosity in these samples increased during the initial stages (up to similar to 20\% conversion) of gasification. The gasification behavior was generally well modeled by the extended random pore model. Although the addition of KOH (K/AI mass ratio similar to 0.2-1.25) enhanced the gasification rates, too much K-from the addition of KOH or after 90\% conversion-created mass-transfer limitations resulting in lower gasification rates.
Brazil, as one of the largest corn producers in the world, annually generates large quantities of lignocellulosic residues, which have little added value after harvest. This study aimed to extract the lignin from corn straw by alkaline pulping, using as solvent an aqueous solution of NaOH (97\%), as well as its characterization by FT-IR in the range between 400-4.000 cm(-1), H-1 NMR operating at 600 MHz, SEM, and EDS at 5 kV, and Thermogravimetric analysis between 25-800 degrees C. The extracted sample showed characteristic lignin spectra, in which the presence of hydroxyl groups and carboxylic groups. Typical aromatic rings of GSH lignin were verified. We observed a structure with a predominance of straight and slightly rounded regions. In the mineralogical composition, the elements carbon and oxygen were identified, in addition to the residual presence of sodium. Three thermal degradation stages were observed, which were related to moisture loss, lignin pyrolysis, and aromatic rings degradation, respectively, confirming its thermal stability.
The main aspect of this study is to develop water hyacinth (WN) and sugarcane bagasse (SN) nonwovens by applying an economic solution of wet-laid web formation by utilizing plant wastes. To improve the mechanical properties, the fibers were pre-treated with NaOH at 5, 10 and 15 (v/w) \%, and to increase the hydrophobicity, the nonwovens were post-treated with water repellent (WR) chemicals at 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 (v/v) \%. SEM micrographs revealed the rougher fiber surface after alkali treatment and thin layers on the fiber surface after WR treatment. EDX and FTIR analysis proved the removal of impurities after alkali treatment and the appearance of fluorine compound after WR treatment. XRD patterns confirmed the crystallinity of WN was higher than that of SN nonwovens, and the crystallinity was increased after alkali and WR treatment. Untreated WN nonwovens exhibited about twice the tensile strength (TS) and tensile modulus (TM) but 2.47\% lower elongation at break (Eb\%) than untreated SN nonwovens. TS increased significantly by 89\% and 2.5 times, TM was increased by 60 and 87\%, Eb\% was decreased by 25 and 35\% for WN and SN nonwovens, respectively, when treated with 10\% NaOH compared to untreated nonwovens. Hydrophobicity improved considerably with increasing WR concentration. For example, at 10\% WR, a drop of water showed an initial contact angle of 143.3 degrees and took 5.11 h to be completely absorbed by the WN nonwoven. However, the mechanical properties decreased when the concentration of WR and NaOH increased. Therefore, 10\% WR and 10\% NaOH were considered the optimum concentrations for the surface treatment of the fibers.
Background: The promising use of lignocellulosic materials as a substrate for the synthesis of biochemical and biofuels has long been recognized. The bioconversion of all lignocellulosic sugars into useful products results in high sugar yields, which makes lignocelluloses appealing for use. Pretreatment and hydrolysis of lignocelluloses at high solids loadings are vital throughout industrial processes, making them more cost-effective and ecologically friendly by lowering the need for capital expenditures, energy use, and water use. The high expense of fermentation medium hinders heterotrophic oleaginous microorganisms' ability to metabolically synthesize single-cell oils for biodiesel use. This study's objective was to ascertain whether bagasse hydrolysate could be used as a cost-effective feedstock for oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus to produce microbial lipids. Methods: R. opacus a strain was used in this study. The culture was first of all maintained at soytone nutrient growth medium (i.e. GROTH MEDIUM 56) and subcultured at regular intervals and as well as preserved at 4 degrees C. For the production media, a minimal salt medium is used. Sugarcane bagasse is pretreated by acidic hydrolysis followed by detoxification of hydrolysate and lipid extraction is done by Folch's extraction process. Results: After a brief adaptation/lag phase, the strain showed a viable growth pattern once the nutrients were detoxicated through the removal of inhibitors (e.g. hydroxymethyl-furfural {[
Sugarcane trash and mustard straw were incorporated at the rate of 5 t ha-1 in an acid clay loam Alfisol soil in combination with 0, 60 and 120 kg fertiliser N ha-1 in two consecutive cropping seasons. Wheat was cultivated as the immediate beneficiary crop and maize as the subsequent crop to evaluate residual soil fertility due to the organic matter addition. Incorporation of sugarcane trash significantly increased wheat yield and improved the recovery and fertiliser-use efficiency of nitrogen in the crop. There was highly significant interaction between trash incorporation and N application to the wheat crop. The practice also showed a considerable residual effect which increased the yield, N recovery and N-use efficiency in the succeeding maize crop. Incorporation of mustard straw did not show significant positive effects as the application of sugarcane trash did.
We evaluated the effect of dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) on wheat straw at boiling temperature for removing lignin and increasing the yield of reducing sugar. Various concentrations of NaOH (0.5\% to 2\%) were used for pretreating wheat straw at 105 degrees C for 10 min. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed that the 2\% NaOH-pretreated sample exposed more cellulose fiber. The maximum respective removal of lignin and hemicellulose was 70.3\% and 68.2\% from the 2\% NaOH-pretreated liquor. The reducing sugar yield was 84.6\% using an enzyme dose containing 20 FPU of cellulase, 40 TO of beta-glucosidase and 4 FXU of xylanase/g of substrate. However, 2\% NaOH-treated wheat straw had the lowest crystalline index of 52.5\%, due to destructured cellulose fibers. The results indicate the effectiveness of producing the bioethanol precursor from wheat straw by using 2\% NaOH at boiling temperature.
Microbiall-glutaminase has diverse applications, ranging from food flavouring agent to treatment of cancer. Extracellularl-glutaminase producing one soil bacterium was characterized asAcinetobacter calcoaceticusPJB1 and was grown under submerged fermentation using sugarcane bagasse as sole supporting substrate. The optimuml-glutaminase production was achieved at initial medium pH of 10.0, incubation temperature at 35 degrees C, inoculums concentration of 1.5\% (v/v) and at 72 h. Further improvement of the enzyme production was carried out by statistical optimization procedure using response surface methodology as a result of which enzyme production was enhanced to 47.95 U/ml (2.38-fold improvement). The enzymatic degradation pattern of sugarcane bagasse was appraised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and light microscope. The fermented hydrolysate was proved to be a very effective growth inducer of probiotic organism as reflected by the higher specific growth rate, volumetric growth rate and overall yield ofLactobacillussp. andBifidobacteriumsp. This study highlights the cost effective production ofl-glutaminase and simultaneous utilization of fermented waste product as growth supporting agent for health beneficial probiotic organisms. {[
Nylon-6 (N6) composites were incorporated with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) extracted from sugarcane bagasse via solvent dissolution. The effect of the CNC content was estimated at 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt\%. Atomic force microscopy images showed that the diameter and length of the obtained CNCs were 52.4 +/- 14.8 and 400.38 +/- 104.8 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared analysis illustrated the increasing dominant peak intensity of cellulose in the composites with a higher CNC content. X-ray diffraction and mechanical analysis determined the optimum improvement in crystallinity index and Young's modulus in loading 1 wt\% of CNCs, with values of 64.37 +/- 0.12\% and 675.27 MPa, respectively. The highest opacity value of the N6/CNC composites was 8.592 +/- 0.062 for N6/CNC-7\%. Moreover, CNCs decreased the thermal property of the N6 composites. These results suggested that CNCs have great potential to reinforce N6 polymers.
The nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from soil was monitored to investigate the effect of sugarcane straw removal on the mechanisms that make mulch a hot spot of N2O emissions under subtropical conditions. We conducted a field experiment with the first-ratoon sugarcane with four amounts of straw (0, 4, 8, and 12Mgha(-1)) at the soil surface combined with 0 or 100kg urea-Nha(-1). The urea-N was applied 52days after straw application. Over the course of 1year, we measured the N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, mineral nitrogen (N), soil moisture and temperature, and remaining straw carbon (C) and N in the mulch. We observed two hot moments for N2O emissions: the first one immediately after sugarcane straw application to soil and the second one after fertilizer-N application. High amounts of straw left on the soil led to an increase in the water-filled pore space (WFPS), and both WFPS and straw-C were strongly correlated with N2O fluxes. Cumulative N2O increased from 510 (0Mg+N) to 1055 (12Mg+N) g N2O-Nha(-1) for the fertilized straw treatments. The N2O emission factors (EFs) of the sugarcane straw N and the fertilizer-N increased linearly with straw quantity, i.e., were not constant but were lower than the IPCC default values. Over 70\% of the cumulative N2O emissions measured in straw + fertilizer-N treatments for 1year were attributed to the presence of straw mulch, which emphasized the importance of the straw layer at the soil surface as a hot spot for N2O emissions.
The aim of this work was to enzymatic saccharification of food waste was performed by crude enzymatic cellulolytic extract produced by P.roqueforti cultivated in yellow mombin residue. The best yield of reducing sugars (259.45 mg g(-1)) was achieved with sugarcane bagasse after 4 h; the hydrolysis of corn cob, rice husk and peanut hull resulted in yields around 128-180 mg g(-1). The addition of 10 mmol L-1 of Mn2+ potentiated the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse, in about 86\%. The temperature and substrate (sugarcane bagasse) concentration parameters were optimized using a Doehlert Design and, a maximum sugar yield of 662.34 +/- 26.72 mg g(-1) was achieved at 62.40 degrees C, 0.22\% (w/v) of substrate, with the addition of Mn2+. Sugar yield was significantly high when compared to previous studies available in scientific literature, suggesting the use of crude cellulolytic supplemented with Mn2+ an alternative and promising process for saccharification of sugarcane bagasse. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In this study saccharification of alkali treated wheat straw was optimized by Box-Behnken design using three variables at three levels. FTIR, XRD and Scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphological and structural changes caused by pretreatment. A 2(3) factorial design was used for experiments and data was analyzed by second order polynomial regression model. Under optimized condition of 2 \% wheat straw, 0.5 \% enzyme concentration and 6 h of time period resulted in 40.15 \% saccharification of wheat straw. The saccharified material was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae which revealed that 96 h of fermentation period was best for maximum specific growth rate and specific ethanol yield.
With the aim to enhance the efficiency of the furfural production from lignocellulosic biomass, different catalysts, such as montmorillonite, heteropolyacids, silicoaluminophosphates, and modified beta zeo-lites, were studied for catalysis of the conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates and raw biomass into furfural in lactone solvents. Interestingly, we obtained atypical results showing that modified beta zeolites convert glucose and cellulose into furfural as the predominant product. Furfural formation from corncob, sugarcane bagasse, xylose/glucose mixtures, and xylan/cellulose mixtures were also studied. Al-beta was found to display high activity for the conversion of corncob and bagasse in gamma-valerolactone (GVL), giving furfural yields of up to 51.1\% and 40.9\% (molar yields based on both cellulose and xylan content), respectively. The catalytic route proposed in this paper showed a great potential for co-converting hemicellulose and cellulose in the furfural production from lignocelluloses. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Currently, high doses of vinasse are employed for the fertigation of sugarcane with positive results on yield. Usually, this effect is related to the presence of mineral nutrients in its composition as well as to its action on soil properties. Consequently, the concentrations of minerals, organic acids, and other metabolites in vinasse are very well characterized. However, considering that cane vinasses are obtained from the treatment of vegetal tissues, it is also possible that they might contain significant concentrations of phytoregulators that could have a relevant role in their beneficial action on yield. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed the main plant hormones in 22 samples of vinasse collected in different production sites of Brazil using HPLC-mass spectrometry. The results show that both ABA and IAA present concentrations in vinasse within the micromolar range, thus being potential active ingredients affecting plant development. In conclusion, the beneficial action of cane vinasses on sugarcane yield might involve, among other factors, the action of IAA and ABA on plant growth.
Sugarcane bagasse, the solid waste material produced in the sugar industry, was subjected to treatment in hot compressed water. The experiments were performed in a batch-type reactor containing slurry of 10 ml of water and 1.2 g of solids. The reactor was heated to temperatures ranging between 200 degrees C and 300 degrees C for reaction times of 3 to 30 min. The product was separated into liquid and solid fractions. Each fraction was analyzed to investigate the alteration of the main lignocellulosic polymers by hot compressed water. Results for the liquid fractions showed that increased temperatures and reaction times completely dissolved hemicellulose and cellulose in the water, leaving lignin in the solid product. During treatment, hemicellulose and cellulose gradually decomposed into simple sugars, which were then degraded and decomposed into furfural, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (5-HMF) and organic acids. However, the yield of furans and some organic acids decreased and became undetectable at 300 degrees C and with increasing reaction time. The solid fraction was also characterized before and after treatment. Results showed that the hydrogen and oxygen content of the solids decreased with increased reaction conditions, due to dehydration and decarboxylation reactions. The reactions also increased the carbon content of the treatment products by 1.2-1.6 times that in the raw material, suggesting that the hot compressed water treatment of sugarcane bagasse can be considered for the provision of valuable chemicals for biofuel and high-carbon-content material (biochar).
Byproducts of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) from sugarcane bagasse using steam explosion (SE, 190 degrees C for 10 min and 210 degrees C for 5 min) and green liquor (GL) combined with hydrogen peroxide (GL-H2O2) or ethanol (GL-ethanol) pretreatments were compared. Results showed that SE pretreatments did not result in lactic acid because a majority of the glucose was consumed for yeast growth and ethanol production, and the ethanol yield of 93.86\% (of the theoretical) at 190 degrees C for 10 min and 94.33\% at 210 degrees C for 5 min were achieved. Most of the hemicelluloses were removed and more acetyl groups were generated after the SE pretreatment, so it always had the highest amount of acetic acid (1.22 g L-1 at 190 degrees C for 10 min and 1.38 g L-1 at 210 degrees C for 5 min). GL-ethanol pretreatment resulted in an ethanol yield of 80.56\%. However, the existence of reactive lignin from organic solvent produced high amount of byproducts, especially for the maximum glycerol contents (0.818 g L-1). Deficient lignin removal and sugar degradation with GL-H2O2 pretreatment led to the lowest ethanol yield of 23.23\%, which may be because some inhibitors generated from GL-H2O2 pretreatment affected hydrolysis efficiency and yeast activity in the SSF process.
Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 cells were entrapped in Ca-alginate beads and used for xylose-to-xylitol bioconversions during five successive batches in a stirred tank reactor. Supplemented sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate was used as the fermentation medium. The average volume of the Ca-alginate beads was reduced by about 30\% after the 600 h taken to perform the five bioconversion cycles, thus demonstrating physical instability under the conditions prevailing in the reactor vessel. In spite of this, almost steady bioconversion rates and yields were observed along the repeated batches. In average values, a production of 51.6 g l(-1), a productivity of 0.43 g l(-1) h(-1) and a yield of 0.71 g g(-1) were attained in each batch, variation coefficients being smaller than 10\%.
Derepressed mutant PR-22 was obtained by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) mutagenic treatment of Cellulomonas flavigena PN-120. This mutant improved its xylanolytic activity from 26.9 to 40 U mg(-1) and cellulolytic activity from 1.9 to 4 U mg(-1); this represented rates almost 2 and 1.5 times higher, respectively, compared to its parent strain growing in sugarcane bagasse. Either glucose or cellobiose was added to cultures of C. flavigena PN-120 and mutant PR-22 induced with sugarcane bagasse in batch culture. The inhibitory effect of glucose on xylanase activity was more noticeable for parent strain PN-120 than for mutant PR-22. When 20 mM glucose was added, the xylanolytic activity decreased 41\% compared to the culture grown without glucose in mutant PR-22, whereas in the PN-120 strain the xylanolytic activity decreased by 49\% at the same conditions compared to its own control. Addition of 10 and 15 mM of glucose did not adversely affect CMCase activity in PR-22, but glucose at 20 mM inhibited the enzymatic activity by 28\%. The CMCase activity of the PN-120 strain was more sensitive to glucose than PR-22, with a reduction of CMCase activity in the range of 20-32\%. Cellobiose had a more significant effect on xylanase and CMCase activities than glucose did in the mutant PR-22 and parent strain. Nevertheless, the activities under both conditions were always higher in the mutant PR-22 than in the PN-120 strain. Enzymatic saccharification experiments showed that it is possible to accumulate up to 10 g l(-1) of total soluble sugars from pretreated sugarcane bagasse with the concentrated enzymatic crude extract from mutant PR-22.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) relies on the cooperation of specific microbial communities, making it susceptible to process disruptions that could impact biogas production. In this regard, this study presents a technological solution based on the Arduino platform, in the form of a simple online monitoring system that can track the produced biogas profile, named as biogas analyzer module (BAM). The applicability of the BAM focused on monitoring the biogas produced from sugarcane vinasse inoculated with sewage sludge biodigestion processed in mesophilic conditions (38 C-o), in a pH range of 6.5-7.5, and following a three-stage operational model: (i) an adaptation (168 h), (ii) complete mixing (168 h), and (iii) bio-stimulation with glycerol (192 h). Then, the lab-made BAM was used to trace the produced biogas profile, which registered a total biogas volume of 8,719.86 cm(3) and biomethane concentration of 95.79\% (vol.), removing 90.8\% (vol) of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 65.2\% (vol) of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In conclusion, the results ensured good accuracy and efficiency to the device created by comparisons with established standards (chromatographic and colorimetric methods), as well as the cost reduction. The developed device would likely be six times cheaper than what is available in the market.
This work addressed the production of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) by catalytic conversion of wastes from the bioethanol industry, in the form of either sugarcane bagasse or corn-derived distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Both bagasse and DDGS were pyrolysed at temperatures in the range of 600-1000 degrees C. The pyrolyzate gases were then used as CNM growth agents by chemical vapor deposition on stainless steel meshes, serving as both catalysts and substrates. CNM synthesis temperatures of 750-1000 degrees C were explored, and it was determined that their growth was most pronounced at 1000 degrees C. The nanomaterials produced from pyrolysis of bagasse were in the form of long, straight, multi-wall nanotubes with smooth walls and axially uniform diameters. Typical lengths were circa 50 mu m and diameters were in the range of 20-80 nm. The nanomaterials produced from pyrolysis of DDGS were in the form of long, entangled, rope-like structures with rugged walls, and axially non-uniform diameters. Typical diameters were in the range of 100-300 nm and their lengths were in the tens of microns. This process also produces a bio-syngas byproduct that is enriched in hydrogen. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Saccharum officinarum L., commonly known as sugarcane, is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide. In addition to its global value as the main source of sucrose, sugarcane possesses a variety of bioactivities owing to its myriad constituents. Despite the reported health benefits of sugarcane, phytochemical studies in sugarcane are scarce and its bioactive compounds have still not been adequately exploited. This review presents an updated knowledge of the potential bioactivities of sugarcane and its by-products in relation to its phytochemical profiles. We present a thorough understanding of the pharmacological activities of sugarcane and its by-products with a future prospective for maximizing their benefits as valuable medicinal products, in addition to opening new venues in the field of sugarcane industry. Various techniques used for sugarcane juice preservation as major product to maintain its bioactive compounds and stability are presented which in turn could enhance its introduction to a wider market.
The incorporation of an alternative technology for the fermentation process, and an improved cogeneration system in the first-generation ethanol production process were evaluated; and a heat integration analysis was performed as well. The hybrid membrane fermentation, the alternative technology, was considered as a non-conventional operation, and its impact on the overall energy consumption of the integrated process was estimated. The improved cogeneration system contemplated a supercritical cycle, and the increase in surplus electricity was also evaluated assuming a mixture of bagasse and sugarcane straw as fuel. The heat integration of the process streams was performed applying the Pinch Analysis in order to determine the targets for minimum external heating and cooling. Furthermore, the integration of the multiple-effect evaporator of sugarcane juice, to the process, was optimised based on the heat integration analysis results. Moreover, the results showed a possibility of generating a surplus electricity of 138 MW (275 kWh/t of cane) with the new technologies applied. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Purpose In India, the global contribution of milk and sugarcane production are 21\% and 12 to 15\%. Dairy and sugarcane industries produce end products as sludge which is directly dumped in open land which pollute the land and groundwater of the nearby areas. The present study was aimed to utilize the vermicomposting technique to treat the sludge generated from these two industries. Method The dairy sludge, sugarcane press mud were homogenously mixed with cattle manure to form five different proportions of waste mixture M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5. The waste mixtures were kept in reactors for 15 days for pre-composting. Once the pre-composting temperature reached to 25 degrees C, fifty adults Eisenia fetida earthworms with an average weight of 0.4 to 0.5 gram each was introduced into each reactor. Results The highest production of earthworm cocoons was studied in the combinations of M4 and M5. The higher growth of earthworm was observed in M5 (39\%) followed by M3 (34\%). The germination index and carbon to nitrogen ratio were found to be 100 to 121\% and 9 to 11, respectively, along with the negligible carbon dioxide evolution in every combination that revealed the maturity and stability of vermicomposting. Conclusion The vermicompost obtained from the combination of dairy (milk processing unit) and sugarcane industries press mud sludge was rich in nutrients and suitable to utilize as nutrients (fertilizer) for the crops. Vermicomposting can solve the issue of sludge management from these two industries with the utilization of end products as vermicompost.
The effects of alkaline treatments of the wheat straw with sodium hydroxide were investigated. The optimal condition for extraction of hemicelluloses was found to be with 0.50 mol/l sodium hydroxide at 55C for 2 h. This resulted in the release of 17.3\% of hemicellulose (\% dry starting material), corresponding to the dissolution of 49.3\% of the original hemicellulose. The yields were determined by gravimetric analysis and expressed as a proportion of the starting material. Chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of the samples of hemicelluloses were elucidated by a combination of sugar analyses, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermal analysis. The results showed that the treatments were very effective on the extraction of hemicelluloses from wheat straw and that the extraction intensity (expressed in terms of alkali concentration) had a great influence on the yield and chemical features of the hemicelluloses. The FTIR analysis revealed typical signal pattern for the hemicellulosic fraction in the 1,200-1,000 cm(-1) region. Bands between 1,166 and 1,000 cm(-1) are typical of xylans.
Fossil fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were estimated in cropping systems of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and the subsequent production of ethanol in order to evaluate the feasibility of bioethanol production by small-scale farmers in the Tanegashima Island, one of the major areas of sugarcane production in Japan. The current cropping system and an alternative system were compared using Life Cycle Assessment and the results are discussed in relation to a comparable study in Brazil. Results showed that energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 6.89-7.22 MJ L-1 and 0.617-0.667 kg CO2-eq L-1 of ethanol respectively. The process of fertilizer production consumed the most energy and emitted the greatest amount of greenhouse gas among all components considered. Fertilizer production was followed by manufacturing agricultural machinery, field operations for harvest and the transport of sugarcane to the mills. The replacement of chemical fertilizers with organic materials therefore provides the greatest scope to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The energy output/input ratio of the bioethanol production was calculated to vary between 3.2 and 3.5; this range is considerably lower than the value of 8.3 obtained from sugarcane in Brazil, but these positive values still indicate that small-scale farmers could act as viable energy producers in this region of Japan. (C) 2015 Royal Netherlands Society for Agricultural Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) has been reported to be beneficial as cement replacement due to the pozzolanic and the filler effect. The SCBA from a high-efficiency (high temperature) co-generation boiler does not contain significant amorphous silica rather it contains a-quartz generated by phase transitions during combustion. The high combustion temperatures appear to deactivate the silica, and lime-SCBA pastes show little or no pozzolanic activity present, except at a 5\% replacement. Compressive strength testing of the cement pastes also suggests that at 5\% cement replacement level, the SCBA is potentially pozzolanic. However, up to 15\% SCBA cement replacements achieve a pozzolanic index above 75\%, which suggests increases in pozzolanic activity by the relative strength tests are more likely from a filler effect than true pozzolanic activity. Despite an apparent lack of pozzolanic activity all SCBA's additions improved sulphuric acid resistance measured both through compressive strength testing and mass loss measurements. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A phytochemical- and mineral-rich filtered sugarcane molasses concentrate (FMC), when added to carbohydrate-containing foods as a functional ingredient, lowers postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses. We hypothesised that this beneficial effect would also occur if FMC was administered as an oral supplement taken before a meal. This study measured the postprandial glucose and insulin responses elicited by different doses of FMC administered immediately prior to a standard breakfast to healthy subjects. Each subject was given three or five breakfast meals once, on different days. The composition of the meals was identical, except for the addition of either placebo syrup (test meal 1) or increasing doses of FMC (test meals 2-5). The plasma glucose concentration curves were similar for the five test meals. Plasma insulin curves were lowered in a dose-dependent manner. Stratifying subjects based on age, BMI and insulin resistance showed greater effects of low doses of FMC on lowering insulin responses in those subjects with potentially greater insulin resistance. When insulin response is standardised to amount of carbohydrate in the meal/dose combination, the reduction in response is linear and inversely proportional to the FMC dose. FMC shows promise as an agent that can reduce insulin responses and lessen the load on the pancreatic beta cells.
Succinic acid (SA) is a top platform chemical obtainable from biomass. The current study evaluated the potential of Actinobacillus succinogenes for SA production using xylose-rich hemicellulosic fractions of two important lignocellulosic feedstocks, olive pits (OP) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and the results were compared with pure xylose. Initial experiments were conducted in shake flask followed by batch and fed-batch cultivation in bioreactor. Further separation of SA from the fermented broth was carried out by adapting direct crystallisation method. During fed-batch culture, maximum SA titers of 36.7, 33.6, and 28.7 g/L was achieved on pure xylose, OP and SCB hydrolysates, respectively, with same conversion yield of 0.27 g/g. The recovery yield of SA accumulated on pure xylose, OP and SCB hydrolysates was 79.1, 76.5, and 75.2\%, respectively. The results obtained are of substantial value and pave the way for development of sustainable SA biomanufacturing in an integrated biorefinery
Sugarcane bagasse and trash are used as fuels in cogeneration systems for bioethanol production, supplying steam and electricity, but may also be used as feedstock for second generation ethanol. The amount of surplus lignocellulosic material used as feedstock depends on the energy consumption of the production process; residues of the pretreatment and hydrolysis operations (residual cellulose, lignin and eventually biogas from pentoses biodigestion) may be used as fuels and increase the amount of lignocellulosic material available as feedstock in hydrolysis. The configuration of the cogeneration system (boiler pressure, lignocellulosic material consumption and steam production, turbines efficiencies, among others) has a significant impact on consumption of fuel and electricity output; in the integrated first and second generation, it also affects overall ethanol production. Simulations of the integrated first and second generation ethanol production processes were carried out using Aspen Plus, comparing different configurations of the cogeneration systems and pentoses use (biodigestion and fermentation). Economic analysis shows that electricity sale can benefit second generation ethanol, even in relatively small amounts. Environmental analysis shows that the integrated first and second generation process has higher environmental impacts in most of the categories evaluated than first generation. (C) 2013 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this paper, the pyrolysis process of mixed samples, bagasse with the addition of sludge, were investigated by TG-FTIR, and Py-GC/MS. For the mixed samples, the proportions of sludge were 10\%, 30\% and 50\%. With the sludge ratio increased, the initial temperature and the terminated temperature increased. Eleven chemical structure groups were resolved from both of bagasse and sludge by KBr-Tabletting based FTIR analysis. Aromatic compounds, CO2, C=O, C-O, NH3 and HCN were the major gaseous products surveyed from the TG-FTIR inspection. The percentage of pyrolysis products (acetic acid, C7(\#), furfural, benzene derivatives, C7(p)) were figured out from Py-GC/MS analysis. The addition of sludge was beneficial for the production of group C7p, whose carbon atoms exceeded 7. This research provided useful background knowledge for co-pyrolysis of bagasse and sewage sludge.
This study aimed to correlate the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose contained in a sugarcane bagasse sample pretreated with dilute H2SO4 with the levels of independent variables such as initial content of solids and loadings of enzymes and surfactant (Tween 20), for two cellulolytic commercial preparations. The preparations, designated cellulase I and cellulase II, were characterized regarding the activities of total cellulases, endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, cellobiase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, and phenoloxidases (laccase, manganese and lignin peroxidases), as well as protein contents. Both extracts showed complete cellulolytic complexes and considerable activities of xylanases, without activities of phenoloxidases. For the enzymatic hydrolyses, two 2(3) central composite full factorial designs were employed to evaluate the effects caused by the initial content of solids (1.19-4.81\%, w/w) and loadings of enzymes (1.9-38.1 FPU/g bagasse) and Tween 20 (0.0-0.1 g/g bagasse) on the cellulose digestibility. Within 24 h of enzymatic hydrolysis, all three independent variables influenced the conversion of cellulose by cellulase I. Using cellulase II, only enzyme and surfactant loadings showed significant effects on cellulose conversion. An additional experiment demonstrated the possibility of increasing the initial content of solids to values much higher than 4.81\% (w/w) without compromising the efficiency of cellulose conversion, consequently improving the glucose concentration in the hydrolysate.
In this work, sorption of Pb(II), Hg(II), Cd(II), and Co(II) on sulfurized steam activated carbon (SSAC) has been studied by using a batch technique. The SSAC has been prepared from sugarcane bagasse pith by single-step steam pyrolysis in the presence of SO2 and H2S at 400 degreesC. The adsorption of metal ions on SSAC has been found to be time-, concentration-, pH-, and temperature-dependent. The kinetic data obtained at different temperatures have been analyzed using a pseudo-second-order equation. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters have been determined based on the rate constants using Arrhenius and Eyring equations. The adsorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions increased with increasing pH, and maximum removal {[
Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes are key enzymes for biomass-to-bioproducts conversion. a-L-Arabinofuranosidases that belong to the Glycoside Hydrolase family 62 (GH62) have important applications in biofuel production from plant biomass by hydrolyzing arabinoxylans, found in both the primary and secondary cell walls of plants. In this work, we identified a GH62 a-L-arabinofuranosidase (AnAbf62A(wt)) that was highly secreted when Aspergillus nidulans was cultivated on sugarcane bagasse. The gene AN7908 was cloned and transformed in A. nidulans for homologous production of AnAbf62A(wt), and we confirmed that the enzyme is N-glycosylated at asparagine 83 by mass spectrometry analysis. The enzyme was also expressed in Escherichia coil and the studies of circular dichroism showed that the melting temperature and structural profile of AnAbf62A(wt) and the non-glycosylated enzyme from E. coil (AnAbf62A(deglye)) were highly similar. In addition, the designed glycomutant AnAbf62A(N83Q) presented similar patterns of secretion and activity to the AnAbf62A(wt), indicating that the N-glycan does not influence the properties of this enzyme. The crystallographic structure of AnAbf62A(deglyc) was obtained and the 1.7 angstrom resolution model showed a five-bladed beta-propeller fold, which is conserved in family GH62. Mutants AnAbf62A(Y312F) and AnAbf62A(Y312s) showed that Y312 was an important substrate-binding residue. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the loop containing Y312 could access different conformations separated by moderately low energy barriers. One of these conformations, comprising a local minimum, is responsible for placing Y312 in the vicinity of the arabinose glycosidic bond, and thus, may be important for catalytic efficiency.
This paper presents a method to estimate the biomass of Spirulina cultivated on solid medium with sugarcane bagasse as a support, in view of the difficulty in determining biomass concentrations in bioprocesses, particularly those conducted in semi-solid or solid media. The genus Spirulina of the family Oscillatoriaceae comprises the group of multicellular filamentous cyanobacteria (blue-green microalgae). Spirulina is used as fish feed in aquaculture, as a food supplement, a source of vitamins, pigments, antioxidants and fatty acids. Therefore, its growth parameters are extremely important in studies of the development and optimization of bioprocesses. For studies of biomass growth, Spirulina platensis was cultured on solid medium using sugarcane bagasse as a support. The biomass thus produced was estimated by determining the protein content of the material grown during the process, based on the ratio of dry weight to protein content obtained in the surface growth experiments. The protein content of the biomass grown in Erlenmeyer flasks on surface medium was examined daily to check the influence of culture time on the protein content of the biomass. The biomass showed an average protein content of 42.2\%. This methodology enabled the concentration of biomass adhering to the sugarcane bagasse to be estimated from the indirect measurement of the protein content associated with cell growth.
Significance of sugarcane crop is well recognized around the world. Farmers in Pakistan are growing sugarcane for multiple benefits such as sugar, fodder, ethanol production, chipboard, molasses, and bioenergy. Despite its importance, the potential of its production is not being achieved because of various Sugarcane Production and Protection Constraints (SPPCs) as well as the unsatisfactory performance of Agricultural Extension Worker (AEW) to introduce the recommended production technology. District Rahim Yar khan was selected purposively because it is among the largest sugarcane growing area of Punjab. A total of 180 respondents were selected randomly from two tehsils for data collection mainly through quantitative research method followed by two focus group discussions to identify SPPCs. Moreover, the role of AEW was also analyzed in context to mitigate the related constraints. The results indicated that there were various constraints like shortage of irrigation, lack of marketing facility, late payment by the sugar mills, lack of technical knowledge, labor shortage, lack of awareness about integrated pest management and unavailability of resistant varieties. It was also indicated that the role of AEW in alleviating the SPPCs was meager and ineffective. Results indicated that Pearson correlation coefficient had a significant and positive relationship between the role of AEW and SPPCs. Similarly, chi-square value indicated that the AEW had a significant role to mitigate the constraints faced by farmers in SPPCs. However, there was no significant relation between role of AEW and harvesting practices also between role AEW and fertilizer application on sugarcane. So, there is a need for the related capacity building of AEW regarding production and protection methods.
Resource scheduling for both cost and pollution minimization in the power system is so crucial. To reduce the greenhouse gas emission, employing renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind energy, and beside them plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are effective solutions. In industrial factories, using biomass resources for power generation is both economic and environmental approach. In sugarcane company, bagasse is plant fiber residue which is used as fuel. Electric lift trucks, capable of being connected to power grid, could decrease the pollution in industrial transportations. In this paper, scheduling problem for a large-scale sugarcane factory including solar resources, a thermal unit, and electric lift trucks is presented and solved by CPLEX solver in GAMS software. In order to consider uncertainties, different scenarios are noticed. To contribute better understanding of optimization problem, cost, pollution, and charging regime of electric lift trucks are carefully analyzed. The results show that implementation of the biomass electric power generation is effective for reducing cost and amount of emission.
Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is a promising feedstock for second-generation ethanol production. Bioconversion of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars involves several technological steps, with biomass pretreatment being among the most expensive ones. Here, we set out to investigate how SCB storage under industrial conditions influences SCB's enzymatic saccharification in the absence of pretreatment. Two sets of SCB samples, fresh (fSCB) and around 6 months aged (aSCB), were collected at relevant industrial settings and compared in terms of their chemical composition, physical structure and efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. Chemical and physical analyses revealed significant differences between these samples which had a significant impact on the SCB enzymatic conversion. X-Ray diffraction showed that an average crystallite size is about 20\% smaller in aSCB as compared to fSCB. Field emission scanning electron microscopy characterization revealed that fSCB is mainly composed of uniform fibers, while aSCB fibers are more disorganized and unstructured. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of aSCB demonstrated changes in the autofluorescence spectra, indicating alterations in the lignin structure. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry showed differences in the accessibilities between fresh and aged SCB. Both aSCB and fSCB were hydrolyzed using 25 mg of Cellic (R) CTec3 per gram of biomass (about 4.1 FPU g(-1)), and after 96 hours of enzymatic hydrolysis of aSCB without any thermomechanical pretreatment, the yield reached 93\% while the fSCB hydrolytic yield was almost 40\% smaller. These results can have significant impacts on the optimization of lignocellulosic biomass conversion processes.
Overliming is an effective way of neutralizing and reducing the toxicity of the hydrolysatias generated from acidic pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol production and others biotechnological products. Overliming generates a solid residue whose inadequate disposal may represent an environmental problem. This work aimed at the chemical characterization of the solid residue generated during the detoxification of the sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate and evaluation of its behavior in soil. The solid residue was submitted to physicochemical and granulometric analysis and determination of the contents of sugars, metals and toxic compounds (acetic acid, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural and phenols). The potential of the residue as corrective of soil acidity was determined by analyzing the quality attributes of soil correctives (neutralizing power - NP, relative total neutralizing power - RTNP, Ca and Mg contents and granulometry). The residue was also evaluated for its influence on soil microbial communities and toxicity through bioassays with Lactuca sativa seeds. The residue contributed to the overall improvement of soil chemical attributes. The levels of Ca, Mg, C, OM and CEC were increased, nutrients such as Zn, Fe, Ni, Cr and Mn were detected, and microbial communities were stimulated. Besides, the residue showed no significant values of toxic compounds and no toxicity to L. sativa seeds. The residue was able to reduce the soil pH and to keep it stable throughout the study period. Asa higher amount of the residue was necessary to reach pH7 than limestone, it should be used as an auxiliary corrective of acidify.
In the present study, extracellular cellulase and xylanase production from isolated fungi Trichoderma koningii KY705013 was carried out under solid state fermentation. This study also focused on the influence of various parameters like carbon, nitrogen and divalent metal ions on the production of enzymes. Increased production of cellulase and xylanase was noticed at an optimal temperature of 35 degrees C and pH 6.0. Optimized media containing CMC as the carbon source and ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source with 2 mM EDTA showed a total activity of 253.67 U, 120.15 U and 87.56 U for CMCase, FPase and xylanase, respectively. The results of the present study revealed an increase of approximately 60\% in enzyme production using optimized media rather than un-optimized media.
This study was conducted for the purpose to enhance ethanol yield from a newly isolated yeast strain employing batch and modified fed batch fermentation strategies. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain MZ-4 exhibiting 15\% (v/v) ethanol tolerance was isolated and compared with commercial yeast Lalvin EC-1118 for maximum fermentation efficiency. During batch fermentation employing strain MZ-4, maximum ethanol yield was determined as 11.1\% (v/v) with 69.3\% fermentation efficiency in the presence of 25\% (w/v) sugar concentration, 10\% inoculum, 0.1\% (w/v) ammonium chloride and potassium ferrocyanide at 33 degrees C and pH 5.0, in 72 h. Strain Lalvin EC-1118 exhibited 10.9\% (v/v) ethanol yield with fermentation efficiency of 68.1\%, after the addition of 0.1\% (w/v) diammonium hydrogen phosphate and 0.4\% (w/v) potassium ferrocyanide under its optimal conditions i.e., pH 4.5, inoculum size of 7.5\% and incubation at 30 degrees C for 72 h. However, during fed batch fermentation, strain Lalvin EC-1118 and MZ-4 exhibited 13.9\% and 13.5\% (v/v) ethanol with fermentation efficiency of 81.1\% and 83.2\% using 1.090 specific gravity and feeding interval of 12 and 24 h, respectively. Hence, it is concluded that strain Lalvin EC-1118 demonstrated better ethanol yield; however, comparatively high fermentation efficiency was observed in case of a newly isolated strain MZ-4, employing a modified method of fed-batch fermentation.
The effect of dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) on reed straw structural change at 105 degrees C temperature was evaluated in this study. Various concentrations of NaOH (1\% to 2.5\%) were used for pretreatment of reed straw at 105 degrees C for 10 min. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies showed that 2\% and 2.5\% NaOH pretreated sample exposed more cellulose fibers compared with other treatments. The cellulose crystalline index was increased by the 1\% to 2.0\% NaOH treatments and slightly lowered by the 2.5\% NaOH treatment due to destructing cellulose fibres. Two per cent NaOH pretreatment caused 69.9\% lignin removal, whereas 2.5\% NaOH pretreatment removed 72.4\% lignin. Besides, reed straw, when pretreated at 2\% and 2.5\% NaOH, resulted 56.4\% and 60.5\% hemicellulose removal, respectively. However, the difference in removal of lignin and hemicellulose between 2\% and 2.5\% NaOH treated reed straw was very marginal. In addition, very negligible increase of cellulose level was estimated, amounting 78.8\% and 76.6\% in 2.5\% and 2\% NaOH-treated sample, respectively. Moreover, after 72 h, reducing sugar yield was 81.2\% and 83.3\% using enzyme loading of 15 FPU (g dry biomass)(-1) and 30 IU (g dry biomass)(-1) and xylanase 4 FXU (g dry biomass)(-1) from 2\% and 2.5\% NaOH pretreated reed straw, respectively. Reducing sugar yield was increased very marginally when NaOH concentration increased from 2\% to 2.5\% for reed straw pretreatment. Therefore, 2\% NaOH is supposed to be effective for reed straw pretreatment at this mentioned condition.
Sugarcane tops is one of the largest biomass resources in India and in tropical countries such as Brazil in terms of surplus availability. Conversion of this feedstock to ethanol requires pretreatment to make it more accessible for the enzymes used in saccharification. Though several pretreatment regimens have been developed for addressing biomass recalcitrance, very few seem to be promising as an industrial process. A novel hybrid method involving use of mild acid and surfactant was developed which could effectively remove lignin and improve the sugar yield from sugar cane tops. Operational parameters that affect the pretreatment efficiency (measured as yield of sugars) were studied and optimized. Changes in structural properties of the biomass were studied in relation to the pretreatment process using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, and the changes in chemical composition was also monitored. The biomass pretreated with the optimized novel method could yield 0.798 g of reducing sugars per gram of pretreated biomass upon enzymatic hydrolysis.
Background: Diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and oil spills are rousing to explore the alternative sources of energy that can be produced from non-food/feed-based substrates. Due to its abundance, sugarcane bagasse (SB) could be a model substrate for the second-generation biofuel cellulosic ethanol. However, the efficient bioconversion of SB remains a challenge for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. We hypothesized that oxalic-acid-mediated thermochemical pretreatment (OAFEX) would overcome the native recalcitrance of SB by enhancing the cellulase amenability toward the embedded cellulosic microfibrils. Results: OAFEX treatment revealed the solubilization of hemicellulose releasing sugars (12.56 g/l xylose and 1.85 g/l glucose), leaving cellulignin in an accessible form for enzymatic hydrolysis. The highest hydrolytic efficiency (66.51\%) of cellulignin was achieved by enzymatic hydrolysis (Celluclast 1.5 L and Novozym 188). The ultrastructure characterization of SB using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform-near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed structural differences before and after OAFEX treatment with enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, fermentation mediated by C. shehatae UFMG HM52.2 and S. cerevisiae 174 showed fuel ethanol production from detoxified acid (3.2 g/l, yield 0.353 g/g; 0.52 g/l, yield, 0.246 g/g) and enzymatic hydrolysates (4.83 g/l, yield, 0.28 g/g; 6.6 g/l, yield 0.46 g/g). Conclusions: OAFEX treatment revealed marked hemicellulose degradation, improving the cellulases' ability to access the cellulignin and release fermentable sugars from the pretreated substrate. The ultrastructure of SB after OAFEX and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulignin established thorough insights at the molecular level.
The objectives of this work were to develop biodegradable trays from cassava starch, sugarcane fibers and Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) using a baking process and to study the effects of these components on the microstructure and physicochemical and mechanical properties of the trays. All formulations resulted in well-shaped trays with densities between 0.1941 and 0.2966 g/cm(3). The addition of fibers and Na-MMT resulted in less dense and less rigid trays. As observed in the water sorption isotherms, the increase in the equilibrium moisture content was more pronounced when the samples were stored at RH (relative humidity) above 75\%. The foams had high water absorption capacities (>50\%) when immersed in water (1 min). The studied processing conditions resulted in good nanoclay dispersion, leading to the formation of an exfoliated structure. The trays developed in this study represent an alternative for the packaging of foods with low water contents. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Yeast lipid as single cell oil (SCO) is evaluated as an alternative renewable source of vegetable oils for a biolubricant formulation. The Rhodotorula mucilaginosa IIPL32 yeast strain is cultivated on lignocellulosic pentosans derived from sugarcane bagasse to produce the SCO. The chemical composition and distribution of variable fatty acids in the yeast SCO are characterized by NMR, FTIR, and GC X GC analyses. The high viscosity index and a low pour point of yeast SCO owing to the favorable composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids promise its potential as a renewable and environmentally friendly lube base oil. The yeast SCO as lube base oil significantly reduced the coefficient of friction (72\%) and wear (24\%) compared to those of conventional mineral lube base oil (SN 150). The fatty acids in the yeast SCO formed a good quality tribo-chemical thin film on the engineering surfaces, which not only reduced the friction but also protected the contact interfaces against wear. This study demonstrates that yeast SCO being renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic, provides favorable physicochemical and tribophysical properties for good quality lubricant formulation and it can be a good alternative to the conventional mineral lube oil-based lubricants.
This paper details experimental trials of aconitic acid transport from defined mixtures of organic acids (trans-aconitic, oxalic, malic and citric) and from cane molasses solutions using a supported liquid membrane (SLM) apparatus. The SLM was impregnated with tributyl phosphate extractant combined with Shellsol 2046 diluent. The transport rates of the organic acids, bulk impurities and glucose were measured. The conditions varied were: extractant to diluent ratio (1:33:1), organic acid concentration (2.5-40mg cm(-3) organic acid), pH of departure phase (1-5.5) and temperature (22-80degreesC). Results for the organic acid mixtures showed that aconitic acid and oxalic acid were transported at much greater rates than malic and citric acids. Aconitic acid was transported to a significant degree with recovery of 400g kg(-1) over a 24h period. Operation at temperatures higher than 22degreesC caused instability of the membrane and bulk leakage across the membrane. With molasses, the purity of the aconitic acid recovered ranged between 400 and 600g kg(-1) (dry basis) with aconitic acid transport rates of 0.17-0.25g m(-2) min(-1). The extraction of other acids (oxalic, malic and citric) and impurities was significantly less, hence a process to produce high purity aconitic acid based on this method is technically feasible. (C) 2002 Society of Chemical Industry.
After being isolated from a sugarcane pile, the bacterium Chitinophaga sp. CB10 demonstrated to be a rich source of carbohydrases, with 350 predicted CAZyme domains. CB10 was able to grow on carbohydrates of different structural complexities: glucose, carboxymethylcellulose, corn starch, galactomannan, Aloe vera gum and sugarcane bagasse. The sugarcane bagasse is a rich source of complex polymers, and the diversity of metabolites released by its enzymatic hydrolysis has an important role for green chemistry, including minority pathways such as the degradation of mannan conjugates. In this sense, CB10 demonstrated considerable levels of gene expression for mannanases, and was stable for a period of 96-144 hours in the presence of sugarcane bagasse as sole carbon source. The bacterium showed respectively 4.8x and 5.6x expression levels for two genes predicted for GH2 beta-mannosidase: one located within a gene cluster identified as ``polysaccharide utilization loci{''
This study evaluated the behavior and welfare conditions of laying chicks in the starter phase, fed with diets formulated with increasing levels of crude fiber (CF) and two feedstuff's with different fiber compositions. The experiment was developed at the Federal University of Goias, in Goiania - GO, Brazil. Three hundred Bovans White chicks were evaluated in a completely randomized design with a 2x2+1 factorial arrangement corresponding to two levels of CF in the diet (3.0 and 3.5\%) and two fiber sources (wheat bran and sugarcane bagasse), plus a control treatment (maize- and soybean meal-based), totaling five treatments with six replicates of 10 birds each. Maintenance behavioral patterns and welfare were assessed at 21 and 42 days of age. There was no difference in behavior and classification by order of importance of the activities performed by the fiber fed birds observed at 21 and 42 days, according to the Kruskal Wallis test (P> 0.05). Medium and good welfare conditions were obtained with wheat bran at 3.5 and 3.0\% CF: respectively, at 21 days of age. At 42 days, the use of sugarcane bagasse at the CF level of 3.5\% and wheat bran at the level of 3.0\%provided good behavior conditions. The use of crude fiber in the feeding of hens did not change their behavior.
An appropriate techno-economic assessment of biorefineries is essential for consolidating a bio-based economy. Herein, the effects of scale and seasonality on the design of a sugarcane to ethanol biorefinery were assessed using an extensive process simulation and economic modeling methodology. Four sub-processes were simulated for eight different scales: ethanol from sugarcane, ethanol dehydration to ethylene, ethylene to mono ethylene glycol (MEG), and electricity and steam generation from bagasse. Models for capital expenditure and minimum selling price versus product capacity were developed for ethanol, bio-ethylene, and MEG. The integrated biorefinery was analyzed for 200 kt/yr and 440 kt/yr bio-ethylene capacities, considering three regions of Brazil: Northeast, South-central, and Sa \& SIM;o Paulo/Paran \& PRIME;a. Seasonality effects were mitigated by establishing a storage park alongside the biorefinery. The results indicated that the selling price of bio-MEG must be at least 20-30\% higher than the fossil-based MEG to ensure competition. The 440 kt/yr biorefinery located in the South-central region had the lowest bio-MEG selling price, however, it required an outsized distillery. Moreover, scale and seasonality had a significant impact on the competitiveness of the biorefinery. The bio-MEG selling price might vary by up to 22\%, depending on the specific combination of these factors.
This study evaluated d-xylose-assimilating yeasts that are associated with rotting wood from the Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador, for xylitol production from hemicellulose hydrolysates. A total of 140 yeast strains were isolated. Yeasts related to the clades Yamadazyma, Kazachstania, Kurtzmaniella, Lodderomyces, Metschnikowia and Saturnispora were predominant. In culture assays using sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate, Candida tropicalis CLQCA-24SC-125 showed the highest xylitol production, yield and productivity (27.1 g L-1 xylitol, Y (p/s) (xyl) = 0.67 g g(-1), Q(p) = 0.38 g L-1. A new species of Cyberlindnera, strain CLQCA-24SC-025, was responsible for the second highest xylitol production (24 g L-1, Y (p/s) (xyl) = 0.64 g g(-1), Q(p) = 0.33 g L-1 h(-1)) on sugarcane hydrolysate. The new xylitol-producing species Cyberlindnera galapagoensis f.a., sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate the strain CLQCA-24SC-025(T) (=UFMG-CM-Y517(T); CBS 13997(T)). The MycoBank number is MB 812171.
The research studied the impact of smoke generation sources on PAH contamination in four different smoke-cured fish (mackerel, sardine, tuna and Cigar minnows). The smoke sources used included acacia, sugarcane bagasse and mangrove. PAHs in the smoke-cured fish were analysed using Varian GC/MS (3800-GC) system. The mean total PAH concentrations in the smoked fish (n = 108) ranged from 250.59-1376.09 mu g/kg in tuna, cigar minnows, sardine and mackerel smoke-cured with sugarcane bagasse, mangrove and acacia for between 2 and 8 h. The mean BaP levels for most fish cured with smoke from acacia and mangrove for between 2 and 8 h were all above the European Commission set limit of 5.0 mu g/kg. Positive correlations (at P = 0.01, 2-tailed) were observed between PAH levels in smoked fish and lignin contents of wood type used for the smoke generation, the fat content and the smoke-curing duration. Risk assessment conducted using benzo{[
Single cell oil production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula sp. IIP-33 was analyzed using a two stage statistical design approach based on Response Surface Methodology. Variables like pentose sugar, (NH4)(2)SO4, KH2PO4, yeast extract, pH and temperature were found to influence lipid production significantly. Under optimized condition in a shake flask, yield of lipid was 2.1199 g with fat coefficient of 7.09 which also resembled similar to 99\% similarity to model predicted lipid production. In this paper we are presenting optimized results for production of non polar lipid which could be later deoxygenated into hydrocarbon. A qualitative analyses of selective lipid samples yielded a varying distribution of free acid ranging from C-6 to C-18, majoring C-16:0, C-18:0 and C-18:1 under different fermentation conditions.
The independent parallel reaction model (IPR model) is applied in this work to study the slow dynamic pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse, based on a thermogravimetric analysis of three ranges of particle diameters. The kinetic parameters and mass fraction of each principal pseudo-component of biomass (hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin) are estimated using the Differential Evolution Algorithm. A comparison of the estimated mass fractions and Arrhenius parameters against experimental values reported in the literature shows good agreement. The influence of various kinetic parameters of the model is also analyzed by means of sensitivity studies using derivative methods based on the DASPK 3.0 code. The results of the relative parametric sensitivity indicate that activation energies affect bagasse conversion more strongly than other parameters, followed by the pre-exponential factors of Arrhenius equation and mass fractions. The sensitivity of the IPR kinetic model to the orders of reaction is very slight. (C) 2012 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Plant biomass residues are renewable sources for the production of biofuels and high-value macromolecules. Sugarcane bagasse is one such plant biomass residue that is available from the sugar-processing industry. It is used as a raw material for biobased ethanol production. However, some of its properties and its behavior during processing have a major inhibitory effect on its successful conversion. Chief among these inhibitory properties are the lignin content, its distribution in plant tissues, and its chemical properties. These make the materials naturally resistant to bioconversion processes. Further, lignin and carbohydrate degradation products can be formed during acid pretreatment, which is one of the major steps during biomass conversion to bioethanol. These products negatively affect the liberation of fermentable sugars and the yield of ethanol during the fermentation stage of the conversion process. Other factors that also have an influence on the production of fermentable sugar are related to the different structural arrangement of plant tissues (cane fractions of the node, internode, and external fraction), as well as biomass variety. Biomass varieties with low lignin content result in an improved yield of fermentable sugars, which in turn contributes to improved viability of the second-generation bioethanol production processes. By selecting sugarcane varieties with the best properties, ethanol production can be increased without increasing the total area under cultivation. Efforts have been dedicated to reducing biomass recalcitrance by classical and precision breeding. Genetic modification of sugarcane alters the genes responsible for the encoding enzymes for lignin biosynthesis, generating sugarcane with low recalcitrance. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd
One of the major challenges faced by society is dealing with its waste which must be disposed under sustainable waste management regulations. It is, therefore, necessary to find economical avenues for treating and reuse of waste streams such as vinasse. The application of novel technology such as gas hydrate can make the waste treatment process less energy-intensive. Reliable gas hydrate phase equilibrium and kinetic data for CO2 hydrates in the presence of a synthesized vinasse solution were measured using a hydrate benchtop rig. The van der Waals and Plateeuw (vdW-P) solid solution theory, with the UNIQUAC model along with the Debye-Huckel term, was used for the prediction of the hydrate dissociation conditions. The kinetic experiments were performed at initial pressures of 2.60, 2.90, and 3.20 MPa; initial temperatures of 273.1, 274.1, and 275.6 K, and stirrer speeds of 87, 109, and 130 rpm. Results demonstrated that as the initial pressure was increased at a constant temperature, the induction time decreased. In addition, the CO2 hydrate formation rate, apparent rate constant, storage capacity, and water-to-hydrate conversion increased. Similar trends were observed when the initial temperatures were decreased. Lower stirrer speeds result in longer induction times and rate of formation.
Paper-grade pulp, rich in hemicellulose content, is a cheap source for producing dissolving pulps. The main challenge in the conversion of a cheap paper-grade pulp to a higher-valued dissolving pulp is the selective removal of hemicelluloses, while maintaining the pulp reactivity. This paper presents a comparison of different hemicellulose extraction methods such as cold caustic extraction, IONCELL-P(ulp) and xylanase treatment on converting fully bleached soda bagasse paper-grade pulp to dissolving pulp. IONCELL-P(ulp) treatment, using an optimized1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate/water as the extraction medium, yielded 85\% xylan removal, which is comparable to the cold caustic extraction or a combination of xylanase treatment and cold caustic extraction. A complete separation of the two polymers by IONCELL-P(ulp) is not possible due to the overlap of the molecular masses of the cellulose and xylan molecules, an inherent characteristic of sugarcane bagasse pulp. All the investigated methods effectively removed xylan, with differences in the selectivity and the reactivity of the remaining pulp.
Soil organic matter depletion caused by agricultural management systems have been identified as a critical problem in most tropical soils. The application of organic residues from agro-industrial activities can ameliorate this problem by increasing soil organic matter quality and quantity. Humic substances play an important role in soil conservation but the dynamics of their transformations is still poorly understood. This study evaluated the effect of compost application to two contrasting tropical soils (Inceptisol and Oxisol) for two years. Soil samples were incubated with compost consisting of sugarcane filter cake, a residue from the sugar industry, at 0, 40, 80, and 120 Mg ha(-1). Filter cake compost changed the humic matter dynamics in both content and quality, affecting the soil mineralogical composition. It was observed that carbon mineralization was faster in the illite-containing Inceptisol, whereas humic acids were preserved for a longer period in the Oxisol. In both soils, compost application increased fulvic acid contents, favoring the formation of small hydrophilic molecules. A decrease in fluorescence intensity according to the incubation time was observed in the humic acids extracted from amended soils, revealing important chemical changes in this otherwise stable C pool.
This study evaluated the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) with dilute citric acid solution for biogas production. The black liquor (BL) from pretreatment and residual solid fraction (RSF) obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis were used as substrates for the biogas production. After saccharifications of the pretreated solid fractions performed with Cellic (R) CTec 3 cocktail, the highest concentration of total reducing sugars (TRS) was in the range of 10.7-184.8 g L-1 and the sugar yields were in the range of 3.5-88.8\%. For BL, the contents of glucose, xylose, and arabinose were in the range of 1.9-8.9 g L-1, 4.0-24.7 g L-1, and 0.2-5.4 g L-1, respectively. Biogas production from BL and RSF resulted, respectively, in maximum values of 563.6 and 57.8 NmL g(COD)(-1), indicating the feasibility of using dilute citric acid pretreatment coupled to biogas production in biorefineries. Brief energy and economic assessment were carried out considering the energy balance (thermal energy generated by burning biogas - thermal energy spent in the pretreatment), as well as revenue from a possible sale of electricity generated in a combined heat and power system. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Two general strategies have been proposed for microbial cellulose degradation: filamentous fungi and aerobic bacteria secrete uncomplexed cellulases, while some anaerobic bacteria produce a cell-associated and large extracellular multienzymatic complex called cellulosomes. By using a combination of 1D-blue native (BN)-PAGE, 2D-BN/SDS-PAGE, zymography, and LC-MS/MS methods, we demonstrate here that Streptomyces sp. I1.2, an aerobic bacterium associated with the land snail Achatina fulica, is able to degrade both crystalline cellulose and sugarcane bagasse through the production of cellulolytic multienzymatic complexes containing different combinations of cellobiohydrolases, endo-glucanases, xylanases, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), and peptidases. The assembly and subunit composition of these complexes is specifically affected by the carbon source, while the multienzymatic complexes produced after growth in crystalline cellulose are composed mainly by one cellobiohydrolase and chitinase, in which the complexes produced in response to sugarcane bagasse are more heterogeneous and contain cellobiohydrolases, endo-glucanases, pectate lyases, one LPMO, beta-1,3-glucanases, and one xylanase. Our results suggest that Streptomyces sp. I1.2 displays an alternative mechanism for deconstruction of cellulose that depends upon a noncellulosomic association of catalytic subunits into high molecular weight complexes in order to achieve higher catalytic efficiencies.
Microbial activity in stockpiled bagasse was investigated using: (1) acidity levels within the stockpile and (2) detected amounts of flammable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) above the stockpile, as potential factors to identify their impacts on spontaneous combustion. Temperature, moisture content, microbial activity (estimated by the number of spores obtained from plate counting), pH value, amount of acetic acid at different depths (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 m from the stockpile surface) and the flammable VOCs above the stockpile surface after different storage periods (100, 150, 200 and 250 days from the first stockpiled day) were investigated. The temperature and moisture content of the stockpile were in the ranges 50-65 degrees C and 50-65\%, respectively. A decrease in the pH value (pH 4 to 3) after longer storage periods was observed, which was related to the decreases in mesophile spores (1 order of magnitude) and thermophiles spores (1 order of magnitude) within the stockpile. Increases were observed in the temperature (5-10 degrees C), in the production of acid (3.6\% m/m on dried bagasse) and of flammable VOCs, such as ethanol in the range 118-130 mu g per cubic meter of air and others above the stockpile. Acid production increased the flammable VOCs, the temperature and the moisture content, suggesting that these parameters have the potential to be used for monitoring the stockpile characteristics. The acidity level is particularly useful since it is easy to measure.
The substitution of native vegetation in agricultural systems can cause several changes in the chemical and physical soil attributes, and in the dynamics of soil organic carbon. This study aimed to evaluate changes in soil physical attributes and carbon stock in soil organic matter fractions in irrigated sugarcane crops, as a function of land use and straw management practices over time, in the North of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Four sugarcane fields with different ages and management systems were studied: Cane 6, Cane 7, Cane 8, and Cane 10. The data obtained were compared with a native vegetation area located near the sugarcane fields, and used as reference for unmanaged soil. In each system, soil samples were collected in the 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depth layers, to determine the physical attributes, the total organic carbon, and the physical fractions of the soil organic matter. We found that the sugarcane management with the maintenance of a part of the straw on the soil surface contributes to the preservation of the soil structure and the most stable fractions of organic carbon over time. However, in the regions with high annual mean temperature and in the irrigated systems, the soil tillage for the renewal of the sugarcane fields significantly decreases the total soil organic carbon.
Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 was cultured in sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate supplemented with 2.0g/L of (NH4)(2)SO4, 0.1 g/L of CaCl2 . 2H(2)O, and 20.0 g/L of rice bran at 35 degreesC; pH 4.0; agitation of 300 rpm; and aeration of 0.4, 0.6, or 0.8 vvm. The high xylitol production (20.0 g/L) and xylose reductase (XR) activity (658.8 U/mg of protein) occurred at an aeration of 0.4 vvm. Under this condition, the xylitol dehydrogenase (XD) activity was low. The apparent K-M for XR and XD against substrates and cofactors were as follows: for XII, 6.4 x 10(-2)M (xylose) and 4.5 x 10(-3) mM (NADPH); for XD, 1.6 x 10(-1)M (xylitol) and 9.9 x 10(-2) mM (NAD+). Because XR requires about 10-fold less xylose and cofactor than XD for the condition in which the reaction rate is half of the V-max, some interference on the overall xylitol production by the yeast could be expected.
This work reports the feasibility results of recycling sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) to produce glass-ceramic. The major component of this solid residue is SiO2 (>89\%). A 100 g batch composition containing ash, CaO and Na2O was melted and afterward, poured into water to produce a glass frit. The crystallization kinetic study by nonisothermal method was performed on powder samples (<63 mu m) at five different heating rates. Wollastonite is the major phase in crystallization at T>970 degrees C, and below this temperature there is a predominance of rankinite. The crystallization activation energies calculated by the Kissinger and Ligero methods are equivalent: 374 +/- 10 and 378 +/- 13 kJ/mol. The growth morphology parameters have equal values n = m = 1.5 indicating that bulk nucleation is the dominant mechanism in this crystallization process, where there is a three-dimensional growth of crystals with polyhedron-like morphology controlled by diffusion from a constant number of nuclei. However, differential thermal analysis (DTA) curves on both monolithic and powder glass samples suggest that crystallization of the powder glass sample occurs through a surface mechanism. The divergence in both results suggests that the early stage of surface crystallization occurs through a three-dimensional growth of crystals, which will then transform to one-dimensional growth.
Rice straw (RS) is an abundant agricultural residue with plentiful hydroxyl groups. In this study, a low-cost and effective RS-based phosphate adsorbent (RS-PA) was prepared through a three-step reaction process, successively with epichlorohydrin (ECH), ethylenediamine (EDA), and triethylamine (TEA). The elimination process of phosphate was optimized by considering altered adsorption conditions. The successful production of RS-PA was confirmed by FTIR, organic element, and zeta potential analyses. The key factors influencing the phosphate adsorption were the temperature in the second reaction step and EDA dosage. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models predicted the phosphate adsorption on the RS-PA very well. A complete phosphate removal was achieved at 50 mg/L phosphate concentration, 10 g/L adsorbent dosage and 25 degrees C in 10 min. The exothermic nature of phosphate adsorption on RS-PA was confirmed since the temperature rise reduced the adsorption of phosphate on the adsorbent. These results demonstrate that full component rice straw-based phosphate adsorbent was successfully prepared for the removal of phosphorus compounds from waste water.
Fiber-reinforced starch-based bioplastics provide an excellent alternative to synthetic materials for packaging. Hence, it is important to develop materials based on starch and natural fibers on an industrial scale. The effect of compounding thermoplastic acetylated corn starch (TPAS)/sugarcane bagasse cellulose fibers (SF) biocomposites using both single and twin-screw extruders (SSE and TSE) and the effect of plastic processing methods such as compression molding, injection molding, and flat film extrusion on physical properties of starch-based bioplastics were studied. Bioplastics were characterized using AFM, XRD, SEM, rheometry, tensile tests, water-solubility, contact angle, and weight loss during soil burial. Compounding the TPAS/SF biocomposites by TSE resulted in a significant decrease in the fiber length and a more homogeneous distribution of SF in the TPAS matrix than SSE. The biocomposite processing by injection reduced the fiber's length even more and improved the SF distribution and mechanical properties. The biomaterials' solubility ranged from 24.9\% to 28.2\%, which is lower than native starch-based biocomposites. Therefore, it was possible to develop TPAS/SF bioplastics on an industrial scale to be an alternative to conventional plastics.
Research on the development of plants grown for energy purposes is important for ensuring the global energy supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and simulation is an important method to study its potential. This paper evaluated the marginal land that could be used to grow sugarcane in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Based on the meteorological data from 2009 to 2017 in this region and field observations from sugarcane plantations, the sensitivity of the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) model parameters was analyzed by an extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test, and the APSIM model was validated for sugarcane phenology and yields. During the process of model validation, the value of the determination coefficient R-2 of the observed and simulated values was between 0.76 and 0.91, and the consistency index D was between 0.91 and 0.97, indicating a good fit. On this basis, the APSIM sugarcane model was used to simulate the sugarcane production potential of the marginal land on a surface scale, and the distribution pattern of sugarcane production potential in the marginal land was obtained. The simulation results showed that if sugarcane was planted as an energy crop on the marginal land in Guangxi, it would likely yield approximately 42,522.05 x 10(4) t of cane stalks per year. It was estimated that the sugarcane grown on the marginal land plus 50\% of the sugarcane grown on the cropland would be sufficient to produce approximately 3847.37 x 10(4) t of ethanol fuel. After meeting the demands for vehicle ethanol fuel in Guangxi, 3808.14 x 10(4) t of ethanol fuel would remain and could be exported to the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
In this study, adaptive evolution was used to improve the adaptation of Ashbya gossypii ATCC 10895 to the substrate (cane molasses) to ensure enhanced substrate utilization and increased riboflavin yield. During the adaptation process, antioxidant activity and riboflavin production ability were evaluated using shake flask fermentation to evaluate the strain response to environmental conditions. After the seventh day of fermentation, results showed that compared with the yield of the parent strain, that of A. gossypii A-24 increased by 97.5\%, and the dry cell weight increased by 125\%. The A-24 strain was used to further study the cofermentation process of cane molasses and glucose under different ratios. When the ratio of glucose to cane molasses was 1: 4, the yield of riboflavin was 978 +/- 5.37 mg/L, which was 3.7 times that of cane molasses monofermentation.
Depleted supplies of fossil fuel, regular price hikes of gasoline, and environmental damage have necessitated the search for economic and eco-benign alternative of gasoline. Ethanol is produced from food/feed-based substrates (grains, sugars, and molasses), and its application as an energy source does not seem fit for long term due to the increasing fuel, food, feed, and other needs. These concerns have enforced to explore the alternative means of cost competitive and sustainable supply of biofuel. Sugarcane residues, sugarcane bagasse (SB), and straw (SS) could be the ideal feedstock for the second-generation (2G) ethanol production. These raw materials are rich in carbohydrates and renewable and do not compete with food/feed demands. However, the efficient bioconversion of SB/SS (efficient pretreatment technology, depolymerization of cellulose, and fermentation of released sugars) remains challenging to commercialize the cellulosic ethanol. Among the technological challenges, robust pretreatment and development of efficient bioconversion process (implicating suitable ethanol producing strains converting pentose and hexose sugars) have a key role to play. This paper aims to review the compositional profile of SB and SS, pretreatment methods of cane biomass, detoxification methods for the purification of hydrolysates, enzymatic hydrolysis, and the fermentation of released sugars for ethanol production.
This study has investigated ultrasound-assisted xylitol production through fermentation of dilute acid (pentose-rich) hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse using free cells of Candida tropicalis. Sonication of fermentation mixture at optimum conditions was carried out in ultrasound bath (37 kHz and 10\% duty cycle). Time profiles of substrate and product in control (mechanical shaking) and test (mechanical shaking + sonication) fermentations were fitted to kinetic model using Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization. Max. xylitol yield of 0.56 g/g and 0.61 g/g of xylose was achieved in control and test fermentations, respectively. The biomass yield also increased marginally (similar to 17\%) with sonication. However, kinetics of fermentation increased drastically (2.5 x) with sonication with 2 x rise in xylose uptake and utilization by the cells. With comparative analysis of kinetic parameters in control and test experiments, this result was attributed to enhanced permeability of cell membrane that allowed faster diffusion of nutrients, substrates and products across cell membrane, higher enzyme-substrate affinity, dilution of toxic components and reduced inhibition of intracellular enzymes by substrate.
In this study, Rhodosporidium toruloides and Tetradesmus obliquus were used for lipid and carotenoid production in mixed cultures using primary brewery wastewater (PBWW) as a culture medium, supplemented with sugarcane molasses (SCM) as a carbon source and urea as a nitrogen source. To improve biomass, lipid, and carotenoid production by R. toruloides and T obliquus mixed cultures, initial SCM concentrations ranging from 10 to 280 g L-1 were tested. The medium that allowed higher lipid content (26.2\% w/w dry cell weight (DCW)) and higher carotenoid productivity (10.47 mu g L-1 h(-1)) was the PBWW medium supplemented with 100 g L-1 of SCM and 2 g L-1 of urea, which was further used in the fed-batch mixed cultivation performed in a 7-L bioreactor. A maximum biomass concentration of 58.6 g L-1 and maximum lipid content of 31.2\% w/w DCW were obtained in the fed-batch cultivation. PBWW supplemented with SCM was successfully used as a low-cost medium to produce lipids and carotenoids in a R. toruloides and T obliquus mixed culture, with higher productivities than in pure cultures, which can significantly reduce the cost of the biofuels obtained.
A novel bio-adsorbent was fabricated via grafting an amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-NH2) onto bagasse cellulose. The morphology and microstructure of the HBP-NH2-grafted bagasse cellulose (HBP-g-BC) were characterized and its adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) ions in aqueous solutions was investigated. The rough surface structure of HBP-g-BC that is beneficial for improving the adsorption capacity was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The grafting reaction was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The adsorbent performance was shown to be better with a lower pH value, a higher adsorbent dosage, or a higher initial Cr(VI) concentration. Moreover, the kinetics study revealed that the adsorption behavior followed a pseudo-second-order model. The isotherm results showed that the adsorption data could be well-fitted by the Langmuir, Freundlich, or Temkin models. Moreover, HBP-g-BC could maintain 74.4\% of the initial removal rate even after five cycles of regeneration. Thus, the high potential of HBP-g-BC as a bio-adsorbent for heavy metal removal has been demonstrated.
Flavodon flavus (Klotzsch) Ryvarden, a basidiomycete (NIOCC strain 312) isolated from decomposing leaves of a sea grass. decolorized pigments in molasses spent wash (MSW) by 80\% after 8 days of incubation, when used at concentrations of 10\% and 50\%. Decolorizing activity was also present in media prepared with half-strength seawater (equivalent to 15 ppt salinity). Decolorizing activity was seen in low-nitrogen medium, nutrient-rich medium and in sugarcane bagasse medium. The percentage decolorization of MSW was highest when glucose or sucrose was used as the carbon source in the low-nitrogen medium. The production of lignin-modifying enzymes, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MNP) and laccase decreased in a medium containing MSW. MNP production and MSW decolorization were inversely correlated. suggesting no role for MNP in MSW decolorization. The decolorization of MSW was not effective when F:flavus was immobilized in calcium alginate beads. Decolorization was achieved best in oxygenated cultures. Besides color, total phenolics and chemical oxygen demand were reduced by 50\% in MSW treated with E flavus. suggesting its potential in the bioremediation of effluents.
Sugarcane is known to be one of the oldest cultivated plants in tropical and subtropical countries. Sugar industries are increasing exponentially to satisfy the growing demand for sugar; whereas, the ethanol distilleries have been rapidly expanding, since bioethanol emerged as an affordable, low carbon footprint and renewable bioenergy. However, inadequately treated and indiscriminate disposal of the effluent from sugarcane industries resulted in extensive soil and water pollutions. Hence, this study aimed at reviewing the sugarcane industrial process with its water consumption rates, and effluent characteristics and its adverse effects on the environment. Finally, the study has gone through the most common wastewater treatment efforts made to minimize the effluent environmental burden. In addition to the large volumes of sugar and ethanol industrial effluents, the presence of the different varieties of the pollutants in the effluent is challenging for conventional treatment methods. However, eliminating the pollutants is becoming important for environmental and esthetic values. In line with this, a number of studies encompassing physicochemical and biological treatment methods have been conducted but many of them failed to be effective. Furthermore, alternative treatments have also been developed such as recycling of vinasse, fertirrigation and concentrated by evaporation but they were not effective either due to the high energy use or the large effluent volumes which cannot be managed through such methods. However, anaerobic digestion of high rate was found in the state of the art and an effective approach to treat the sugar industry and ethanol distillery effluents.
The lignocellulose rich sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) is a good feedstock for bioethanol production after conversion of its insoluble carbohydrates, mainly cellulose, to fermentable sugars. Main focus of the present investigation was therefore, to determine the optimum conditions for enzymatic saccharification of SSB using indigenously produced cellulases from a novel fungal consortium of Aspergillus flavus F-80 and Aspergillus niger MTCC-2425. Response surface methodology was adopted by using a three factor-three level Box-Behnken design by selecting substrate concentration (\%, w/v), saccharification time (h) and enzyme loading (FPU g(-1) substrate) as the main process parameters. Data obtained from RSM were subjected to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analyzed using a second order polynomial equation. The developed model was found to be robust and was used to optimize the \% saccharification yield during enzymatic hydrolysis. Under optimized conditions (substrate concentration 6\%, w/v, time 48 h and enzyme loading of 22 FPU g(-1) substrate), maximum saccharification yield of 51.21\% was achieved. Structural modification of SSB due to enzymatic saccharification was supported by changes in thermal decomposition behavior and pore formation observed during thermogravimetric and SEM analysis, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The main aim of this research was to study the activities of phosphate solubilizing (PSB) and potassium solubilizing (KSB) bacteria and lignocellulolytic on some conditions of bagasse media. Six conditions of bagasse were combined with lignocellulolytic bacteria as carrier media for PSB and KSB. Bacteria activity under observation included respiration, concentration of P-total, K-total, N-total, organic carbon, the change of C/N ratio, and the change in cellulose and lignin concentration. The research results corroborated that respiration of microbial increase from D+7 (seventh days) to D+28 (twenty-eighth days) on all condition of bagasse media with maximum respiration reaching11.14mg CO2/kg/day; the population of PSB and KSB are 97.67.107cfu.g-1 and 64.17. 107cfu.g-1; the concentration of K-total and Ptotal, N-total, C-organic and C/N ratio decreased on all treatments media during incubation respectively.
The impact of sugarcane vinasse on soil invertebrates was assessed through ecotoxicological assays. Increasing concentrations of two vinasses from different distillery plants (VA and VB), and a vinasse from a laboratory production (VC), were amended on two natural tropical Oxisols (LV and LVA) and a tropical artificial soil (TAS) to characterize the effects of the vinasses on earthworms (Eisenia andrei), enchytraeids (Enchytraeus crypticus), mites (Hypoaspis aculeifer) and collembolans (Folsomia candida). The highest concentrations of VA and VB were avoided by earthworms in all soils and by collembolans especially in the natural soils. The presence of VC in all of the tested soils did not cause avoidance behavior in these species. The reproduction of earthworms, enchytraeids and collembolans was decreased in the highest concentrations of VA and VB in the natural soils. In TAS, VB reduced the reproduction of all test species, whereas VA was toxic exclusively to E. andrei and E. crypticus. The vinasse VC only reduced the number of earthworms in TAS and enchytraeids in LVA. The reproduction of mites was reduced by VB in TAS. Vinasses from distillery plants were more toxic than the vinasse produced in laboratory. The vinasse toxicities were influenced by soil type, although this result was most likely because of the way the organisms are exposed to the contaminants in the soils. Toxicity was attributed to the vinasses' high salt content and especially the high potassium concentrations. Data obtained in this study highlights the potential risk of vinasse disposal on tropical soils to soil biota. The toxic values estimated are even more relevant when considering the usual continuous use of vinasses in crop productions. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this article, a clear-cut comparative research has been conducted on various types of energy production technologies utilised for bagasse including combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion and alcoholic fermentation. Furthermore, these technologies have been analysed and modelled in MATLAB software to select its best usage in the conditions of Iran. Moreover, it takes into consideration three technical, economic and environmental viewpoints along with the development of an essential and acceptable data bank. In the technical study, parameters which are of great significance in implementation and manufacturing the technologies are determined. Then with the help of creditable methods of evaluation such as Delphi and focus group, these parameters are compared and weighted. In the economic study, with the calculation of economic indicators such as break-even point, net present value, internal rate of return and payback period, these technologies were compared. In order to facilitate decision making, three scenarios were considered based on international foreign currency. The environmental comparison of technologies were also made by calculating the degree of greenhouse gases reduction and other polluting gases with regard to the determined emission factors for the power plants in the country and their related external costs.
The production of pellets from residual biomass generated monocropping by Brazilian agribusiness is an environmentally and economically interesting alternative in view of the growing demand for clean, low-cost, and efficient energy. In this way, pellets were produced with sugarcane bagasse and coffee processing residues, in different proportions with charcoal fines, aiming to improve the energy properties and add value to the residual biomass. The pellets had their properties compared to the commercial quality standard. Artificial neural networks and multivariate statistical models were used to validate the best treatments for biofuel production. The obtained pellets presented the minimum characteristics required by DIN EN 14961-6. However, the sugarcane bagasse biomass distinguished itself for use in energy pellets, more specifically, the treatment with 20\% of fine charcoal because of its higher net calorific value (17.85 MJ.kg(-1)) and energy density (13.30 GJ.m(-3)), achieving the characteristics required for type A pellets in commercial standards. The statistical techniques were efficient and grouped the treatments with similar properties, as well as validated the sugarcane biomass mixed with charcoal fines for pellet production. Thus, these results demonstrate that waste charcoal fines mixed with agro-industrial biomass have great potential to integrate the production chain for energy generation.
Plant feedstocks are at the leading front of the biofuel industry based on the potential to promote economical, social and environmental development worldwide through sustainable scenarios related to energy production. Penicillium echinulatum is a promising strain for the bioethanol industry based on its capacity to produce large amounts of cellulases at low cost. The secretome profile of P. echinulatum after grown on integral sugarcane bagasse, microcrystalline cellulose and three types of pretreated sugarcane bagasse was evaluated using shotgun proteomics. The comprehensive chemical characterization of the biomass used as the source of fungal nutrition, as well as biochemical activity assays using a collection of natural polysaccharides, were also performed. Our study revealed that the enzymatic repertoire of P. echinulatum is geared mainly toward producing enzymes from the cellulose complex (endogluganases, cellobiohydrolases and beta-glucosidases). Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family members, important to biomass-to-biofuels conversion strategies, were identified, including endoglucanases GH5, 7, 6, 12, 17 and 61, beta-glycosidase GH3, xylanases GH10 and GH11, as well as debranching hemicellulases from GH43, GH62 and CE2 and pectinanes from GH28. Collectively, the approach conducted in this study gave new insights on the better comprehension of the composition and degradation capability of an industrial cellulolytic strain, from which a number of applied technologies, such as biofuel production, can be generated.
Deciding price policies in order to attract new investments on renewable energy generation remains a challenge to many public policy-makers. This is particularly relevant to the Brazilian sugarcane industry, which has experienced a significant reduction in new bioenergy projects in recent years. Since investment costs thereof are expressive, a producer's willingness to increase energy generation is highly dependent on market conditions. Herein, we propose an optimization model based on portfolio theory to assess different price policies for attracting investment, where historical variations in sugar, ethanol and spot-market electricity prices are accounted for. Results obtained on a representative case study highlight the significant role played by regulated market prices in mitigating financial risks in the sugarcane business. The analysis enables a better understanding of investors' behavior according to their aversion to risk. It could support policy-makers with more effective pricing in the regulated market to keep promoting bioenergy generation.
To improve the salt resistance of superabsorbent materials and the gel strength of superabsorbent materials after water absorption, a bagasse cellulose-based network structure composite superabsorbent (CAAMC) was prepared via graft copolymerization of acrylamide/acrylic acid (AM/AA) onto bagasse cellulose using silane coupling agent modified nano-CaCO3 (MNC) and N,N `-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as a double crosslinker. The acrylamide/acrylic acid was chemically crosslinked with modified nano-CaCO3 by C-N, and a stable double crosslinked (DC) network CAAMC was formed under the joint crosslinking of N,N `-methylene bisacrylamide and modified nano-CaCO3. Modified nano-CaCO3 plays a dual role of crosslinking agent and the filler, and the gel strength of composite superabsorbent is two times higher than that of N,N `-methylene bisacrylamide single crosslinking. The maximum absorbency of CAAMC reached 712 g/g for deionized water and 72 g/g for 0.9 wt\% NaCl solution. The adsorption process of CAAMC was simulated by materials studio, and the maximum adsorption energy of amino and carboxyl groups for water molecules is -2.413 kJ/mol and -2.240 kJ/mol, respectively. According to the results of CAAMC soil water retention, a small amount of CAAMC can greatly improve the soil water retention effect.
Escherichia coli KJ122 was engineered to produce succinate from glucose using the wild type GalP for glucose uptake instead of the native phosphotransferase system (ptsI mutation). This strain now ferments 10\% xylose poorly. Mutants were selected by serial transfers in AM1 mineral salts medium with 10\% xylose. Clones from this population all exhibited a similar improvement, co-fermentation of an equal mixture of xylose and glucose. One of these, AS1600a, produced 84.26 +/- 1.37 g/L succinate, equivalent to that produced by the parent (KJ122) from 10\% glucose (85.46 +/- 1.78 g/L). AS1600a was sequenced and found to contain a mutation in galactose permease (GalP, G236D). This mutation was shown to be responsible for the improvement in fermentation using KJ Delta galP as the host and expression vectors with native galP and with mutant galP{*
Sequential pretreatments for sugarcane bagasse (scb) by NaOH followed by organosolv under mild conditions were evaluated for cellulose recovery and dilignification. The best-optimized sequential pretreatment of scb was obtained at 10\% (w/v) of raw scb loading at 1\% (w/v) NaOH (50 degrees C, 2 h) followed by treatment with organosolv (85\%, v/v phosphoric acid, 50 degrees C, 1 h) with chilled acetone. This sequentially pretreated scb showed cellulose recovery, 66.1\% (w/w) and delignification, 83.2\% (w/w). NaOH or organosolv pretreated scb showed lower cellulose recovery 47.4\% (w/w) or 54.5\% (w/w) with lower delignification, 61\% (w/w) or 56\% (w/w), respectively. Pretreated solid residue of sequentially pretreated scb was enzymatically saccharified by chimera (beta -glucosidase and endoglucanase, CtGH1-L1-CtGH5-F194A) and cellobiohydrolase (CtCBH5A) cloned from Clostridium thermocellum. Enzymatic hydrolysate of best sequentially pretreated scb gave total reducing sugar (TRS) yield, 230 mg/g and glucose yield, 137 mg/g pretreated scb. Only organosolv pretreated scb gave TRS yield, 112.5 mg/g and glucose yield, 72 mg/g of pretreated scb. Thus, sequentially pretreated scb resulted in 37\% higher enzymatic digestibility than only orgnaosolv pretreated scb. Higher enzymatic digestibility was supported by higher crystallinity index CrI (45\%) than those obtained with only organosolv pretreated (38\%) or raw scb (25\%). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses showed enhanced cellulose exposure in sequentially pretreated scb. Preliminary investigation of bioethanol production at small scale by separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) of enzymatic hydrolysate from best sequentially pretreated scb by Saccharomyces cerevisiae gave maximum ethanol yield of 0.42 g/g of glucose.
Biomass is a potential sustainable source of energy. Approximately one-third of the energy available from sugarcane is contained in the tops and leaves (trash), which are generally either burnt prior to harvesting or are not recovered from the field. Based on results reported in the literature and assuming a 50\% trash recovery efficiency, it is estimated that 1.353 million tons of trash is available annually for cogeneration in South Africa, which could potentially produce 180.1 MW over a 200 day milling season. Studies in Brazil and Australia have shown that the most efficient way of recovering the tops and leaves for cogeneration of power at sugar mills is to use a chopper harvester with the separation of cane stalks and trash on the harvester either fully or partially turned off. In South Africa more than 90\% of the sugarcane crop is burnt and manually harvested and hence new systems are proposed to recover the trash and to transport the material to the mill. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Downstream processing of chemicals obtained from fermentative route is challenging and cost-determining factor of any bioprocess. 2,3-Butanediol (BDO) is a promising chemical building block with myriad applications in the polymer, food, pharmaceuticals, and fuel sector. The current study focuses on the recovery and purification of BDO produced (68.2 g/L) from detoxified xylose-rich sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by a mutant strain of Enterobacter ludwigii. Studies involving screening and optimization of aqueous-two phase system (ATPS) revealed that 30\% w/v (NH4)2SO4 addition to clarified fermented broth facilitated BDO extraction in isopropanol (0.5 v/v), with maximum recovery and partition coefficient being 97.9 +/- 4.6\% and 45.5 +/- 3.5, respectively. The optimized protocol was repeated with unfiltered broth containing 68.2 g/L BDO, cell biomass, and unspent protein, which led to the partitioning of 66.7 g/L BDO, 2.0 g/L xylose and 9.0 g/L acetic acid into organic phase with similar BDO recovery (97\%) and partition coefficient (45).
This paper presents a process simulation model in Aspen Plus (R) and a techno-economic assessment for the anaerobic digestion of Cuban sugarcane vinasses considering three scenarios for biogas application: electricity production (S\_1), biomethane as vehicle fuel (S\_2), and biomethane for gas grid injection (S\_3). From the simulation model, non-significant differences (p value >= 0.1779) between experimental and simulation results were found. S\_1 showed the best economic performance among the assessed biogas applications. From the sensitivity analysis, the mean electricity price leading to a net present value of zero for S\_1 was 90 USD/MWh, while for S\_2 and S\_3 the mean incentive required was 0.33 USD/m(biomethane)(3) and 0.67 USD/m(biomethane)(3), respectively. The uncertainty analysis showed a chance for investment failure in S\_1 less than 10\%, whereas for S\_2 and S\_3 it ranged between 31-37\%. The minimum scale required (milling and distillery capacities, ethanol yield) for getting profits from biomethane projects was targeted at 10,800 t(cane)/day, 108 m(ethanol)(3)/d at 10 L-ethanol/t(cane), respectively. To this end, Cuban plants should significantly increase their average capacities; otherwise, a centralized biomethane production by limiting the number of biomethane plants to one or two per province could be implemented. (C) 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Peroxide-acetic acid (Peroxide-HAc) pretreatment is a simplified and cost-effective technology due to its mild conditions without the catalysis of strong acids, which was introduced to treat sugarcane bagasse (SCB) in this paper. Then pretreated SCB was used to produce bioethanol using thermophilic Saccharomyces cerevisiae in deionized water (DW) and sodium citrate buffer solution (SCS) fermentation systems, respectively. Results: showed that peroxide-HAc pretreatment can selectively remove lignin and change morphological structures, thus positively increasing saccharification and fermentation efficiency downstream. SCB pretreated at 100 degrees C obtained the lowest residual lignin content of 2.88\% and achieved the highest ethanol yield of 92.10\% (0.45 g/g-biomass) in DW system. In particular, SCS can decrease the residual sugars content of pretreated SCB during simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) process. The addition of Tween 80 improved SSCF of SCB pretreated at 80 degrees C likely because Tween 80 can block residual lignin adsorption with enzymes. The concentration of acetic acid and glycerol byproducts from SCB pretreated at 80 degrees C can be decreased by SCS and DW systems, respectively, comparing to SCS and DW systems with additing Tween 80. This study provided a systematic process route for the bioethanol production by mild pretreatment method.
Alkali pretreatment of sugarcane tops was carried out with 3\% NaOH for 60 min at 121 degrees C in a laboratory autoclave. The effect of solid loading, enzyme loading, incubation time and surfactant concentration on enzymatic saccharification was studied using a response surface method according to Box-Behnken design. Under optimized conditions 77.5\% sugar was recovered from the pretreated biomass. This yield was seven times higher than that obtained with untreated sugarcane tops. A substantial amount of lignin (90\%) was removed by this pretreatment method. Physicochemical characterization of native and alkali pretreated sugarcane tops were carried out by XRD, FTIR and SEM and the changes in the chemical composition were also monitored. The X-ray diffraction profile showed that the degree of crystallinity was higher for alkali pretreated biomass than that for native. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lactobacillus casei was grown at 37 degrees C on sugarcane bagasse (5 g) soaked with cassava starch hydrolysate (final moistening volume 34 ml) containing 3 g reducing sugar in a solid-state condition. The maximum yield of L-lactic acid after various process optimisations was 2.9 g/5 g initial substrate corresponding to 97\% conversion of sugar to lactic acid with initial substrate moisture of 72\%.
The use of agricultural materials has increased in demand as of years progress in both rural and urban industrial zones. Hence, the disposal of agricultural waste of fibre materials increased in environment. The concrete structures made from cementitious materials often defected from settlements and static loads. Furthermore, the sugarcane fibres commonly tossed as wastes led to pollution in the environment. In this research, sugarcane was processed and burned at 500 degrees C into sugarcane ash (SCA) and implemented in the mix proportion of lightweight concrete and concrete mortars. Lightweight concrete specimens with dimensions 100x100x100-mm were casted according to dosage of SCA at 0\%, 5\%, 10\%, and 15\% while a specimen consisting of SCA and lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) at dosage of 15\% and 40\% respectively. The fineness and consistency tests were performed experimentally through the Blaine air permeability and Vicat apparatus. Moreover, the cube compression test for specimens were performed on a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The appropriate fineness and consistency results were achieved by specimens with 15\% SCA and controlled mortar that at 183.31 m2/kg and 0.35 water-cement ratio, respectively. Additionally, the optimum compressive strength was obtained for specimen with 5\% SCA at 32.78 MPa. Overall, both the mechanical and physical properties of the concrete were fully enhanced. Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the 14th AUN/SEED-Net Regional Conference on Materials and 4th International Postgraduate Conference on Materials, Minerals and Polymer (RCM \& MAMIP 2021).
Jaggery, an unrefined sweetener is prepared by continuous heating of fresh sugarcane juice in different types and capacities of old indigenous and modified plants. The old indigenous plants manufactured by the rural people without any technological advancements have very high fuel consumption (about 3 kg/kg to 4 kg/kg of jaggery produced) and low heat utilization efficiency (15\% to 29\%). Number of modifications have been suggested by the researchers for the optimization and improvement in the performance parameters of jaggery making processes and plants. The implementation of fins at the external bottom of pans, preheater and economiser in the chimney, efficiency booster in the furnace, freeze pre-concentration system, forced draft through the plant and controlled fuel feeding in the furnace are reported to improve the thermal efficiency in the range of 25\% to 50\% and reduce the bagasse consumption in the range of 1.75 kg/kg to 2.75 kg/kg of jaggery prepared. The recently published article adopting novel techniques of internal preheating of sugarcane juice in the gutter pan and automatic supply of bagasse in the furnace of a two pan jaggery making plant is claimed to improve the heat utilization efficiency up to 65\% and reduce the fuel consumption up to 1.50 kg/kg of jaggery produced with an affordable investment. The present paper summarizes the various technological up-gradations adopted and tested by the researchers for the enhancement of various output parameters of jaggery making units.Copyright (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Contemporary Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Environmental sustainability and environmental protection represent essential challenges for the well-being of the community. The use of eco-sustainable materials in architecture is necessary for the transformation of urban centers into modern sustainable cities, to reduce air pollution and protect natural ecosystems, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In this study, sugar cane processing waste was used as an alternative and ecological acoustic material, combining it with natural binders used in construction, such as plaster and clay. To make the composite, the fibers were separated from the bark, then the fibers were assembled with the binder in the frames, and finally the frame with the composite was subjected to a drying process. Specimens of various thicknesses were prepared and the sound absorption coefficient (SAC) at normal incidence was calculated. Subsequently, to compare the acoustic performances of the samples, a simulation model for the prediction of the SAC based on the artificial neural network (ANN) was created. The results suggest the adoption of the simulation model to review the acoustic properties of the material.
Nowadays, biomass utilization has become the center of attention for researchers worldwide and is driven by the depletion of global petroleum supplies for the production of energy and valuable chemicals while easing the atmospheric CO2 burden. We propose here a green strategy for transforming sugarcane bagasse into gamma-valerolactone (GVL), an attractive platform molecule that can be further converted into a variety of chemical derivatives for wide use in industrial applications. Our recent strategy involves the solid acid-catalyzed hydrothermal conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose derived from biomass to give an aqueous solution comprising levulinic acid (LA), followed by catalytic hydrogenation of LA to GVL. Native and acid-activated bentonites were used as solid acid catalysts to promote hydrothermal conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose. The maximum achievable yield of LA was 159.17 mg per gram of oven-dried biomass for 60 min reaction at 473.2 K in the presence of a 2\% acid-activated bentonite catalyst. Catalytic hydrogenation reactions of LA to GVL over 1\% Pt@TiO2 and acid-activated bentonite as a co-catalyst were performed at temperatures of 393.2-473.2 K and residence times of 120-360 min. The combined solid catalyst gave an attractive performance with respect to LA conversion (similar to 100\%) and GVL selectivity (95\%) under milder reaction conditions in comparison to 1\% Pt@TiO2 without an acid co-catalyst. The spent catalyst could be reused for five consecutive hydrogenation cycles with a marginal decrease in the catalytic activity and GVL selectivity. Coke formation was believed to be the main cause of catalyst poisoning and calcination of the spent catalyst under a stream of pure oxygen at 723.2 K was applied for removing coke deposits from the active catalyst sites, thus restoring the catalytic performance.
Bagasse ash as waste material from the sugarcane industry is causing disposal problems. This paper study on the use of silica from bagasse ash as reinforcing filler in rubber. Precipitated silica was obtained from bagasse ash through a sol precipitation method. Process parameters such as time of addition of secondary sodium silicate, pH and temperature, were studied. The synthesized silica was characterized by XRF, XRD, and PSA. XRF and XRD test results showed that the precipitated silica contained 4.9\% of alumina and had an amorphous structure, respectively. PSA result showed that the synthesized precipitated silica and a commercial reinforcing filler had a comparable aggregate/agglomerate size distribution after 10 minutes sonication. The yield of silica recovered from bagasse ash was found to vary between 41.7\% and 58.2\%.
The objective of this research is to prepare a green acidic catalyst from cellulose derived from sugarcane bagasse (SB). Initially, SB was pretreated by electron beam irradiation with a dose of 50 kGy to 200 kGy and subsequent acid hydrolysis to obtain cellulose. The cellulose derived from SB was carbonized at different temperatures for 4 h and then sulfonated with heating at 120 degrees C under reflux. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to confirm the successful preparation of acidic catalyst by irradiation pretreatment and subsequent sulfonation. The cellulose derived from irradiated SB at the lowest dose of 50 kGy was used as a representative irradiated sample for comparison with non-irradiation. Scanning electron microscope image of sulfonated biochar was observed pores with various sizes. The existence of sulfur atom onto sulfonated biochar surface was investigated by Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. After sugar production by sulfonated biochar as an acidic catalyst, the total sugar content was measured by a phenol-sulfuric acid method using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The total sugar with 94.51 +/- 1.35\% content was found when the acidic catalyst was performed. It was remarkable to note that sulfonated biochar prepared from cellulose derived from SB after pretreatment and sulfonation exhibited outstanding result for being as an acidic catalyst for sugar production.
Experimental design was applied in the optimization of crude oil adsorption from saline waste water using raw bagasse. The application of response surface methodology (RSM) was presented with temperature, salinity of water, pH, adsorbent dose, and initial oil content as factors. A quadratic model could be used to approximate the mathematical relationship of crude oil removal on the five significant independent variables. Predicted values and experimental values are found to be in good agreement with R (2) of 97.44\%. The result of optimization shows that the maximum crude oil removal is equal to 67.38\% under the optimal condition of temperature of 46.53 A degrees C, salinity of 37.2 g/L, pH of 3, adsorbent dose of 9 g/L and initial oil content of 300x10(-6).
Most of the dyes are toxic and non-biodegradable in textile industry wastewaters. Therefore, removal of textile dye using agriculture waste becomes crucial for the environment. This can be accomplished by the biosorption process which is the passive uptake of pollutants by agricultural waste. In this study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) were used to obtain optimum conditions for Methylene Blue (MB) removal using sugarcane bagasse and peanut hulls as low-cost agricultural waste. The experimental design was carried out to study the effect of temperature, pH, biosorbent amount and dye concentration. The maximum MB dye removal considering the effect of total dissolved solids from aqueous solutions of 74.49\% and 67.99\% by sugarcane bagasse and peanut hulls, respectively. The models specify that they could predict biosorption with high accuracy having R-2-value above 0.9. Statistical studies for RSM, ANFIS and ANN models were compared. Further, the models were optimized for maximum dye removal was at 1.21 g of biosorbent, pH 5.24, 31.24 mg/L MB concentration, 22.29 degrees C of dye solution using sugarcane bagasse and at 1.37 g of biosorbent, pH 5.77, 36.7 mg/L MB concentration, 26.8 degrees C of dye solution using peanut hulls. Additionally, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectral analysis was also carried out to confirm the biosorption.
The growing interest on rape oil as raw material for biodiesel production has resulted in an increasing availability of rape straw, an agricultural residue that is an attractive renewable source for the production of second-generation bioethanol. Pretreatment is one of the key steps in such a conversion process. In this work, a sequential two-stage pretreatment with dilute sulfuric acid (130 A degrees C, 60 min, 2 \% w/v H2SO4) followed by H2O2 (1-5 \% w/v) in alkaline medium (NaOH) at low temperature (60, 90 A degrees C) and at different pretreatment times (30-90 min) was investigated. The first-acid stage allows the solubilisation of hemicellulose fraction into fermentable sugars. The second-alkaline peroxide stage allows the delignification of the solid material whilst the cellulose remaining in rape straw turned highly digestible by cellulases. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with 15 \% (w/v) delignified substrate at 90 A degrees C, 5 \% H2O2 for 60 min, led to a maximum ethanol production of 53 g/L and a yield of 85 \% of the theoretical.
The major challenge in hemicellulose blend films for food packaging is to overcome the inferior wet strength and hydrophilic properties of hemicellulose-based films. Inspired by the principle of wet strength of paper, novel bio-based packaging film with high barrier and strength properties was designed via bagasse pith hemicellulose as main substrate materials and polyamideamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) as strengthening agent. The chemical characterization showed that the mechanical and barrier properties of the blend films were found to be strongly dependent upon the amount of PAE added in the films. Compared with the film without PAE, the tensile strength of PAE-containing film with optimal amount of 1\% PAE increased by 100.25\%, the water vapor permeability decreased by 23.25\%, and the oxygen permeability decreased by 87.18\%. The results showed that the new ester bond formed between PAE and hemicellulose caused the more excellent mechanical and barrier properties of films.
The objective of this work was to identify the differences between the seedbank of a sugarcane field harvested mechanically and a that of a burned sugarcane field, using precision agriculture techniques. The soil sampling for seedbank determination were performed using a 2 ha regular sampling grid. The weed infestation maps were obtained by the kriging interpolation technique. The green sugarcane field presented lower weed infestation potential compared to the burnt sugarcane field, specially the monocotyledonous species. However, some dicotyledonous species can be selected, such as the Ipomoea. It was concluded that precision agriculture can be useful tool for determination of weed infestation maps and that sugarcane straw can be used U'S a suppression factor for various species.
Context. Grain-based diets result in lower starch utilisation compared with traditional diets with corn silage. The best use of yellow dent corn starch, in addition to increasing animal performance, can be obtained by the inclusion of an effective fibre source in grain-based diets and/or the use of more efficient genetic groups in a tropical feedlot. Aims. We assessed productive responses of young Nellore (N) bulls and 1/2 Angus x 1/2 Nellore (AN) bulls fed whole shelled corn diets, with or without sugarcane bagasse (SB). Methods. A completely randomised design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two genetic groups and two diets) was used. Twenty-eight young bulls (14 N and 14 AN) were fed diets containing 0 or 31.6 g of SB/kg DM in a feedlot. Key results. The average daily gain and gain:feed ratio were not affected by the diets, but AN bulls showed greater average daily gain and gain:feed ratio than N bulls (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). The genetic groups did not affect nutrient intake, but N bulls had greater (P = 0.016) DM digestibility than AN bulls. The consumption of DM, crude protein and digestible energy was not affected by the diets. The digestibility of neutral detergent fibre, crude protein and NFC was lower (P = 0.001) for the diet with SB. The neutral detergent fibre intake was greater (P = 0.001) in the diet with SB. The DM intake variation was smaller (P < 0.05) in diets with SB and for N bulls. Conclusions. The inclusion of SB up to 31.6 g/kg DM in whole shelled corn diets did not affect the productive responses of young bulls. Crossbred bulls, despite expressing lower digestibility of some nutrients and larger DM intake variation, have greater productive potential compared with Nellore bulls in a tropical feedlot with whole shelled corn diets. Implications. The use of crossbred young AN bulls in tropical feedlots is a viable alternative for increasing productivity and global meat production.
The present study compared pre-treatment effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants on the quality of sugarcane tops silage (SCT). Sugarcane tops (301 g DM/kg fresh matter) were chopped into 2.5-3.0 cm lengths and sub-sampled in 33 (11 x 3; treatments x replications) batches. A total of eleven treatments, including two controls, i.e. C1 (without additives) and C2 (with common additives: 0.5\% NaCl, 0.5\% urea and 2\% molasses as such) and nine treatments were prepared in factorial arrangements of (3 x 3) exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (C cellulose, X xylanase and C + X) with LAB inoculants (LF Lactobacillus fermentum, PA Pediococcous acidilactici and LF + PA). After 30 days of ensiling samples were analysed; pH, lignocelluloses, butyric acid, oxalate, yeast and mould count were reduced (p < 0.05) in all treatments, whereas, the lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA) and metabolisable energy (ME) content were increased (p < 0.05) in all treatments than controls, C1 and C2 SCT silage. DM loss and NH3-N (\% total nitrogen) was found higher (p < 0.05) in C2 and all treatments as compared to the C1 silage. The effect of EFE and LAB interaction was found significant (p < 0.01) for LA:AA, Fleig point and butyric acid content of SCT silage. The efficacy of EFE and LAB inoculant was higher (p < 0.05) when used in combinations, cellulase + xylanase and LF + PA as compared to either type. Silage Fleig point value was found highest (p < 0.05) in LF + PA + X and LF + PA + C + X treatments. Overall comparative effectiveness suggested that xylanase with Lactobacillus fermentum plus Pediococcous acidilactici were the most promising combinations to improve sugarcane tops silage quality.
The shear tension and soil cohesion are important soil physical properties. They are affected by management systems and the content of Fe, Si and Al oxides in the soil. The effects of different sugarcane management systems on the shear tension, angle of internal friction, soil cohesion, and the contents of Fe, Si and Al oxides in a Cohesive Yellow Argisol were studied in four areas of the Triunfo mill in Alagoas State, Brazil. The treatments consisted of an area cultivated with irrigation and another without irrigation, a site with vinasse application. A native forest area was included as reference for the original conditions. Samples were collected from each site at depths of 0.2-0.4 m and 0.4-0.8 m. The areas cultivated with and without irrigation promoted the greatest increase in soil cohesion, angle of internal friction and soil shear strength. The water and oxide contents affected the soil cohesion; the highest soil cohesion values were obtained in soils with the lowest water and the highest oxide contents.
The acid-hydrolyzed residues of lignocellulosic biomass are the primary organic solid wastes during xylose production, while their management and/or valorization have often been overlooked. Here, based on the xylose production platform, four scenarios were established for techno-economic and life cycle assessments (TEA-LCA) of sugarcane bagasse-derived hydrolysis residue obtained from H2SO4 pretreatment, including landfill (baseline), incineration with cogeneration system, bioethanol production, and biomethane production. According to the TEA results, the landfill scenario exhibited the lowest economic benefits, with an internal rate of return (IRR) 18.8\% and a net present value (NPV) of 23,270,090 \$. In contrast, the incineration scenario showed the best economic results, with IRR and NPV improving by 4.7\% and 68.8\%, respectively. The bioethanol and bio-methane scenarios exhibited an IRR of 0.2\% and 2.2\% higher than the IRR of the landfill, respectively. Furthermore, the economics of all four scenarios were sensitive to plant capacity, hemicellulose to xylose con-version rate, and xylose price. The LCA showed that landfill was the worst option, followed by bioethanol and incineration, while the biomethane scenario reduced 39.3\% of the adverse impacts using the ReCiPe single score, as it avoided a higher amount of production of synthetic fertilizer and natural gas. The environmental perfor-mance was sensitive to the conversion rate of hemicellulose to xylose as per the sensitivity analysis. This study indicated that the valorization of acid-hydrolyzed residues into bioenergy was attractive for the xylose plant, and give the decision-makers a clear perspective for developing a sustainable disposal policy for acid-hydrolyzed residues.
Extracting nutraceuticals with high value from bagasse, filter mud, and sugarcane leaves discarded as sugar mill by-products, is crucial for the development of a sustainable bio-economy. These by-products are important sources of policosanols and phytosterols, which have a cholesterol-lowering effect. This research focused on using a promising green technology, subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction, with a low pressure of 0.8 MPa, to extract policosanols and phytosterols and on application of pretreatments to increase their contents. For direct extraction by subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether without sample pretreatment, the highest extraction yield (7.4\%) and policosanol content were found in sugarcane leaves at 2888 mg/100 g, while the highest and lowest phytosterol contents were found in filter mud at 20,878.75 mg/100 g and sugarcane leaves at 10,147.75 mg/100 g, respectively. Pretreatment of filter mud by ultrasonication in hexane solution together with transesterification before the second subcritical liquefied dimethyl ether extraction successfully increased the policosanol content, with an extract purity of 60\%, but failed to increase the phytosterol content.
Ionic liquids have been proven efficient and environmental medium for producing platform chemical levulinic acid. Lack of high-efficiency, stable and low-cost recovery strategy with complex electrolyte form restricts the further scale-up of ionic liquids for platform chemicals production. Membrane-based techniques including ultrafiltration (UF) and bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) were employed for the high-efficiency recovery, regeneration and recycling of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate {[
Bioethanol and biochemicals from agriculture residues are key alternative for transport fuels and fossil chemicals to environmental impact mitigation and rural economy. In biofuels and biochemicals production, pretreatment is the crucial and energy demanding process that enhances components hydrolysis. Any improvement in energy conservation in this process would be an advantage. In this study, auxin was used for sugarcane residues pretreatment and the advantage of their use over the conventional pretreatment was analyzed. The optimization of pretreatment process conditions using auxin followed by saccharification, fermentation, and surface area analysis shows that auxin could be a prospective agent for lignocellulose pretreatment at mild conditions (175 degrees C, 10.5 min and 2\% auxin concentration). The optimized pretreatment conditions of auxin were less severe compared to optimized hot water pretreatment conditions that could lead to energy savings. Furthermore, the biodegradable nature of auxin could make the waste management easier in biorefineries.
In this study, the bimetal organic framework incorporated on the sugarcane bagasse hydrochar (AHC) surface (NiFe-MOF@AHC) composite was prepared using a solvothermal method. The preparation parameters (concentrations of Ni(NO3)(2), FeCl3, H4BTeC, and reaction time) were optimized via the response surface methodology-central composite design (RSM-CCD) for the high adsorption removals of the large-sized pollutants (crystal violet (CV) dye and tetracycline (TC)). The optimized NiFe-MOF@AHC (NiFe(op)AHC) was characterized with dual three-dimensional (3-D) structures of intertwined nanosheets porous networks and hexagonal spindleshaped crystals with mesopore structures 2.3 times higher than the surface area of AHC, ample carboxylic and metal-carboxylate groups, and high thermal stability at a wide temperature range (0-800 degrees C). The NiFe(op)AHC composite adsorption removal of both CV dye and TC demonstrated a fast removal rate, primarily by chemisorption. The maximum adsorption removal (Q(max)) of NiFe(op)AHC for CV dye (395.9 mg g(-1)) was 1.5 times lower than that of AHC, but the removal of TC (568.1 mg g(-1)) was 2.7 times higher than that of AHC. The hydrogen bonding, pi-pi or pi-EDA interactions, surface complexation, and acid-base interactions might play roles as the dominant mechanism for the removal of the CV dye/ TC. The regeneration studies showed that the removal of both CV dye and TC was reduced after the 1st cycle and maintained until the 4th cycle, demonstrating that the solvothermal growth of NiFe-MOF on AHC succeeded in producing a stable and recyclable adsorbent.
Sugarcane trash (ST) is an abundant but underused biomass left in the field when the sugarcane is harvested. However, there are only a few studies to evaluate pretreatment of the residual bioresources for enzymatic saccharification. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of combined severity factor (CSF), resulted from the use of different acids (phosphoric, maleic, and oxalic acids) on the pretreatment efficiency in microwave (MW)-accelerated process. The effects of acids and CSF on pretreated biomass properties and sugars obtained in the pretreatment soluble fraction and in enzymatic hydrolysate were evaluated. The degree of crystallinity of biomass pretreated at the same CSF is different due to different of acids used, and it did not correlate with the sugars obtained in the hydrolysate after enzymatic saccharification. MW-assisted acid pretreatment of ST at CSF of 2.05 affected functional groups and morphology of the biomass significantly. ST exposed to the same severity (CSF 2.05) using different acids resulted in reducing sugars yield 25.3-30.8\% (based on initial biomass) from the pretreatment soluble fraction and 26.1-28.8\% (based on initial biomass) from enzymatic hydrolysis, with the highest (30.8\% and 28.8\%) when used maleic acid. We succeeded in the production of total reducing sugars by 59.6\% yield (of initial biomass) from recalcitrant sugarcane trash by applying MW-assisted maleic acid pretreatment at CSF of 2.05. The work provided insights into the use of organic acid as the catalyst in MW-accelerated process and can be further developed for application in pretreatment of ST in industry.
Filamentous fungi are widely used to produce cellulase, but how the fermentation conditions affect their production is not well known. In this study, cellulase production by Trichoderma viride in submerged fermentations with free cells in a stirred-tank reactor (STR) and immobilized cells in a rotating fibrous-bed bioreactor (RFBB) were investigated. Compared to free-cell fermentation, immobilized-cell fermentation gave 35.5\% higher FPase activity and 69.7\% higher saccharification yield of sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The secretory proteins in the fermentation broths were analyzed with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry, which identified 24 protein spots with differential expression levels. Among them, cellobiohydrolase CBH II and endoglucanase EG II were highly expressed and secreted in the immobilized-cell fermentation, while the free-cell fermentation produced more CBH I and EG IV. These results showed that immobilized-cell fermentation with T. viride in the RFBB was advantageous for cellulase production. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Biogas generation from vinasse, a problematic residue from the ethanol process, has been discussed as an alternative to increase sustainability and profitability in the Brazilian sugarcane industry. Recent studies have widely assessed the technical feasibility of biogas projects. However, the economic impact of this new product on the overall results of sugarcane mills still needs to be addressed, as this is still an incipient technology in the sector. As price risks represent a significant issue for production decisions in the sugarcane industry, and they may be addressed through portfolio diversification, this paper aims to examine the implications of the insertion of biogas into their product portfolios. A risk measure broadly used in literature, CVaR, was applied in the optimization model proposed. Additionally, a robust counterpart for the model was developed to deal with price uncertainties and assess their potential impact on the portfolio decisions. The models were validated through both a ceteris paribus and a factorial analysis, and the results obtained allowed the understanding of the role that biogas production may play in the sugarcane industry. In both models, standard and robust, the use of biogas for the substitution of diesel stands out as the only economic application. The results also indicate that, for most of the price scenarios performed, electricity generation from biogas is not economically feasible. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the insertion of biogas into the portfolio yields a gain in the overall efficient frontier of sugarcane mills. Thus, in conclusion, this study presents strong evidence of the economic feasibility of biogas generation in the Brazilian sugarcane industry and the model developed to perform this analysis is shown to be a powerful tool to further assess the impact of price policies on their production decisions.
Alkali oxygen cooking of lignocellulose offers lignin many structural properties and bioactivities for biorefinery. In this work, milled wood lignin (MWL) and alkali oxygen lignin (AOL) were isolated from rice straw and alkali oxygen black liquor, respectively. The lignin structure was characterized by spectroscopy and wet chemistry. Antioxidant activity of lignins was assessed by DPPH and ARTS scavenging ability assay. Results showed the oxidization and condensation of lignin occurred during alkali oxygen cooking. The p-hydroxyphenyl was more easily removed from rice straw than guaiacyl and syringyl units. The ester or ether linkages derived from hydroxycynnamic acids, and the main interunit linkages, i.e. beta-O-4' bonds, were mostly cleaved. Lignin-xylan complex had high reactivity under alkali oxygen condition. Tricin, incorporated into lignin, was detected in MWL but was absent in AOL Nitrobenzene oxidation showed MWL can well represent the protolignin of rice straw, and the products yield decreased dramatically after alkali oxygen cooking. AOL had higher radical scavenging ability than MWL indicating alkali oxygen cooking was an effective pathway for the enhancement of antioxidant activity of lignin. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The Indonesian government is gradually reducing its dependence on petroleum fuels by mixing it with biofuels. One of the biofuels used is bioethanol made from molasses. This study aims to analyze the potential for sugarcane development at the farm level, identify bioenergy problems, and provide bioenergy development recommendations based on molasses. The research was conducted in East Java Province in 2016, with updated data in 2019. The analytical methods used were quantitative and qualitative. The results of the research are as follows. In 2019, the potential of molasses produced reached 260.06 thousand tons in East Java Province. However, there are some technical and socio-economic problems in developing biofuels from molasses, including the low yield of sugar, limited processing of molasses into bioethanol, lack of bioethanol marketing guarantee, and lack of synergy in bioethanol policy development. Some policy recommendations proposed to support the sustainability of bioethanol production in the future are policy supports for increasing sugarcane farming, capital support for bioethanol producers, guarantee in the bioethanol marketing, and synergies in developing bioenergy policies.
The use of cell walls to produce cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse is a new challenge. A better knowledge of proteins involved in cell wall remodelling is essential to improve the saccharification processes. Cell suspension cultures were used for this first cell wall proteomics study of sugarcane. Proteins extracted from cell walls were identified using an adapted protocol. They were extracted using 0.2 M CaCl2 and 2 M LiCl after purification of cell walls. The proteins were then identified by the innovative nanoACQUITY UPLC MS/MS technology and bioinformatics using the translated SUCEST EST cluster database of sugarcane. The experiments were reproduced three times. Since Sorghum bicolor is the closest plant with a fully sequenced genome, homologous proteins were searched for to complete the annotation of proteins, that is, prediction of subcellular localization and functional domains. Altogether, 69 different proteins predicted to be secreted were identified among 377 proteins. The reproducibility of the experiments is discussed. These proteins were distributed into eight functional classes. Oxidoreductases such as peroxidases were well represented, whereas glycoside hydrolases were scarce. This work provides information about the proteins that could be manipulated through genetic transformation, to increase second-generation ethanol production.
The vinasse residue produced on a large scale in Brazil and in the world by the sugarcane industry is considered highly polluting. The use of this industrial waste solves problems related to environmental pollution. After the fractionation process by liquid-liquid partition, the fractions VDiCl and VAcOEt, obtained with dichloromethane and ethyl acetate, respectively, presented the most promising results in our previous studies of phytotoxic activity against the species Lactuca sativa. Therefore, they were conducted to new bioassays in order to evaluate their phytotoxic potential against the highly invasive weed species Ipomoea purpurea. The fraction VDiCl showed an inhibitory effect of 55.2\% on the growth of roots of I. purpurea, at 500 mg L-1 (IC50=344 mg L-1). Through ESI (-) FT-ICR MS and LC-ESI-MS, several compounds were identified in VDiCl composition, whereas syringic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid, and pinellic and tianshic acids, the main fatty acids (oxylipins). The fractions VAcOEt inhibited 25.74\% of I. purpurea roots growth at 500 mg L-1, and its major constituents were identified as feruloylquinic acid and palmitic acid. Fatty acids and phenolic acids are known as phytotoxic compounds. Oxylipins were detected mainly in VDiCl, which suggests the involment of these compounds with the phytotoxicity of VDiCl against I. purpurea. The results suggest the potential of the waste from sugarcane industry for the development of innovative products in the area of bioherbicides, adding value to this waste and minimizing the chances of incorrect disposal. Keywords: Sugar cane; industrial waste; phytotoxicity; weed
Hard carbon is a kind of abundant-resource and cost-effective anode material for potassium-ion batteries to realize commercialization shortly. However, the poor rate performance and ambiguous energy storage mechanism of hard carbon remain great bottlenecks. In this study, bagasse-pyrolyzed hard carbon (BC) is prepared by the pyrolysis of bagasse, which exhibits a larger surface area and better electrical conductivity than sugarcane-pyrolyzed hard carbon (SC). The BC exhibits a high reversible capacity of 235 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 and a high rate (161 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1) for K+ storage, which are better than those of SC (108 mAh g-1 and 49 mAh g-1). In situ X-ray diffraction and Raman results reveal the ``adsorption-intercalation{''
Developing robust carbon based composites as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of dyes using renewable and environmentally friendly raw material source is of paramount importance. Herein, we present an innovative, simple, scalable and environmentally friendly approach to assemble a carbon composite for wastewater treatment. Particularly, this study demonstrates successful decoration of molasses derived carbon sheets (CS) on sea sand (SS) via simple mixing and annealing under the mild thermal condition. Moreover, the designing of carbon sheets sea sand composite (hereafter denoted as CS@SSC) was conducted by employing abundantly available SS and molasses which is the major and greener byproduct of sugarcane industry. As-synthesized CS@SSC was confirmed by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Analysis (BET), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Raman and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The adsorption behaviors of CS@SSC were observed as dependence on pH, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of methylene blue (MB), and contact time. Notably, pi-pi interaction plays an important role in adsorption at highly acidic pH. The CS@SSC exhibited maximum adsorption capacity of ca. 71.67 mg g(-1) towards MB in acidic conditions. Accordingly, as-prepared CS@SSC was practically implemented for the removal of pollutants directly from textile effluents. Most importantly, the CS@ SSC adsorbent was effectively regenerated and reused with noticeable performance up to ten succesive cycles. The excellent MB removal efficiency together with a simple synthesis procedure, great stability and outstanding regeneration capability make the CS@SSC as a propitious adsorbent for practical application in the field of industrial wastewater treatment.
Although Cd concentrations in uncontaminated soils are usually low, pollution of soils by Cd from different sources of contamination pose problems. The application of soil amendments to increase plant production has been used as a viable alternative for recovery of soils contaminated with Cd. However, emphasis needs to be placed on the nature of Cd sorption processes in order that the amendments can be managed appropriately. A range of materials including vermicompost, sugarcane filter cake, palm kernel pie, lime, phosphate rock, and zeolite were used for the sorption studies. Total and nonspecific Cd sorption was estimated by batch experiments, and specific sorption was obtained by the difference between the former and the latter. Best adsorbents for specific Cd sorption from soil amendments were lime and zeolite. Langmuir adsorption isotherms fitted reasonably well in the experimental data, and their constants were evaluated, with R-2 values from 0.80 to 0.99. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cd(II) was higher for mineral amendments than for organic amendments and ranged from 0.89 to 10.86 g kg(-1). The small value (0.08 Lm g(-1)) of the constant related to the energy of adsorption indicated that Cd was bound weakly to the palm kernel pie. Thermodynamic parameter, the Gibbs free energy, was calculated for each system, and the negative values obtained confirm that the adsorption processes were spontaneous. The values of separation factor, RL, which has been used to predict affinity between adsorbate and adsorbent were between 0 and 1, indicating that sorption was very favorable for Cd(II).
The influence of gaseous ethanol addition as inducer of laccase produced by Pycnoporus cinnabarinus ss3 in a biofilter packed with sugarcane bagasse was investigated. Gaseous-ethanol concentration up to 13.3 g m(-3) allowed an important increment of laccase, activity. Maximum of laccase production of 90U g(-1) dry support, which was 45 times higher than that without ethanol, was obtained for a concentration of about 7(gethanol) m(-3) (ethanol concentration in the liquid phase of 31 g L(-)1). At this concentration, the maximum laccase activity was reached after 14 days, and then remained steady for 15 days. For other gaseous-ethanol concentrations, enzyme activity reached a maximum after 6-9 days, and then decreased. In spite of the inhibitory effect of ethanol on R cinnabarinus ss3 growth, it provides an opportunity to improve the production of laccases. It is noteworthy that to obtain highest laccase production, ethanol vapours have to be added at the beginning of the experiment at a low air flow-rate of 40 mL min(-1). A gradient of laccase activity down along the column was observed and correlated with gaseous-ethanol concentrations. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A premix of poultry droppings (25 parts) and wheat straw (65 parts) was inoculated with a mixed culture of Lactobacillus plantarum and Streptococcus faecalis in the presence or absence of sugarcane molasses. The inclusion of lactic acid-producing bacteria and molasses in the premix resulted in reduced pH, ammonia nitrogen and total volatile fatty acids and increased production of lactic acid during a fermentation time of 20 d at 32-35-degrees-C. The sugarcane molasses and part of the wheat straw can be replaced with green maize fodder in the vegetative stage without any adverse effect on the silage characteristics. With an increasing level of green maize in the premix, there was a decrease in pH, dry matter of premix and wastelage and a significant increase in soluble sugars of premix and titrable acidity and lactic acid content of wastelage. A good wastelage can be produced when the premix consists of poultry droppings, wheat straw and green maize in the ratio of 25:15:60, respectively, and it is inoculated with lactic acid-producing bacteria.
Lignins from sugarcane bagasse and eucalyptus, isolated respectively from soda and kraft liquors by precipitation with HCl or H2SO4, have been investigated together with samples of lignins isolated after organosolv pulping. Sugarcane bagasse lignin precipitated by HCl underwent oxidation by O-2 in aqueous NaOH. The reaction products, the oxidized lignin (reprecipitated with HCl) and the soluble products (isolated by evaporation) formed two other groups of samples. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectra of 49 of these lignins samples in KBr disks were recorded and analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical isolinear multicomponent analysis (SIMCA). After normalization of the spectra by dividing the absorbance value at a certain wavenumber by the absorbance value at 1510 cm(-1), PCA analysis using 597 data points collected between 1950 and 800 cm(-1) showed that the first two principal components describe most of the total spectral variance. The plot of these two principal components allowed the lignins to be grouped according to their isolation (kraft, alkaline pulping or organosolv), but no difference could be observed when the lignins were isolated from liquor by precipitation with HCl or H2SO4. Furthermore, the method allows a very good separation of the acetylated samples and can be used as a tool to rapidly identify the origin of lignin samples or to monitor their structural changes. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The acquisition during biomass saccharification of elevated levels of fermentable sugars with lower cellulase concentration is central to ensuring an economically viable and industrially relevant hydrolytic process. Thus, using a new cellulase preparation (LT4) at low cellulase loading (2 mg protein/g dried substrate), this study assessed the possible boosting effect of integrating accessory enzymes and additives on high-solids hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse via fed-batch feeding. Hydrolysis which commenced with initial 8\% solids loading and subsequent substrate feeding of 4\% solids at 6 h, 18 h, and 24 h respectively, proved optimal for the 20\% high-solids saccharification producing 158 g/L total sugars and 83\% glucose yield after 72 h with the combined optimized additives and accessory enzymes. The results obtained indicate that the integration of accessory enzymes and additives offers a benignant approach to minimizing the enzyme load and cost of high solids saccharification of lignocellulosic heteropolymers while also boosting enzyme hydrolytic performance.
This paper presents a study of the effects of hydrodynamics behavior of a bed in bio-oil production in a circulating fluidized bed reactor (CFBr) with a fast pyrolysis process. The height and diameter of CFBr were 4.5 meters and 0.1 meters, respectively, while sand particles of 250 microns were used as the bed in the CFBr. The feed rate of the sugarcane bagasse in this experiment was 30 kg/hr. A fast pyrolysis was performed at 440-520 degrees C of reaction temperature, at 5-7 m/s of superficial velocity, and with 0.5 kg and 4.5 kg of bed inventory. The results indicated that the solid re-circulating rate had increased when superficial velocity and bed inventory were increased. The maximum solid re-circulating rate was achieved with 52.48 kg/m(2)s at 7 m/s of superficial velocity and with 4.5 kg of bed inventory. The highest yields of bio-oil production were created at the maximum solid re-circulating rate for which the maximum value of bio-oil production was 78.07\% wt at a reaction temperature of 480 degrees C. From the analysis of the effects of the solid re-circulating rates on bio-oil production, it was found that the quantity of bio-oil production had directly varied in accordance with the solid re-circulating rate because during the pyrolysis process, there had been a high heat transfer of bed sand to biomass. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Nearly 10\% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from Portland cement production, in turn exacerbating the Greenhouse Effect. Consequently, the development of alternative materials to mitigate this adverse environmental impact is essential. Limestone-Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) is presented in academic literature as an alternative for reducing CO2 levels from the cement industry without significant modifications in concrete properties. However, the use of wastes from other industries - known as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) - in LC3 mixtures should be investigated due to the interaction between SCMs and calcined clays. This study evaluated the properties of Limestone-Calcined Clay Cement Concretes containing different SCMs, namely silica fume, fly ash, sugarcane bagasse ash and acai stone ash, in fresh and hardened states, as well as its durability. Slump, compressive and splitting tests, carbonation and volu-metric electrical resistivity analyses, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images were performed in this study. Results showed that high superplasticizer dosages are required in LC3 in order to obtain workable concretes independent of SCMs presence. A competition between SCMs and calcined clay for the portlandite consumption in pozzolanic reactions was noted, reducing compressive strength between 20\% and 45\% of LC3 mixtures. TGA analysis showed that all portlandite was consumed, mainly by the pozzolanic reactions from calcined clay. The pres-ence of SCM in LC3 concretes increased the electrical resistivity up to 48\%. However, all LC3 concretes presented higher carbonation fronts compared to the reference Portland cement con-crete due to the low availability of calcium to react with CO2 that penetrates through concrete pores. Among the SCMs, silica fume, fly ash and sugarcane bagasse ash presented a suitable
The aim of this study was to develop an integrated biofuel (cellulosic bioethanol) and biochemical (succinic acid) production process from rapeseed straw after dilute-acid pretreatment. Rapeseed straw pretreatment at 20\% (w/v) solid loading and subsequent hydrolysis with Cellic (R) CTec2 resulted in high glucose yield (80\%) and ethanol output (122-125 kg of EtOH/Mg of rapeseed straw). Supplementation the enzymatic process with 10\% dosage of endoxylanases (Cellic (R) HTec2) reduced the hydrolysis time required to achieve the maximum glucan conversion by 44-46\% and increased the xylose yield by 10\% compared to the process with Cellic (R) CTec2. Significantly higher amounts of succinic acid were produced after fermentation of pretreatment liquor (48 kg/Mg of rapeseed straw, succinic acid yield: 60\%) compared to fermentation of xylose-rich residue after ethanol production (35-37 kg/Mg of rapeseed straw, succinic yield: 68-71\%). Results obtained in this study clearly proved the biorefinery potential of rapeseed straw.
Obtaining higher amount of final sugars with low cellulase dosage has great economic benefits for the industrial biorefinery of lignocellulosic biomass. The optimization of accessory enzymes and additives were performed using single factor and orthogonal experiment firstly, after that, fed-batch strategy was applied to enhance the high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse (SCB). A novel enzymatic hydrolysis procedure with 22\% (w/v) substrate content and cellulase dosage of only 4 FPU/g dry biomass (DM) was developed, after digested for 48 h, the achieved glucose titer, yield and productivity were 122 g/L, 80\% and 2.54 g L-1 h(-1), respectively. Results obtained in this study indicated a potential finding for the industrial application of lignocellulosic biomass.
Heavy metal pollution in paddy fields has caused widespread concerns due to the threat to food safety. The present study used low-cost sugarcane bagasse (SB) and two sugarcane bagasse materials modified with citric-acid (SSB) and citric-acid/Fe3O4 (MSB) to investigate their effects on the bioavailability of Cd in soil and Cd accumulations in rice in a pot experiment. The three organic amendments significantly decreased the Cd accumulation in plants by limiting its mobilization in soil. The MSB and SSB but not SB increased the soil pH and immobilized the Cd in soil significantly during the 120-day experiment. The amendments decreased Cd bioavailability through transforming to the stable fraction throughout the whole growth stage. The functional groups in the amendments (-OH, -COOH, C-O, -COO - and Fe-O) and precipitates {[
Sugar and ethanol plants produce a large amount of sugarcane bagasse. Such biomass can be the raw material for the production of an adsorbent to uptake CO2. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the hydrocarbonization of sugarcane bagasse and to study its use as a CO2 adsorbent from a simulated flue gas. The temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization (HC) was set at 220 degrees C, while the operating time ranged from 12 to 48 h. Through the SEM-EDS analysis, the 48-h sample (HC48) was selected for chemical activation with KOH, resulting in activated hydrochar (AHC). The CO2 and N-2 simple adsorption isotherms were obtained at 50, 70 and 80 degrees C. The results have shown a higher adsorption at a temperature of 50 degrees C for both gases. Activated hydrochar clearly preferred CO2 instead of N-2 at 100 kPa as the maximum adsorption was 1.99 and 0.207 mmol g(-1), respectively. The highest selectivity of CO2/N-2 was 12-50 degrees C, according to the ``Ideal adsorbed solution theory{''
Co-cultivation involving Saccharomyces cerevisiae CAT-1 and native Spathaspora hagerdaliae UFMG-CM Y303 was used to produce ethanol from sugars obtained from steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse (SCB-SE) after enzymatic hydrolysis. The fermentation process was carried out under separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation (SSF). The use of co-cultivation enabled the conversion of both glucose and xylose present in the SCB-SE pretreated at 200 degrees C for 8 min to ethanol, reaching a production of 0.5 g of ethanol per g of SCB-SE in 5-L-volume bioreactors in SSF. It was found that acetic acid above a concentration of 2 g L-1 was harmful to ethanol production by the strain S. hagerdaliae UFMG-CM-Y303. The experimental results presented here contribute to the development of co-cultivation for the simultaneous conversion of C5 and C6 sugars for ethanol production.
Bagasse is one of the waste crop materials highlighted as commercially viable for cellulosic bio-ethanol production via enzymatic conversion to release fermentable sugars. Genetically modified sugarcane expressing cellobiohydrolases (CBH), endoglucanase (EG), and beta-glucosidases (BG) provide a more cost-effective route to cellulose breakdown compared to culturing these enzymes in microbial tanks. Hence, process monitoring of the concentration profile of these key cellulases in incoming batches of sugarcane is required for fiscal measures and bio-ethanol process control. The existing methods due to their non-specificity, requirement of trained analysts, low sample throughput, and low amenability to automation are unsuitable for this purpose. Therefore, this paper explores a membrane-based sample preparation method coupled to capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) to quantify these enzymes. The maximum enzyme extraction efficiency was obtained by using a polyethersulfone membrane with molecular cut-off of 10 kDa. The use of 15 mM, pH 7.75, phosphate buffer resulted in CZE separation and quantification of CBH, EG, and BG within 10 min. Migration time reproducibility was between 0.56\% and 0.7\% and hence, suitable for use with automatic peak detection software. Therefore, the developed CZE method is suitable for at-line analysis of BG, CBH, and EG in every batch of harvested sugarcane.
Wheat straw is a favorable cell carrier in the caproate fermentation system, yet its smooth surface limits the biofilm formation. In this study, the modification of wheat straw was conducted using three different chemical methods and the influence of its modified surface on the caproate fermentation was investigated. Results showed that the sodium hydroxide was the optimum reagent for modification of wheat straw, where both the external and internal surfaces were effectively modified, resulting in 34.4\% increased specific surface area. The highest caproate production of 21.1 g/L was obtained in fed-batch fermentation, which was ascribed to the formation of a thick biofilm on the modified carrier. Moreover, the crystallinity index of the carrier increased during the fed batch fermentation, implying that the modified wheat straw was a stable matrix for cell immobilization. This study provides an effective way for efficient caproate production through modification of wheat straw.
The ability of a recently isolated Scheffersomyces stipitis strain (UFMG-IMH 43.2) to produce ethanol from xylose was evaluated. For the assays, a hemicellulosic hydrolysate produced by dilute acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was used as the fermentation medium. Initially, the necessity of adding nutrients (MgSO(4).7H(2)O, yeast extract and/or urea) to this medium was verified, and the yeast extract supplementation favoured ethanol production by the yeast. Then, in a second stage, assays under different initial xylose and cell concentrations, supplemented or not with yeast extract, were performed. All these three variables showed significant (p < 0.05) influence on ethanol production. The best results (ethanol yield and productivity of 0.19 g/g and 0.13 g/l/h, respectively) were obtained using the hydrolysate containing an initial xylose concentration of 30 g/l, supplemented with 5.0 g/l yeast extract and inoculated with an initial cell concentration of 2.0 g/l. S. stipitis UFMG-IMH 43.2 was demonstrated to be a yeast strain with potential for use in xylose conversion to ethanol. The establishment of the best fermentation conditions was also proved to be of great importance to increasing the product formation by this yeast strain. These findings open up new perspectives for the establishment of a feasible technology for ethanol production from hemicellulosic hydrolysates. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.
Sugarcane is an industrial crop globally used for producing biofuels and bioproducts and is the only source of white sugar in Bangladesh. However, labour-dependent cultivation and climate change are responsible for the higher production costs and lower yield of sugarcane, and these factors are barriers to sustainable sugarcane farming in Bangladesh. In this paper, the prospects of existing sugarcane farming practices are described, and some improved cultivation and management practices addressing the principles of conservation agriculture (CA) in overcoming these barriers are evaluated. Excessive tillage, burning of trash after harvesting, and mono-cropping have been identified as crucial factors that increase sugarcane production cost, deteriorating soil health, and decreasing cane yields. Several improved conservation tillage machines used for cereals, pulse, and other crops are becoming more accessible to farmers in Bangladesh, but these machines are not used for sugarcane crops. Minimum tillage can also be a resource-saving tillage option for cultivating sugarcane but is limited in sugarcane production owing to the absence of suitable machinery. However, the irrational removal and burning of the residue in the sugarcane farming systems may have adverse effects on the environment. Intercropping not only increases economic benefits but also minimises the negative impact of mono-cropping. We suggest that minimum tillage, residue mulching, and intercropping should be applied as profitable and sustainable cultivation practices in sugarcane farming. Therefore, both research and extension activities addressing the use of appropriate CA technologies, including conservation tillage machinery improvements, could help to achieve sustainable sugarcane farming in Bangladesh.
The composting process using sugarcane bagasse, animal manure, and urea as source of organic matter, microorganism, and nitrogen, respectively, were evaluated regarding the thermal behavior considering the maturation period: 0 (raw), 15, 22, 30, and 60 days. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis curves were obtained in a synthetic air atmosphere and heating rate of 10 A degrees C min(-1) in the range of 30-600 A degrees C. The raw compost showed 80\% organic matter, which was reduced up to 58\% to 60 days compost. Two main mass losses were verified, corresponding to characteristics exothermic peak in differential thermal analysis curves depending on the maturation period. The variation in organic composition was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verifying the structures (lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses) changes with composting process, and the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify substance soluble in hexane.
Xylitol was produced by Candida guilliermondii by fermentation of sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate. Undesirable impurities were extracted from the broth using either ethyl acetate, chloroform or dichloromethane. The best results on clarification of the broth without xylitol loss were obtained with ethyl acetate. When ethanol, acetone or tetrahydrofuran were used for precipitation of impurities, only tetrahydrofuran clarified the fermented broth, but a high xylitol loss (similar to 30\%) was observed.
The agricultural industries generate lignocellulosic wastes that can be modified by fungi to generate high value-added products. This work aimed to analyze the efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of the bioconversion of sugarcane and cassava bagasses using low-cost homemade enzymatic cocktails from Aspergillus niger LBM 134. Both bagasses were pretreated with a soft alkaline solution without any loss of polysaccharides. After the hydrolysis, a 28\% of conversion to glucose and 42\% to xylose were reached in the hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse while an 80\% of saccharification yield, in the hydrolysis of cassava bagasse using the homemade enzymes. Furthermore, a more disorganised surface and no starch granules were observed in the sugarcane and cassava bagasses, respectively. The bioethanol yield from sugarcane and casava bagasses was predicted to be 4.16 mg mL(-1) and 2.57 mg mL(-1), respectively. A comparison of the cost of the homemade and the commercial enzymes was carried out. Similar hydrolysis percentages were achieved employing any enzyme; however, it was 1000-2000 times less expensive using the homemade cocktails than using the commercial enzymes. Therefore, the cost of obtaining glucose from bagasses was most expensive when applying the commercial enzymes. Moreover, the hydrolysis of the cassava bagasse was most efficient with the homemade cocktails. The importance and novelty of this work lie in the similar performance and the lower cost of the homemade cocktails from the fungus A. niger LBM 134 compared with the commercial enzymes on the hydrolysis of the sugarcane and cassava bagasses.
A pyrex glass semi-batch reactor was used for the pyrolysis of orange bagasse screened at 425 mu m. The effect of temperature (350-600 degrees C), heating rate (25-100 degrees C min(-1)) and N-2 gas flow rate (0.1-0.5 L min(-1)) on the product yield was observed. The highest pyrolysis oil yield of 35.53 wt. \% was achieved at a temperature of 525 degrees C; at a constant heating rate and N-2 gas flow rate of 75 degrees C min(-1) and 0.2 L min(-1). The H/C molar ratio of pyrolysis oil was 1.33 having an empirical formula of CH1.33O0.55 and an HHV of 21.72 MJ kg(-1). The pyrolysis oil had a smoky odour with a dark brownish colour. The presence of different compounds like naphthenes, paraffin, olefins, aromatics, esters, acids, phenols, oxygenates, aldehydes and furans makes it complex and highly acidic in nature. The carbon distribution range of the pyrolysis oil lies from C-2 to C-18 which is similar to other liquid petroleum products. The biochar has an HHV of 27.67 MJ kg(-1) because of the lower oxygen content than its parental biomass. The increase in the alkalinity (pH:8.1) of biochar finds application in neutralising soil acidity and improving crop yield.
C-3 (Oryza sativa L.) and C-4 (Zea mays L.) plants differ both in their carbon fixing mechanism, and thus, their responses toward stresses also differ. Owing to the mutually competitive nature of uptake between phosphate (iP) and arsenate (AsV) in plants, and given that the level of sucrose is also influenced by iP, interplay of their uptake mechanisms eventually results in reducing the AsV uptakes. The present study intends to comparatively assess the reduction in AsIII and AsV uptake and its toxicity between Oryza sativa L. and Zea mays L. when cultivated with sucrose-containing sugarcane wastes (SWs; bagasse, molasses, and pressmud) conducted under a simulated outdoor pot experiment. Overall improvement in growth, physiological performance, stress, and antioxidant response was exhibited in both the plants with SWs application. The SWs application also improved soil physiochemical parameters viz, pH, EC, OC, OM, and micronutrients. Application of SW also reduced the iAs accumulation in grains of both rice (50-87\%) and maize (70-96\%), along with enhancement in Fe (142\%, and 122\%, respectively), and Zn (132\% and 131\%, respectively). Most of the 17 grain's amino acids (AAs) increased in maize against iAs stress, whereas Ser decreased in both, and Ile and Gly additionally in rice. Essential AAs viz. Phe, Thr, and Met are influenced negatively by iAs, whereas nonessential AAs viz. Cys, Ser, Pro, Gly in both the plant grains are positively influenced by iP and negatively by OC. Thus, the application of SWs containing residual sucrose > 9.5 mu M g(-1), through a fertilizer formulation or by direct soil amendments in iAs-contaminated soil can be an agronomic practice to reduce the iP fertilization and limit the iAs contamination in the food-chain.
The enormous amount of agroindustrial residues generated in Brazil can be used as biomass to produce fermentable sugars. This study compared the pretreatments with different proportions of dilute acid. The method involved pretreatment with 0.5\%, 1\%, and 1.5\% (v/v) sulfuric acid, followed by hydrolysis using the halotolerant and thermostable endoglucanase from Botrytis ricini URM 5627. The physicochemical characterization of plant biomass was performed using XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The pretreatment significantly increased the production of fermentable sugars following enzymatic saccharification from wheat bran, sugarcane bagasse, and rice husk: 153.67\%, 91.98\%, and 253.21\% increment in sugar production; 36.39 mg.g(-1) +/- 1.23, 39.55 mg.g(-1) +/- 1.70, and 42.53 mg.g(-1) +/- 7.61 mg.L-1 of glucose; and 3.26 +/- 0.35 mg.g(-1), 3.61mg.g(-1) +/- 0.74 and 3.59 mg.g(-1) +/- 0.80 of fructose were produced, respectively. In conclusion, biomass should preferably be pretreated before the enzymatic saccharification using B. ricini URM 5627 endoglucanase.
The growing demand for energy and the concern about environmental impacts reinforce the necessity for renewable energy sources such as biofuels. In this study, cake generated in the babassu oil extraction was evaluated as a potential feedstock for solid biofuel production, and it contains a blend of cashew nutshell, sugarcane bagasse, carnauba straw, and carnauba stalk. All samples were characterized by proximate analysis and Higher Heating Value. Carbonization was used to improve energy performance and compaction to understand the mechanism and the characteristics of the biomasses compacted. In the extraction of babassu oil, fresh and aged (90 days) kernel samples were used. The fresh samples reached a yield of 59.8\%, and the aged samples reached a yield of 70.66\%. The carbonization of babassu cake was carried out in a Muffle furnace at temperatures of 250, 300, 350, and 400 degrees C. The fresh babassu cake showed an HHV of 23.06 MJ kg(-1) and after carbonization of 28.07 (250 degrees C), 30.69 (300 degrees C), 28.24 (350 degrees C), and 18.27 MJ kg(-1) (400 degrees C). At 400 degrees C, a decrease in HHV of 20.8\% occurred, and an increase in Ash (\%) of 195\% occurred. Proximate analysis showed that biomasses are compatible, with some having a higher compatibility than other biological materials already used as fuels in the industry.
Hydrolysis is an important step in the degradation of holo-cellulose to monohydrates for bio-ethanol production. Ethanol from sugarcane bagasse is very prospective, because the cellulose content is high (40.27\%) and its amount is very abundant. The purpose of this study was to study the optimization of hydrolysis conditions of sugarcane bagasse with dilute sulfuric acid catalyst based on reaction kinetics. The hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was carried out at various sulfuric acid concentrations (0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 mol/L), temperatures (70, 80, 90, 100 degrees C), and times (15, 30, 45, 60, 75 min). The hydrolysis kinetics are solved by a homogeneous reaction approach accompanied by sugar degradation. The results showed that the catalyst concentrations, temperatures, and times greatly influenced the hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. The higher the temperature and catalyst concentration, the higher the hydrolysis reaction and sugar degradation will be. As a result, the longer the hydrolysis, the lower the sugar concentration will be. The degradation of sugar began to be seen at 90 degrees C and the catalyst concentration was 0.5 mol/L. The simulation results showed that the order of hydrolysis reaction is 1 and sugar degradation is 2. The correlation between the activation energy and the catalyst concentration can be expressed by the equation ln (E-hyd) = 11.593 - 0.0329C(ca)t and ln (E-deg) = 10.869 - 0.0785C(cat) for hydrolysis and sugar degradation, respectively. The optimum sugar concentration obtained was 0.002 mol/L at 100 degrees C, catalyst concentration 0.567 mol/L and 40 min.
The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of plonk on compressive behavior and mechanical attributes such as consistency, optimum moisture for compaction and maximum density of a Red-Yellow Latosol (Oxisol) to evaluate the effect of plonk and compaction state in splashed particles, from Lavras (MG) region. The plonk was obtained from an artisanal sugarcane brandy alembic. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected at 0 to 3 cm and 60 to 63 cm depths. Disturbed soil samples were used for soil characterization, determination of consistence limits and Normal Proctor essay after material incubation with plonk. Undisturbed soil samples were saturated with plonk or distilled water (control) during 48 hours for testing the compressibility and resistance to splash by using simulated rainfall. The plonk altered the consistence limits of studied layers. For the 0-3 cm layer, the plonk reduced the friable range, and for the 60-63 cm layer the effect was in the opposite direction. For both layers, the plonk increased D-max and decreased U-optimum. Regardless of the plonk treatment, both layers presented the same load support capacity. The compaction degree of samples influenced the splash erosion. The increase of the applied pressure over the samples resulted in increase of splash material quantity. At the 60-63 cm layer, the plonk treatment reduced the splash material quantity by increasing the applied pressure, mainly when the samples were at field capacity.
Increasing fuel prices in international market and depletion of fossil fuel resources are reasons to find new and cheap energy resources to meet increasing energy demands throughout the world. Potential energy resources include wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and biomass. Biomass can be collected from wheat, rice and sugarcane fields. Sugarcane is most abundant cultivated crop in world providing trash (leaves and tops) and baggas as renewable energy resource for power generation which can replace 50\% use of fossil fuels. Because of poor sugarcane mechanization status in Pakistan, traditional practice to get rid of this extraneous material is to burn the trash in standing crop or by manual means which is hectic due to decreasing labour availability for agricultural practices. 20-30\% trash is delivered to mill along with stalk due to poor cleaning efficiency resulting deduction in farmer payment and lowering mill sugar recovery efficiency. Sugarcane stripping machine was developed for small scale farmers and different mechanical and crop physical factors were investigated to improve trash recovery and to reduce labour dependence and in field burning practice on local farms during 2018-2019 at University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The investigating crop physical factors included crop varieties (V-1=US-658, V-2=HSF-240, V-3=CPF-249), moisture content in trash (MC1=8.2, MC2=17.6) and mechanical factors included velocity ratio between intake rollers (VR1=1.3, VR2=1.7, VR3=1.9), cleaning element speeds (CE1=660 rpm, CE2=763 rpm, CE3=1033 rpm) and intake roller combinations types (C-1, C-2, C-3). Three replications for each factor were recorded and data was statistically analyzed under factorial design. Results revealed that by combining V-1, MC1, VR2, CE3 and C-3 factors, trash recovery efficiency of 97\% can be achieved.
In the present study, the use of microwave-assisted alkaline treatment (MAAT) to characterize hog plum (Spondias mombin L) bagasse (HPB) was investigated. HPB treated with sodium hydroxide (0.015, 0.025 and 0.03 M), and assisted with microwave treatment (600 W, 2400 MHz) for 5 min was analyzed for proximate (moisture, protein, fat, ash, fiber and carbohydrate content), lignocellulosic component (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), color parameters, functional (bulk density, water-WAC and, oil absorption capacity-OAC, swelling power and solubility index), structural (XRD) and morphological (SEM) properties with an untreated sample as the control. MAAT significantly (p < 0.05) showed a varied influence on proximate composition, but notably reduced crude fiber. Similarly, treatment reduced hemicellulose and lignin component, but increased cellulose content. Furthermore, treatment reduced color, but varied in functional properties of loose (0.065-0.137 g/cm3) and pack (0.113-0.167 g/cm3) bulk density, WAC (5.63-6.20 g/g) and OAC (7.10-4.97 g/g). An increase in swelling power (10.46-12.37 g/g) and solubility index (1.03-2.57\%) was observed with treatment. Crystallinity pattern increased with treatment with peaks showing type I cellulose, while the morphological structure of delignified fiber showed increased porosity or pitched region with increasing treatment. The potential use of hog plum bagasse after MAAT for food application is technically feasible.
In order to confirm the contribution of delignification to the increase in lignocellulosic cellulose digestibility, several laboratory oxidative pretreatments under mild conditions, including alkaline-hydrogen peroxide (AP), two-step alkaline/peracetic acid (APAA) and sodium chlorite (SC) pretreatments were employed to achieve selective delignification of sugarcane bagasse and retained most of the hemicelluloses (xylan) in the pretreated solids. Four commercial cellulase cocktails were used to test the enzymatic hydrolyzability of pretreated substrates. Results revealed that delignification indeed could greatly improve the final (120 h) cellulose hydrolysis with relatively high final (120 h) glucan conversion (> 90\%) by different cellulase cocktails even if the substrates still had a high hemicelluloses content. However, the xylan conversion seemed to be more greatly dependent on the pretreatments and cellulase cocktails used. AP and APAA pretreatments resulted in the disappearance of middle lamella and liberation of cellulose fibers with significant etching, deformation and fracture of cell wall structure. SC pretreatment greatly modified the sugar bagasse surface morphology to make the surface much coarser. The cell wall also underwent serious fracture and deformation with some middle lamella disappearing. However, no significant alteration on the structure of pure cellulose was observed by SC oxidative pretreatment of filter paper. Oxidative pretreatment might also modify lignin structure and surface properties thus greatly reducing the non-specific adsorption of enzymes. The obtained results strongly support the conclusion that delignification under mild pretreatment condition can be very helpful to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic cellulose by commercial cellulase cocktails even if the substrates has a high hemicelluloses content.
Sugarcane bagasse ash sand (SBAS) is an agroindustrial waste from the sugarcane industry. The aim of this study is to analyse the differences between the pore size distribution of mortars produced by partially replacing natural sand with SBAS. The following techniques are used: X-ray computed tomography, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and petrographic analysis. The tomography results show that mortars produced with SBAS contain fewer pores in the ranges 60-80 mu m and 100-300 mu m than mortar without SBAS. In particular, SBAS reduces macropores larger than 0.1 mu m. An SBAS content of 30\% replacing fine sand contributes to a 44\% reduction of pores larger than 0.1 mu m. The results show that SBAS incorporation changes the pore size distribution without affecting the porosity of the mortars. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Porous alumina systems are suitable for application in wide-ranging industrial processes that require extreme service conditions such as high temperatures and corrosive mediums due to their remarkable thermal and chemical stability. Given the inherent brittleness of ceramics and their high sensitivity to thermo-mechanical loading, large-scale production of porous alumina components is constrained. In this study, the reinforcement of porous alumina ceramics with nickel (Ni) particles has been reported. Plain and Ni-reinforced porous alumina ceramics were developed through the powder metallurgy method with agro-waste materials from rice husk (RH) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as the pore-forming agents (PFAs). Experimental results showed that the formation of a stable Ni3Al2SiO8 spinelloid phase in the RH-graded composites actuated the emergence of a relatively refined microstructure while on the other hand, microstructural defects such as dislocated grains and localized voids were observed for the SCB-graded counterparts due to the presence of poorly crystallized NiAl2O4 spinel phase. Generally from the mechanical strength characterization, an inverse relationship was established between the mechanical properties and Ni reinforcement which agrees well with the Griffith's model. Moreover, the strengthening effect of the Ni3Al2SiO8 spinelloid phase was well marked in the RH-graded composites as maximum hardness, tensile and compressive strengths of 167.3HV, 12.6 MPa and 55.3 MPa respectively were achieved for the composite reinforced with 2 wt\% Ni. (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Eleven white-rot fungi were examined for their potency to degrade lignin and to improve the rumen fermentability of wheat straw. The straw was inoculated with the fungi and incubated under solid state conditions at 24 degrees C for 0-49 days to determine changes in in vitro gas production and chemical composition. Results show that some fungi could degrade lignin by as much as 63\%, yet the delignification was highly correlated with the degradation of hemicellulose (r = 0.96). Reduction in lignin was poorly (r = 0.47), but the ratio between lignin and cellulose loss was strongly (r = 0.87) correlated with the increase in gas production. Treatment with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora for 49 days increased total gas production of the straw from 200 to 309 mug organic matter (OM). It was concluded that some fungi highly selective for lignin and not for cellulose are able to improve the nutritive value of wheat straw as a ruminant feed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
To analyze the microbial diversity and gene content of a thermophilic cellulose-degrading consortium from hot springs in Xiamen, China using 454 pyrosequencing for discovering cellulolytic enzyme resources. A thermophilic cellulose-degrading consortium, XM70 that was isolated from a hot spring, used sugarcane bagasse as sole carbon and energy source. DNA sequencing of the XM70 sample resulted in 349,978 reads with an average read length of 380 bases, accounting for 133,896,867 bases of sequence information. The characterization of sequencing reads and assembled contigs revealed that most microbes were derived from four phyla: Geobacillus (Firmicutes), Thermus, Bacillus, and Anoxybacillus. Twenty-eight homologous genes belonging to 15 glycoside hydrolase families were detected, including several cellulase genes. A novel hot spring metagenome-derived thermophilic cellulase was expressed and characterized. The application value of thermostable sugarcane bagasse-degrading enzymes is shown for production of cellulosic biofuel. The practical power of using a short-read-based metagenomic approach for harvesting novel microbial genes is also demonstrated.
Economic interest in sugarcane bagasse has significantly increased in recent years due to the worldwide demand for sustainable energy production. The use of sugarcane bagasse for holocellulase production has been a strategy for bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues into second-generation ethanol. The fungi secrete to the culture medium a cocktail of enzymes necessary to convert biomass into nutrients. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the production profile of holocellulases from Aspergillus and Humicola species, Trichoderma reesei RP698, and Mycothermus thermophilus grown in sugarcane bagasse, culm of energy cane, and culm of sugarcane SP80-3280. The capacity of the enzymatic pools in the hydrolysis of cell walls of these sugarcane varieties was also verified. M. thermophilus was the best producer of endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, beta-xylosidase, xyloglucanase, arabinanase, arabinofuranosidase, mannanase, and acetyl xylan esterase. T. reesei RP698 also produced and secreted a wide range of holocellulases to the medium. The saccharification of sugarcane bagasse, energy cane, and sugarcane SP80-3280 by the enzymatic cocktails obtained from M. thermophilus released 0.87 +/- 0.05 mg.mL(-1), 0.88 +/- 0.07 mg.mL(-1), and 1.10 +/- 0.08 mg.mL(-1) of reducing sugars, respectively. However, the application of T. reesei RP698 extracts showed a release of 0.85 +/- 0.03 mg.mL(-1), 0.40 +/- 0.03 mg.mL(-1), and 0.83 +/- 0.03 mg.mL(-1) of reducing sugars. Therefore, T. reesei RP698 and M. thermophilus showed to be good holocellulase producers, and their crude extracts presented a great capacity for the hydrolysis of the different kinds of sugarcane residues.
The chemical composition of the aroma of fresh fruiting bodies of the cultivated mushroom Lentinus boryanus is described here and compared with medicinal shiitake mushroom L. edodes. Volatile compounds were analyzed through headspace sampling coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The mushrooms under study were grown on different substrates based on barley straw, sugarcane bagasse, oak wood sawdust, and beech leaf litter. It was determined that L. boryanus as well as L. edodes contain an abundant amount of a volatile compound identified as 3-octanone with a sweet fruity aroma. On the other hand, only L. boryanus produced 3-octanol a characteristic aroma of cod liver oil. In total, 10 aromatic compounds were identified, some of which were obtained exclusively in one species or substrate.
This research measured greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from well-drained soil after using two forms of vinasse (in natura and digested) as fertilizer and the interaction of both with urea. Although carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content in digested vinasse was two times less than in the normal vinasse (part of the N was lost during filtration and used by cellular synthesis of reactor biomass), N2O emissions were four-fold higher in the treatment with digested vinasse plus urea (302.8 mg N-N2O m(-2)) than in the treatment with normal vinasse amended with urea (70.9 mg N-N2O m(-2)). Differently from all the other treatments, digested vinasse alone resulted in positive emissions of CH4 center dot CO2 emissions follow vinasse in natura > vinasse in natura + urea > digested vinasse + urea > urea > control > digested vinasse, contradicting again the paradigm of C availability and N2O emissions. Many efforts have been made to describe models with an input of nutrients, their availability and N20 release. It can be concluded that the amount of nutrients is not sufficient and microbiological factors may contribute to improve GHG emission estimates.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean meal by urea or starea on feedlot cattle performance. Eighty-one yearling intact males (27 Nellore, 27 Canchim and 27 Holstein) were used, with initial body weight of 250 kg. Animals were assigned to a completely random block design according to initial weight and breed. There were nine pen/treatment with three animals/pen. Experimental treatments were: 1) soybean meal, 2) urea and 3) starea. Diets contained 13\% CP and were composed of 80\% concentrate and 20\% raw sugarcane bagasse. DMI was 6.56, 7, 18 and 6.97 kg/day, average daily gain was 0.889, 1.114 and 1.088 kg/day and feed conversion was 7.3, 6.5 and 6.7 kg DM/kg gain for soybean meal, urea and starea, respectively. Soybean meal reduced (P<0.01) DMI, average daily gain and feed efficiency and there was no difference (P>0.05) between urea and starea treatments.
The influence of Fe (Iron), Ni (Nickel) and Se (Selene), important cofactors for hydrogenase (hyd), was evaluated in the bioproduction of H2, volatile organic acids (VOA) and alcohols using Clostridium butyricum as inoculum and 5 g/L of cellulose, glucose or sugarcane bagasse (SCB) in batch reactors at 37 degrees C. Conditions A (25 mu M Fe), B (25 mu M Fe + 1 mu M Ni), C (25 mu M Fe + 1 mu M Ni + 1 mu M Se) and D (with no metal addition) using cellulose and glucose were performed to optimize the culture medium. H2 production was favored in condition A being around 16 mmol/L and 6 mmol/L for glucose and cellulose, respectively. The predominance of butyric acid was observed in all experimental series with cellulose and glucose. On the other hand, acetic acid was predominant in the SCB assay. The presence of other bacteria in SCB may have contributed to the change in the route of the final metabolites. The results suggested the possibility of improving H2 and OA production by C. butyricum supplementing the medium with Fe using SCB as substrate source.
Cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) are attractive as a material because they can be produced on a large scale, they are renewable, biodegradable and have a wide range of applications. The high-speed blender is an efficient, simple mechanical technique for producing CNF from agricultural waste such as bagasse. The highly hydrophilic nature of CNF restricts its applicability for use in non-aqueous environments, such as those required for preparing composites and for filter applications. This research studied the relationship between blending time in a high-speed blender and the nanofibrillation process with acetylation as a pre-treatment, to develop a new method for creating high quality CNF. Non-acetylated and acetylated CNF was generated using blending times of 5-60min, and their physical and chemical properties were compared. Fibrillation occurred quickly initially, and increased with increasing blending time although the aspect ratio decreased from 72 to 56 which was measured using a rheological approach while SEM was used to measure the decrease in diameter. Fibre cutting mechanisms were dominant. Acetylation as a pretreatment reduced energy consumption, improving CNF properties using shorter blending times. Apart from higher hydrophobicity, acetylated CNF had higher thermal stability and higher crystallinity and dispersed well in acetone. The combination of acetylation as a pre-treatment coupled with the simple high speed blender technique, has significant advantages for producing high quality CNF, which is less hydrophilic, and was produced with lower energy consumption. {[
High production cost of cellulase enzyme is one of the main constraints in the practical implementation of biofuels at global scale. Therefore, the present investigation is focused to produce low-cost cellulase via sus-tainable strategies. This work evaluates to achieve enhanced fungal cellulase production using natural and pretreated sugar cane bagasse (SCB) via Rhizopus oryzae NS5 under the solid state fermentation (SSF) while implementing graphene oxide (GO) as a catalyst. A low alkali treatment showed better performance for cellulase production wherein 14 IU/gds FP activity is observed in 96 h using 0.5\% alkali treated SCB, significantly higher as compared to 10 IU/gds FP in case of untreated SCB. Further, the effect of GO has been investigated on cellulase production, incubation temperature and pH of the production medium. Under the influence of 1.5\% concen-tration of GO, alkali pretreated SCB produced maximum 25 IU/gds cellulase in 72 h at pH 5.0 and 40 degrees C.
Overcoming key bottlenecks for 2G ethanol production, such as the most suitable biomass pretreatment, process layout, and appropriate microorganism, is crucial to achieve a technically and economically feasible technology. The consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is an approach that embodies one single step of enzyme production, biomass hydrolysis, and sugars fermentation. In this work, the CBP using S. cerevisiae AC14, a recombinant strain capable of secreting 7 different lignocellulosic enzymes and ferment xylose and glucose, was investigated in synthetic medium (cellobiose, corncob xylan, glucose, and xylose) and in industrial medium consisting of the solid fraction of hydrothermally pretreated sugarcane bagasse and its liquor. Results obtained were promising, with ethanol productivity of 4.46 g/L/h and complete hydrolysis of cellobiose and corncob xylan. In real industrial medium, 1.86 g/L/h of ethanol was reached, with partial conversion of both solid and liquid fractions. Further strategies to enhance enzymes access to complex substrates can improve process feasibility.
Cogenerating systems based on steam turbines (1-20 MWt) are indispensable when the source of energy is a solid fuel such as bagasse as in a sugar industry. These systems provide a wide range of heat to power ratios from 0 to as high as 100. The energy productivity of sugar plants differ vastly because of variations in equipment efficiency, system configuration and operating steam conditions. In this paper a mapping of the entire operating range of steam based combined heat and power plants spanning pure back pressure to pure condensing environments, based on standard steam conditions in installations and efficiencies which are currently being achieved experimentally, is presented. This will enable the rational choice of combinations, which will yield the best economic advantage. As the operating steam pressure is increased (and consequently the matching superheated temperatures) the in-house steam requirement reduces drastically and simultaneously the exportable power increases. Improvements in the systems by the use of advanced designs of steam turbines and introduction of information technologies and associated supervision control and data acquisition, energy management system, multi-media. interaction, etc., is also briefly highlighted. The maximum exportable electrical power from a sugar mill after meeting the internal requirement is around 146 kW h/t of cane. The maximum exportable of steam (no power export) is around 0.65 t/t of cane. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Biotechnological processes have been developed and applied successfully to obtain new products. Among these, one in development is the use of microorganisms that ferment xylose from the hemicellulosic fraction of agroindustrial waste to xylitol, a functional food with important industrial applications. Among the agroindustrial waste the sugarcane bagasse is the most abundant lignocellulosic residue in Brazil, and this has not been exploited to its full potential due to ignorance or lack of readily available technology to be applied, or have been used in a less valued. In this context the biotechnology emerges as an alternative route for generation of high-value added products aimed use this waste suitably. Basically the biotechnological processes can be divided in two stages: the stage of the process itself and the purification stage. As the separation, purification and recovery stages are an important part of the biotechnology process, which can reach up to 80\% of the final cost of the product, this study therefore aimed the recovery and purification through the use of an alternative technology, not yet applied for this aim, the supercritical technology. The bioprocess was carried out in a fluidized reactor with cells of Candida guilliermondii immobilized in calcium alginate effectively and the purification process was tested in a supercritical extractor with a capacity of 50ml using CO(2) + ethanol as solvent. It was evaluated the influence of the parameters: pressure and support in the purification process, using a 22 full factorial design keeping the temperature and residence time of solvent with the liquid matrix constant. The preliminary results showed the potentiality of use supercritical technology as an alternative for biotechnological xylitol purification produced from sugarcane bagasse.
Ethylene glycol and ferric chloride pretreatment assisted by low-pressure carbon dioxide (1 MPa CO2) realized the targeted deconstruction of lignocelluloses at 170 degrees C for 5 min, achieving 98 \% cellulose recovery with removal of 92 \% lignin and 90 \% hemicellulose. After the pretreatment, the formation of stable platform mono -phenol components would be with the destruction of the lignin-carbohydrate complexes structure, and the surface of rice straw became rough, with a less negative charge and higher specific surface area, while the enzyme adsorption rate increased by 8.1 times. Furthermore, the glucose yield of pretreated straw was remarkably increased by 5.6 times that of the untreated straw, reaching 91 \% after hydrolyzed for 48 h. With Tween 80 added in concentrated solid (12 \%) hydrolysis at low cellulase loading (3 FPU/g dry substrate), half of the hydrolysis time was shortened than that without Tween 80, with 45 \% higher glucose yield.
In this study, a mutant strain of Enterobacter ludwigii developed in our previous work, was evaluated to utilize pure xylose as the sole carbon and energy source for 2,3-butanediol (BDO) production. Later, this strain was also investigated on detoxified and nondetoxified xylose-rich hydrolysate obtained from hydrothermally pretreated sugarcane bagasse ( SCB) for BDO production. Supplementing the fermentation medium with 0.2\% w/v yeast extract improved cell growth (31\%), BDO titer (43\%), and yield (41\%) against the synthetic medium devoid of any complex nitrogen source. The fed-batch culture with cyclic control of pH resulted in a BDO production of 71.1 g/L from pure xylose with overall yield and productivity of 0.40 g/g and 0.94 g/L.h, respectively. While BDO titer, yield, and productivity of 63.5 g/L, 0.36 g/g, and 0.84 g/L.h, were acheived with detoxified hydrolysate, respectively. In contrast, 32.7 g/L BDO was produced from nondetoxified hydrolysate with a conversion yield of 0.33 g/g and a productivity of 0.43 g/L.h. BDO accumulated on pure xylose and detoxified SCB hydrolysate was separated by aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) method using (NH4)(2)SO4 as salting-out agent and isopropanol as an extractant, resulting in the BDO recovery of more than 85\%. The results achieved in the current work exemplify a step toward industrial BDO production from cost-effective hemicellulosic hydrolysates by E. ludwigii.
Improving functional and eating qualities of processed meat products through incorporation of plant fibre is of interest to both consumers and food industry. This project investigated the physicochemical and sensory properties of chicken sausages with incorporation of up to 3\% sugarcane fibre, a by-product of sugarcane processing. Compared with no sugarcane fibre sample, the cooking yield of chicken sausage with 3\% of fibre and 10\% of water addition was increased from 94.20\% to 97.52\%, total phenolic content from 25.43 to 57.09 mg GAE/100 g and radical scavenging activity from 28.11\% to 60.72\%, whereas lipid oxidation of Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value was decreased from 0.535 to 0.428 malondialdehyde mg kg(-1). Moreover, consumer overall liking of chicken sausages was not affected by the incorporation of sugarcane fibre. This research suggested that incorporation of sugarcane fibre could improve eating quality and health benefits of the chicken sausage product, and add value to both the food and sugarcane industry.
Whether the biochar amendment could affect soil organic matter (SOM) turnover and hence soil carbon (C) stock remains poorly understood. Effects of the addition of C-13-labelled rice straw or its pyrolysed biochar at 250 or 350 degrees C to a sugarcane soil (Ferrosol) on soil labile C (dissolved organic C, DOC; microbial biomass C, MBC; and mineralizable C, MC) and soil organic C (SOC) were investigated after 112 d of laboratory incubation at 25 degrees C. Four treatments were examined as (1) the control soil without amendment (Soil); (2) soil plus C-13-labelled rice straw (Soil+Straw); (3) soil plus 250 degrees C biochar (Soil+B250) and (4) soil plus 350 degrees C biochar (Soil+B350). Compared to un-pyrolysed straw, biochars generally had an increased aryl C, carboxyl C, C and nitrogen concentrations, a decreased O-alkyl C and C:N ratio, but similar alkyl C and delta C-13 (1 742-1 877 parts per thousand). Among treatments, significant higher DOC, MBC and MC derived from the new C (straw or biochar) ranked as Soil+Straw>Soil+B250>Soil+B350, whilst significant higher SOC from the new C as Soil+B250>Soil+Straw approximate to Soil+B350. Compared to Soil, DOC and MBC derived from the native soil were decreased under straw or biochar addition, whilst MC from the native soil was increased under straw addition but decreased under biochar addition. Meanwhile, native SOC was similar among the treatments, irrespective of the straw or biochar addition. Compared to Soil, significant higher total DOC and total MBC were under Soil+Straw, but not under Soil+B250 and Soil+B350, whilst significant higher total MC and total SOC were under straw or biochar addition, except for MC under Soil+B350. Our results demonstrated that the application of biochar to soil may be an appropriate management practice for increasing soil C storage.
Intimate coupling of photocatalysis and biodegradation (ICPB) has shown promise in removing unwanted organic compounds from water. In this study, bagasse cellulose titanium dioxide composite carrier (SBC-TiO2) was prepared by low-temperature foaming methods. The optimum preparation conditions, material characterization and photocatalytic performance of the composite carrier were then explored. By conducting a single factor test, we found that bagasse cellulose with a mass fraction of 4\%, a polyvinyl alcohol solution (PVA) with a mass fraction of 5\% and 20 g of a pore-forming agent were optimum conditions for the composite carrier. Under these conditions, good wet density, porosity, water absorption and retention could be realized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the composite carrier exhibited good biologic adhesion. X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results confirmed the successful incorporation of nano-TiO2 dioxide into the composite carrier. When the mass concentration of methylene blue (MB) was 10 mg L-1 at 200 mL, 2 g of the composite carrier was added and the initial pH value of the reaction was maintained at 6, the catalytic effect was best under these conditions and the degradation rate reached 78.91\% after 6 h. The method of preparing the composite carrier can aid in the degradation of hard-to-degrade organic compounds via ICPB. These results provide a solid platform for technical research and development in the field of wastewater treatment.
Xylan is the second most abundant polysaccharide and the predominant hemicellulose component of soda bagasse pulp. The present endeavor focuses on increasing the value addition to underutilized agro-industrial residue such as bagasse. For this purpose, xylan was isolated by two conventional alkali extraction methods i.e. NaOH and KOH. The recovery rate and sugar composition of different reaction times and alkali consumptions were monitored with advanced method such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Wide Angle X-ray spectroscopy (WAXS) were respectively employed to characterize the functional groups and Crystallinity Index (CrI) changes during the extraction process. It was explored that highest xylan recovery rates were obtained with 6\% of NaOH at 120 min and 6\% KOH at 45 min. The xylan morphology via WAXS was found that its structure to be amorphous. HPLC results also showed KOH had higher effectiveness than NaOH in terms of extracted xylan purity. Highest XGRs (Xylose to Glucose Ratios) were also achieved by KOH processes. Hence, this study contributes to the adequate utilization of agricultural residues, with promising potential for applications in the production of certain novel materials and chemical conversion industries.
Sugarcane bagasse is a cheap feedstock for one of the most significant biofuel technologies currently being developed: second-generation ethanol (E2G). Most studies regarding E2G production investigate ways to improve the efficiency of this technology. However, studies about its control are still very sparse. In this work, we tried to partially fulfill this gap, addressing the control of a multiple-effect evaporation system of a sugarcane biorefinery. A feedforward fuzzy controller was proposed with membership functions based on a dynamic phenomenological model developed in Environment for Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization (EMSO). This software was also used to carry out simulations to evaluate the disturbance rejection performance. Inference tools based on neural networks and proportional-integral (PI) controllers were also proposed as support to the Fuzzy control system. The tests showed that the Fuzzy scheme outperformed traditional proportional-integral--derivative (PID) controllers, settling on average 66\% faster with a 72\% reduction of integral time absolute error (ITAE).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sugarcane industrial ash (SCIA) on mechanical properties of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregates and cementitious matrix by nano indentation technical analysis. The sugarcane biomass (agroindustrial by-product) was used for generation of electricity by burning in a cogeneration power system. The results of nanoindentation analyses showed that the ITZ thickness varied significantly with the water/binder ratio. Each formulation used different water and binder ratio, with the inclusion of 20\% silica fume (SF) or SCIA. In fact, the mineral additions caused a reduction of the thickness of the matrix-aggregate ITZ, and consequently increased the values of the indentation modulus and hardness in relation to aggregate-matrix interface of the reference concrete. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The objective of this work was to identify the differences between the seedbank of area cultivated with sugarcane picked mechanically by six years and for one year, being used techniques of agriculture of precision. The soil sampling for seedbank determination were performed using a 1,6 ha regular sampling grid. The weed infestation maps were obtained by the kriging interpolation technique. The green sugarcane field presented lower weed infestation potential compared to the burnt sugarcane field, specially the monocotyledonous species like Cyperus rotundus and Brachiaria decumbens. However, some dicotyledonous species can be selected, such as the Ipomoea and Euphorbia and that sugarcane straw can be used as a suppression/selection factor for various species.
Cellulose nano crystals (CNC) are smart organic rod-shaped nano material which can be derived from one of the most abundant biopolymer obtained from agro-waste materials; cellulose via acid hydrolysis. In this work CNCs have been prepared from sugarcane bagasse via acid hydrolysis at elevated temperature using mechanical stirring and ultrasonication and their efficiencies have been compared depending on the crystallinity, size and stability. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Nowadays, global warming is mainly caused by increase in CO2 concentration in the environment; to mitigate this problem, an attractive strategy for efficient CO2 emission reduction was applied: carbon capture. Therefore, this work had as main objective to measure the capture of CO2, through two carbonaceous materials produced from sugar cane bagasse; this biochar was activated chemically with KOH, by two different processes: the impregnated biochar (CA-1) was taken to pyrolysis process at 350 degrees C and another sugarcane bagasse sample was also impregnated, but directly in dry biomass (CA-2), obtaining two carbonaceous material (CA-1 and CA-2), respectively. The prepared carbons were characterized by thermal analysis with heating rate of 10 degrees C min(-1) in N-2 atmosphere, showing two main stages: the first one close to 150 degrees C for biochar samples and the second one in the range of 150-600 degrees C for the same biochar samples, X-ray diffraction (XRD, peaks at 2 theta = 28.41 degrees; 40.50 degrees; 44.52 degrees; 50.29 degrees and 58.61 degrees for CA-1 and 2 theta = 28.27 degrees; 40.45 degrees; 44.60 degrees; 50.15 degrees and 58.63 degrees for CA-2), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, showing peaks at 3675, 2926, 1559, 1364, 1026 and 916 cm(-1) for the biochar samples). CO2 capture was performed by thermogravimetric running test. The samples showed similar physico-chemical characteristics, but the CA-2 sample showed better adsorption performance (1.22 mmol CO2 g(-1)). Heat treatment in an inert atmosphere and chemical activation of biomass are recommended for obtaining carbonaceous material for use in carbon dioxide adsorption processes.
Context: Effect of obesity and dust exposure on lung functions. Aim: To assess the pulmonary functions in asymptomatic, dust-exposed sugarcane factory workers with obesity as an added risk. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in one of the reputed sugarcane factories in Karnataka. One hundred and fifty asymptomatic male workers working in sugarcane factory were included in the study. Based on exposure to sugarcane dust and body mass index (BMI), subjects were categorized into normal weight (not exposed to sugarcane dust), overweight and obese (not exposed to sugarcane dust), and overweight and obese (exposed to sugarcane dust). Adiposity markers such as waist circumference and hip circumference were measured; waist hip ratio, waist stature ratio, and body fat\% were calculated. Lung volumes such as forced vital capacity (FVC in L), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 in L), forced expiratory flow during 25-75\% of expiration (FEF25-75\% in L/s), and FEV1 /FVC\%, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR in L/min) were measured by digital spirometer. Statistical Analysis Used: Comparison between groups was done by one-way analysis of variance with post hoc analysis. Results: Significant lower values for FEV1 in obese and PEFR among overweight and obese exposed to dust compared to overweight and obese not exposed to dust. Conclusions: We observed significant decrease in FEV1 (L) in obese workers exposed to dust and significant lower PEFR (L/min) in overweight and obese workers exposed to dust, indicative of obstructive pattern of lung disease as a result of occupation-related sugarcane dust exposure in overweight and obese workers in whom already some lung functions are impaired owing to their BMI status, thus indicating that obesity is an added risk.
Biotreatment of bagasse effluent using Phanerochaete chrysosporium (white rot fungus) is investigated. This study confirmed that lignin is the major pollutant component in this effluent followed by different carbohydrates. The treatment conditions must be very proper, especially in terms of biomass culture to achieve a successful treatment. The best conditions of temperature, biomass concentration, pH and duration for biotreatment of this effluent were 35A degrees C, 552 mg l(-1), 6 and 5 to 9 days, respectively. Under these conditions, a 9 days long treatment reduced by 98.7\% the original biochemical oxygen demand (of 2,780 mg l(-1)) and by 98.5\% the dissolved chemical oxygen demand (initial 4,200 mg l(-1)). Moreover, fungal treatment reduced total dissolved solids from 3,950 to 575 mg l(-1) and color from 560 mg l(-1) PtCo to 111 mg l(-1) PtCo.
In order to overcome the bottlenecks related to lignocellulosic-derived sugars, the search for more efficient enzymatic cocktails, containing a broad-spectrum of specific activities, relies on an important feature. This paper describes new enzyme activities derived from the novel strain of the Scylalidium genus isolated from the Amazonas rainforest. The production of the enzymatic cocktail was induced by delignifiedhy-drothermal bagasse (DHB), and yeast extract was used to improve secretion activities, resulting in a positive influence on total cellulase activity. The enzymatic cocktail produced by this novel strain contains specific activities for biomass degradation, including FPAse, xylanase and beta-glucosidase. Moreover, it is capable of hydrolyzing 62\% of the alkaline pretreated bagasse, surpassing in 14\% the hydrolytic capability achieved by the commercial cocktail Celluclast. To this extent, the strain described here emerges as a reliable alternative to other available enzymes and, consequently, amplification of available specific substrate activities.
A potential strategy to mitigate problems related to unproductive adsorption of enzymes onto lignin during the saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass is the addition of lignin-blocking agents to the hydrolysis reaction medium. However, there is a clear need to find more cost-effective additives for use in large-scale processes. Here, selected alternative low-cost additives were evaluated in the saccharification of steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse using a commercial enzymatic cocktail. The addition of soybean protein, tryptone, peptone, and maize zein had positive effects on glucose release during the hydrolysis, with gains of up to 36\% when 8\% (w/w) soybean protein was used. These improvements were superior to those obtained using bovine serum albumin (BSA), a much more expensive protein that has been widely reported for such an application. Moreover, addition of soybean protein led to a saving of 48h in the hydrolysis, corresponding to a 66\% decrease in the reactor operation time required. In order to achieve the same hydrolysis yield without the soybean additive, the enzyme loading would need to be increased by 50\%. FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen elemental analysis revealed that the additives probably acted to reduce unproductive binding of cellulolytic enzymes onto the lignin portion of the sugarcane bagasse.
Sugarcane molasses is a widely used animal feed by-product, but is concentrated in S (approximately 1\%, DM basis) and has been shown to reduce the Cu status of cattle. Dietary S may also antagonize Se; therefore, two 90-d studies were conducted with forage-fed, yearling steers (12 pens; 2 steers/pen for each study) to investigate the impact of molasses supplementation on measures of Se status. In Exp. 1, steers were assigned isonitrogenous supplements with equivalent amounts of TDN from 2 sources (molasses or corn). Supplemental Se was provided (3.0 mg of Se/d; Na selenite) to both treatments. After 90 d of supplementation, steers provided corn diets had greater (P = 0.02) liver Se concentrations and tended (P = 0.07) to have greater ADG compared with steers supplemented with molasses. Irrespective of treatment (P >= 0.54), plasma Se concentrations decreased (P < 0.001) and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity increased (P < 0.001) from d 0 to 90. In Exp. 2, sources of supplemental Se (2.5 mg/d), fed within molasses supplements, were compared. Treatments included 1) Na selenite, 2) Se-yeast (Sel-Plex, Alltech, Nicholasville, KY), or 3) no Se (control). Cattle provided supplemental Se, irrespective of source, had greater (P <= 0.01) liver and plasma Se concentrations and greater (P <= 0.01) plasma glutathione peroxidase activity compared with control steers on d 60 and 90. Measures of Se status did not differ among steers supplemented with Na selenite and Se-yeast. These data suggest that dietary S, derived from sugarcane molasses, may antagonize liver tissue accumulation of Se in cattle. The Se status of cattle consuming sugarcane molasses was similar when provided 2.5 mg of supplemental Se/d from Na selenite or Se-yeast sources.
Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), which is a highly destructive force, was employed for pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The efficacy of HC was studied using response surface methodology (RSM) with determining parameters varied: inlet pressure of 1-3 bar, temperature of 40-70 degrees C, and alkaline concentration of 0.1-0.3 M. At the best condition (3 bar, 70 degrees C and 0.3 M NaOH), 93.05\% and 94.45\% of hydrolysis yield of cellulose and hemicellulose, respectively, were obtained within 30 min of pretreatment time. Also, pretreatment time higher than 10 min had little to do regarding to SCB composition changes using different orifice plates (16 and 27 holes, with corresponding cavitation number of 0.017 and 0.048, respectively), with higher hydrolysis yield observed at 20 min of process. Therefore, HC-based approach could lead to a high yield of hydrolysis, as long as a treatment condition was right; it could be so at mild conditions and at short running time. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In an integrated lignocellulosic biorefinery, the cost associated with the ``cellulases{''
Sugarcane juice (17 degrees Bx), the substrate of choice for vinegar production due to its high sugar content and easy availability was fermented to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain 35 producing 9.5 \% (v/v) ethanol. This ethanol was used for vinegar production using immobilized cells of Acetobacter aceti AC1 (on wood shavings with cell to adsorbent ratio of 2:1) packed in an indigenously developed polyvinyl chloride column. Sugarcane ethanol (supplemented with mother vinegar) with an initial acidity of 2 \% (w/v) was trickled at 50 ml/h through the packed bed at 2.5 l scale, that produced sugarcane vinegar in 72 h (compared to 13 days of batch cycle). The vinegar production was consistent over 25 cycles studied and had a volatile acidity of 4.08-6.84 \% (w/v), fermentation efficiency (52.9-87.9 \%), acetification rate (5.8-22.8 g/l/day) and yield factor (0.68-1.14). The sugarcane vinegar had a good sensory score (8.66 +/- 0.33), improved total phenols (81.9 +/- 0.14-138.6 +/- 0.49 mg/100 ml) with retention of ascorbic acid (42.0 +/- 1.13-86.5 +/- 1.34 mg/100 ml).
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas emitted from combustion of hydrocarbon-based fuels which is estimated to cause a rise in the global temperatures by about 2.5 K by twenty-first century. Various liquid and solid sorbent-based technologies have been developed to capture the CO2 from combustion gases. However, these sorbents could not enjoy the commercial success due to their corrosive and toxic characteristics together with the poor energy efficiency and economics associated with the developed technologies. In this context, a biodegradable and nontoxic natural sugarcane bagasse cellulose-based aerogel with low density (15-112 kg/m(3)), high porosity (92.5-99.0\%), and enhanced specific surface area (254.7-321.4 m(2)/g) characteristics has been synthesized through robust two simple steps, viz. sol-gel preparation and the lyophilization. The in situ amine grafting is observed to enhance the CO2 capturing ability of the aerogel and its hydrophobic character with a water contact angle of 143.6 degrees. Furthermore, the CO2 adsorption and desorption studies revealed a sorption capacity of about 0.4 mmol/g at NTP for the synthesized aerogel. Nevertheless, the flexibility, high compressive strength (12.5 MPa) together with the low thermal conductivity (0.028-0.049 W/mK) of the synthesized amine-grafted sugarcane bagasse aerogel multiplies its application as an effective CO2 adsorbent and thermal insulator.
The first two steps in xylose metabolism are catalyzed by NAD(P)H-dependent xylose reductase (XR) (EC 1.1.1.21) and NAD(P)-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) (EC 1.1.1.9), which lead to xylose --> xylitol --> xylulose conversion. Xylitol has high commercial value, due to its sweetening and anticariogenic properties, as well as several clinical applications. The acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse allows the separation of a xylose-rich hemicellulosic fraction that can be used as a substrate for Candida guilliermondii to produce xylitol. However, the hydrolysate contains acetic acid, an inhibitor of microbial metabolism. In this study, the effect of acetic acid on the activities of XR and XDH and on xylitol formation by C. guilliermondii were studied. For this purpose, fermentations were carried out in bagasse hydrolysate and in synthetic medium. The activities of XR and XDH were higher in the medium containing acetic acid than in control medium. Moreover, none of the fermentative parameters were significantly altered during cell culture. It was concluded that acetic acid does not interfere with xylitol formation since the increase in XR activity is proportional to XDH activity, leading to a greater production of xylitol and its subsequent conversion to xylulose.
Acid treated rice straw hydrolysate was used as a substrate hydrogen production. Concentrated sulphuric acid (55\%) was used to completely dissolve the rice straw cellulose at temperature of 40 degrees C. After hydrolysis of rice straw cellulose, calcium hydroxide was used to remove sulphate ions. Biohydrogen production was evaluated under different initial pH and substrate concentration conditions at a temperature of 37 degrees C in a batch mode. The maximum values of hydrogen yield and accumulation of hydrogen were 0.44 mol H-2/mol T-sugar and 97.30 +/- 0.17 mL with substrate utilization of 81.55\% in a batch mode. A mixture of food industry wastewater with rice straw hydrolysate was used as substrate in a continuous mode for the biohydrogen production potential test in this study. The average hydrogen production yield of 0.69 mol H-2/mol T-sugar was 1.5 times higher than that in the batch mode while the hydrogen production rate was 10 +/- 1.17 L/d/L. The presence of bacteria Clostridium pasteurianum which favours the production of hydrogen from of acetic acid and butyric acid was determined by DGGE. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Agar has been the popular choice of the masses as tissue culture gelling matrix. But, in culture medium one of the costlier components is agar which accounts for-38\% of the media cost and puts a limitation for commer-cial exploitation of the technique. Different low cost substrata such as polyurethane foam, betel nut coir, coconut husk, paddy straw, forest leaf litter, sugarcane bagasse, moist cotton pad, saw dust etc. have been screened as they are cost effective and most of them are eco-friendly which could be used as complete agar alternative in orchid in vitro propagation. This communication reviews the possibilities of using different low cost substrata as agar alternative in orchid tissue culture to make the planting materials production platform more attractive for horticulturists. Further, these substrata can also be used with suitable modification for in vitro culture of non-orchid species which will help conserve the species economically. (c) 2022 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hydrothermal pretreatment solubilizes about 65\% of the hemicelluloses in sugarcane bagasse. However, nearly 80\% of the xylose recovered from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate is present as xylooligosaccharides (XO's), which cannot be directly fermented into pentose (C5) ethanol. In this work a kinetic study of the post hydrolysis process considering the use of three acids - sulfuric, oxalic and maleic - was performed. Xylose and furfural post-hydrolysis profiles showed the reaction time in which xylose peaked with minimum furfural production. Among the three studied acids, sulfuric acid showed the fastest kinetics of post-hydrolysis with XO's being fully hydrolyzed in less than 1 h reaction time. C5 fermentation experiments showed that the detoxified post-hydrolysates fermented with ethanol yields ranging from 0.10 to 0.31 g ethanol g(-1) reducing sugars. Most samples were fermented from 48 to 72 h of experiment with productivities ranging from 0.02 to 0.43 g.L-1.h(-1). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
and technological points of view. Herein, sugarcane bagasse and vegetable sponge (Luffa cylindrica) were used as precursors to produce cellulose using the organosolv extraction procedure. From the extracted celluloses, the production of cellulose acetate was carried out by the homogeneous acetylation method. The obtained materials were characterized by FTIR, solid-state C-13 NMR, XRD, TG and DSC techniques. The results revealed the success of both the extraction and the acetylation processes, which provided cellulose with high crystallinity and cellulose acetates with high degrees of substitution (cellulose triacetates).
The full renewable energy production of the Brazilian sugarcane industry involves, besides ethanol production, the use of bagasse and straw. The bagasse is burned in mills for cogeneration and any surplus bioelectricity is sold to the grid. While 40\% of the straw must be left for soil protection, 60\% could be used for cogeneration. This study evaluated the energy integration of first-generation (1G) and secondgeneration (2G) ethanol operations and the resulting surplus energy. The work used experimental and published data of higher calorific values of these residues as well of lignin, a solid process stream. The C5 stream from the hydrothermal pretreatment was considered for methane generation. A sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate three integrated scenarios for 1G + 2G ethanol and surplus energy production: In scenario (A) the gradual allocation, up to 100\% bagasse, for 2G ethanol would increase the ethanol volume by 29\% and surplus energy, from lignin and methane burning, by 10\%, compared to total bagasse burning. In scenario (B), where 50\% straw would be set for burning, the gradual allocation up to 100\% bagasse for 2G ethanol would keep the same ethanol increase by 29\%; however, surplus energy would be increased by 16\% of that expected from total bagasse burning. In scenario (C), where 50\% bagasse would be set for 2G ethanol and straw burning would be gradually increased, up to 60\%, the ethanol volume would increase by 14\%, and surplus energy would be increased by 64\% of that expected for total bagasse burning.
The glass prepared from sustainable raw materials yields interesting properties, besides the low cost and environmentally friendly. Two series of glass compositions based on B2O3-P2O5-Na2O-CaO added with bagasse (BG) and cassava rhizome (CR) were fabricated by melt-quenching technique, and their physical, mechanical and structural properties were studied. The physical properties such as density and molar volume were calculated and discussed. The elastic moduli, Poisson's ratio, Debye temperature, acoustical impedance and microhardness have been estimated based on pressure-controlled ultrasonic technique at 4 MHz frequency with normal and angle probes. It was found that the addition of bagasse and cassava rhizome leads to an increase of elastic constants, Debye temperature and microhardness of the prepared glass. Vickers hardness tester was also applied to determine microhardness of the glass using an applied load of 0.98 N. The values of microhardness obtained from both techniques were compared and a good correlation was observed. Moreover, the internal structural units of the glass samples have been estimated by FTIR. XRD spectroscopy was applied to confirm the amorphous nature in the glasses.
Replacement of petroleum by other energy sources is one of the principal challenges of contemporary engineering. One of the most promising substitutes for petroleum is biomass, chemically converted into fuel. For instance, as the world's biggest producer of sugarcane, Brazil generates large quantities of agricultural residues from sugarcane cultivation which could be used to produce biofuels for transportation and aviation (i.e. jet fuel) without much difficulty. Furthermore, sugar beet industry generates important amount of waste that could be valorized into biofuels. The purpose of this article is to review the different technologies currently available for the production of biofuels via a thermochemical pathway using sugarcane bagasse and sugar beet pulp as feedstock, with specific interest in using feedstock gasification and subsequent conversion of the synthetic gas into fuel. Gasification is a longstanding process of conversion of carbonaceous material into a gaseous compound (syngas) and a solid output, called char. Several kinds of gasifiers are described, as well as the syngas cleaning-up process, and the characteristics of several processes through which syngas is converted into synthetic fuel are detailed, including Fischer-Tropsch (FT), Methanol-to-gasoline (MTG), Methanol-to-olefins (MTO) as well as pyrolysis.
The production of biofuels such as butanol is usually limited by the availability of inexpensive raw materials and high substrate cost. Using food crops as feedstock in the biorefinery industry has been criticized for its competition with food supply, causing food shortage and increased food prices. In this study, cassava bagasse as an abundant, renewable, and inexpensive byproduct from the cassava starch industry was used for n-butanol production. Cassava bagasse hydrolysate containing mainly glucose was obtained after treatments with dilute acid and enzymes (glucoamylases and cellulases) and then supplemented with corn steep liquor for use as substrate in repeated-batch fermentation with engineered Clostridium tyrobutyricum Ct Delta ack-adhE2 in a fibrous-bed bioreactor. Stable butanol production with high titer ( > 15.0 g/L), yield ( > 0.30 g/g), and productivity (similar to 0.3 g/L-h) was achieved, demonstrating the feasibility of an economically competitive process for n-butanol production from cassava bagasse for industrial application.
The brake pad material was fabricated using asbestos-free agro-waste sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) at low cost by a compression molding technique. SCBA in varying proportions (0\%, 5\%, and 10\% weight) was added to the composite mixture containing epoxy resin as a binder. The size of the SCBA particle was 300 mm. The fabricated brake pad was subjected to mechanical, physical, and tribological analyses. The obtained results were compared with conventional asbestos-based brake pad material. The results showed that the sample having 10\% SCBA as filler content has high tensile strength, flexural strength, density, low water, and oil absorption. Also, the hardness test and impact test results revealed the suitability of SCBA in brake pad material. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Mechanical, Electronics and Computer Engineering 2020: Materials Science.
Due to the fact that silicon (Si) increases the resistance of plants against diverse abiotic and biotic stresses, Si nowadays is categorized as beneficial substance for plants. However, humans directly influence Si cycling on a global scale. Intensified agriculture and corresponding harvest-related Si exports lead to Si losses in agricultural soils. This anthropogenic desilication might be a big challenge for modern agriculture. However, there is still only little knowledge about Si cycling in agricultural systems of the temperate zone, because most studies focus on rice and sugarcane production in (sub)tropical areas. Furthermore, many studies are performed for a short term only, and thus do not provide the opportunity to analyze slow changes in soil-plant systems (e.g., desilication) over long periods. We analyzed soil and plant samples from an ongoing long-term field experiment (established 1963) in the temperate zone (NE Germany) to evaluate the effects of different nitrogen-phosphoruspotassium (NPK) fertilization rates and crop straw recycling (i.e., straw incorporation) on anthropogenic desilication in the long term. Our results clearly show that crop straw recycling not only prevents anthropogenic desilication (about 43-60\% of Si exports can be saved by crop straw recycling in the long term), but also replenishes plant available Si stocks of agricultural soil-plant systems. Furthermore, we found that a reduction of N fertilization rates of about 69\% is possible without considerable biomass losses. This economy of the need for N fertilizers potentially can be combined with the benefits of crop straw recycling, i.e., enhancement of carbon sequestration via straw inputs and prevention of anthropogenic desilication of agricultural soil-plant systems. Thus crop straw recycling might have the potential to act as key management practice in sustainable, low fertilization agriculture in the temperate zone in the future.
Background: Xylan, a major hemicellulosic polysaccharide found in the plant cell wall, represents up to 30-35\% of the total dry weight of land plants. It is a heteropolysaccharide made up of a backbone of 1, 4-linked beta-D-xylopyranosyl residues which can be substituted to varying degrees with glucopyranosyl, alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl, acetyl, feruloyl and/or p-coumaryl side chain groups. Hemicelluloses are used in various industries such as fuel, food, detergent, animal feed, agriculture, wine, beer, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The main objective of the study is to explore easy and cost effective method to produce the xylanase using sugar cane bagasse, wheat bran and rice bran as substrates, which is an agro waste. Materials and Methods: Xylanase producing bacteria were isolated from soil. Among the isolates, three strains show the maximum activity on xylan agar plates. Among the three strains, a strain was shows maximum enzyme activity, which was measured by Dinitro Salicylic Acid (DNS) method. The isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis and which was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Optimization of the fermentation medium for production of maximum xylanase was carried out via solid state fermentation (SSF). Results: The highest production of xylanase was obtained on 3\% xylose as a carbon source, 3\% malt extract as a nitrogen source and 3\% sugarcane bagasse at 40 degrees C, pH 9, 3.5\% Inoculum level at 48 hr. Bacillus subtilis are capable to produce the xylanase. Conclusion: The isolated strain Bacillus subtilis shows the maximum level of xylanase production at pH 9.0 and 40 degrees C temperature on 48 hr incubation on 3\% xylose, 3\% malt extract and 3\% sugarcane bagasse as a substrate during solid state fermentation.
The urgency with which the world economy needs to be decarbonized could lead to the emergence of regions with the capacity to produce renewable feedstock such as biomass. The competitiveness of these regions could result from their ability to produce high value-added chemicals at the lowest cost. The biomass embodied in a chemical product could reduce carbon emissions, leading to net CO2 removal. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that bio-ethylene could make the Brazilian chemical industry more competitive. This would be achieved by applying the revenues from carbon credits associated with using ethanol and sugarcane bagasse as feedstocks for bio-ethylene production. Three production routes were compared according to their estimated cost of production in Brazil under a simplified life-cycle analysis: sugar-cane-derived ethanol to ethylene (with and without CO2 capture and storage - BECCS); bio-methanol to olefin; and conventional steam cracking of naphtha. When associated with the production of long-lasting materials, the ethanol-to-ethylene with BECCS route achieved the lower CO2 break-even price (US\$75/t CO2), followed by ethanol to ethylene without BECCS (US\$82/t CO2) and bio-methanol to ethylene (US\$106/t CO2). Our findings highlight the advantage for the Brazilian chemical industry of implementing a national or, even better, a global carbon-pricing instrument. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd
Portland cement pastes are highly heterogeneous material and exhibits heterogeneous features over a wide range of length scales. Mechanical properties of microstructure can be determined using depth-sensing indentation. Coupled indentation/SEM technique can be used to location the indents and provides a way to determine the mechanical properties of a specific phase. Thus, the present paper aims to determine the hardness of different phases of cement pastes prepared with different mineral admixtures including sugarcane bagasse ash. The microstructure of cement pastes prepared with different mineral admixtures is analyzed by X ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic hardness tests on polished sections. The different backscatter coefficient allows to differentiate anhydrous phases from C-S-H, calcium hydroxide, silica fume and quartz. A grid of indentation is used to determine the hardness of the different phases and a complete phase segmentation of the different samples is achieved. The results show that the hardness of the different phases follow the sequence (from higher to lower hardness) quartz, anhydrous particles, calcium hydroxide, C-S-H and agglomerated silica fume. The presence of agglomerated silica fume is clearly observed in scanning electron microscopy images and the poor mechanical properties of these areas might compromise the cement pastes. The microstructure of cement pastes prepared with sugarcane bagasse ashes is similar to the observed in samples with crushed quartz.
Highly porous carbon-silica composites (CSC) were prepared for the first time through a simple wet impregnation process and subsequent pyrolysis of low-value sugarcane by-products, namely molasses. These CSC materials demonstrate a distinct range of functionalities, which significantly differ from similar materials published in the literature. Importantly, the carbon-silica composites prepared at 800 degrees C exhibited exceptional adsorption capacities for the azo-dye congo red (445 mg g(-1)), due to the graphitic carbon coating and unique functionality including C-O-C within the porous structure. Congo red adsorption capacity of the highly mesoporous graphitic carbon-silica composites significantly exceeds that of commercial activated carbon and silica, these carbon-silica composites therefore represent an effective step towards the development of porous bio-derived adsorbent for remediation of dye wastewaters. Both the porous properties (surface area and pore size distribution) and the functionality of the carbon coating were dependent on the temperature of preparation. The sustainable synthetic methods employed led to a versatile material that inherited the mesoporosity characteristics from the parent silica, demonstrating mesoporous volumes greater than 90\% (as calculated from the total pore volume). Adsorption on the 800 degrees C prepared carbon-silica composites demonstrated an excellent fit with the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.
Mannitol is a natural polyol with multiple industrial applications. In this work, mannitol production by Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1101 was studied at free- and controlled-pH (6.0-4.8) fermentations using a simplified culture medium containing yeast and beef extracts and sugarcane molasses. The activity of mannitol 2-dehydrogenase (MDH), the enzyme responsible for mannitol synthesis, was determined. The effect of the initial biomass concentration was further studied. Mannitol production (41.5 +/- A 1.1 g/l), volumetric productivity (Q (Mtl) 1.73 +/- A 0.05 g/l h), and yield (Y (Mtl) 105 +/- A 11 \%) were maximum at pH 5.0 after 24 h while the highest MDH activity (1.66 +/- A 0.09 U/mg protein) was obtained at pH 6.0. No correlation between mannitol production and MDH activity was observed when varying the culture pH. The increase (up to 2000-fold) in the initial biomass concentration did not improve mannitol formation after 24 h although a 2-fold higher amount was produced at 8 h using 1 or 2 g cell dry weight/l comparing to the control (0.001 g cell dry weight/l). Finally, mannitol isolation under optimum fermentation conditions was achieved. The mannitol production obtained in this study is the highest reported so far by a wild-type L. reuteri strain and, more interestingly, using a simplified culture medium.
Wheat straw is an abundant, cheap substrate that can be used for methane production. However, the nutrient content in straw is inadequate for methane fermentation. In this study, recycling digestate liquor was implemented in single-stage continuous stirred tank processes for enrichment of the nutrient content of straw with the aim of improving the methane production. The VS-based organic loading rate was set at 2 g/(L d) and the solid retention time at 40 days. When wheat straw alone was used as the substrate, the methane yields achieved with digestate liquor recycling was on average 240 ml CH4/g VS giving a 21\% improvement over the processes without recycling. However, over time, the processes suffered from declining methane yields and poor stability evidenced by low pH. To maintain process stability, wheat straw was co-digested with sewage sludge or supplemented with macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous). As a result, the processes with digestate liquor recycling could be operated stably, achieving methane yields ranging from 288 to 296 ml CH4/g VS. Besides, the processes could not be operated sturdily with supplementation of macronutrients without digestate liquor recycling. The highest methane yield (296 16 ml CH4/g VS) was achieved by co-digestion with sewage sludge plus recycling of digestate liquor after filtration (retention of nutrients and microorganisms). This was comparable to the maximum expected methane yield of 293 13 ml CH4/g VS achieved in batch test. The present study therefore demonstrated that digestate liquor recycling could lead to a decreased dilution of vital nutrients from the reactors thereby rendering high process performance and stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is currently one of the most efficient crops in the production of first-generation biofuels. However, the bagasse represents an additional abundant lignocellulosic resource that has the potential to increase the ethanol production per plant. To achieve a more efficient conversion of bagasse into ethanol, a better understanding of the main factors affecting biomass recalcitrance is needed. Because several studies have shown a negative effect of lignin on saccharification yield, the characterization of lignin biosynthesis, structure, and deposition in sugarcane is an important goal. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first systematic study of lignin deposition during sugarcane stem development, using histological, biochemical, and transcriptional data derived from two sugarcane genotypes with contrasting lignin contents. Lignin amount and composition were determined in rind (outer) and pith (inner) tissues throughout stem development. In addition, the phenolic metabolome was analyzed by ultra-highperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, which allowed the identification of 35 compounds related to the phenylpropanoid pathway and monolignol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the Sugarcane EST Database was extensively surveyed to identify lignin biosynthetic gene homologs, and the expression of all identified genes during stem development was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our data provide, to our knowledge, the first in-depth characterization of lignin biosynthesis in sugarcane and formthe baseline for the rationalmetabolic engineering of sugarcane feedstock for bioenergy purposes.
Novel eco-friendly and economically favourable chemically modified biosorbents and biosomposites from sugarcane bagasse (SB) has been investigated for the first time for efficient removal of Acid red 1 dye from wastewater. As fabricated biosorbents and biocomposites were characterized analytically. Batch adsorption experiments has been performed to optimize operating parameters and the determined optimum conditions are; pH: 2, dose: 0.05 g, contact time: between 60 and 75 min, initial dye concentration: 400 mg L-1, and temperature: 30 degrees C, at which maximum Acid red 1 dye removal capacities were found (within range of 143.4-205.1 mg g- 1) by as-designed SB-derived chemically modified biosorbents and biocomposites. This high adsorption capacity was accompanied due to its large specific surface area (30.19 m2 g-1) and excessive functional active binding sites. In terms of the nature of adsorption process, kinetic and isothermal studies demonstrated that experimental data shows greater fitness with pseudo 2nd order and Langmuir model. Thermodynamics analysis revealed that the adsorption process is spontaneous, feasible, and exothermic in nature. Adsorption selective studies signifies that lower concentration of co-existing metallic ions were not interfered during the removal of Acid red 1 dye, which confirms that under optimized adsorption conditions the biosorbents and biocomposites exhibited greater affinity for dye molecules. The excessive quantity (82\%) of loaded dye molecules within the adsorbents were extracted within the NaOH eluting media which predicts that as designed biocomposites could have capability of reusability. Hence, it is anticipated that this type of novel SB-derived biocomposites could be considered as greener potential candidate material for commercial scale dye removal applications from industrial wastewater.
This research focused primarily on the process optimization for bio-oil production in a pilot-scale batch reactor operating in a fixed bed and using two important agricultural residues from Santander Department in Colombia: sugarcane bagasse (SB) and palm empty fruit bunch (EFB). The Simplex method was applied to develop experimental tests in which three main variables were studied: temperature, gas residence time and particle size. The choice of such variables was based on literature review suggesting that they have a major influence on bio-oil yield. The ranges of the operating conditions were: temperature 460-600 degrees C, gas residence time 16-80s and particle size 0.5-1.4mm. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows the temperature being the most influential variable on the bio-oil yield. The other variables were not significant for bio-oil production from intermediate pyrolysis. In the case of SB, the best operating conditions (temperature 560 degrees C, gas residence time 77s and particle size 0.5-0.85 mm) resulted in a bio-oil yield of 53.4 wt\%, whereas in the case of EFB, the best operating conditions (temperature 540 degrees C, gas residence time 31 s and particle size <0.5 mm) resulted in a bio-oil yield of 48.4 wt\%. However, the physical-chemical properties of bio-oil stemming from the two studied biomasses are completely different, where the bio-oil from EFB presents the best HHV of 34.91 MJ/kg, the highest pH (3.9) and the lowest density (approximately 958 kg/m(3)). (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
GRAPHENE oxide (GO) extracted from different agricultural wastes such as sugarcane bagasse (SCB), rice straw (RS), lignin (L), mature beech pinewood sawdust (MW) in the presence and absence of ferrocene as a catalyst at 300 oC in a muffle have been prepared, characterized and evaluated by TGA and DTA. TGA decomposition curves of GO showed three decomposition stages for all studied samples except for GO prepared from SCB and MW in the absence of ferrocene, which revealed two decomposition stages. The residual weight of SCB was very low; this indicates its high purity and absence of inorganic residues. The high production of char residue from MW, and L pyrolysis can be ascribed to its lower content of methoxyl group (determined by FTIR). The activation energy (Ea) determined for thermal reduction of GO are found to be from 21.00 to 55.35 kJ/mol. From TGA, it was found that the rate of removal of oxygen-containing functional groups depends on the temperature, which agrees with the experimental findings and thermal degradation kinetics. The free energy change of activation (G) of this system is positive. Consequently, the thermodynamics of GO should be non spontaneous.
Soil quality and crop productivity can be improved by the combined soil application of organic amendments and synthetic fertilizers. We evaluated the sole and combined effects of sugarcane-bagasse biochar (SBB), farmyard manure (FYM) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on soil properties and corn yield traits. Three N fertilizer rates (0, 50 and 100\% of recommended) were used with or without the organic amendments. We observed significant increases in soil nitrate-N (at vegetative and reproductive phases), ammonical-N and microbial-biomass-N contents in responses to a co-application of 0.5\% SBB, 0.5\% FYM and 100\% N fertilizer (p <= 0.05). While the same co-application also resulted in the most significant soil organic carbon value, the maximum soil microbial biomass carbon was observed when 0.5\% SBB and 0.5\% FYM combination was applied along with 50\% N fertilizer (p <= 0.05). Plant growth indices-shoot length and, fresh and dry weights of shoot and root were also recorded to be the highest where the same organic amendments were applied in addition to a 50\% or 100\% mineral N fertilizer (p <= 0.05). Combined application of the organic amendments effectively improved soil CEC compared to those in responses to individual applications of SBB and FYM (p <= 0.05). Conclusively, for increasing the corn yield and improving the soil quality, the co-application of 0.5\% SBB and 0.5\% FYM was more effective than any of the individual 1\% applications; Additions of 50\% and 100\% mineral N to the organic combination were equally useful for increasing the grain yield.
In order to minimize hemicellulose (or cellulose) waste upon the simultaneous production of furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (or furfural and levulinic acid) from the hydrolysis of lignocellulose in one-pot acid/organic solvent systems, we have developed a novel pressurized phosphoric acid-acetone-water system (PPAWS) to convert hemicellulose into furfural with a high retention of cellulose. In the PPAWS (acetone/water = 7:3, v/v) at 150 degrees C under 1.5 MPa nitrogen, furfural production (yield 45.8\%), delignification (lignin removal rate 89.8 wt\%), and cellulose-rich residue extraction (retention rate 72.9 wt\%, purity 92.5 wt\%) from sugarcane bagasse were achieved simultaneously in just 5 min. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the liquid products revealed that pressure significantly inhibits the generation of aldol condensation products, i.e., acetone self-condensation products and 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one from the condensation of acetone and furfural, and acetone was retained in large quantities. In addition, kinetic analysis revealed that the ``xylose -> furfural -> degradation products{''
In this study, a selected gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-rich Malaysian strain Aspergillus oryzae NSK was collected from soy sauce koji. The strain was used to explore the effect of using renewable native sugar syrup, sugarcane, nipa, and molasses as fermentable substrates for developing a novel functional GABA soy sauce. We evaluated the strain using the chosen native sugars for 7 days using shake flask fermentation at 30 A degrees C. The results showed optimum GABA concentration was achieved using cane molasses as the fermentable substrate (354.08 mg/L), followed by sugarcane syrup (320.7 mg/L) and nipa syrup (232.07 mg/L). Cane molasses was subsequently utilized as a substrate to determine the most suitable concentration for A. oryzae NSK to enhance GABA production and was determined as 50\% g/L of glucose standard cane molasses. Our findings indicate that cane molasses can be used as a GABA-rich ingredient to develop a new starter culture for A. oryzae NSK soy sauce production.
This study was undertaken to explore alternative applications of the widely known entomopathogenic/ endophytic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, besides its sole use as a biocontrol agent. B. bassiana SAN01, was investigated for the production of two glycoside hydrolases, xylanase and endoglucanase under submerged conditions. Among the different biomass tested, wheat bran provided the best results for both xylanase and endoglucanase, and their production levels were further enhanced using response surface methodology. Under optimised conditions, heightened yields of 1061 U/ml and 23.03 U/ml were observed for xylanase and endoglucanase, respectively, which were 3.44 and 1.35 folds higher than their initial yields. These are the highest ever production levels reported for xylanase and endoglucanase from any B. bassiana strain or any known entomopathogenic fungi. Furthermore, the efficacy of xylanase/endoglucanase cocktail in the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse was evaluated. The highest amount of reducing sugar released from the pretreated biomass by the action of the crude Beauveria enzyme cocktail was recorded at 30 degrees C after 8 h incubation. The significant activities of the hydrolytic enzymes recorded with B. bassiana in this study thus present promising avenues for the use of the entomopathogen as a new source of industrial enzymes and by extension, other biotechnological applications. (C) 2020 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A new tool was developed for second generation ethanol production from non-sterilized beet molasses to energy recovery from the agro-industrial byproduct. The rotary biofilm reactor (RBR) used in repeated-batch fermentation for long-term bioethanol production showed high energy recovery efficiency. This study will serve as a base line of initial studies in this field as no reports are available regarding the application of RBR for bioethanol production. Repeated-batch fermentations were carried out by replacement of the fermentation broth (3.5 L) by equal volume of fresh medium or with 15\% and 30\% recycling volume in RBR and the reactor without the discs. The fermentation was carried out under the following conditions: an inoculum concentration of 5.6 g dry baker's yeast/L, initial sugar concentration of 15\% (w/v), initial pH 5.0, temperature 30 degrees C, and rotation speed of 40 rpm. The high bioethanol concentration (average value 52.3 g/L) and the average bioethanol productivity (1.45 g/L/h) were stable for 60 days by recycling 30\% of the volume of the broth every 36 h in repeated-batch fermentation using the RBR. The energy evaluation data indicated a positive energy balance with an energy ratio of 1.63 MJ/MJ. The other energy indicators such as energy consumption, energy conversion, energy yield, and energy recovery were 16.5 MJ/kg bioethanol produced, 4.7 MJ/kg beet molasses, 1.3 MJ/100 g sugar utilized, and 84.8\%, respectively. The results showed that non-sterilized beet molasses is a promising feedstock for bioethanol production in industrial scale by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the RBR and this process is considered energetically feasible. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bioethanol production using sugarcane as a raw material is effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions but may be problematic in competing for the raw material for sugar production. A simulation in an earlier study demonstrated that sugar and ethanol production can be both increased by simultaneously introducing two technologies, high yielding sugarcane varieties and sugar/ethanol combined production process, into a sugar mill. However, in order to introduce these technologies to a sugar mill, it is necessary to acquire data through a plant-scale demonstration. In this study, we conducted demonstration tests from sugarcane cultivation to sugar/ethanol combined production on a pilot scale on the island of Ie, Okinawa Prefecture, and obtained material balance data when seven types of sugarcane were used as raw materials. In addition, we clarified the effect of sugarcane ingredient composition on each process and demonstrated that simultaneous increase in production of sugar and ethanol can be achieved.
Background: Acid hydrolysis is a popular pretreatment for removing hemicellulose from lignocelluloses in order to produce a digestible substrate for enzymatic saccharification. In this work, a novel model for the dilute acid hydrolysis of hemicellulose within sugarcane bagasse is presented and calibrated against experimental oligomer profiles. The efficacy of mathematical models as hydrolysis yield predictors and as vehicles for investigating the mechanisms of acid hydrolysis is also examined. Results: Experimental xylose, oligomer ( degree of polymerisation 2 to 6) and furfural yield profiles were obtained for bagasse under dilute acid hydrolysis conditions at temperatures ranging from 110 degrees C to 170 degrees C. Population balance kinetics, diffusion and porosity evolution were incorporated into a mathematical model of the acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. This model was able to produce a good fit to experimental xylose yield data with only three unknown kinetic parameters ka, kb and kd. However, fitting this same model to an expanded data set of oligomeric and furfural yield profiles did not successfully reproduce the experimental results. It was found that a ``hard-to-hydrolyse{''
This article is based upon the findings of our recent publication dealing with the liquid hot water (LHW) hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials (LCM) in different reactor types {[
The fermentation process for high yields of fatty acid and neutral lipid production from cassava bagasse hydrolysate (CBH) was developed by heterotrophic Chlorella protothecoides. An efficient single-step enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava bagasse (CB) by cellulase was firstly developed to produce > 30 g/L of reducing sugars. The concentrated CBH was subsequently applied in a batch culture, producing 7.9 g/L of dry biomass with yield of 0.44 g/g reducing sugar and 34.3 wt\% of fatty acids and 48.6 wt\% of neutral lipids. Furthermore, fed-batch fermentation using CBH achieved higher yields of fatty acids (41.0 wt\% and a titer of 5.83 g/L) and neutral lipids (58.4 wt\% and yield of 0.22 g/g reducing sugar). Additionally, the fatty acid profile analysis showed that the intercellular lipid was suitable to prepare high-quality biodiesel. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using CBH as low-cost feedstock to produce crude algal oil for sustainable biodiesel production. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The deep exploration of adsorption preferential specific structural properties of waste biomass-derived activated carbon(AC) adsorbent is significant but challenged in the light of the synthetic control. This work optimizes chemical activation routine of waste bagasse-derived AC to fabricate high-performance adsorbent. The resultant optimal AC affords outstanding structural properties (S-BET=2832.2 m(2) g(-1), S-Lang=5478.3 m(2) g(-1), V-total=1.93 cm(3) g(-1)). The pre-carbonization method (using high-temperature calcination or hydrothermal) and the implanting approach of KOH (impregnation or grinding method) were rationally tuned, and the corresponding effect on structural properties of AC and their adsorption capacity for volatile organic compounds(VOCs) were carefully studied for the first time. The obtained optimal BC-1 adsorbent showed the highest adsorption capacity (1604.5 mg g(-1) and 1679.5 mg g(-1)) of benzene and toluene, which is nearly 1.73 folds enhancement compared to others derived from comparative routes. This adsorption property is far superior to that of industrial AC. Meanwhile, the adsorption capacity and adsorption behavior were further demonstrated to be directly determined by the total pore volume and Langmuir surface area of the adsorbent through correlating adsorption properties with structural characters. Besides, we demonstrated the superior adsorption selectivity of C6H6/H2O(g) (61.22) and C7H8/H2O(g) (189.33) over BC-1 under humid conditions predicted by the DIH (difference of the isosteric heats) equation.
This study aimed to evaluate an activated sludge system as a post-treatment step of anaerobic effluents from the co-digestion of sugarcane vinasse and hemicelluloses hydrolysate. The system consisted, initially, of a two-stage anaerobic system followed by a continuously fed activated sludge, all in bench scale. After adaptation of aerobic microorganisms to effluent conditions, the anaerobic digestion was conducted in a single-stage anaerobic reactor, increasing the influent organic loading rate (OLR) of activated sludge from 0.73 to an average of 2.36 gCOD/L center dot day. Under optimal conditions (12-h hydraulic retention time {[
Sugar production is a major agro-based industry in India that generates various solid wastes viz. sugarcane trash, bagasse, press mud and bagasse fly ash. This work examines the state-of-the-art in innovative value added products that can be obtained from the transformation of these wastes. Challenges in implementing these waste valorization solutions are also highlighted. It is observed that the extent of research and adoption of these solutions vary considerably. Both industry involvement as well as government encouragement is required in translating the research findings into commercial products. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Recently with ethanol being a renewable, bio-based and ecofriendly, it is projected to be the best replacement for petrol as a fuel in SI engines. Ethanol is derived mainly from sugarcane, cassava, corn and other waste biomass materials. These materials are rich in calories and could be utilized either as complements or as alternatives for conventional fuel sources. This paper aims to experimentally determine the properties of ethanol/gasoline blends and tests its performances in an SI engine. The E10, E20 and E30 ethanol-gasoline blends were studied and compared to gasoline fuel. It was found that the performance of the engine using bioethanol blends was almost comparable to that of pure gasoline, especially at lower ethanol content blends. Yet, increasing the ethanol content only gives adverse effects to the overall engine performance, resulting in 8.86\% power loss at 2000 rpm for E20 and 8.18\% for E30 compared to E0. Suggestively, with more research and experiments, bioethanol-fuel blends can replace pure gasoline fuels easily and with many added benefits on the same or slightly modified engines.
Xylanase is the group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of 1, 4-beta-D-xylosidic linkages in xylan, the most abundant hemicellulose moiety in plant cell-wall. Bacteria and filamentous fungi are considered as efficient xylanases producers, whereas, yeasts have scarcely been reported for their xylanolytic potential. In the present study, out of 225 indigenous yeast strains, 84 strains were able to produce xylanase in xylan supplemented agar medium, amongst which 40 strains yielded higher titers (>0.2 IU mL(-1)) in broth medium. The parameters for xylanase production from the most promising strain, MK-160, were optimized as temperature, 40 degrees C; pH, 7; and substrate concentration, 0.5\%. However, the characterization of xylanase activity in cell-free culture supernatant revealed that the enzyme displayed optimal activity under different set of conditions i.e. at 40 degrees C, at acidic pH and in presence of 2\% xylan. The strain was identified on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics as Candida tropicalis MK-160. The strain showed the ability to grow on sugarcane-bagasse and wheat bran with the concomitant production of higher titers of xylanase and low levels of endoglucanase (EG). It was able to produce 5.45\% ethanol in glucose supplemented medium. Furthermore, the cells of C. tropicalis MK-160 removed more than 90\% of an azo-dye, congo red from aqueous solution. The data showed that the strain can further be evaluated for its potential to use for waste management and some other biotechnological processes. (C) 2018 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
Evaluation of processes parameters along with the economic return are crucial aspects for selection of sugarcane characteristics for different biorefinery configurations. In this context, six sugarcane hybrids with varied compositional characteristics and field productivity were assessed through process simulation for potential use in first generation ethanol production. A computational platform, the Virtual Sugarcane Biorefinery, which includes Aspen Plus simulations and spreadsheets, was used as tool to estimate production of electricity, sugar and ethanol in first generation biorefineries. The same platform also provided sugarcane costs and economic performance, mostly based on internal rate of return (IRR) calculations. Results show that sugarcane characteristics including components composition, mainly lignin, sucrose and fiber contents, as well as field productivity, must be evaluated simultaneously in the biorefinery context. The three hybrids with the highest field productivity and fiber content (H89, H58 and H140) achieved the best economic indicators. Parametric sensitivity analysis evaluated the influence of investments, and prices of sugarcane, sugar, ethanol and electricity on the IRR values. Variation in sugarcane and ethanol prices and in the investments were more significant for the final IRR values. Ethanol price was especially critical for IRR of autonomous distilleries, strengthening the importance of multiproduct biorefineries. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this work, sugarcane bagasse waste (SBW) was used as a lignocellulosic precursor to develop a high surface area activated carbon (AC) by thermal treatment of the SBW impregnated with KOH. This sugarcane bagasse waste activated carbon (SBWAC) was characterized by means of crystallinity, porosity, surface morphology and functional groups availability. The SBWAC exhibited Type I isotherm which corresponds to microporosity with high specific surface area of 709.3 m(2)/g and 6.6 nm of mean pore diameter. Further application of SBWAC as an adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) dye removal demonstrated that the adsorption process closely followed the pseudo-second order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models. On the other hand, thermodynamic study revealed the endothermic nature and spontaneity of MB dye adsorption on SBWAC with high acquired adsorption capacity (136.5 mg/g). The MB dye adsorption onto SBWAC possibly involved electrostatic interaction, H-bonding and pi-pi interaction. This work demonstrates SBW as a potential lignocellulosic precursor to produce high surface area AC that can potentially remove more cationic dyes from the aqueous environment.
Enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals will be a key technology in the future. However, in order to make this process economically feasible, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of enzyme production, since the cost of the enzymatic cocktails significantly influences the viability of the overall process. In this sense, the use of solid-state fermentation (SSF) is particularly advantageous for enzyme production. Here, a comparative study on the enzymatic hydrolysis of steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse (SESB) using enzymatic extract (EE) and whole solid-state fermentation medium (WM) of two newly isolated strains of Aspergillus oryzae (P6B2 and P27C3A) from the Amazon Rainforest was carried out. The biomass conversion using WM from A. oryzae P6B2 was more efficient when compared with the EE, while for A. oryzae P27C3A the conversion yields were similar. The WM from P27C3A supplemented with a low dosage of commercial enzyme resulted in a final conversion of 45\% of the theoretical value. Furthermore, the combination of the enzymes from both strains, allowed up to 5 folds improvement in SESB conversion. These results showed that the in-house enzyme production by wild-type A. oryzae strains cultivated under SSF can be very advantageous for the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass and, thus, it can be considered as a potential biotechnological configuration for the production of biofuels.
Aminocyclopyrachlor is a persistent herbicide in soil; in the presence of organic matter, this persistence can be increased and can contribute to environmental contamination. The objective of this study was to verify the effects of organic materials derived from the sugarcane cultivation system on the mineralization and degradation of aminocyclopyrachlor in the soil. C-14-aminocyclopyrachlor was applied to soil with organic residues (sugarcane straw, filter cake and vinasse) and evaluated for 112 days of incubation. Mineralization was quantified by the weekly evolution of (CO2)-C-14, and the extracted, bound residues and the formation of metabolites of aminocyclopyrachlor were quantified. The mineralization was lower than 45\% in all treatments. The degradation half-life (DT50) is being 187 days for unamended soil and > 240 days for soils amended with organic materials. For 90\% of the herbicide to be degraded (DT90), between 622 and 921 days was required in all soils. Bound residues were formed in the soil (30\% of the total applied in all treatments). No metabolites were formed during the whole incubation period, regardless of the treatment. The presence of organic materials in the soil increased the persistence of aminocyclopyrachlor in the soil, so that persistence of the herbicide may promote a residual effect on weeds and carryover in subsequent crops.
Sugarcane bagasse, an agricultural residue plentiful in Brazil, was utilized for xyli tol production by a bio technological process. A medium fermentation prepared with this xylose-rich biomass at an oxygen transfer volumetric coefficient of 10/h(1) and different initial pH values was inoculated with cells of Candida guillieirmondii FTI 20037. The maximum values of xylitol and cell volumetric productivities (Q(p) = 0.56 g/{[
Background: This paper reports the production of cellulase by thermophilic Bacillus sp. SMIA-2 using sugarcane bagasse and corn steep liquor as substrates. Some biochemical properties of the enzyme were also assessed for the purposes of exploiting its potential in the detergent industry, as well as other suitable applications. Results: Bacillus sp. produced cellulases when cultivated at 50 degrees C in liquid cultures containing sugarcane bagasse and corn steep liquor. Maximum avicelase (0.83 U mL(-1)) and CMCase (0.29 U mL(-1)) activities were reached in 120 h and 168 h of culturing time, respectively. The avicelase and CMCase presented an optimum activity at pH of 7.5 and 8.0, respectively. The maximum stability of avicelase and CMCase was observed at a pH range between 6.5-8.0 and 7.0-9.0 respectively, where they retained more than 70\% of their maximum activities after incubation at room temperature for 3 h. The optimum temperature of avicelase and CMCase was 70 degrees C, and both enzymes remained 100\% stable until the treatment at 60 degrees C for 1 h. Bacillus sp. cultures also released proteases into the culture medium, but the cellulases were resistant to protease digestion. The compatibility of cellulases varied with each laundry detergent tested, being more stable in the presence of Ultra Biz (R) and less with Ariel (R). In addition, the enzyme was stable in sodium dodecyl sulfate and RENEX-95, and was inhibited by TritonX-100 and H2O2. Conclusions: The properties presented by Bacillus sp. SMIA-2 suggest that this organism might become a potential source of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes for industrial applications such as in the detergent industry. (C) 2015 Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The development of ecological, low cost, easy preparation, especially high performance materials for emulsions separation is of great importance due to the rise in pollution of oil-water emulsions from industrial production and domestic waste. Straws as agricultural wastes, including plenty of hydrophilic groups and multi-level pore structures, can be prepared as biomass membranes for oil-water emulsion separation. Herein, a novel super-hydrophilic sugarcane-based (SHS) membrane was prepared using a facile and eco-friendly method including chemical treatment and freeze-drying. The as-prepared SHS membrane has unique wettabilities due to the hy-drophilic property of the internal cellulose and the micro-nano pores, including superhydrophilicity (water contact angle of 0) and underwater superoleophobicity (underwater oil contact angles of over 150). The SHS membrane has good durability and stability against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, corrosion by acids and alkalis, mechanical abrasion and especially mould adhesion. Importantly, the SHS membrane can be used for separation of various oil-in-water emulsions, and exhibits excellent separation performances such as high separation efficiency (> 99 \%) and good separation flux (above 891 L m-2 h-1 bar- 1). The SHS membrane also exhibits excellent recyclability over 10 continuous separation cycles. Furthermore, the SHS membrane can be utilized to selectively absorb water from oils as a water absorbent material. Hence, SHS membrane is a promising and practical material for applications in treatment of wastewater containing oil-water emulsions.
Accumulation of heavy metals in unconsolidated soils can prove toxic to proximal environments, if measures are not taken to stabilize soils. One way to minimize the toxicity of metals in soils is the use of materials capable of immobilizing these contaminants by sorption. Biochar (BC) can retain large amounts of heavy metals due to, among other characteristics, its large surface area. In the current experiment, sugarcane-straw-derived biochar, produced at 700 degrees C, was applied to a heavy-metal-contaminated mine soil at 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 \% (w/w). Jack bean and Mucuna aterrima were grown in pots containing a mine contaminated soil and soil mixed with BC. Pore water was sampled to assess the effects of biochar on zinc solubility, while soils were analyzed by DTPA extraction to confirm available metal concentrations. The application of BC decreased the available concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in the mine contaminated soil leading to a consistent reduction in the concentration of Zn in the pore water. Amendment with BC reduced plant uptake of Cd, Pb, and Zn with the jack bean uptaking higher amounts of Cd and Pb than M. aterrima. This study indicates that biochar application during mine soil remediation could reduce plant concentrations of heavy metals. Coupled with this, symptoms of heavy metal toxicity were absent only in plants growing in pots amended with biochar. The reduction in metal bioavailability and other modifications to the substrate induced by the application of biochar may be beneficial to the establishment of a green cover on top of mine soil to aid remediation and reduce risks.
Alcoholic fermentation of released sugars in pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass is a central feature for second generation ethanol (E2G) production. Saccharomyces cerevisiae used industrially in the production of first generation ethanol (E1G) convert sucrose, fructose, and glucose into ethanol. However, these yeasts have no ability to ferment pentose (xylose). Therefore, the present work has focused on E2G production by Scheffersomyces stipitis and Spathaspora passalidarum. The fermentation strategy with high pitch, cell recycle, fed-batch mode, and temperature decrease for each batch were performed in a hydrolyzate obtained from a pretreatment at 130 degrees C with NaOH solution (1.5\%w/v) added with 0.15\% (w/w) of anthraquinone (AQ) and followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. The process strategy has increased volumetric productivity from 0.35 to 0.38gL(-1)h(-1) (first to third batch) for S. stipitis and from 0.38 to 0.81gL(-1)h(-1) for S. passalidarum (first to fourth batch). Mass balance for the process proposed in this work showed the production of 177.33kg ethanol/ton of sugar cane bagasse for S. passalidarum compared to 124.13kg ethanol/ton of sugar cane bagasse for S. stipitis fermentation. The strategy proposed in this work can be considered as a promising strategy in the production of second generation ethanol. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2211-2221. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sugarcane processing in sugar industry results in generation of vast amounts of wastes, which can be valorized to biofuels and value-added chemicals based on the concept of circular bioeconomy. For successful commercialization, economic and technological bottlenecks must be clearly identified. In this review, the state of the art of various valorization routes are discussed for each waste stream. Subsequently, studies quantifying the environmental impacts and performing techno-economic assessment are reviewed. The scope and bottlenecks involved in the commercialization of these routes are identified and discussed. The review shows that electricity production from bagasse has matured as a technology but the production of value-added chemicals is still lagging. Here, downstream separation and purification are the major hurdles needing technological innovation. Moreover, indirect environmental and human health benefits due to waste valorization are not adequately accounted for. Further, strong trade-offs between economic and environmental performance exist, necessitating systematic and region-specific decision-making framework.
Brazilian bioethanol and sugar production generates large amounts of vinasse, filter cake and boiler ashes (originated from biomass combustion). On the other hand, the distribution of these by-products in the field is usually inadequate, considering the environmental aspects and the best use of nutrients and organic material present in these by-products. This work presents a study for reprocessing of these by-products into a solid and granular organomineral biofertiliser developed by Dedini S/A Ind. Base (BIOFOM (R)), which can be formulated according to the soil and sugarcane specific needs. This article shows the process of an integrated BIOFOM, ethanol and electricity from biomass production system for an industrial unit of large capacity. The results of BIOFOM preliminary agronomic greenhouse tests and analysis of process profitability are also shown. These results indicate an excellent internal rate of return (IRR) and attractive payback time as well, resulting from surplus power sales, reduction of chemical fertiliser and fuel consumption, reduction of by-products distribution infrastructure, and decrease (elimination) of the mill's water withdrawal. Moreover, BIOFOM gave a good agronomic performance in greenhouse experiments, and it will provide an appropriate reuse of the by-products, in accordance with green technologies (environmentally sustainable technologies). Therefore, the studies show that BIOFOM will lead to the existence of a more profitable and sustainable agro-industry that adopts rational and friendly practices for the environment.
Alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment is a promising process for enhancing enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass in biorefineries. In the present work, the effects of organic bases (NH4OH and tri-ethylamine) and co-solvents (ethanol, isopropanol,tert-butyl alcohol, water) on AHP pretreatment efficiency of rice straw were studied and compared to the typical aqueous reaction with NaOH. It was found that the glucose recovery from enzymatic hydrolysis of the biomass pretreated by AHP at 35 degrees C for 24 h using NH4OH in aqueous/tert-butyl alcohol (73.6\%) was higher than that achieved using ethanol and isopropanol (31.6-48.6\%) and water (71.2\%) under the same experimental conditions. Increasing H(2)O(2)concentration from 1 to 10\%v/vin the aqueous/tert-butyl alcohol with NH4OH led to enhancing sugar yield to from 349 to 623 mg/g pretreated rice straw, equivalent to the highest glucose recovery of 83.0\%. Formation of highly porous structures in pretreated rice straw by removals of hemicelluloses and lignin was revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy while the increased crystallinity index was shown by X-ray diffraction. This modified low-temperature AHP pretreatment using organic solvent system is advantageous on recyclability potential of the reagents and potent for further implementation in lignocellulosic biorefineries.
The industrial waste generated from sugar production, i.e. bagasse is further used as a biofuel. This generates a huge amount (44,000 tonnes/day) of waste in the form of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). As-received boiler SCBA shows lower performance in terms of pozzolanic characteristics. In this study, the role of mechanical and thermal treatment in improving the pozzolanicity of SCBA has been examined. The preliminary characterization of SCBA was done using laser granulometry, SEM, XRF, XRD and TG analysis. The four methods were adopted to quantify the pozzolanic behaviour, viz. reactive silica determination, pozzolanic activity index, electrical conductivity drop and Chapelle activity. Further, the experimental data were analysed using ANOVA. The coefficient of regression (0.86-0.99) reflects effective and significant logarithmic models. The study concludes that the adopted processing of SCBA is highly effective in improving the pozzolanicity. Thus the processed SCBA is a sustainable solution to the cement industry.
Cellulase production was evaluated in two reference strains (T. reesei Rut-C30 and T. reesei QM9414), two strains isolated from a sugarcane cultivation area (Trichoderma sp. IPT778 and T. harzianum rifai IPT821) and one strain isolated in a program for biodiversity preservation in Sao Paulo state (Myceliophthora thermophila M77). Solid state cultures were performed using sugarcane bagasse (C), wheat bran (W) and/or soybean bran (S). The highest FPA was 10.6 U/gdm for M77 in SC (10:90) at 80\% moisture, which was 4.4 times higher than production in pure W. C was a strong inducer of cellulase production, given that the production level of 6.1 U/gdm in WC (40:60) was 2.5 times higher than in pureWfor strain M77; T. reesei Rut-C30 did not respond as strongly with about 1.6-fold surplus production. S advantageously replaced W, as the surplus production on SC (20:80) was 2.3 times relative to WC (20:80) for M77.
Ethanol production from sucrose from sugarcane allowed Brazil to become a world reference in the production of biofuels. Presenting the 2013/2014 crop harvest of 653,519 thousand tons of sugarcane, thus producing 37,713 thousand tons of sugar and 27,543 thousand m(3) of ethanol and generating 91,493 thousand tons of bagasse. However, as referenced since 1970, Brazil could exploit sugarcane waste surpluses in order to use bagasse and straw for ethanol production, but the data presented in the last decade emphasized in a significant direction and on increasing the use of these wastes in the generation of bioelectricity. Currently there are 486 sugar-energetic power plants with the productive capacity of 12.056 MW to the power network (autoconsumption of sugar-energetic power plants corresponds to 50\% of the energy produced), representing 8.4\% of the Brazilian energy matrix. Therefore, this review reports that the offer of bagasse and straw for ethanol production in industrial scale will be insufficient, thus, arising the need to find possible lignocellulosic materials with the potential to be used for ethanol production, thus allowing the supplemental absence of straw and bagasse sugarcane that could be available according to the locality, both in the rural area as well as in the urban area. Furthermore, the review reports the application of sugarcane wastes in the production of bioethanol, the difficulties encountered in the implementation of cellulosic ethanol power plants based only on the use of bagasse and straw of sugarcane, the possibility to use alternatives of lignocellulosic materials with potential to be applied in Brazil, besides the production of cellulosic ethanol, the production of co-products and by-products using microdistillery, based on the biorefinery context in an efficient manner. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The growing awareness of the importance of bacterial-resistant surfaces has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic global problem. Therefore, the need for antibacterial surfaces has become urgent. The by-product bagasse papers (BPs) were modified with antimicrobial natural rosin, followed by the synthesised graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles (GO-Ag-NPs) through a spin coating approach. The modified samples exhibited a remarkable antibacterial activity towards E. coli (G(-ve) bacteria) and S. aureus (G(+ve) bacteria). The microstructure, as well as phase composition of the prepared composites, was identified using various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and hydrophilicity which was metered by water contact angle (WCA). The obtained results demonstrated that the halos of inhibition were noticed for decorated TBP samples by GO-Ag-NPs with various diameters ranging from 20 to 25 mm. Consequently, packaging applications could be extra developed with these renewable nanomaterials.
An essential step in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol and other biorefinery products is conversion of cell wall polysaccharides into fermentable sugars by enzymatic hydrolysis. The objective of the present study was to understand the mode of action of hemicellulolytic enzyme mixtures for pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSB) deconstruction and wheat arabinoxylan (WA) hydrolysis on target biotechnological applications. In this study, five hemicellulolytic enzymes-two endo-1,4-xylanases (GH10 and GH11), two alpha-L-arabinofuranosidases (GH51 and GH54), and one beta-xylosidase (GH43)-were submitted to combinatorial assays using the experimental design strategy, in order to analyze synergistic and antagonistic effects of enzyme interactions on biomass degradation. The xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) released from hydrolysis were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis and quantified by high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). Based on this analysis, it was possible to define which enzymatic combinations favor xylose (X1) or XOS production and thus enable the development of target biotechnological applications. Our results demonstrate that if the objective is X1 production from WA, the best enzymatic combination is GH11 + GH54 + GH43, and for xylobiose (X2) production from WA, it is best to combine GH11 + GH51. However, if the goal is to produce XOS, the five enzymes used in WA hydrolysis are important, but for PSB hydrolysis, only GH11 is sufficient. If the final objective is bioethanol production, GH11 is responsible for hydrolyzing 64.3 \% of hemicellulose from PSB. This work provides a basis for further studies on enzymatic mechanisms for XOS production, and the development of more efficient and less expensive enzymatic mixtures, targeting commercially viable lignocellulosic ethanol production and other biorefinery products.
Sugar cane bagasse pulps were obtained by ethanol/water organosolv process under acid and alkaline conditions. The best condition of acid pulping for the sugarcane bagasse was 0.02 mol/L sulfuric acid at 160 degrees C, for 1 h, whereas the best condition for alkaline pulping was 5\% sodium hydroxide (base pulp) at 160 degrees C, for 3 h. For the residual lignin removal, the acid and alkaline pulps were submitted to a chemical bleaching using sodium chlorite. Pulps under acid and alkaline conditions bleached with sodium chlorite presented viscosities of 3.6 and 7.8 mPa s, respectively, and mu-kappa numbers of 1.1 and 2.4, respectively. The pulp under acid condition, bleached with sodium chlorite was used to obtain carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). CMC yield was 35\% (pulp based), showing mass gain after the carboxymethylation reaction corresponding to 23.6\% of substitution or 0.70 groups -CH2COONa per unit of glucose residue. The infrared spectra showed the CMC characteristic bands and by the infrared technique it was possible to obtain a substitution degree (0.63), similar to the substitution degree calculated by mass gain (0.70).
There is a need to replace components of substrates for the development of seedlings in forest nursery, with low-cost products and especially with local and renewable materials. Sugarcane bagasse biochar is lightweight, porous and has a high-water retention capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the response of biochar based on sugarcane bagasse to produce white pine (Pinus greggii Engelm. ex Parl) plants under nursery conditions. Four treatments were evaluated: (a) biochar with forest soil, (b) forest substrate (composed of 12.5\% peat moss, 12.5\% agrolite, 25\% vermiculite, 50\% pine bark), (c) biochar with forest substrate, both in a 1:9 ratio (biochar:soil, biochar:substrate), and (d) forest soil. The effect of fertilization (N, P and K) and biochar on the performance of treatments in soil and forest substrate was evaluated. The growth variables evaluated were plant height, stem diameter, total aerial biomass, total root biomass, aerial/root biomass ratio, and the concentration of accumulated nutrients (N, P, Ca, K, Na and Mg) in the aerial and root parts. The results obtained indicate that as a consequence of the addition of biochar to the soil and fertilization, the height, diameter, biomass (aerial and total) of Pinus greggii were similar to obtained in forest substrate, alone or combined with biochar. These results were associated with the addition of biochar to the soil that increased the absorption of N and its concentration in the aerial biomass, and favored the availability of Mg, Ca, K and P, these last two elements added in fertilization. It is concluded that the combination of biochar and soil in a ratio (1: 9) (p/p) with the addition of fertilizer (N, P and K) can be used in the development of Pinus greggii Engelm ex Parl in the nursery.
Spathaspora passalidarum is a naturally pentose-fermenting yeast with the potential to be applied for biotransformation of sugars from lignocellulosic biomasses. Despite being mostly investigated for ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse sugars (mainly xylose and glucose), this microorganism is also capable of producing high xylitol concentrations as a by-product of the ethanol fermentation. The integration of ethanol and xylitol production can improve the economic viability of the process due to the lower sale price of ethanol and the higher added-value of xylitol, a sucrose-substitute sugar with healthier properties. Considering the metabolic pathways interaction from glucose and xylose, it is essential to understand the effect of different glucose and xylose concentrations in the production of ethanol and xylitol by S. passalidarum. In this way, a simultaneous production of both products for the development of an integrated platform for food and chemical and biofuel industries can be accessed. Yeast biomass can also be recovered and applied as a protein source. Therefore, in this study, the fermentative performance of S. passalidarum was investigated in batch fermentations with different xylose and glucose concentrations, using synthetic substrate. The ATP levels and the enzymatic activities of xylose reductase (XR), xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH), and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were also determined for each condition. The results indicated that low amounts of glucose (35\%) were necessary to promote a higher xylitol production (10.58 +/- 0.29 g/L) without losses on ethanol yield (78.99 +/- 4.41\%), being the most interesting condition for simultaneous formation of both products.
The demand for lactic acid as a raw material for the chemical industry is on the rise. Various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been tested for the fermentation of sugar-cane juice and molasses into lactic acid. Industrially, the most commonly used producer strains are from the Lactobacillus genus. We report here on the fermentation of sugar-cane juice and syrup into L-lactic acid using Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp delbrueckii (NCIM 2365). We present a reliable method to quantitatively assess the amount of L-lactic acid produced during fermentation using 1H NMR spectroscopy. This analytical method offers various advantages over existing ones and can be extended to the on-line monitoring of fermentation of sugars into lactic acid in industry.
Sugarcane juice was converted to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae producing 8\% (v/v) ethanol. This ethanol was used for vinegar production using adsorbed (bagasse, corn cobs and wood shavings) and entrapped (calcium alginate) cells of Acetobacter aceti NRRL 746, All three adsorbed carrier materials were statistically similar for acetic acid production and produced acidity from 5.9 to 6.7\% after 28 days of submerged fermentation. By recycling bagasse adsorbed cells, the time of acetic acid fermentation was reduced to 13 days. Semi-continuous fermentation of bagasse adsorbed cells using a packed bed column further reduced the fermentation time to 80 h.
Biofilms are matrix-enclosed communities of bacteria that are highly resistant to antibiotics. Adding nanomaterials with antibacterial activity to the implant surfaces may be a great solution against biofilm formation. Due to its potent and widespread antibacterial effect, silver nanoparticles were considered the most potent agent with different biological activities. In the present investigation, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were newly synthesized as antibiofilm agents using sugarcane process byproduct (molasses) and named Mo-capped AgNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles showed promising antimicrobial activity against S. aureus ATCC 6538 and C. albicans DAY185. Statistically designed optimization through response surface methodology was evaluated for maximum activity and better physical characteristics, namely the nanoparticles' size and polydispersity index (PDI), and it was revealed that molasses concentration was the main effective factor. Minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of Mo-capped AgNPs against S. aureus ATCC 6538 and C. albicans DAY185 was 16 and 32 mu g/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscope study of Mo-capped AgNP-treated biofilm revealed that AgNPs penetrated the preformed biofilm and eradicated the microbial cells. The optimally synthesized Mo-capped AgNPs were spherically shaped, and the average size diameter ranged between 29 and 88 nm with high proportions of Ag+ element (78.0\%) recorded. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated the importance of molasses ingredients in capping and stabilizing the produced silver nanoparticles.
Development of Bioeconomy is impossible without establishing efficient technologies of lignocellulosic biomass valorization via transformation into fermentable sugars. Sugarcane is a valuable agricultural crop in several Asian, African, and Latin American countries. Here, leaves from two sugarcane and two energy cane varieties were evaluated for sustainable production of second-generation sugars, and their enzymatic hydrolysis yields were compared. Structural, morphological, and chemical composition changes in sugar and energy cane leaves submitted to acid, and acid-alkaline pretreatments were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser microscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and low-field solid-state NMR techniques. Enzymatic hydrolysis assays were conducted to evaluate saccharification yields of untreated and pretreated leaves. Jointly, our results revealed the significant potential of leaves from two commercial sugar cane cultivars currently bred in Argentina as possible lignocellulose substrates for the 2G ethanol industry.
We compared the relationship of the behavior and performance of sugarcane baggase and rice straw as supercapacitor electrodes. X-ray diffraction revealed the evolution of crystallites of carbon and silica during activation at higher temperature. The morphology of the carbon samples was determined by SEM. The surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution of carbon composites were measured. The electrochemical responses were studied by using cyclic voltammetry experiment at 25 A degrees C in a three-electrode configuration. The specific capacitance of the sugarcane bagasse carbon electrodes was in the range 92-340 F/g, whereas for rice straw, it was found to be 56-112 F/g at scan rates of 2-3 mV/s. The sugarcane bagasse carbon exhibited better performance than rice straw carbon using H2SO4 as the electrolyte. However, the results clearly show that lignocellulosic wastes possess a new biomass source of carbonaceous materials for high-performance supercapacitors.
Optimization and control strategies are necessary to keep factory operations profitable while minimizing energy usage. Like many industries, the need for the sugarcane industry to improve its energy and economic efficiency is often interrupted by random variations in process inputs and market prices. Therefore, this study seeks to present a plant-wide steady-state optimal operation policy. The strategy uses a steady-state process model and a surrogate optimization algorithm to find optimal set-points that maximize factory revenue in the presence of disturbances. The controlled variables are considered as the decision variables and, after solving the optimization problem, they are provided as setpoints for the closed-loop control systems. To assign an economic value to optimal plant-wide control, the factory net revenue is defined as the objective function. A Monte Carlo method is used to randomly sample from a distribution of process and economic disturbances and to simulate the effect thereof on the energy efficiency and economics of a sugar mill. With set-point optimization, an 8.5\% increase in surplus bagasse production was economically optimal despite a 0.43\% reduction in sugar yield, improving the net revenue by 2.4\%. Therefore, the optimizer managed to determine the optimal points at which excess energy expenditure no longer justifies the revenue gain from sugar. Considering, the global shift towards bio-based products, the increase in surplus bagasse makes it possible for a relatively large bio-refinery that uses bagasse as feedstock to be annexed to a set-point optimized sugarcane mill. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bagasse mesoporous carbon (MC) was designed using an L-9 (3(4)) orthogonal experiment and then modified as a cost-effective absorbent for Pb(II) via nitric acid oxidation and ethylenediamine polymerization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and FTIR analyses indicated that amino groups were successfully introduced into the MC after modification. Pore characterization showed that the modified carbon maintained high mesoporosity. The adsorption behavior of Pb(II) and its associated factors including pH, initial concentration, adsorbent dose, temperature, and contact time were further investigated. Results proved that the modified carbon showed excellent Pb(II) adsorption performance, which could be due to the large number of mesopores and introduced amino groups. The adsorption capacity also increased with increasing solution temperature and reached the maximum adsorption amount of 185mgg(-1). The adsorption rate was primarily controlled by intra-particle diffusion, indicating that the pore size of the carbon was a significant factor. The results of XPS before and after Pb(II) adsorption revealed that the grafted amino groups enhanced the adsorption. The modified carbon was tested on real water samples and exhibited high removal capacities. These findings indicate that the bagasse MC could be a suitable precursor for the preparation of amino-rich mesoporous materials with significant Pb(II) adsorption performance.
Jaggery is manufactured by continuous heating of sugarcane juice in an open pan of traditional plants. The lack of technological advancements in these plants leads to high bagasse consumption and low thermal efficiency. In the present study, a modified two-pan jaggery manufacturing plant has been fabricated, tested, and evaluated. This plant has a modified gutter pan with internal fitting of copper tubes to enhance the rate of heat supply from hot flue gases to the bulk sugarcane juice during its preheating. An automatic fuel feeding system has also been implemented to optimize the rate of bagasse supply in the furnace. Experiments were performed with the same input and output operating parameters (mass, density, and temperature of sugarcane juice). From the analysis of experimental data, it is observed that the modified plant has a high thermal efficiency of 72.34\%, low bagasse consumption of 1.39 kg/kg of jaggery produced, and good rate of jaggery production of 0.61 kg/min. The actual results have been compared with theoretical values and are found in well agreement. The unit cost for jaggery production and payback period of the plant were found to be 0.45 \$/kg and 1.24 years, respectively. The experimental errors have also been evaluated.
This paper reports on a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for lactic acid. The sensor is based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), obtained on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles. The MIP was obtained by electropolymerization of the o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) on the modified surface of the GCE in the presence of lactic acid. The steps involving the GCE modification and MIP construction were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results were evaluated using differential pulse voltammetry, using the hexacyanoferrate redox system as an electrochemical probe. Under optimized experimental conditions, the imprinted sensor has a linear response in the 0.1 nM to 1.0 nM lactic acid concentration range, with detection limit of 0.09 nM. The sensor exhibits excellent selectivity in the presence of molecules of similar chemical structure. It was applied for the selective determination of lactic acid in sugarcane vinasse. The recovery values ranged from 97.7 to 104.8\%.
The production of biodiesel by using homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts is not favourable due to difficult catalyst recovery, purification of the product in case of homogeneous catalysts and longer reaction time, severe reaction conditions and high production cost are the drawbacks of heterogeneous catalysts. Different sulfonated catalysts were synthesized to overcome these problems and their feasibility on industrial scale. Therefore, the focus of this study was to synthesize a sulfonated catalyst using activated carbon produced from the lignin extracted from sugarcane bagasse and used in the transesterification of waste cooking oil with methanol using microwave as heating source. The catalyst was prepared by varying the sulfonation temperature (140-220 degrees C) for 120 min and characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), surface area (BET) and elemental analysis by CHNS analyzer. The catalyst prepared at 180 degrees C for 2 h showed excellent characteristics in terms of surface area i.e., 30.31 m(2). g(-1) tachments, surface morphology and crystallographic structure. The process of transesterification was optimized by varying reaction time (5-25 min), methanol to oil molar ratio (6:1-24:1), catalyst loading (5-20 wt\% to oil) and temperature (40-70 degrees C). The maximum yield (89.19\%) of biodiesel was achieved after 15 min with a methanol to oil molar ratio of 18:1 at 60 degrees C and 15 wt\% of catalyst. The reusability and stability of the prepared catalyst up to six cycles with minor loss in its activity i.e., 8\% for low-grade feedstocks having higher value of free fatty acid content (FFA) was studied. , acidic density 4.74 mmol. g(-1), pore volume 0.03 cm(3) g(-1), pore size of 9.44 nm, functional groups at
In two field experiments conducted over five successive sugarcane crops (including four ratoon crops), yield decline was associated with a decrease in the organic carbon content of the soil. Reduction in cane yield was minimized by the combined application of farmyard manure and urea, which resulted in an increase in soil organic carbon of 0.023\% over the initial status within five years. Incorporation of farm waste materials such as cane trash, rice straw and legume husk into the soil before cane planting also increased the soil organic carbon content. Maximum benefits, however, were produced by the incorporation of legume husk with 150 kg N ha-1. A judicious mixture of chemical fertilizer and organic manures is therefore suggested as a means of sustaining the productivity of sugarcane.
Thermophilic bio-hydrogen production from xylan by anaerobic mixed cultures in elephant dung was conducted. The initial pH, temperature, and xylan concentration of 7.0, 55 degrees C and 3.0 g/L, respectively, gave a respective maximum hydrogen yield (HY) and hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 12.16 mmol H-2/g xylan and 61.30 mL H-2/L.d. The optimum conditions were used to produce hydrogen from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) in which an HY of 2.60 mmol H-2/g SCB and a HPR of 59.78 mL H-2/L.d were obtained. The hydrogen producers present in both xylan and SCB fermentation broth were Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum and Clostridium sp.
The efficient cellulolytic microorganism was isolated from soil samples collected from Shivaji University campus. Biochemical test and phylogenetic analysis of isolated culture identified as Klebsiella sp. PRW-1. The isolated culture could utilize pure cellulosic substrates (carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and avicel) and different agricultural wastes like sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane barbojo, sorghum husks, grass powder, corn straw and paddy straw by producing a large amount of endoglucanase, exoglucanase, beta-glucosidase, filter paperase (FPU), xylanase and glucoamylase. The reducing sugar production was found higher in the presence of grass powder and sugarcane barbojo. Effects of different physic-chemical parameters to achieve maximum cellulolytic enzymes production were systematically investigated. The effects of supplementation of different metals additives as well as the stability in the presence of higher temperature, pH and commercial detergents, on cellulolytic enzymes were also studied. The foregoing result increases the applicability of the strain for the utilization and bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass that could be used for bioenergy production.
Jaggery is manufactured from sugarcane juice by its continuous heating in traditional plants. These plants are fabricated by local artisans without any design considerations that causes high bagasse consumption and low thermal efficiency. In present research work, a modified two pan jaggery manufacturing plant is fabricated to overcome these drawbacks. The improved plant has a modified gutter pan with internal fitting of copper tubes to enhance the rate of heat supply from hot flue gasses to the bulk sugarcane juice during its preheating. A traditional plant has also been fabricated and tested for comparison purpose. The performances of these plants have been compared on the basis of various performance parameters. The rates of heat utilization, water evaporation, jaggery production, and thermal efficiency of modified plant are found higher, while the rates of bagasse consumption, heat generation, heat loss, temperature of exhaust gasses, and draft generated are observed lower than that of traditional plant. In modified plant, high thermal efficiency (65.52\%) and low bagasse consumption (1.50 kg/kg of jaggery manufactured) makes it a self-fuel-sustainable unit. The actual results obtained for plants have also been compared with theoretical values which are in well agreement. The experimental errors have also been evaluated.
The technology of biomass conversion to bioethanol primarily based on pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation. This study was to investigate the effectiveness of the steam explosion pretreatment of Saccharum spontaneum L., which accomplishes the greater efficacy of physicochemical and structural properties. The collected plant material was processed and analyzed for ash, moisture, carbon content, and other elements. The cellulose content of pretreated biomass was increased to 54.31\% when compared to native wild sugarcane 41.23\% due to the removal of lignin. SEM and FTIR results identified the changes in structural and functional groups also the BET analysis confirmed the increased surface area of Pretreated biomass is 55.541m(2)/g whereas the surface area of native biomass is 17.939 m(2)/g, this is due to the increase in pore volume and pore diameter of pretreated wild sugarcane which is 0.260 cc/g and 9.712 nm when compared to pore volume and Pore Diameter Dv(d) of raw material is 0.040 cc/g and 3.650 nm. XRD crystallinity pattern of pretreated wild sugarcane showed an increase in the crystallinity index due to the breakage of lignin during pretreatment. This comparative study has been carried out to know the effect of steam explosion pretreatment over the physicochemical composition and structural changes of wild sugarcane for sustainable bioethanol production. (c) 2020. CBIORE-IJRED. All rights reserved
Klebsiella oxytoca strains were constructed to produce optical pure D-lactate by pH-controlled batch fermentation in mineral salts medium. The alcohol dehydrogenase gene, adhE, and the phospho-transacetylase/acetate kinase A genes. pta-ackA, were deleted from the wild type. KMS002 (Delta adhE) and KMS004 (Delta adhE Delta pta-ackA) exhibited D-lactate production as a primary pathway for the regeneration of NAD(+). Both strains produced 11-13 g/L of D-lactate in medium containing 2\% (w/v) glucose with yields of 0.64-0.71 g/g glucose used. In sugarcane molasses, KMS002 and KMS004 produced 22-24 g/L of o-lactate with yields of 0.80-0.87 g/g total sugars utilized. Both strains also utilized maltodextrin derived from cassava starch and produced D-lactate at a concentration of 33-34 g/L with yields of 0.91-0.92 g/g maltodextrin utilized. These o-lactate yields are higher than those reported for engineered E. coli strains. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Six Taiwanese biomass materials, namely: rice (Oryza sativa L.) hull; rice bran; sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) bagasse; Taiwan acacia (Acacia confusa Merr.) bark; Taiwan acacia foliage; and Taiwan acacia leaf, were extracted with a 22\% solution of sodium hydroxide at 95 degreesC for 16 h and at an elevated temperature of 135 degreesC for 4 h. These extracts were reacted with 44\% formalin for 2 h at 60 and 80 degreesC, respectively, to investigate their reactivity toward formaldehyde. The free formaldehyde in the reaction mixtures was quantitatively determined by hydroxylamine hydrochloride titration to an end point of pH 4. Extraction temperature, reaction temperature, and type of biomass material were found to significantly influence the reactivity of the extracts with formaldehyde. The 135 degreesC extracts of sugarcane bagasse absorbed the highest amount of formaldehyde while the 95 degreesC extracts of Taiwan acacia foliage absorbed the least amount of formaldehyde. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Enzymatically pre-treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was used as substrate for sequential production of hydrogen (H-2) and methane (CH4). In stage I, SCB was used by autochthonous bacteria, such as Enterococcus (42.4 \% relative abundance) and Paraclostridium (16.8 \%) for H-2 production (166.8 mL H-2/L), while the metabolites accumulated at the end of this stage (9140.5 mg HAc/L) were used by allochthonous inoculum for CH4 production (870.8 mL CH4/L) in stage II. In stage II, hydrogenotrophic (Methanoculleus, 49.1 \%) and acetoclastic (Methanosaeta, 15.5 \%) archaeal genera were identified and considered important to maintain low H-2 pressure in the system. According to gene inference, the hydrolysis of the SCB fiber was performed in both stages, as potential beta-glucosidase and 1,4-beta-xylosidase encoding genes were predicted. However, the energy metabolism of microbial populations differed, as potential genes involved in CH4 metabolism were predominant in phase II (39.0 \%).
This paper presents a method to pretreat sugarcane leaf waste using microwave-assisted (MA) inorganic salt to enhance enzymatic saccharification. The effects of process parameters of salt concentration, microwave power intensity and pretreatment time on reducing sugar yield from sugarcane leaf waste were investigated. Pretreatment models based on MA-NaCl, MA-ZnCl2 and MA-FeCl3 were developed with high coefficients of determination (R-2 > 0.8) and optimized. Maximum reducing sugar yield of 0.406 g/g was obtained with 2 M FeCl3 at 700W for 3.5 min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed major changes in lignocellulosic structure after MA-FeCl3 pretreatment with 71.5\% hemicellulose solubilization. This regime was further assessed on sorghum leaves and Napier grass under optimal MA-FeCl3 conditions. A 2-fold and 3.1-fold increase in sugar yield respectively were observed compared to previous reports. This pretreatment was highly effective for enhancing enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Sugarcane cultivars are interspecific hybrids with an aneuploid, highly heterozygous polyploid genome. The complexity of the sugarcane genome is the main obstacle to the use of marker-assisted selection in sugarcane breeding. Given the promising results of recent studies of plant genomic selection, we explored the feasibility of genomic selection in this complex polyploid crop. Genetic values were predicted in two independent panels, each composed of 167 accessions representing sugarcane genetic diversity worldwide. Accessions were genotyped with 1,499 DArT markers. One panel was phenotyped in Reunion Island and the other in Guadeloupe. Ten traits concerning sugar and bagasse contents, digestibility and composition of the bagasse, plant morphology, and disease resistance were used. We used four statistical predictive models: bayesian LASSO, ridge regression, reproducing kernel Hilbert space, and partial least square regression. The accuracy of the predictions was assessed through the correlation between observed and predicted genetic values by cross validation within each panel and between the two panels. We observed equivalent accuracy among the four predictive models for a given trait, and marked differences were observed among traits. Depending on the trait concerned, within-panel cross validation yielded median correlations ranging from 0.29 to 0.62 in the Reunion Island panel and from 0.11 to 0.5 in the Guadeloupe panel. Cross validation between panels yielded correlations ranging from 0.13 for smut resistance to 0.55 for brix. This level of correlations is promising for future implementations. Our results provide the first validation of genomic selection in sugarcane.
The present study investigates the potential of waste originating from road sector (RAP) and agricultural industry (Sugarcane Bagasse Ash) for production of concrete mixes. 5 mixes were prepared by partial replacing natural aggregates by coarse RAP (CRAP) and fine RAP (FRAP) in the proportions of 50\% and 100\%. 3 subsequent mixes were prepared by incorporating 100\% RAP aggregates blended with 10\% and 15\% Bagasse Ash (BGA) as part replacement of cement. It was noted that incorporations of FRAP aggregates decreased the fresh, mechanical and durability properties of concrete significantly compared to CRAP aggregates. Incorporation of 10\% BGA was found to enhance the mechanical and durability properties of 100\% RAP concrete significantly. Economic analysis of the considered mixes showed that incorporations of RAP aggregates blended with BGA can reduce the total cost of 1 m(3) concrete by more than 40\% as compared to conventional concrete. From the present study, it is recommended to replace 10\% of cement by BGA in RAP concrete as this would not only strengthen the pavement but provides with environmental and economic benefits. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Press mud cake (PMC) is one of the world's most abundant sugarcane-based wastes, and in an Indian context, 8-10 million tonnes per annum is produced. The current use of PMC is restricted to use as filler material in bio-composting process or directly as fertilizer to improve soil fertility without any previous recovery of value-added products. However, considering its potential, only fertilizer use is not the best valorization route. Due to lack of transportation, press mud is unused and left in piles in most sugar mills, leading to blockage of drains and becoming a cause of water pollution. At the same time, increasing consumption of fossil fuels and environmental concern has led to increased use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the transportation sector. Keeping in view limited resources of CNG, biogas is advised as potential fuel to provide continuous supply of CNG in the form of bio-CNG or Compressed Biogas (CBG). Therefore, to decrease the imports of crude oil and natural gas requirement and to increase the economic sustainability of sugar mills, utilization of wastes (spent wash and PMC)for biogas production through anaerobic digestion (AD) and further purification to produce CBG (a purified form of Biogas) will definitely generate additional revenue for sugar mills in India. This paper aims to produce a strong outlook on the importance of CBG production through anaerobic digestion and its purification. Further, an out sketch of five models has been designed showing the possibility to produce maximum CBG using existing biogas plant (sugar mill complex) with addition of a new biogas plant. Production of value-added CBG and recycle of digestate on organic fertilizer are perfect case of bio-circular economy.
The present work describes an investigation concerning the acetylation of celluloses extracted from short-life-cycle plant sources (i.e. sugarcane bagasse and sisal fiber) as well as microcrystalline cellulose. The acetylation was carried out under homogeneous conditions using the solvent system N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride. The celluloses were characterized, and the characterizations included an evaluation of the amount of hemicellulose present in the materials obtained from lignocellulosics sources (sugarcane and sisal). The amount of LiCl was varied and its influence on the degree of acetate substitution was analyzed. It was found that the solvent system composition and the nature of the cellulose influenced both the state of chain dissolution and the product characteristics. The obtained results demonstrated the importance of developing specific studies on the dissolution process as well as on the derivatization of celluloses from various sources.
Combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEAs) are an innovative prospect and a lucrative technology. The present study addresses the preparation, characterization and application of combi-CLEAs with xylanase, cellulase and beta-1,3-glucanase to achieve one-pot bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars. A three-phase partitioning (TPP) method was used to aggregate the enzymes. Glutaraldehyde (100 mM) was employed as a cross-linker with the cross-linking time of 7.5 h. Scanning electron microscopy of the tri-enzyme biocatalyst has a coarse-grained appearance. Combi-CLEAs were more thermally stable, retaining about 70\% of their initial activity at 70 degrees C compared to 30\% for the free enzyme. The storage stability of combi-CLEAs was more than 97\% of their activity after incubation for 11 weeks at 4 degrees C, whereas the free enzymes retained about 65\% of initial activity. The residual activity of combi-CLEAs remained constant at 90\% until the sixth cycle. Contrary to free enzymes that remain in the hydrolysate, which prevents their recovery, reuse of combi-CLEAs was possible. Free enzymes hydrolyze the ammonia cooked sugarcane bagasse at about 73\%, whereas the combi-CLEAs resulted in maximum hydrolysis of about 83.5\% in 48 h.
The bagasse hemicelluloses from the yellow liquor of active oxygen cooking process were successively precipitated by ethanol. The chemical component and structure of five hemicellulosic fractions and final residue were elucidated by a combination of destructive and nondestructive methods. Results showed that xylose was the main sugar residue in the hemicellulosic fractions, whereas final residue contained high content of uronic acids (30.47\%), and lignin. The hemicellulosic fractions were composed of (1 --> 4)-linked-beta-D-xylopyranosyl backbones, but the degree of branching of hemicelluloses fractions depended on the precipitation process. Only 1.84\% of hemicelluloses in the yellow liquor showed high molecular weight (24,078 g/mol), the remainder of hemicellulosic fractions was significantly degraded under cooking conditions. In addition, some branched sugar residues fell off the backbone and dissolved in the yellow liquor during the cooking process. And the thermal stability may relate to the ash content, component, molecular weight, and degree of branching of hemicellulosic fraction. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Two distinct lignocellulosic fractions (rind and core) can be obtained through a physical separation of sugarcane stalks. Although presenting differences in morphology, both fractions can be employed to produce pulps and papers. The pulps and paper sheets produced from the core and rind fractions were characterized by their chemical composition, physical properties and mechanical properties. The pulps obtained from the core presented a higher amount of fines, lower drainage ability and rendered denser and stiffer sheets. The pulps from the rind, which have a higher content of fibers and higher degree of polymerization, produced sheets with higher air permeability and water absorption. Both paper sheets presented mechanical and physical properties comparable to commercial papers and papers from different cellulosic sources. The different properties exhibited by the papers produced from each fraction allow their use for distinct purposes, and expands the opportunities in the context of sugarcane biorefinery.
The widespread availability of banana pseudo stems which do not have considerable commercial value in the country presents a potential source of non-wood raw material for paper production. This investigation determined the suitability of using banana fiber for wrapping paper production. Banana fiber was used with sugarcane bagasse and wastepaper to produce paper in 20:80, 40:60, 60:40 and 80:20 ratios. Banana and sugarcane bagasse were chemically pulped using 12\% NaOH and 4\% Na2S for 1.5 h. The mean thickness of the papers were 0.263 +/- 0.04 mm. 100\% banana paper and 100\% bagasse paper showed nearly similar water absorbency (2.15 s and 2.17 s) and were 2.25 times more than paper from 100\% wastepaper. Highest tensile index was evidenced by banana paper with 20\% wastepaper (29.4 Nm/g). For banana-bagasse mix-ratios, 20\% bagasse demonstrated highest tensile index (16.04 Nm/g). 100\% banana paper produced a tensile index of 18.97 Nm/g. Highest bursting index was from banana paper with 20\% wastepaper mix (2.00 kPa m(2)/g). For banana-bagasse mix-ratios, 20\% bagasse addition showed the greatest bursting index (0.88 kPa m(2)/g). 100\% banana paper produced a burst index of 1.05 kPa m(2)/g. Highest abrasion resistance was 180 turns which was demonstrated by 100\% banana paper. 20\% mix bagasse and 20\% mix wastepaper demonstrated the greatest abrasion resistance with 136 turns and 120 turns respectively. 20.40\% of wastepaper (5.4-5.8\% weight loss) and 10.30\% bagasse (10.0-15.5\% weight loss) were categorised as optimal mix percentages in the pulp mix for their minimal weight losses.
Lignocellulosic biomasses such as wheat straw are widely used as a feedstock for biogas production. However, these biomasses are mainly composed of a compact fibre structure and therefore, it is recommended to treat them prior to its usage for biogas production in order to improve their bioavailability. The aim of this work is to evaluate, in terms of performance stability, methane yield and economic feasibility, two different scenarios: a mesophilic codigestion of wheat straw and animal manure with or without a low-energy demand alkaline pre-treatment (0.08 g(KOH) g(TS)(-1) of wheat straw, for 24 h and at 25 degrees C). Besides this, said pre-treatment was also analysed based on the improvement of the bioavailable carbohydrate content in the untreated versus the pre-treated wheat straw. The results pointed out that pre-treated wheat straw prompted a more stable performance (in terms of pH and alkalinity) and an improved methane yield (128\% increment) of the mesophilic codigestion process, in comparison to the ``untreated{''
Biodiesel and bioethanol play an important role as renewable liquid fuels. Bagasse, a by-product from the bioethanol industry, can generate a ``sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate{''
Typically dark fermentation is performed using activated sludge consortia and there are not studies on hydrogen production using vermihumus-associated microorganisms documented. Microorganisms from Eisenia foetida casting have proven an efficient anti recalcitrant activity. We have evaluated hydrogen production by Eisenia foetida lixiviated earthworm as inoculum using agro industrial wastes as substrate. Experiments were performed in 120 ml serological bottles under anaerobic conditions at 40 degrees C by triplicate. The results showed a hydrogen production of 1571.81, 1246.36 and 232.72 ml(H2)L(-1) from molasses, bagasse and vinasse, respectively. Butyric and acetic acids were the main metabolites produced reaching up to 6.0 and 1.26 gL(-1), respectively. Butanol and ethanol were also produced, but the maximum concentrations attained were 1.7 and 0.28 gL(-1), respectively. Interestingly, the bagasse did not require a pretreatment. The results demonstrated that vermihumus-associated microorganisms are capable of producing hydrogen from the recalcitrant raw materials such as the sugarcane bagasse. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice by Saccharomyces cerevisiae NP01 was investigated under very high gravity (VHG) fermentation and various carbon adjuncts and nitrogen sources. When sucrose was used as an adjunct, the sweet sorghum juice containing total sugar of 280 gl(-1). 3 g yeast extract l(-1) and 5 g peptone l(-1) gave the maximum ethanol production efficiency with concentration, productivity and yield of 120.68 +/- 0.54 g l(-1), 2.01 +/- 0.01 g l(-1) h(-1) and 0.51 +/- 0.00 g g(-1), respectively. When sugarcane molasses was used as an adjunct, the juice under the same conditions gave the maximum ethanol concentration, productivity and yield with the values of 109.34 +/- 0.78 g l(-1), 1.52 +/- 0.01 g l(-1) h(-1) and 0.45 +/- 0.01 g g(-1), respectively. In addition, ammonium sulphate was not suitable for use as a nitrogen supplement in the sweet sorghum juice for ethanol production since it caused the reduction in ethanol concentration and yield for approximately 14\% when compared to those of the unsupplemented juices. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Annealing of sugarcane bagasse cellulose or lignin biocarbons under isopropanol vapor has induced an improvement in electrical conductivity of these materials. Remarkably, the sheet resistance dropped nearly three times for lignin biocarbon treated with isopropanol vapors. The use of isopropanol vapor annealing has increased sp(2) carbon and decreased oxygenated functionality contents of these biocarbons. These chemical changes were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy analyses. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed the formation of graphitic domains on samples pyrolyzed in the presence of isopropanol, while electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping at a nanoscale showed an increase in graphitic characteristics of the particles. These chemical and structural changes of biocarbons have improved their electrical conductivity and decreased sheet resistance values of conductive tracks prepared with such materials. As a proof of concept, we fabricated flexible electronic circuits and paper-based electrochemical devices using conductive lignin-based inks prepared with our method.
Lignocellulosic biomass is recalcitrant to enzymatic and microbial degradation due to its chemical compositions and physical structures that inhibit the hydrolysis reactions. To obtain a high sugar yield for biofuel production, pretreatment process is generally needed to improve efficiency of hydrolysis. Here, organic acids were used to pretreat rice straw. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the effect of three pretreatment parameters, including acid concentration, treatment time, and reaction temperature, on pretreatment efficiency were evaluated and used to generate mathematic optimization model. The hydrolysis results indicated that oxalic acid pretreatment led to the highest enhancement of enzymatic saccharification up to 213.4mg (starting from 500 mg of pretreated sample) when using 5.01\% oxalic acid concentration at 135.91 degrees C for 30.86 min, which was 2.68 times higher than the untreated rice straw. The structural changes in the pretreated biomass were investigated using FT-IR analysis. The results suggested that lignin composition was significantly removed from the pretreated biomass, and the crystalline cellulose was also modified to amorphous form during pretreatment. Both untreated and pretreated rice straw were subjected to anaerobic digestion to evaluate the influence of organic acid pretreatment on biogas production. The highest biogas yield was 322.1 ml/g-rice straw when using citric acid pretreatment which was 7.40 times higher than untreated biomass. These results demonstrated that organic acids can be used for pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials to enhance hydrolysis and biogas production. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane is one of the main crops used around the world as a feedstock for the production of sucrose and biofuel. Prior to harvesting, sugarcane dry leaves are burned to facilitate manual cutting and enhance productivity. This practice generates ashes from sugarcane straw (hereafter referred as SCA), which may be carried to aquatic ecosystems, where its impacts on organisms and ecosystem integrity remain unknown. Here, we experimentally tested the toxicity of five different concentrations of SCA (0, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 mg/L) on three native (Astyanax lacustris, Moenkhausia born La and M. forestii) and two non-native (Oreochrotmis niloticus and Poecilia reticulata) fish from the Parana. River Basin, Brazil. The toxicity was estimated by calculating the median lethal concentration (LC50-24) and the hepatosomatic index (HSI). We hypothesised that native fish are more sensitive to an increase in SCA than non-native fish. We verified that the mortality of native fish sharply increased with the increase in higher SCA concentration (LC50-24h values: A lacustris = 2525.71 mg/L M. bonita = 2124.95 mg/L and M. forestil 1981.74 mg/L). However, no deaths were recorded for non-native fish species in any SCA concentrations. Accordingly, the HSI index values statistically differed with the increase in SCA concentrations for native fish, while for non-native fish we did not observe any difference. Therefore, only native species died or suffered liver damage with an increase in SCA concentrations. Extrapolating our findings to natural environments, we suggest that sugarcane burning, a widely used agricultural technique, has the potential to reduce the population size of native organisms and facilitate the dominance of non-native fish species in aquatic ecosystems. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this study, we measured the genetic diversity within and among a set of 9 commercial sugarcane varieties used for alcohol and sugar production using 17 microsatellite DNA markers. The UGSM148 and UGSM59 primers were monomorphic for all 74 sugarcane samples. The estimated proportion of simple sequence repeated (SSR) polymorphic loci was 88.23\%; 17 alleles were detected. The mean gene diversity of all SSR loci was 0.7279. The highest observed heterozygosity (H-O) value was found in the RB72454 variety, whereas the lowest H-O value was recorded in the SP813250 variety. The SP813250, RB845210, and RB835054 sugarcane varieties were the most genetically uniform varieties. An extremely high level of population differentiation was detected in the varieties exhibiting similar agronomic characteristics. Analysis of the genetic structure of the 9 sugarcane varieties using SSR markers was especially important to identify SSR loci with high levels of heterozygosity and to identify varieties showing the highest levels of heterozygosity. The monomorphic primers may be used to evaluate the genetic stability of sugarcane during cycles of vegetative multiplication, i.e., propagation via rhizomes.
Preceding bioethanol generation, the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with alkali leads to the release of toxic effluents. In the light of growing environmental concerns, there is a strong need to minimize the pollution of water bodies and agricultural land through alternative strategies. Successive recycling of alkali black liquor (ABL), obtained from earlier pretreatment batch, may cut down the toxic effluents by many folds. The present study was conducted to evaluate the delignification performance of ABL for pretreatment of rice straw through recycling. Results indicated that instead of disposing ABL, it can be reused for at least up to five consecutive cycles. Furthermore, saccharification of ABL pretreated biomass using Cellic CTec2 was evaluated and morphological and chemical alterations were analyzed. Over the seven cycles, efficacy of delignification remained up to 60.36\% and the enzymatic conversion of cellulose ranged between 99\% (1-2 cycles) to 74\% (7th cycle). Scanning electron micrographs indicated delignification of ABL pretreated rice straw samples. Crystallinity indices (CrI) of the ABL pretreated and enzyme treated biomass were found to change from 53.70\% to 27.96\% as compared to untreated rice straw (45.07\%) and enzyme treated raw rice straw (42.16\%). The present study suggests that the ABL could be used for pretreatment of rice straw, since no adverse effects were noticed on the delignification and saccharification due to ABL recycling.
The Philippines is an agricultural country comprised of three major regions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Sugarcane is the top produced agricultural crop in the Philippines which, during its harvesting, leaves behind residues composed mostly of sugarcane leaves/straws (SCL). These residues may be utilized for production of biofuels. However, despite SCL being one of the predominant agro-industrial residues in the country, studies on its utilization, especially for energy generation, have been very limited. In this work, assessment of the potential recoverable energy from SCL produced in the Philippines was done through estimating the potential bioenergy recoverable when they are used for direct combustion, bioethanol, and/or bio-methane production. The archipelagic scenario of the country makes it important to look into the specific regions when assessing potentials of available resources as scenario for the entire country is very much different when compared to its specific islands or regions. Great potential has been found in SCL alone in displacing a significant fraction of coal currently used in electricity generation or in meeting mandates for biofuel blending in the Philippines, more so in the Visayas having similar to 68\% share of the annual sugarcane production, which amounts to 40.2 +/- 2.4 PJ/year of recoverable bioenergy from SCL. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This study evaluated the effects of different sources of insoluble fiber at different cage densities on egg performance, egg quality, tibia characteristics, and cecal microbial population of 70-week-old Hy-Line W-36 for 10 weeks. A total of 120 laying hens were allocated to six treatments, including control (CTL) and two sources of insoluble fiber (sugarcane bagasse (SB) and sunflower hulls (SFH) in 5 \% of diet) at two stock densities (3 and 5 hens per cage) with five replicates. Dietary inclusion of SB decreased average daily feed intake (ADFI) and egg production (EP), but improved egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the birds fed SFH. High stock density reduced ADFI, EP, and EW, but increased FCR. Egg quality parameters such as Haugh unit, shell strength, shell thickness, percentage of shell, percentage of yolk, percentage of white and yolk color, and tibia characteristics of laying hens were not affected by insoluble fiber, stock density, or their interactions. High stock density-challenged hens had higher plasma corticosterone levels, but lower feather scores compared to the normal stock density hens (P < 0.05. Besides, subjecting hens to high stocking density decreased populations of Lactobacillus spp. and increased the cecal population of E. coli compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The inclusion of SFH and SB in layer diets, however, increased populations of Lactobacillus spp. and decreased the cecal population of coliforms and E. coli compared to birds in the CTL group. Therefore, dietary inclusion of insoluble fiber, especially sugarcane bagasse, can be a useful method to improve productive performance and cecal microbial population of old laying
This study was conducted at a sugar-alcohol plant located in Nova Alvorada do Sul city, Mato Grosso do Sul State (MS), Brazil, with the objective to discuss the economic viability of electricity cogeneration using sugarcane bagasse for sale of surplus electricity for concessionaires through of the Sistema Interligado Nacional (SIN). Net Present Value (NPV) was used to calculate the economic feasibility of comparing the invested initial capital and the result of the sum of the cash flow at the end of the period. It was observed that the investment can produce financial returns when the production of electricity by the plant is above 40MWh or that the MWh price is traded above the USD\$ 44.00. The results showed that the cost of production of 1MWh is USD\$ 29.04, a competitive value compared to other small power plants, which makes it an excellent alternative both for the company's financial complementarity as well as for the production of electricity of the plant, with environmental and socioeconomic advantages.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of regrowth ages and the use of powdered molasses on nutritional characteristics of Zuri grass (Megathyrsus maximus) silages. A completely randomized design was used, in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme: three regrowth ages (65, 80, and 95 days) and three inclusion levels of powdered molasses of sugarcane (0, 20, and 40 g), with four replications. The chemical composition, fermentation parameters, in vitro digestibility, and in vitro degradation kinetics of the silages were evaluated. Greater dry matter (DM) contents were observed in silages with 95 days with 40 g of molasses. The 65 days of regrowth silages with 40 g of molasses had greater in vitro digestibility of dry matter compared to other treatments. However, lower pH values, N-NH3, DM losses, gas losses, and density were observed in silages with 95 days of regrowth with 40 g of molasses. It is recommended to cut the Zuri grass in the range of 80 to 95 days of regrowth with the addition of 40 g/kg of molasses in powders for the production of silages.
In consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), the difference in optimum temperature between saccharification and fermentation poses a significant technical challenge to producing bioenergy efficiently with lignocellulose. The thermophilic anaerobic strain of Clostridium thermocellum has the potential to overcome this challenge if hydrolysis and fermentation is performed at an elevated temperature. However, this strain is sensitive to structure and components of lignocellulosic materials. To understand biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic materials, C. thermocellum was examined for biohydrogen production as well as bioconversion from different cellulosic materials (Avicel, filter paper and sugarcane bagasse (SCB)). We investigated hydrolysis-inhibitory effects of the cellulosic material types on the substrate degradation and biohydrogen production of C. thermocellum 27405. Within 168 h, the substrate degradation ratios of Avicel, filter paper, and SCB were 83.01, 51.78, and 42.19\%, respectively. The substrate utilization and biohydrogen production of SCB reached 81 and 89.77\% those of filter paper, respectively, indicating that SCB is a feasible substrate for biohydrogen production. Additionally, optimizing fermentation conditions can improve biohydrogen production, with the optimal conditions being an inoculum size of 7\%, substrate concentration of 2\%, particle size of 0.074 mm, and yeast extract concentration of 1\%. This research provides important clues in relation to the low-cost conversion of renewable biomass to biohydrogen.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effects of Ca(OH)(2) solutions applied at different concentrations (2.5\%, 5\%, and 7.5\%) on the structural and chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The feasibility of using the SCB as a substrate for endoglucanase and beta-glucosidase production by Aspergillus niger through solid-state fermentation was also assessed. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 5\% was used as a positive control/benchmark. Changes in SCB cell wall compositions was determined using C-13 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. While cellulosic fiber content and the production of endoglucanase (345.01 +/- 139 U.gDM(-1)) increased using Ca(OH)(2) as pretreatment for sugarcane bagasse, hemicellulose, lignin, alkyl C and carboxyl C content decreased. Comparisons between pretreated and non-pretreated SCB revealed that the highest values of beta-glucosidase (58.18 +/- 9.86 U.gDM(-1)) occurred in non-pretreated samples. The SCB pretreated with NaOH resulted in the highest delignification values (-49.88\%) and the greatest hemicellulose remotion (-53.47\%). However, this treatment also increased crystallinity index (CI; + 23.61\%) in cellulose and showed the lowest endoglucanase (22.79 +/- 11 U.gDM(-1)) and beta-glucosidase (4.71 +/- 1.44 U.gDM(-1)) activities. This study claims that cellulose CI, hemicellulose, and other nutrients (e.g., amino acids) are important variables that should be considered along with delignification, in the substrates selection for cellulase production using filamentous fungi.
In order to increase the sugar cane bagasse digestibility, this agricultural by-product was treated with several chemical reagents with or Without physical treatment. After preliminary evaluation, where several delignificant agents were evaluated, ten treatments were selected for more detailed in vitro dry and organic matter disappearance trials. Then, for the in vivo digestibility trial, four Sugar cane per 5 min 2 - Bagasse treated with 4\% Na2S bagasse based diets were made: I - Hydrolyzed sugar cane bagasse, pressure of 17 kgf/cm(2) + 6\% NaOH, pressure of 12 kgf/cm(2) for 8 min; 3 - Baaasse treated with 2\% Na2S + 3\% NaOH, pressure of 12kgf/cm(2) for 8 min 4- Bagasse treated with 9\% H2O2 + 7\% NaOH, at 70degreesC for 8 min. The ba-asse treated with 4\% Na2S + 6\% NaOH and pressure of' 12 kgf/cm(2) for 8 min exhibited the hi-hest coefficients ol'digestibility for dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, as well as the hi,ahest total digestible nutrient Values. Secondly, the bagasse treated with 9\% H2O2 + 7\% NaOH. at 70degreesC for 8 min showed the best results. Hydrolyzed sugar cane bagasse presented the worst results. The best digestibility data of' some diets, particularly ofthe fibrous fractions, suggests the possibility of reducing the amount of concentrate rneal in chemically/physically treated sugarcane based diets.
The environmental impact of cement production increased significantly in the previous years. For each ton of cement produced, approximately a ton of carbon dioxide is emitted in decarbonation (50\%), clinker furnace combustion (40\%), raw materials transport (5\%), and electricity (5\%). Green strategies have been advanced to reduce it, adding natural or waste materials to substitute components or reinforce the mortar, like fibers or ashes. Sugar cane bagasse ash is a by-product generated from sugar boilers and alcohol factories with capacity to be used in concrete production. Composed mainly of silica, it can be used as mortar and concrete mineral admixture, providing great economic and environmental advantages, particularly in regions with sugar culture and industrial transformation like Brazil. In this research, a study of partial substitution of Portland cement by sugar cane bagasse (SCB) is analyzed, in order to reduce clinker in concrete volume, responsible for high emission of CO(2)to the atmosphere. An experimental campaign with cementitious pastes was carried out to evaluate the durability properties' changes due to SCB ash use. Samples containing 15\% of sugarcane bagasse ash unveiled good results in terms of durability, indicating that concrete structure with sugar cane ash research is a new and important scientific topic to be highlighted.
The suitability of the sorbent material derived from bagasse (chemically modified with bentonite and polyurethane for adsorption of crystal violet from an aqueous solution was evaluated in a series of batch adsorption experiments). A batch adsorption study was investigated to study the effect of pH, initial dye concentration, adsorption doses, and contact time at different temperatures. The best fit for the adsorption kinetics data is a pseudo-second-order model, while the best description for the adsorption equilibrium data is the Langmuir isotherm. Thermodynamic studies of the adsorption process were performed, and the variables, entropy (Delta S degrees), enthalpy (Delta H degrees), free energy (Delta G degrees), were determined. The endothermic character of the adsorption process was demonstrated by a rising trend in adsorption with increasing temperature.
The global water situation is highly challenging and requires immediate attention. It is pertinent to explore opportunities in wastewater treatment with an environment friendly route. An efficient method can be explored where biogenic nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by agricultural waste can further enhance its potential in cleaning the environment. Therefore, a green, surfactant-free and sustainable approach towards the genesis of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) was attempted. Cu2O NPs were synthesized using Fehling's solution and sugarcane bagasse extract which plays a vital role both as reducing and capping agent. The Cu2O NPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared and UV-Visible spectroscopy, and their morphology was determined by high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope analysis. Their optical properties, i.e., band gaps, were calculated, and the catalytic efficiency was studied by carrying out the degradation of organic dyes {[
Separating lignin from cellulose in biomass is a necessary pretreatment step prior to converting them to biofuels or bioproducts. If byproducts from food production can be separated in an ecofriendly solvent at low pressures, biomass specifically grown for biorefining will not need to be shipped long distances. Using deep eutectic solvents (DES) can separate out lignin from the non-food components remaining after agricultural production. This work investigated the efficacy of three DES on four food processing residues on lignin separation, characterizing the molecular weight and fuel value of the extracted lignins. DES pretreatments reduced molecular weight and increased the molecular weight distribution range (PDI) compared to the control black liquor derived lignin. The DES acetic acid: choline chloride (AACC) was most effective for reducing molecular weight and increasing PDI for rice husks and sugarcane bagasse, but a lactic acid: choline chloride DES improved these properties for coffee chaff, and formic acid: choline chloride DES improved them for corn stover. Higher heating values that were higher than the control black liquor derived lignin were found for lignins extracted from rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, and corn stover with AACC.
Wet-storage is the most common way to maintain sugarcane bagasse in the pulping and paper-making industry, although there are few studies focused on the selectivity of delignification in pulping for bagasse treated by wet-storage. In this study, wet-storage of bagasse was carried out before alkali-oxygen pulping. The influence of wet-storage pretreatment on the chemical compositions, morphology of bagasse, and the consumption of NaOH in alkali impregnated bagasse meal were investigated. The wet-storage of bagasse resulted in significant improvement in delignification selectivity of alkali-oxygen pulping. After the bagasse was pretreated by wet-storage with bleaching water, the screened yield and crystallinity of the resulting alkali-oxygen pulp were increased.
This paper reports the use of naturally available raw material as sugarcane bagasse (SB) to prepare cost-effective activated carbon. Activated carbon preparation from SB by using ZnCl2 was carried out by chemical activation method. The raw bagasse, its char and activated carbon were characterized on the basis of iodine number, CHN analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area to check their effectiveness. During activated carbon synthesis, the impregnation ratio of SB and ZnCl2 was maintained at 1:1-1:3 and activation temperature was in the range of 600-900 degrees C for 1 h. From the characterization study, the highest iodine adsorption of activated carbon was found to be 1140.69 mg/g with a 1:2 ratio at 900 degrees C whereas char gives an iodine number of 529.63 mg/g at the same temperature. The BET surface area of raw bagasse, its char and activated carbon (SB-Zn-2-900) obtained was 0.00, 514.27 and 1386.58 m(2)/ g, respectively, which shows charrification and chemical activation improves surface area. The optimum ratio of impregnation and activation temperature was found to be 1:2 at 900 degrees C. In this work, activated carbon was successfully prepared and obtained product has better characteristics than reported in previous research studies.
Fully defined laboratory media have the advantage of allowing for reproducibility and comparability of results among different laboratories, as well as being suitable for the investigation of how different individual components affect microbial or process performance. We developed a fully defined medium that mimics sugarcane molasses, a frequently used medium in different industrial processes where yeast is cultivated. The medium, named 2SMol, builds upon a previously published semi-defined formulation and is conveniently prepared from some stock solutions: C-source, organic N, inorganic N, organic acids, trace elements, vitamins, Mg + K, and Ca. We validated the 2SMol recipe in a scaled-down sugarcane biorefinery model, comparing the physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in different actual molasses-based media. We demonstrate the flexibility of the medium by investigating the effect of nitrogen availability on the ethanol yield during fermentation. Here we present in detail the development of a fully defined synthetic molasses medium and the physiology of yeast strains in this medium compared to industrial molasses. This tailor-made medium was able to satisfactorily reproduce the physiology of S. cerevisiae in industrial molasses. Thus, we hope the 2SMol formulation will be valuable to researchers both in academia and industry to obtain new insights and developments in industrial yeast biotechnology.
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) matrix composites were prepared by powder blending and a hot-pressing process with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as a toughening agent and bagasse as a reinforcing agent. The effects of different contents of PBAT and bagasse on the mechanical properties, the thermal properties, and the section morphology of the composites were studied. By comparing the powder blending process with the conventional twin-screw melt extrusion blending process, it was found that the composites prepared by the powder blending process had better appearance and mechanical properties. With the increase of the PBAT content, the mechanical strength and modulus of the PHBV/PBAT composites decreased, but the flexibility increased. The addition of PBAT also caused the crystallinity of the composites to decrease and the thermal stability to increase. Based on the mass ratio of 60\% PHBV and 40\% PBAT, different contents of bagasse were added. It was found that the mechanical strengths of the composites were lower than that of the composites without bagasse, but the modulus was greatly improved. The crystallization properties of the composites improved, and the thermal stability decreased. This indicated that the addition of bagasse could reduce the material cost and improve the properties of PHBV.
Much of the controversy surrounding second generation ethanol production arises from the assumed competition with first generation ethanol production: however, in Brazil, where bioethanol is produced from sugarcane, sugarcane bagasse and trash will be used as feedstock for second generation ethanol production. Thus, second generation ethanol production may be primarily in competition with electricity production from the lignocellulosic fraction of sugarcane. A preliminary technical and economic analysis of the integrated production of first and second generation ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil is presented and different technological scenarios are evaluated. The analysis showed the importance of the integrated use of sugarcane including the biomass represented by surplus bagasse and trash that can be taken from the field. Second generation ethanol may favorably compete with bioelectricity production when sugarcane trash is used and when low cost enzyme and improved technologies become commercially available. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) has economic importance in tropical and/or subtropical regions, because of the high sucrose content for cost-effective sugar and ethanol production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of vegetative waste on crop yield and industrial quality of the sugarcane. The experiment was carried out in a Kaolinitic Typic Eutrorthox, loamy texture, using the following six treatments: no fire, but leaving 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Mg ha(-1) of straw mulch without trash incorporation, and sugarcane with burning and manual cutting before the harvesting, with four replicates. We evaluated total stalk yield (TSY) and industrial quality based on the apparent sucrose contents in the stalks (Pol), fibers, apparent purity (AP), reducing sugar (RS), and total recoverable sugar (TRS). The TSY after harvest, industrial quality at 180 and 240 days after harvest (DAH) and at the pre-harvest (350 days DAH) were also evaluated. The vegetative wastes had no influence in industrial quality, but 10 and 15 Mg ha(-1) provided TSY 32\% higher than the burning and manual cutting and 0 and the 5 Mg ha(-1) of straw mulch. The use of 50\% of waste to produce energy in sugarcane industrial plant did not reduce crop yield or industrial quality.
Growing amount of agricultural waste and its burning in open environments is contributing towards the carbon emissions and triggering serious health hazards. It can be reduced by beneficially employing the wastes, as carrier media of calcite (CaCO3) precipitating microbes, into the concrete. Instant formation of CaCO3 in micro-cracks using bio-inspired concrete prevents aggressive ions to penetrate into the inside concrete, hence boosting the durability. In the present study, Bacillus subtilis (BS) were immobilized with nano-micro sized carbonaceous solid material, bagasse ground biochar (GBC), to enhance the CaCO3 precipitation. The mechanical behavior of the samples was investigated in terms of bending and compression. Biochar immobilized BS concrete (BSCM) exhibited promising flexural behavior, higher strain energy storing capability, and higher modulus of fracture toughness. Moreover, 23.18\% enhancement in compressive strength was achieved after 56 days of curing in comparison to the control samples. Furthermore, autonomous cracks closure mechanism was monitored as the function of time, the BSCM showed effective crack healing with maximum 100\% and 68\% sealing of 500 mu m and 800 mu m wider cracks respectively, in the selected time frame. The BSCM samples revealed higher ultrasonic pulse velocities and lesser sorptivity due to the densified microstructure of concrete by bacterial precipitated CaCO3. The x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and thermal gravi-metric analysis confirmed the existence of CaCO3 inside the cracks. Consequently, immobilizing BS with bagasse GBC could be considered as a promising solution for prompt cracks repairing and enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete.
A new quaternary ammonium anion exchanger derived from the cellulose-based biomaterial (sugarcane bagasse) was prepared for phosphate adsorption and then the phosphate saturated bio-sorbent was used as a slow-release phosphate fertilizer in water or soil. Results indicated that the adsorption of phosphate by the quaternary ammonium based sugarcane bagasse (QA-SB) was increased with the increase of temperature, and the adsorption was optimal at pH of 4.33-5.88. The capture of phosphate by the QA-SB in fixed-bed column was calculated to be 18.9-21.4 mg/g in the background of Cl- or NO3- (100 mg/L). In particular, the amount of laden phosphate was significantly decreased to 9.1 mg/g in the presence of coexisting SO42- (100 mg/L). As a result, a stronger competitve effect of SO42- on phosphate capture was observed as compared with those of Cl-, and NO3-. Results also indicated that the laden phosphate on the QA-SB could be desorbed efficiently and the recovery of phosphate onto the regenerated QA-SB still attained about 94.5\% after 4 cycles. The slow-release of laden phosphate in aqueous solution could be continuously conducted for 12 d, with 43.6\% of laden phosphate (11.6 mg/g) released. In contrast, phosphate (7.4 mg/g) released in soil reached equilibrium within 4 d, accounting for only 27.8\% of laden phosphate released. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Inhibitory side products from dilute acid pretreatment is a major challenge for conversion of lignocellulose into ethanol. Six strategies to detoxify sugarcane hydrolysates were investigated alone, and in combinations (vacuum evaporation of volatiles, high pH treatment with ammonia, laccase, bisulfite, microaeration, and inoculum size). High pH was the most beneficial single treatment, increasing the minimum inhibitory concentration (measured by ethanol production) from 15\% (control) to 70\% hydrolysate. Combining treatments provided incremental improvements, consistent with different modes of action and multiple inhibitory compounds. Screening toxicity using tube cultures proved to be an excellent predictor of relative performance in pH-controlled fermenters. A combination of treatments (vacuum evaporation, laccase, high pH, bisulfite, microaeration) completely eliminated all inhibitory activity present in hydrolysate. With this combination, fermentation of hemicellulose sugars (90\% hydrolysate) to ethanol was complete within 48 h, identical to the fermentation of laboratory xylose (50 g/L) in AM1 mineral salts medium (without hydrolysate). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bioproducts production using monomeric sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass presents several challenges, such as to require a physicochemical pretreatment to improve its conversion yields. Hydrothermal lignocellulose pretreatment has several advantages and results in solid and liquid streams. The former is called hemicellulosic hydrolysate (HH), which contains inhibitory phenolic compounds and sugar degradation products that hinder microbial fermentation products from pentose sugars. Here, we developed and applied a novel enzyme process to detoxify HH. Initially, the design of experiments with different redox activities enzymes was carried out. The enzyme mixture containing the peroxidase (from Armoracia rusticana) together with superoxide dismutase (from Coptotermes gestroi) are the most effective to detoxify HH derived from sugarcane bagasse. Butanol fermentation by the bacteria Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum and ethanol production by the yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis increased by 24.0 x and 2.4 x , respectively, relative to the untreated hemicellulosic hydrolysates. Detoxified HH was analyzed by chromatographic and spectrometric methods elucidating the mechanisms of phenolic compound modifications by enzymatic treatment. The enzyme mixture degraded and reduced the hydroxyphenyl- and feruloyl-derived units and polymerized the lignin fragments. This strategy uses biocatalysts under environmentally friendly conditions and could be applied in the fuel, food, and chemical industries.
A combination of an acidification reactor and an up-flow staged sludge bed (USSB) reactor was applied for treatment of molasses wastewater containing a large amount of organic compounds and sulfate. The USSB reactor had three gas-solid separators (GSS) along the height of the reactor. The combined system was continuously operated at mesophilic temperature over 400 days. In the acidification reactor, acid formation and sulfate reduction were effectively carried out. The sugars contained in the influent wastewater were mostly acidified into acetate, propionate, and n-butyrate. In addition, 10-30\% of influent sulfur was removed from the acidification reactor by means of sulfate reduction followed by stripping of hydrogen sulfide. The USSB achieved a high organic loading rate (OLR) of 30 kgCOD m(-3) day(-1) with 82\% COD removal. Vigorous biogas production was observed at a rate of 15 Nm(3) biogas m(-3) reactor day(-1). The produced biogas, including hydrogen sulfide, was removed from the wastewater mostly via the GSS. The GSS provided a moderate superficial biogas flux and low sulfide concentration in the sludge bed, resulting in the prevention of sludge washout and sulfide inhibition of methanogens. By advantages of this feature, the USSB may have been responsible for achieving sufficient retention (approximately 60 gVSS L-1) of the granular sludge with high methanogenic activity (0.88 gCOD gVSS(-1) day(-1) for acetate and as high as 2.6 gCOD gVSS(-1) day(-1) for H-2/CO2). Analysis of the microbial community revealed that sugar-degrading acid-forming bacteria proliferated in the sludge of the USSB as well as the acidification reactor at high OLR conditions.
A novel low-cost medium was developed from by-products and wastes from the ethanol agro-industry to replace commercial media in the production of a steam sterilization biological indicator (BI). Various recovery media were developed using soybean or sugarcane molasses and vinasse to prepare a self-contained BI. Media performance was evaluated by viability and heat resistance (D (121 A degrees C) value) according to regulatory standards. A medium produced with a soybean vinasse ratio of 1:70 (1.4\%) (w/v) produced the results, with D (121 A degrees C) = 2.9 A +/- 0.5 min and Usk = 12.7 A +/- 2.1 min. The addition of 0.8\% (w/v) yeast extract improved the germination of heat-damaged spores. The pH variation from 6.0 to 7.3 resulted in a gradual increase in the D (121 A degrees C) value. The absence of calcium chloride resulted in a decrease in germination, while no significant differences were observed with starch addition. Soybean vinasses may thus be used as the main component of a culture medium to substitute for commercial media in the production of self-contained biological indicators. The use of ethanol production waste in this biotechnological process realized a reliable performance, minimized the environmental impact, and decreased BI production costs while producing a high quality product.
Immobilized cells present advantages for degrading organic pollutants compared to free suspended cells. However, the immobilization of cells with reference to agricultural waste is still limited. This study investigated using bagasse as a carrier to immobilize Acinetobacter venetianus (A. venetianus) for the degradation of n-alkane. The degradation of alkane based on both adsorption and biodegradation by immobilized A. venetianus was observed, where 93.3\%, 77.7\% and 24.0\% of tetradecane (400 mg L-1) were removed by the immobilized cells, free cells and bagasse after 36 h incubation, respectively. Additionally, alkane (C-10-C-25) in diesel was effectively degraded by the immobilized cells, of which 800 mg L-1 of alkane was completely degraded after 60 h. Furthermore, results showed: (1) tetradecane served as the optimal carbon source at the concentration of 100 mg L-1; and (2) cells immobilization reached its peak efficiency with the cells-to-bagasse ratio of 0.5 mg(cell) g(bagasse)(-1). Cells strongly immobilized on bagasse retained a high degradation rate of 77.6\% after shaking at 1500 rpm. Bagasse protected the cells from pollution stress including cadmium (Cd(II)) and phenanthrene. After 8 reuse cycles, immobilized cells became more stable and efficient. Bagasse-A. venetianus has potential for future application in remediating diesel contaminants. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Vinasse and biochar are by-products of biofuel production that can be used as sources of nutrients to crops or soil amendments to improve soil quality. Despite the recent interest in biochar and vinasse effects on soil properties, little is known about their effect on weed communities. We hypothesized that the addition of biochar and vinasse to the soil could affect weed seed germination and growth, and that different weed species would show different responses to these soil amendments. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of vinasse and biochar on the germination and growth of Palmer amaranth, sicklepod, and southern crabgrass. The study was conducted under laboratory and growth chamber conditions. Treatments consisted of four levels of vinasse (0, 10, 20, and 40 L m(-2)) and biochar (0, 0.5, 2.5, and 12.5 kg m(-2)) applied to a sandy loam soil. Biochar at 0.5 and 2.5 kg m(-2) increased germination of Palmer amaranth but had no effect on sicklepod and southern crabgrass. Vinasse reduced germination of all species. However, sicklepod germination was less affected by vinasse at 10 and 20 L m(-2) than the other two species. Vinasse at 40 L m(-2) decreased Palmer amaranth, southern crabgrass and sicklepod germination 57, 26 and 87\%, respectively. Biochar had no consistent effect on the vegetative growth of the species studied. Vinasse at 10 L m(-2) stimulated growth of sicklepod and southern crabgrass compared to the nontreated control. Our results suggested that vinasse used as a soil amendment could affect weed community structure by decreasing germination of susceptible species, but plants and weed species that can get established in vinasse amended soils might show higher growth rates.
Bioethanol production from molasses has advantages in greenhouse gas emissions because of its energy acquisition from bagasse. However, the improvement of bioethanol productivity is challenging; while each elemental technology option can be greatly improved, the trade-offs between the production of raw sugar and bioethanol are complex. This issue should be addressed through the optimization of the whole system, including both agricultural and industrial processes. In this study, we constructed a model of combined raw sugar and bioethanol production from sugarcane considering agricultural and industrial technology options. Data were acquired through a detailed investigation of actual sugar mills. Case studies on the redesign of combined raw sugar and bioethanol production demonstrated that the simultaneous implementation of both technology options increases production of food, materials, and energy from plant-derived renewable resources, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary approach. (c) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 560-581, 2017
The monocomponent adsorption process of Cu(II) ions in synthesized industrial wastewater were investigated using activated carbons (BACs) derived from sugarcane bagasse as the precursor. Batch adsorption studies were done by treating the precursor with H3PO4 (BAC-P) and ZnCl2 (BAC-Zn) in order to observe the effects of experimental variables such as contact time, pH of the solution, and adsorbent dose. The Langmuir isotherm model excellently described the adsorption data for both the derived BACs, indicating monolayer coverage on the BACs with the determination coefficients close to the value of one. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacities of 589 and 225 mg g(-1) at 30 \& DEG;C were obtained for BAC-P and BAC-Zn adsorbents, respectively. The modeling of kinetic data of Cu(II) ions adsorption onto BAC-P and BAC-Zn adsorbents illustrated that the Elovich kinetic model fitted well. Here, the adsorption process was film-diffusion controlling, while being principally governed by external mass transport where the slowest step is the diffusion of the particles through the film layer. The mechanism of the adsorption process was proposed taking into cognizance of the ion exchange and surface complexation on active sites between the negatively charged surface of the BACs and the positively charged Cu(II) ions. The BACs were characterized using analytical methods such as SEM, FTIR, EDX, XRD, BET surface area, and zeta potential measurements. Both BACs mainly composed of mesopores and bonds of O-H, C-O, C=O, and C-O-C. The BET surface area of BAC-P and BAC-Zn was 427.5 and 282 m(2)/g before adsorption, and their isoelectric point (pH(IEP)) 3.70 and 5.26, respectively.
In this work, sugarcane bagasse was used as carbon sources, and nickel particles supported on hydrochar were prepared by one step hydrothermal method for dry reforming of CH4 with CO2. The characterization of the catalysts demonstrated that Ni nanoparticles enveloped in hydrochar were in the rage of 4.23-15.07 nm, and Ni atom dispersion was 8.45-22.93\%. The highly dispersion of nanoscale Ni particles were benefit for promoting the catalytic activity of the catalysts, and suppressing the sintering of Ni particles or carbon deposition during DRM. CH4/CO2 conversions of 81.32/93.93\% over Ni-10/SB-C-240 were achieved after 72 h DRM reaction under 850 degrees C and 12000 ml/g.h gas hourly space velocity (GSHV). At the same time, limit carbon deposition on the surface of the used catalyst was observed, and the carbon balance even reached to 99.86\%. The influence of Ni particle size on CH4 and CO2 conversions rate was also experimentally investigated, and the results displayed that smaller Ni particle size was beneficial to promote the stability of the catalysts.
A large-scale sugarcane-based ethanol biorefinery is assessed and analyzed as a conceivable integration of plantation-biorefinery for large-scale carbon dioxide drainage by coupling production of bioenergy to carbon capture and storage (BECCS) vis-a-vis the conventional biorefinery. The plantation-biorefinery integration is simulated to assess ethanol production, power production through bagasse-fired cogeneration, heat demand, water demand, carbon dioxide intake, profitability and resource utilization. Results are compared with several metrics of maximum possible outcomes without violating the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Typical results for a conventional biorefinery processing 1,000 t/h of sugarcane comprises 284 MW of net electricity exportation, emissions of approximate to 0.7 tCO(2) per ton of sugarcane, 3,616.4 t/h of water consumption accounting for blowdown and evaporation in the cooling-tower, 550.2 MMUSD of fixed capital investment and 709.6 MMUSD of net value from ethanol/electricity revenues at 10\% annual interest rate. On the other hand, the proposed BECCS reconfiguration stands as a large-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide drainage system with potentially impressive negative emissions, power exportation of 88.5 MW, BECCS potential of 5.72 MtCO(2)/y, resource utilization and profitability analyzed via Sankey diagrams. Profitability of the BECCS biorefinery is warranted provided the captured carbon dioxide is traded for enhanced oil recovery. The limiting power production for the sugarcane intake is estimated via two thermodynamic approaches: maximum Carnot equivalent power and maximum power at 25 degrees C and 1 atm via the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The assessment reveals the thermodynamic inefficiency of the actual biorefineries in terms of power production. Future studies should investigate exergy efficiencies and expand the study beyond the biorefinery boundary to include carbon emissions in the sugarcane supply-chain.
Novel ecofriendly adsorbents, cellulose acetate/graphene oxide (CA-GO) nanocomposite, were prepared from sugarcane bagasse agro-waste for removing Ni2+ ions from wastewater. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by the oxidation of sugarcane bagasse using ferrocene under air atmosphere. Cellulose acetate (CA) was also prepared from sugarcane bagasse by extraction of cellulose through a successive treatments with sulfuric acid (10\% v/v), sodium hydroxide (5\% w/v), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide, and finally, followed by acetylation. CA-GO was prepared via mixing of GO and CA in the presence of calcium carbonate and different concentrations of GO, including 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt\% relative to the weight of CA. The CA-GO nanocomposite showed porous microstructures with high surface area, which enhance their ability towars the adsorption of Ni2+ ions from wastewater. The morphological properties of the prepared adsorbents were explored by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The efficiency of the CA-GO towards the adsorption of Ni2+ ions from wastewater was explored against as time, temperature, and total content of Ni2+ ions. The adsorption measurements of Ni2+ ions were investigated within the concentration range of 10-40 mg/L, time range between 15 and 90 min, and temperature range between 25 degrees C and 55 degrees C. The results displayed a considerable improvement in the adsorption process of Ni2+ ions by CA-GO-2 with a removal efficiency of 96.77\%. The isotherms were monitored to best fit the Langmuir model. Finally, the adsorption performance of the prepared CA-GO nanocomposite films demonstrated promising properties as green, sustainable and cheap adsorbents for water pollutants.
The present study highlights the development of a combined pretreatment and hydrolysis strategy of rice straw for the production of bioethanol and biopolymer (poly-3-hydroxybutyrate). Maximum reducing sugar yield was 0.374 g/g. The hydrolyzate is devoid of major fermentation inhibitors like furfural and organic acids and can be used for fermentation without any detoxification. Fermentation of the non-detoxified hydrolyzate with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielded 1.48\% of ethanol with a fermentation efficiency of 61.25\% and with Comamonas sp. yielded 35.86\% of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate without any nutrient supplementation. Characterization of native, control as well as the residue left out after combined pretreatment and hydrolysis of RS by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed difference. Compositional analysis revealed that the residue contains lignin and hemicellulose as the major component indicating that major portion of cellulose were hydrolyzed in this strategy. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Due to ever increasing use of conventional fuels and improper utilization of renewables, air pollution and GHG (Green House Gas) emissions are the primary areas of concern. Due to this, the world is now shifting interest towards the synthesis and use of alternate fuels; that can replace the conventional fuels. Present work focuses on an experimental investigation, which is carried out on two different biomass materials - sugarcane bagasse and carpentry waste in 1:1 ratio. Biomass samples were used to synthesize producer gas in a downdraft gasifier with a gas flow rate of 5.07 Nm(3)/h. Producer gas was blended with diesel and fired in a dual fuel CI engine. Engine performance was smooth while it was tested for six load variations for noise characteristics and various performance and emission parameters. A maximum reduction in diesel consumption by 45.7\% and NOx emissions by 69.5\% was reported with a slight increase (similar to 3.4 dB) in the noise. (C) 2016 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Amounts of heavy metals in wastewater can cause problems for living things and the environment. Handling efforts have been done with various methods. A relatively effective and efficient method is the adsorption. This study aims at removing Pb (II) in water using adsorbent of sugarcane bagasse with column system. The experimental design as a fixed variable consisted of 50 g of adsorbent, and 10 litres adsorbate volume, flow rate of 7 litres / minute. The independent variables consist of particle sizes with variations of 10; 20; 30 mesh and contact time with variation 0;5;10;15;20;30;60;90;120;150;180;210;240 minutes and the dependent variable of Pb(II) concentration (ppm). The results showed that the removal of Pb (II) was influenced by particle size factor of adsorbent and contact time. Universally the best removal power occurs on the size of 20 mesh adsorbent particles and with a contact time of 30 minutes. The fastest and highest removal percentage based on parameters of Pb(II) concentration for 10 mesh particles: 53.34\% at contact time 180 minutes, 20 mesh particles: 54.84\% at contact time 30 minutes, and 30 mesh particles: 65.67\% at contact time 210 minutes.
Sugarcane Bagasse (SCB) has some characteristics that hinder its direct use as fuel. Torrefaction pre-treatment could be considered to improve the SCB properties for an energy use and to reduce the impact of storage on the reduction of these energy properties. SCB were torrefied at 290 degrees C in a screw reactor, during 5, 7.5 and 10 min. Then, raw and torrefied SCB samples were exposed successively to water-leaching and to white and brown rot fungi, to emulate storage conditions. Mass loss after water-leaching process, moisture content and weight loss due to fungal deterioration after 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 weeks were recorded on each SCB samples. Finally, chemical composition and High Heating Value of the torrefied samples were measured to determine the alterations compared to raw SCB during their storage mimic. Increasing torrefaction duration improves the SCB decay resistance. According to the fungal exposure duration, loss of carbon was recorded, however, HHV remain higher for torrefied SCB than those of raw SCB. Carbon contents and HHV values of raw and torrefied SCB during Trametes versicolor exposure {[
The use of purified xylan as a substrate for bioconversion into xylanases increases the cost of enzyme production. Consequently, there have been attempts to develop a bioprocess to produce such enzymes using different lignocellulosic residues. Filamentous fungi have been widely used to produce hydrolytic enzymes for industrial applications, including xylanases, whose levels in fungi are generally much higher than those in yeast and bacteria. Considering the industrial importance of xylanases, the present study evaluated the use of milled sugarcane bagasse, without any pretreatment , as a carbon source. Also, the effect of different nitrogen sources and the C:N ratio on xylanase production by Aspergillus awamori were investigated, in experiments carried out in solid-state fermentation. High extracellular xylanolytic activity was observed on cultivation of A. awamori on milled sugarcane bagasse and organic nitrogen sources ( 45 IU /mL for endoxylanase and 3.5 IU/mL for beta -xylosidase). Endosylanase and beta -xylosidase activities were higher when sodium nitrate was used as the nitrogen source, when compared with peptone, urea, and ammonium sulfate at the optimized C:N ratio of 10:1. The use of yeast extract as a supplement to the these nitrogen sources resulted in considerable improvement in the production of xylanases, showing the importance of this organic nitrogen source on A. awamori metabolism.
?-Valerolactone (GVL) is a platform chemical for the synthesis of both biofuels and biochem-icals. The LA production from depithed sugarcane bagasse (DSB) resulted in a 55\% LA yield, and the resulting LA was used to produce GVL. The effect of process parameters, namely, temperature (25-200 C-?), time (2-10 h), and catalyst loading (0.5-5 g) were investigated for the GVL production from LA. Thereafter, the optimized conditions were used to produce GVL from LA derived from depithed sugarcane bagasse (DSB) yielded a GVL of 77.6\%. The hydrogen required for the reduction of LA to GVL was formed in situ by formic acid and triethylamine in the presence of methanesulfonic acid (MsOH). Different solvents (including water and alcohols) were also tested to determine their effect on GVL yield, and water yielded the highest GVL of 78.6\%. Different types of catalysts, which included mineral acids and ionic liquids, were used to determine their effect on GVL yield, and to provide a benchmark against MsOH. The GVL yield from DSB-derived LA is 1.0\% lower than the GVL yield from a commercial sample of LA. LA generated from DSB has the potential to replace fossil fuel-derived LA.
At a moderate thermal treatment process, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) was known as an alternate and green way of preparing carbonaceous material known as hydrochar as an adsorbent. The HTC process requires the inclusion of water as a carbonization medium for the hydrolysis reaction to occur. By adding acid to the HTC water, the hydrolysis reaction was catalyzed, which lowered the reaction time and temperature while also increasing the adsorption efficiency. Overreaction, on the other hand, may occur, lowering the yield as well as the number of functional groups accessible for adsorption. Thus, in this study, Response Surface Methodology by Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD) was employed to investigate and optimize the HCL acid assisted HTC of sugarcane bagasse (SB) process parameters of loading rate, reaction time, reaction temperature, and HCL acid concentration towards three responses: optimized hydrochar (HCop) yield, crystal violet (CV) dye removal and tetracycline (TC) removal. The HCop was characterized using FTIR, FESEM, BET + N-2 gas, and TGA analyses, and the results were compared to hydrochar made without the use of acid (HCdw). In brief, HCop has more acidic oxygenated functional groups, stronger aromaticity and hydrophobicity, greater porosity, and greater thermal stability than HCdw. The Langmuir isotherm model reported maximum adsorption capacity (Q(max)) of CV dye removal for HCop (207.16 mg g(-1)) was 1.5 times higher than the HCdw (137.85 mg g(-1)). While HCop had a two-fold higher Q(max) of TC removal (68.25 mg g(-1)) than HCdw (33.61 mg g(-1)). Overall, the optimization of HCL-acid assisted HTC of SB was successful in producing hydrochar with good adsorption efficiency.
A 2(2) central composite design with five center points was performed to estimate the effects of temperature (120, 130 and 140 degrees C) and acid loading (100, 150 and 200 mg g(-1)) on the yield of monomeric xylose recovery from wheat straw hemicellulose (Y-S/RM). Under the best hydrolysis condition (140 degrees C and 200 mg g(-1)), a Y-S/RM of 0.26 g g(-1) was achieved. After vacuum concentration and detoxification by pH alteration and active charcoal adsorption, the hydrolyzate was used as source of xylose for xylitol bioproduction in a stirred tank reactor. A xylitol production of 30.8 g L-1 was achieved after 54 h(-1) of fermentation, resulting in a productivity (Q(P)) of 0.57 g L-1 h(-1) and bioconversion yield (Y-P/S) of 0.88 g g(-1). The maximum specific rates of xylose consumption and xylitol production were 0.19 and 0.15 g g(-1) h(-1), respectively. (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.
Plant cell walls contain water, especially under biological and wet processing conditions. The present work characterizes this water in tissues of sugarcane stalks. Environmental scanning electron microscopy shows tissue deformation upon drying. Dynamic vapor sorption determines the equilibrium and kinetics of moisture uptake. Thermoporometry by differential scanning calorimetry quantifies water in nanoscale pores. Results show that cell walls from top internodes of stalks are more deformable, slightly more sorptive to moisture, and substantially more porous. These differences of top internode are attributed to less lignified walls, which is confirmed by lower infrared spectral signal from aromatics. Furthermore, cell wall nanoscale porosity, an architectural and not directly compositional characteristic, is shown to be tissue-specific. Nanoscale porosities are ranked as follows: pith parenchyma > pith vascular bundles > rind. This ranking coincides with wall reactivity and digestibility in grasses, suggesting that nanoscale porosity is a major determinant of wall recalcitrance.
Quantifying herbicide retention in the soil environment is essential for minimizing their runoff and contamination of groundwater resources. In this study, atrazine retention characteristics were carried out for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. Hyb.) residue grown on Sharkey clay and Commerce loam soils. The residue that covers the soil surface following combine harvesting was sampled over several growing seasons. Batch methods were used to quantify adsorption and desorption for a wide range of atrazine concentrations and reaction times. Desorption was carried out using successive dilutions. Atrazine retention by the residue exhibited linear adsorption where the partitioning coefficient (K-d) increased over time of retention. Adsorption-desorption exhibited strong hysteresis indicative of time-dependent retention and slow release by the residue. Limited atrazine sorption kinetics by the two soils was observed, and their K-d values were an order of magnitude lower than that for the residue. A multireaction model that accounts for kinetic- and equilibrium-type retention was successful in describing the time-dependent atrazine adsorption and desorption behavior by the sugarcane residue over a wide range of applied concentrations. Atrazine was strongly sorbed by the residue, where some 40\% of the amount adsorbed was nonextractable by methanol. Moreover, retention results indicated that a decreasing or increasing trend of atrazine retention by the sugarcane residue with time of decay was not observed. The use of an average retention (K-d) value to represent atrazine retention over an entire growing season is recommended.
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is grown, generally as a perennial crop, in tropical and subtropical areas; some 750 million tonnes are produced each year. Food, feed and energy are the major products of the sugarcane plant; sugarcane fiber, bagasse, fuels the cane processing plants and provides electricity to local grids through cogeneration. Sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris) is produced annually on the order of 400 million tonnes, in temperate climates. The primary product is sugar (sucrose); other products include feeds (molasses and beet pulp), and raffinose, pectin and arabinan. Recently, production of paper from sugarbeet pulp has begun. A range of chemicals is available from chemical and microbial reactions on process streams and sugars. Chemical transformations reviewed herein include production of sucrose mono-, di- and poly-esters, polyurethanes, carboxylic acid derivatives, and thermally stable polymers. Products of microbial processes include polymers to use as biodegradable plastics and others for food and non food use (levan, dextran). Basic chemicals, including citric acid and lactic acid, and amino acids, notably lysine, are produced from sugar sources. The production of ethanol, as fuel or as beverage, is well known. Products and processes are outlined, and recent developments are emphasized.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable and biocompatible bacterial thermoplastic polymers that can be obtained from renewable resources. The high impact of the carbon source in the final cost of this polymer has been one of the major limiting factors for PHA production and agricultural residues, mainly lignocellulosic materials, have gained attention to overcome this problem. In Brazil, production of 2nd generation ethanol from the glucose fraction, derived from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate has been studied. The huge amounts of remaining xylose will create an opportunity for the development of other bioprocesses, generating new products to be introduced into a biorefinery model. Although PHA production from sucrose integrated to a 1G ethanol and sugar mill has been proposed in the past, the integration of the process of 2G ethanol in the context of a biorefinery will provide enormous amounts of xylose, which could be applied to produce PHA, establishing a second-generation of PHA production process. Those aspects and perspectives are presented in this article. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hemicellulose is considered the second most renewable component in lignocellulosic biomass after cellulose, and can be used in value-added industrial applications including medical dressing, packaging materials and hydro-gels. Hence, the purification methods of different acid precipitation conditions, ethanol precipitation and resin adsorption were investigated. In this paper, the results showed that most of the lignin was removed by acid precipitation. With the adjustment of pH value from 6 to 2 by acid precipitation, the less lignin remains in hemicellulose samples, the higher the purity of hemicellulose. After resin adsorption treatment, the molecular weight of hemicellulose increased slightly and the weight average molecular weight of Ha(2) (Ha(2) is hemi-celluloses precipitated at pH = 2) is 7.91 x 10(4 )g/mol among, the branching degree of hemicellulose decreased slightly, the thermal stability of hemicellulose increased slightly. It can be shown from 2D HSQC NMR that the structure of hemicellulose did not change significantly before or after adsorption and at different pH values. Trace lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) structures were remained in hemicellulose sample. The slight loss of hemicellulose caused by resin adsorption is due to LCCs. The sensitivity of XAD-16N resin to phenyl glycoside bond (PhGlc) of different forms was different.
The augmented concerns towards greenhouse emissions have stimulated the innovative technologies to reduce the carbon footprints and lessen the usage of fossil fuel by replacing them with biomass. Wheat straw is a biowaste and has a great potential for energy-production. However, the inorganic contents in the wheat straw cause operational problems such as low heat transfer and ash-deposition in combustion chamber leading to high maintenance requirements. Demineralization of wheat straw with various basic and acidic leaching reagents (NaOH, HCl, HNO3) was investigated in this study. The concentrations of leachants was varied from 0.6, 0.4 and 0.2M to study their effect on physical, chemical, thermal and kinetic behavior of the biomass. The 0.6 M HCl solution reduced the maximum ash content up to 92.71 \% and raised the heating value to 3.98 \% than raw wheat straw. The kinetic study of the samples treated with 0.6M HCI demonstrated the superior ignition and the activation-energy than other samples. On other hand NaOH damaged the structure of the wheat straw and had adverse effects on their physical and chemical properties. The results of the current study suggested that HCl treated wheat straw can provide a cost effective and eco-friendly solution for energy generation. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In the present study, a series of mixes based on different concentrations of carbon black (CB) as a reinforcing filler and sugarcane bagasse as supplementary filler, were investigated to examine their effects on the mechanical properties of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. To this end, the first group of mixes deals with the effect of different concentrations of CB ranging from 0 to 80 phr at fixed bagasse concentration of 25 phr. The second group of mixes involves the addition of bagasse with concentrations varying from 10 to 50 phr at 10 intervals with fixed CB concentration of 40 phr. The sizes of the employed ground bagasse powder (GBP) in all prepared formulations ranged from 20 to 180 mu m. In addition, 2.5 phr of maleic anhydride (MA) was added to enhance the interfacial adhesion between SBR and agricultural waste fillers (i.e. bagasse). Tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus at 100\% elongation, resilience, hardness (Shore A), abrasion and degree of swelling of the rubber vulcanizates were studied. The prepared samples were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to show the distribution of fiber and the occurrence of fiber-matrix adhesion. The optimum concentration of bagasse to be used simultaneously with CB in SBR composites was found to be 30 phr. Overall, it was found from the obtained results that the addition of GBP up to 50 phr is feasible without impairing the mechanical properties of SBR vulcanizates.
Purpose Organic residues of coffee pulp, sugarcane bagasse and mature bovine manure are a source of organic matter and nutrients for the multiplication of endomycorrhizae consortia. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to multiply the AMFs in such substrates to decrease soil and water pollution.Method A pot experiment under greenhouse conditions was conducted in order to evaluate the influence of agricultural residues (C2-GEC, C3-PAR, C12-PRO, C14-ZAR) with different genera of endomycorrhizae isolated from semi-arid soils, 75 days after the crop was established. Agronomic characteristics and mineral content of N, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe in root and shoot were evaluated in wheat (Triticum aestivum).Results Multiplication of endomycorrhizae was influenced by the residue type. Greater production of spores was ob-served in the coffee pulp, followed by the sugarcane bagasse, where a higher colonization was obtained in combination of C2-GEC and C3-PAR consortia. This consortia combination also was one of those that have increased the content of N, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe in roots and shoots of wheat.Conclusion Combination of native endomycorrhiza substrates and consortia provides an alternative tool that benefits the physiology and nutrition of the plant to be used in sustainable agricultural production systems.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals are harmful pollutants; thus, their emission and diffusion need to be controlled. Biochar derived from biomass shows potential application in pollutant adsorption. Sugarcane bagasse raw (SCR) is a major by-product of the sugar industry, and its added value will be well exploited by a proper carbonization process with a mild temperature. In this work, biochar samples were prepared using simple and cost-effective carbonization to the SCR at 300 and 400 degrees C (roughly corresponding to the complete volatilization of hemicellulose and cellulose, respectively). The alkali (NaOH) pretreatment was employed, and their activation process was investigated at these temperatures. It was found that alkali pretreatment resulted in significant changes in specific surface area (SSA) and total pore volume (TPV) significantly as compared to those without alkali activation. The changes in surface morphology and oxygen-containing functional groups (mainly C-OH) were observed, especially on the activated one at 400 degrees C, where the samples showed a pore structure and cracks with uneven distribution. Thus, RhB and Cr(III) which were selected as the represented contaminants were efficiently adsorbed by the samples with alkali pretreatment. Moreover, an excellent monolayer coverage adsorption per unit specific surface area (0.82-57.79 mg/m(2)) was observed. The adsorption process of RhB on alkali-biochar could be dominated by physisorption, while chemisorption was for Cr(III). In addition, competitive adsorption behavior was speculated to exist between the sodium oxide embedded in alkali-pretreated biochar and Cr (III) in the aqueous phase. Therefore, with a simple alkali pretreatment and a mild temperature carbonization, SCR could be transferred to biochar with adsorption to both POPs and metal ions. This method will be suitable to mass production of biochar for environmental protecting application.
In this work, the conversion of sugarcane bagasse into fuel was studied as a low cost source material. The conversion was carried out experimentally in a batch pyrolysis reactor. Two pyrolysis methods were compared; namely, fast pyrolysis and slow or conventional pyrolysis. This comparison was based on the thermal decomposition of biomass into fuel and on the product yields. Since the yields are affected by the type of pyrolysis and the operating temperature of the reactor, the comparisons have been conducted at three fixed temperature values of 753, 853 and 953 K. The results revealed that the conventional pyrolysis produce more syngas yield with the increases of temperature. In the case of fast pyrolysis, it was observed that losses and solid yield increase with temperature increase. Moreover, it was found that the highest losses in both cases are less than 15\% and that it was higher in conventional pyrolysis. Gases released during the thermal decomposition of biomass were ideDntified as H-2, CO, CO2, CH4 and some light molecular weight of hydrocarbons, such as C2H4 and C2H6. The low temperature was favored for the production of methane other than hydrogen for both processes, while high temperature was favored for the production of hydrogen. The produced H-2 can be used in typical fuel cells. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was used as a lignocellulosic substrate, combining the co-production of H-2 (Stage I) and CH4 (Stage II) by a dark fermentation process in batch reactors. Hydrothermally- and enzymatic (Aspergillus niger)-pretreated SCB were applied as substrate sources. Two fermentative inocula (In1 and In2) were used in Stage I and a methanogenic inoculum in Stage II (In3), comprising in total three experimental series in relation to Stage I: A (In1), B (In1 plus In2), and C (In2). The final metabolites (solid, liquid, and gaseous fractions) from Stage I were used for CH4 production (Stage II). The SCB pretreatment employed was favorable for biogas and organic acids production. Higher H-2 and CH4 yields were obtained in C (4.3 and 6.3 mmol g(-1) SCB, respectively). For all conditions, the H-2 production occurred primarily via an acetic acid route. The predominance of cellulolytic enzyme producers (Enterococcus and Clostridium) may have favored the H-2 and subsequent CH4 production; this last was produced mainly from members of the Methanoregulaceae and Methanosaetaceae families. Furthermore, homoacetogenic bacteria (Acetobacterium, Clostridium, Eubacterium, Holophaga) were also identified in both stages. The synergistic action of these microbial groups promoted the hydrolysis of SCB as well as hydrogen and methane production.
Among the family of sugarcane spirits, those made from juice are diverse and often produced in a traditional way. They must be distinguished from other sugarcane spirits, which are more widely produced and made from other sugarcane derivatives, such as molasses. These alcoholic beverages contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of many countries. However, despite ancestral know-how, there is a lack of contemporary data required to characterize some sugarcane juice spirits (SCJSs) and to overcome the current and future threats that producers will have to face. While preserving their authenticity and specificity, SCJS producers expect to improve and ensure sufficient yield and a superior quality product. Even if the scientific knowledge on these spirits is not comparable, the available data could help identify the critical points to be improved in the making process. This review aims to present the main SCJSs encountered worldwide, defining their specific features through some important aspects with, notably, references to the complex notion of terroir. To continue, we discuss the main steps of the SCJS process from harvesting to aging. Finally, we expose an inventory of SCJS's chemical compositions and of their sensory description that define the specific organoleptic properties of these spirits.
The enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse cellulose (SBC) was performed after acid/peroxide-alkali (APA) pretreatment, soda/AQ pulping, and bleaching steps for producing glucose. Cellic (R) CTec3 (CT) and Celluclast (R) 1.5L (CL) complexes were evaluated in both individual and mixed systems for observing their influence in cellulose conversion. Deconvolution of XRD patterns and SEM images proved the low crystallinity and high accessibility of SBC, thus being able to provide significantly higher glucose yield than the commercial cellulose with predominant I beta polymorphism. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the response surface methodology (RSM), applied to a full factorial 2(4) design of experiments built for assessing the activity of CT and CL enzymes together in the hydrolytic system, were accurate in describing that the feedstock (SBC or commercial cellulose) and the treatment of cellulose are the factors with major effect on the saccharification efficiency (F = 744.12, p < 0.0001), thus predicting 53.71 g/L maximum glucose yield for the experimental conditions studied (near to the maximum yield reached, 55.77\%) when using SBC, more than double the conversion reached for commercial cellulose, and showing the cooperative work of both complexes together for converting cellulose.
The giant snail Achatina fulica is considered an invasive species in most territories in which it was introduced, due to its ability to process a large amount of lignocellulose as a consequence of the presence of a cellulolytic-associated microflora. Streptomyces are well known as crucial agents in the decomposition of complex polymers in soil environments and also as cellulolytic symbionts commonly associated with herbivore insects. Here, we employed a combination of genomic and biochemical tools for a detailed evaluation of the cellulolytic potential of Streptomyces sp. I1.2, an aerobic bacterium isolated from the intestinal lumen of A. fulica in a screening for cellulolytic bacteria. Genomic analysis revealed that the ratio and diversity of CAZy domains and GH families coded by Streptomyces sp. I1.2 are comparable to those present in other highly cellulolytic bacteria. After growth on crystalline cellulose or sugarcane bagasse as sole carbon sources, the functionality of several genes encoding endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases, xylanases, CBMs, and one beta-glucosidase were confirmed by the combination of enzymatic activity measurements, zymography, TLC, and cellulose-binding assays. The endoglucanases secreted by this isolate were stable at 50 A degrees C and exhibited activity over a broad pH range between 4.0 and 8.0. The endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolases secreted by Streptomyces sp. I1.2 exhibited specific activities that were similar to the levels present in a commercial cellulase preparation from Trichoderma reesei, while I1.2 xylanase levels were even 350 \% higher. The results presented here show that Streptomyces sp. I1.2 is promising for future biotechnological applications, since it is able to produce endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases, and xylanases in appreciable amounts when grown on a low-cost residue such as sugarcane bagasse.
This study reported the direct utilization of bagasse as an ultra-light aerogel with AgNPs for the first time. Firstly, AgNPs were synthesized in situ using a green route with bagasse, a by-product of the refined sugar industry. During the reaction, the crystalline region of cellulose in bagasse was destroyed, and some groups of bagasse were partly oxidized into CQO of ketone, which confirms the reducing capacity of bagasse. Then, the obtained bagasse-AgNP composite was dissolved in EmimAc to prepare an aerogel with AgNPs. The aerogel piled up in slices, and its weight after swelling in water was about 19 times the dry weight, and the aerogel did not crush a flower branch because its density was only 0.035 g cm(-3), although the mole and mass ratios of the Ag atom were 5.26\% and 29.94\% in the aerogel, respectively. Furthermore, the obtained aerogel showed a strong antibacterial effect, especially against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. This study not only provides an interesting way for bagasse to be applied directly, but also develops an antibacterial biomass-based ultra-light aerogel without AgNP dissociation.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the accelerated carbonation curing process as an alternative to preserve sugarcane particles and the physical-mechanical properties of cement-bagasse panels after accelerated aging tests consisting of 200 wetting and drying cycles. The cement-bagasse panels were produced with a nominal density of 1.25 g/cm(3) and subjected to two curing processes: (1) an initial 48-h cure in a controlled environment (temperature 60 degrees C; 90\% relative humidity) for 25 days, then in a saturated environment; and (2) an initial 48-h cure in a controlled environment (60 degrees C; 90\% relative humidity), followed by a carbonated cure (15\% CO 2 concentration) for 24 h and a further 24 days in a saturated environment. After 28 days of curing, the panels were subjected to accelerated aging tests. The results indicate that the accelerated carbonation preserved sugarcane bagasse, and carbonated panels had inferior physical properties and superior mechanical properties when compared to the noncarbonated version after accelerated aging tests, proving the efficiency of curing by accelerated carbonation as an alternative to the preservation of the physical-mechanical properties of cement-bagasse panels. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
The aim of this study was to verify if the application of silicate or lime, in association with gypsum, on sugarcane residue can lead to amendment of subsurface soil acidity, increasing sugarcane yield and profitability. The treatments were: 1 - control (without application of amendments), 2 - gypsum, 3 - dolomitic limestone, 4 - silicate, 5 - dolomitic limestone + gypsum, and 6 - silicate + gypsum. The surface application of gypsum led to reduction in Al (aluminum) contents and Al saturation, and increase in Mg+2, Ca+2, K+, S-SO4-, and base saturation in deeper soil layers, as well as increased yield of stalks, sugar, trash, bagasse, and energy, and greater profit. The application of limestone and silicate, alone or in association with gypsum, amend soil acidity throughout the soil profile. It likewise leads to an increase in stalk, sugar, trash, bagasse, and energy yield, however, application of silicate in association with gypsum leads to the greatest profitability.
This study evaluated the effects of the incorporation of a new additive to asphalt cement oil (CAP). A polyol product was obtained through the oxypropylation reaction of sugarcane bagasse. This polyol was polymerised with pyromellitic anhydride in order to obtain a polyester (BCP) to test its suitability in terms of the material properties to be applied as additives. FTIR spectra of the polymerised material (BCP) confirmed the occurrence of chemical modification due to the appearance of a new band at 1750 cm(-1), characteristic of ester groups. The TGA data showed that the BCP product had higher thermal stability than the polyol. According to the softening point and elastic recovery tests, the incorporation of 11\% and 16\% w/w BCP in conventional CAP met the specifications of regulatory standards.
Bio-bleaching effect on bagasse pulp using xylano-pectinolytic enzymes produced by a bacterial species was studied in order to evaluate the potential of these enzymes in paper industry. In this study, action of enzymes was maximum with xylanase/pectinase dose 7/1.75 IU/g, pulp consistency 1:12.5 g/L, pH 8.5, temperature 50 degrees C and 180 min of treatment time. Under the optimized bio-bleaching conditions, removal of reducing sugars (6.15 +/- 0.05 mg/L), brightness (16.08\%), whiteness (25.54\%) and release of chromophores (hydrophobic and phenolic compounds and lignin impurities) were maximum, along with decrease in kappa number (26.28\%), and yellowness (27.88\%) values were obtained. Improvement in the various physical properties like breaking length (10.28\%), burst index (29.55\%), tear index (5.02\%), double fold (14.89\%), Gurley porosity (15\%) and viscosity (8.6\%), along with the reduction of chlorine dioxide dose by 27\%, was also observed. There is also reduction in COD and BOD values of bio-bleached effluents by 27.62\% and 20.52\%, respectively. This is the first report on bio-bleaching of bagasse pulp using xylano-pectinolytic enzymes.
This study evaluated the process performance of a novel treatment system consisting of an acidification reactor, an upflow staged sludge bed (USSB) reactor, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor, and an aerobic trickling filter for the treatment of a high-strength molasses wastewater with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of up to 120,000 mg/L. The USSB operating at 35 degrees C was capable of achieving an organic loading rate of 11 kgCOD/m(3) day with a methane recovery of 62.4\% at an influent COD of 120,000 mg/L. The final effluent COD was 4520 mg/L. The system was effective with regard to nitrification and sulfur removal. Fifty percent inhibition of the bacterial activity of the retained sludge by the cations was determined at 8 gK/L for sucrose degradation, 16 gK/L for sulfate reduction, and 12 gK/L or 9 gNa/L for acetoclastic methane production. Cation inhibition of anaerobic degradation reduced the process performance of the USSB. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In this study, the production of nanostructured biochar from lignocellulosic biomass, sugarcane bagasse, is demonstrated via microwave assisted pyrolysis by using iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) particles as susceptors. The experiments were performed in a bench scale pyrolysis reactor at 600W microwave power up to a temperature of 500 degrees C. The effect of bagasse:susceptor composition on the quality of biochar was evaluated using a range of characterization techniques like scanning electron microscopy, porosimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The addition of Fe as the susceptor resulted in the formation of nanoparticles and nanotubes of average diameter in the range of 30-120 nm and 20-50 nm, respectively. The addition of more Fe particles resulted in an increase in size of nanoparticles and nanotubes due to enhanced rate of localized heating, which led to fusion of small particles and tubes. The biochar obtained by the addition of Fe susceptor was rich in carbon content compared to that obtained without the addition of susceptor. The addition of a mixture of Fe and Co as susceptor led to the formation of small graphitic flakes and fine nanotubes. Besides biochar, bio-oil and non-condensable gases were also characterized for their composition. The major organic functionalities in bio-oil included furan derivatives, simple phenols, guaiacol, syringol and their derivatives. Maximum energy recovery of 49\% was observed in bio-oil when 20 wt.\% Fe and 33.3 wt.\% of Fe + Co were used as susceptors. The addition of Fe resulted in high yield of H-2 and CH4 gases, besides CO2 and CO. Thus, microwave pyrolysis is shown to be a promising technique to tailor the morphological features of biochar by using metallic susceptors, and simultaneously produce good quality bio-oil and gases. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The search for renewable resources has grown globally as a result of the harmful effects of fossil fuel use on the environment, such as global warming and acid rain. Biomass fuels do not contribute to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This study utilised response surface methodology for the optimisation of pyrolysis process parameters (temperature, heating rate, reaction time, nitrogen flow rate, and particle size) at five levels of experimental runs to enhance bio-oil production from the intermediate pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. The bio-oil yield increased continuously with an increase in T (320-520 degrees C) and H (7.5-12.5 degrees C/min) due to complete pyrolysis, while a decrease in bio-oil was noticed at a T (520-720 degrees C) and H (22.5-27.5 degrees C/min) due to secondary cracking such as thermal cracking, repolymerisation and recondensation that might enhance the yield of NCG and biochar. The optimum bio-oil yield (46.7 wt\%) was achieved at a temperature, reaction time, heating rate, nitrogen flow rate, and particle size of 493.7 degrees C, 15.5 min, 24.5 degrees C/min, 225 cm(3)/min, and 0.1 mm, respectively. Results showed that the predicted data closely correlated with the experimental data (p < 0.05, R-2 = 0.9891). Hence, the model is suitable and can accurately predict the experimental data. The presence of alkene, alcohol, and ester makes the bio-oil applicable for energy generation to power heavy equipment, ships, compressor, and boilers. Likewise, the presence of by-products such as oleic acids, methyl ester, 9,17-octadecdienal, and 9,12-octadecadienoyl chloride makes it suitable as fuel for high-speed diesel engines, powering heavy machines, vehicle locomotion, marine equipment, mining types of machinery, and manufacturing industries.
This paper presents a detailed economic assessment of the polylactic acid (PLA) production line in an existing petrochemical facility in Colombia. The detailed economic assessment was done by applying an integrated methodology for the economic assessment to reduce the existing gap between the capital expenditures estimated from conceptual design and detailed engineering. The integrated economic assessment approach was developed involving conceptual and detailed design aspects. For this purpose, the PLA production process was evaluated using the glucose platform from sugarcane bagasse, coffee cut stems, and plantain peels as raw materials. The yield of glucose, operating and investment costs were considered from the open literature. The mass and energy balances for the process were obtained using Aspen Plus V.9.0. software. The capital cost estimation (CapEx) was made using the Aspen Capital Cost Estimator. CapEx and operational expenditures (OpEx) estimates were adjusted using industry guidelines. Finally, financial analysis methods and key ratios were used to measure the investment profitability and prefeasibility of the process at various PLA gross incomes. Regarding the methodology proposed, a comparison between the traditional economic assessment and the proposed integrated strategy showed a deviation of 256\%. The results are more similar than those reported by the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies. Finally, the CapEx for the PLA process with an annual production rate of 2000 MT reached up to USD 10.35 million with a gross income of USD 1400/MT and 9.5 years payback period from containing economic prefeasibility.
Maximum water holding capacity of a mixture of sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran was determined in static conditions and in a drum rotated at 1 rpm. The variables filling degree, water flow rate, volume of added water and number of sprinklers were tested to control the moisture content of the solid and the number of rotations to achieve homogeneous moisture content. None of the selected variables was significant, giving the apparatus high flexibility to control moisture content. For the heat transfer experiments, the tested variables were introduction of air through an inner tube amidst the particles, water sprinkling over the bed and drum rotation. The selected variables represented limited mechanisms of heat removal, although efficient when coupled with the drum rotation. The results are of value to control the temperature and the moisture content in solid-state cultivation bioreactors.
The guava tree (Psidium guajava L.), considered a rustic plant, can be found growing naturally in low-fertility soils. However, when commercially cultivated it needs considerable amounts of fertilizers and soil correctives to attain good yields. These special measures for cultivation start with choice of a suitable substrate to grow good-quality seedlings, allowing them to reach their full productive potential. The aim of this work was to study the effect of different substrates (S-1 - soil, S-2 - vermiculite+soil+fine sand, S-3 - cattle manure+soil+fine sand, S-4 - commercial substrate+soil+fine sand, S-5 - urban compost+soil+fine sand, S-6 - sewage sludge+soil+fine sand, S-7 - earthworm compost+soil+fine sand, S-8 - chopped sugarcane bagasse+soil+fine sand, and S-9 - sugarcane filter cake+soil+fine sand) in completely randomized design with four replicates on the development and nutritional state of guava seedlings. The result showed that the best substrates were vermiculite+soil+fine sand; earthworm compost+soil+fine sand; sugarcane bagasse+soil+fine sand, and filter cake+soil+fine sand. The use of sewage sludge and urban trash compost should be further studied for the composition of substrates.
An attempt was undertaken for treatment and reuse of highly concentrated textile dyebath effluent. Ceramic microfiltration membrane prepared from a cost effective composition of alumina and clay was used in combination with a biosorbent prepared from sugarcane bagasse. The combined process was highly effective for removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, colour and total suspended solids. For the concentrated dyebath effluent with initial COD value of 2220 mg/L, COD reduction was about 91\%. Dye removal was about 99\%, turbidity removal was > 99\% and TSS reduction was > 90\%. The treated samples were utilized in the dyeing process of cotton fabric under different conditions. The reusability study showed high potential with respect to water reclamation, as well as, reduction of the associated chemicals consumption. Dye uptake using membrane treated water was more compared to that of freshwater in case of light and medium shade dyeing. Toxicity effect of treated and untreated effluent on environment was observed on Channa punctatus (Bloch) in terms of various antioxidant enzymes, bioassay, comet assay, micronucleus, etc. It was observed that 48-h acute toxicity tests resulted in LC50 value of 43.5\%. Untreated effluent at 25\% dilution resulted in considerable increase in antioxidative enzymes with formation of comet cells and micronuclei.
Ethanol is considered to be a promising alternative fuel to meet ever growing energy demands. In the present work, immobilized yeast cells by Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used for ethanol production from cashew apple juice as the substrate. The support, silica gel, was derived from a novel precursor sugarcane leaf ash. Sugarcane leaf is chosen due to its abundant availability, low cost, and also as a means to remove the agricultural residue. Substrate concentration, pH, and temperature have been optimized to achieve maximum production of ethanol. Maximum ethanol production was obtained at a substrate concentration of 70\% (v/v), pH 6 and a temperature of 30 degrees C. Maximum ethanol production was found to be 16,200mg/L. Ethanol purity was determined and was found to be 97.79\% pure (water free). Continuous ethanol fermentation was carried out in a packed bed reactor.
Investigations were conducted using a low cost support media for microbial attachment and growth for the anaerobic treatment of sugarcane molasses based distillery spentwash employing fixed him reactor (FFR) technology. An HRT of 3 d corresponding to an OLR of 22 kg COD m(-3)d(-1) based on reactor liquid volume (V-L) (V-L=0.534 V-eb, empty bed volume) with COD reduction of 71.8\% and gas yield of 0.45 m(3) kg(-1) COD removed has been achieved in the methane phase. Volatile solids analysis has revealed that about 75\% of the biomass is attached to the inert media surface leading to a major contribution in the performance of the methane reactor. Solids retention time (SRT) of 106 d has been calculated at an HRT of 3 d, thereby demonstrating superiority of FFR technology over other conventional anaerobic treatment methods. Further, the waste treatment is affected by the entire media height due to continuous effluent recycling. Comparison with granular activated carbon (GAC) has revealed that the media used in the present study has comparable or even better performance due to larger size of the pores in the media.
Integrated biomass waste management and fresh water supply are crucial environmental problems that researchers are laboring to clarify today. The co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of sugarcane bagasse (SB) and digested sewage sludge (DSS), with KOH activation, for SB and DSS waste management, was accomplished. In this research, the effect of process parame-ters and biomass ratio during co-HTC on modified hydrochar adsorption capacities was critically evaluated. To optimize operating parameters (temperature, time, catalyst/precursor ratio, water/ precursor ratio, and SB/DSS ratio, response surface methodology was used. The optimum condi-tion was 180 degrees C, 9.6 h, 3/1 DSS/SB ratio (omega), 5.00 water/precursor ratio (ww), and 3.50 ZnCl2/precur-sor ratio (ww). The optimum hydochar was featured using BET, SEM, FTIR, TGA, and elemental analysis and used to study the adsorptive ability of lead. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic model matched reasonably with the Langmuir (127.61 mgg) and pseudo-second-order models (130.68 mgg). Moreover, the kinetic adsorption studies showed that 85 percent of adsorption capacity was achieved in the first 15 min. Our study strongly confirmed that co-HTC of DSS and SB, can be used as a green and environmental safety approach for sludge management and clean water supplement followed by lead removal with acceptable reusability of adsorbent.(c) 2023 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
Sewage sludge (SS) exhibits a relevant agronomic potential due to the high content of organic matter and nutrients. However, the presence of several toxic substances can prevent its agricultural application. This study evaluated if the incorporation of stimulating agents (coffee grounds and sugarcane bagasse) could contribute to an effective increase of the SS biodegradability in order to decrease its toxicity. The samples were prepared mixing aerobic or anaerobic sludge with soil, soil and bagasse, and soil and coffee grounds. Respirometric tests showed that stimulating agents enhanced the CO2 production. However, in terms of biodegradation efficiency, more satisfactory results were verified for the anaerobic SS, especially when mixed with coffee grounds. The biodegradation also favored the SS sanitization, eliminating the Enterobacteria. For baseline toxicity (Microtox with Aliivibrio fischeri) and phytotoxicity (Lactuca sativa), all the initial samples showed higher effects. Nevertheless, after the biodegradation, this toxicity was significantly decreased and the best results were obtained for the mixtures containing only soil and sludge. For the AREc32 assay (NRF2 mediated oxidative stress response), although a very weak response was observed, this effect was attenuated for the aerobic SS or completely eliminated for the anaerobic SS after the biodegradation. Thus, even though the use of biostimulation agents during the biodegradation led to an enhancement of microbial respiration, their incorporation to the samples do not seem to interfere in the decrease of the toxic potential of the studied SSs. However, the SS biodegradation in aerobiosis was crucial for toxicity reduction and to accelerate its maturity. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Investment in green chemistry to convert agro-industrial residues into value-added products could be economically feasible. The present study proved the utility of sugarcane bagasse as an inexpensive and easily available raw material for large-scale production of extracellular laccase from a newfound bacterial strain Lysinibacillus macroides LSO isolated from Alexandria paper and pulp industry effluents. To maximize the efficiency of laccases, a sequential optimization strategy focused on computational experimental designs accompanied by a bench-scale bioreactor batch cultivation strategy was adopted. Among the twelve variables analysed, sugarcane bagasse, NH4Cl, CuSO4 center dot 5H(2)O, and MnSO4 center dot H2O were chosen based on their high positive significant impact on laccase productivity via the 2-level Plackett-Burman design (PBD). Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD) was exploited to create a polynomial quadratic model correlating the relationship between the four variables and the productivity of laccase. The highest extracellular laccase productivity and specific growth rate (mu) were achieved at the early period of the incubation time through cultivation Lysinibacillus macroides LSO in a 10-L stirred tank bioreactor under batch operation conditions. Laccase yield 7653.2 U L-1 min(-1) and mu=0.024h(-1), respectively, were obtained after 28 h that increased more than 70.861-, 4.181-, and 1.934-fold compared to basal media, PBD, and RCCD, respectively. {[
Several parameters, including particle size, solvent, temperature, and extraction method, affect phenolic compounds' extraction yield from a plant matrix. Considering the wide availability of sugarcane bagasse (SCB), this study analyzed the effect of different extraction methods and geographical origins on the yield, quality, and antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds from SCB extracts. Samples from three geographical locations (Veracruz, Mexico; Santa Rosa, Texas, USA; and St. Mary, Louisiana, USA) were analyzed. Extraction was performed using an orbital shaker or ultrasonic bath at various times at a fixed temperature of 50 degrees C, with 90\% ethanol or methanol. The highest yield (5.91 mg GAE) was obtained using an orbital shaker for 24 h with 90\% methanol as the solvent. HPLC-MS identified desferrioxamine b, baicalein, madecassic acid, and podototarin at different concentrations in all three SCB samples. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds was tested against Escherichia coli K12, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Streptococcus aureus, and Enterobacter cloacae. The antimicrobial activity was also tested against modifications of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the MutL Homolog 1 (MLH1), Slow Growth Suppressor (SGS1), O-6-MethylGuanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGT1), and RADiation sensitive (RAD14), carrying mutations related to different cancer types. In addition, the results were compared with the effect of ampicillin and kanamycin. The SCB extracts showed up to 90\% growth inhibition against B. cereus at 200-800 mu g/mL and 50\% growth inhibition against S. aureus at 800 mu g/mL. The inhibitory effect against modified yeast SGS1, RAD14, and MLH1 was 50-80\% at 800 mu g/mL. The percentage of inhibition and the phenolic compound contents differed depending on the origin of the SCB sample. These findings are promising for using this industrial byproduct to obtain compounds for nutraceutical, food additive, or medical uses.
A novel combined acid leaching-biosorption process has been designed and applied to recover Cu from metallurgical sludge. Cu was firstly leached out and then selectively adsorbed from lixivium by using modified sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fixed-bed column. Leaching results by HNO3 showed that 96.9\% Cu along with different leaching ratios of Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Cd, Pb, K and Cr were dissolved into the lixivium from the sludge. Three types of breakthrough curve including inversed-L (for Mg, Ca, Fe, K and Cr), overshoot (for Zn, Cd and Pb) and S type (for Cu) were observed when the pretreated lixivium passing through the column, and adsorption kinetic results showed that the amount of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mg, Ca, Fe, K and Cr adsorbed was 16.6, 1.03, 0.04, 0.01, 0.03, 0.01, 0.77, 0.018 and 0.001 mg g(-1), respectively. Adsorption mechanism illustrated that Cu was selectively adsorbed from the lixivium due to its strong coordination ability with amine groups on the sorbent surface and the corresponding substitution reaction (between Cu and the co-ions). Cu could be recycled and the modified sorbent could be used repeatedly after column regeneration. These combined method had great potential in application of Cu recovery from sludge. (C) 2018 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A continuous acid-catalyzed steam explosion pretreatment process and system to produce cellulosic ethanol was developed at the pilot-scale. The effects of the following parameters on the pretreatment efficiency of rice straw feedstocks were investigated: the acid concentration, the reaction temperature, the residence time, the feedstock size, the explosion pressure and the screw speed. The optimal presteaming horizontal reactor conditions for the pretreatment process are as follows: 1.7 rpm and 100-110 degrees C with an acid concentration of 1.3\% (w/w). An acid-catalyzed steam explosion is then performed in the vertical reactor at 185 degrees C for 2 min. Approximately 73\% of the total saccharification yield was obtained after the rice straw was pretreated under optimal conditions and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis at a combined severity factor of 0.4-0.7. Moreover, good long-term stability and durability of the pretreatment system under continuous operation was observed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
This study is concerned with the relationship between carbonisation conditions and properties of the resultant bagasse char, and the challenging proposal for the use of fine bagasse char particles as high-performance solar light collectors. Bagasse char was obtained by carbonising raw bagasse at temperatures of 200-900 degrees C for three hours in nitrogen (N-2) gas. Characterisation of the resultant bagasse char was performed by elemental analysis (EA), scanning electric microscope (SEM) observation, estimation of colour, nominal bulk density and evaluation of specific surface area and pore structure by N-2 gas absorption/desorption. The most typical property of the resultant bagasse char is its unique pore structure, which is clear in SEM observation. The largest specific surface area of bagasse char in this study was about 600 m(2)/g, which is as large as commercial activated carbon materials. Macro-, meso- and micro-porous structures in the bagasse char induce many important characteristics, such as increased hydrophilicity, very low bulk density and excellent light absorption and accumulation. We also suggest the use of bagasse char as an excellent heat insulation material. The energy used for air conditioning in a private house or office building can be decreased by more than 50-60\% by use of this insulator on the roof or walls.
The production of n-butanol, a widely used industrial chemical and promising transportation fuel, from abundant, low-cost substrates, such as sugarcane juice, in acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was studied with Clostridium acetobutylicum JB200, a mutant with high butanol tolerance and capable of producing high-titer (>20 g/L) n-butanol from glucose. Although JB200 is a favorable host for industrial bio-butanol production, its fermentation performance with sucrose and sugarcane juice as substrates has not been well studied. In this study, the long-term n-butanol production from sucrose by JB200 was evaluated with cells immobilized in a fibrous-bed bioreactor (FBB), showing stable performance with high titer (16-20 g/L), yield (similar to 0.21 g/g sucrose) and productivity (similar to 0.32 g/L h) for 16 consecutive batches over 800 h. Sugarcane thick juice as low-cost substrate was then tested in 3 consecutive batches, which gave similar n-butanol production, demonstrating that JB200 is a robust and promising strain for industrial ABE fermentation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation studies were carried out using thermotolerant newly isolated Kluyveromyces sp. with three different delignified lignocellulosic biomass viz. rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse at 5-15\% solid loading and 6-12 FPU g(-1) substrate enzyme loading for different time intervals 0-72 h at 42 degrees C. Maximum ethanol achieved from rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse with in-house crude cellulases from Aspergillus terreus was 23.23, 18.29 and 17.91 mg mL(-1) at 60 h with 10\% solid load and 9 FPU g(-1) substrate enzyme loading. Tween 80 1\% (v/v) enhanced the ethanol yield by 8.39\%, 9.26\% and 8.14\% in rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, respectively. External supplementation of b-glucosidase to the crude as well commercial cellulases produced maximum theoretical ethanol yield of 71.76\%, 63.77\%, 57.15\% and 84.56\%, 72.47\%, 70.55\% from rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, respectively. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An efficient three-step process using toluene/ ethanol, NaClO2, and KOH has been successfully devised to isolate pure cellulose from rice straw while generating two filtrates as activated carbon and silica precursors. The NaClO2 dissolution filtrate contains oxidized lignin and hemicellulose as carbon precursors as well as sodium carbonates as activating agents for direct carbonization (800 C) into highly porous (0.90 cm(3)/g), high specific surface area (997 m(2)/g), activated carbon particles (100-500 nm). The KOH dissolution filtrate contains mainly potassium silicate that could be precipitated by dilute acidified poly(ethylene oxide) and calcinated (500 C) to pure, uniformly sized (100-120 nm), nonporous silica nanospheres. Deriving these additional activated carbon and silica particles along with nanocellulose creates advance materials while fully utilizing all major components in rice straw, the highest quantity agricultural crop byproduct in the world.
A growing demand for renewable energy makes the production of briquettes a good alternative source of energy. This study aims to evaluate the effect of using commercial cornstarch as a binder in the production of briquettes from sugarcane bagasse. Analysis of specific weight, gross calorific value, moisture content, volatile and ash content were performed for both materials. Also, particle size characterization was performed for the biomass. The mixtures of raw materials determined the treatments: T1 (only bagasse), T2 (bagasse + 2.5 \% starch), T3 (bagasse + 5 \% starch) and T4 (bagasse + 10 \% starch) which were then compressed in hydraulic press without heating. Aspects of mechanical resistance and longitudinal expansion of the produced briquettes were measured. A reduction of 17 times over the material density was obtained. Values of ash and volatile for sugarcane bagasse were 3.9\% and 87.7\%, while for starch were 0.09\% and 94.65\%, respectively. The gross calorific value was of 3,593 kcal. kg(-1) (sugarcane bagasse) and 3,637 kcal.kg(-1) (starch). The highest mechanical strength was found for T1 (0.607 MPa), which presented lowest moisture content and expansion values (10.81\% and 14.9\%, respectively). It can be concluded that the cornstarch did not act as a binder in the production of briquettes.
This work aimed to study the influence of the initial chemical composition (glucans, lignin, xylan, and mannans), intrinsic viscosity, and carboxylate groups of pulps on the production process and final properties of lignocellulosic nanofibers (LCNF). Pulps of pine sawdust, eucalyptus sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse subjected to conventional pulping and highly oxidized processes were the starting materials. The LCNF were obtained by TEMPO mediated oxidation and mechanical fibrillation with a colloidal grinder. The nanofibrillation degree, chemical charge content, rheology, laser profilometry, cristallinity and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the LCNF. The carboxylate groups, hemicelluloses and lignin of the initial pulps were important factors that affected the production process of LCNF. The results revealed that intrinsic viscosity and carboxylate groups of the initial pulps affected LCNF production process, whereas lignin and hemicelluloses influenced the viscosity of LCNF aqueous suspensions, the roughness of LCNF films, and the carboxylate groups content of LCNF. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) was steam-pretreated at various temperatures, residence times and SO2 impregnation dosages. A 2(3) factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of temperature, residence time and SO2 impregnation and their interactions on enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production. The results showed that temperature, residence time. SO2 impregnation and the interaction of residence time and SO2 impregnation significantly affected enzymatic hydrolysis in an order of residence time > temperature > SO2 impregnation > the interaction of residence time and SO2 impregnation. Both of water-soluble and water-insoluble fraction derived from steam pretreatment were used for ethanol production, respectively. The results indicated that the effects of mentioned factors and their interactions on total ethanol yield were not significant. However, 200 degrees C, 7.5 min and 2.5\% SO2 impregnation could be determined as a group of optimal pretreatment conditions, in which the highest ethanol yield of 15.3 g/100 g SSB (dry basis) could be obtained without pentose fermentation. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effect of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) on the performance of steers fed diets with different forages was evaluated. Forty crossbred steers, with average 360.2 kg LW and 30 months of age, were used. The animals were fed diets containing different forages (corn silage, sugarcane, corn silage + sugarcane and hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse), and received an application of 320 mg rBST at every 28 days and were weighed at every 14 days during an experimental period of 84 days. The weight gain, dry matter and protein per kg of weight gain and feed:gain ratio were evaluated. There were no differences on the weight gain among the animals that received (1.210 kg/head.d) or not (1.062 kg/head.d) rBST, although the animals that received rBST had higher weight gain in the periods after the second and third hormone application. There were, also, no differences among the diets containing corn silage (1.100 kg/head.d), sugarcane (1.240 kg/head.d), corn silage + sugarcane (1.064 kg/head.d) and sugarcane bagasse (1.138 kg/ head.d). The feed:gain ratios were 9.43 and 9.69 kg MS/kg of weight gain for the animals that receiving and not receiving rBST, respectively. The crude protein intake decreased with the rBST application and was more expressive in the diet containing sugarcane. There was no interaction between the hormone application and the forage type.
Xylanase is an enzyme that degrades hemicelluloses. The goal of the present study was to investigate the production of xylanase by fungi via the solid substrate fermentation (SSF) process using sugarcane bagasse and palm kernel cake as substrate. During preliminary screening, 15 potential xylanase producer strains were isolated from 9 different environmental sources. Eight out of the 15 isolates produced positive results in the submerged fermentation process and clear-zone formation analysis. The decayed wood isolate had the highest xylanase activity, at 154.2 U/g in the secondary screening process. This isolate, identified as Aspergillus niger, was selected for further study. The maximum xylanase activity of 456.4 U/g was obtained under optimized conditions of 6 g of substrate, 75\% (w/w) moisture content, temperature of 34 degrees C, and initial medium of pH 6 supplemented with 2\% (w/v) glucose and 0.25 mM manganese ions. This activity was 1.5-fold higher than that reported in previous studies. These results illustrate that an increased xylanase yield can be obtained via SSF using agro-industry residual products such as palm kernel cake and sugarcane bagasse as substrates, which would reduce the overall cost of producing xylanase.
The high levels of heavy metals contained in residual water and the pollution generated by a large amount of unexploited agro-industrial waste are a serious problem for the environment and mankind. Therefore, in the present work, with the aim of treating and reducing the pollution caused by heavy metal ions (Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu), activated carbons (ACs) were synthesized from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and orange peel (OP) by means of physical - chemical activation method in an acid medium (H3PO4, 85 wt\%) followed by an activation at high temperature (500 and 700 \& DEG;C). Thereafter, these materials were used to produce carbon foams (CF) by the replica method and to evaluate their adsorbent capacity for the removal of heavy metals from synthetic water. XRD, FTIR, DLS, BET, Zeta Potential (zeta), SEM-EDS and AAS were used to investigate their structures, surface area, pore size, morphology, and adsorption capacity. The results show that as-prepared CF have a second level mesoporous structure and AC present a micro-mesoporous structure with a pore diameter between 3 and 4 nm. The experimental adsorption capacities of heavy metals showed that the CF from OP present a better elimination of heavy metals compared to the AC; exhibiting a removal capacity of 95.2 +/- 3.96\% (Pb) and 94.7 +/- 4.88\% (Cu) at pH = 5. The adsorption values showed that the optimal parameters to reach a high metal removal are pH values above 5. In the best of cases, the minimum remaining concentration of lead and copper were 2.4 and 2.6 mg L-1, respectively. The experimental data for carbon adsorbents are in accordance with the Langmuir and BET isotherms, with R-2 = 0.99 and the maximum homogenous biosorption capacity for lead and copper was Q(max) = 968.72 and 754.14 mg g(-1), respectively. This study showed that agro-industrial wastes can be effectively retrieved to produce adsorbents materials for wastewater treatment applications.
Hydrochar is a carbon-based material that can be used as soil amendment. Since the physical-chemical properties of hydrochar are mainly assigned to process parameters, we aimed at evaluating the organic fraction of different hydrochars through C-13-NMR and off-line TMAH-GC/MS. Four hydrochars produced with sugarcane bagasse, vinasse and sulfuric or phosphoric acids were analyzed to elucidate the main molecular features. Germination and initial growth of maize seedlings were assessed using hydrochar water-soluble fraction to evaluate their potential use as growth promoters. The hydrochars prepared with phosphoric acid showed larger amounts of bioavailable lignin-derived structures. Although no differences were shown about the percentage of maize seeds germination, the hydrochar produced with phosphoric acid promoted a better seedling growth. For this sample, the greatest relative percentage of benzene derivatives and phenolic compounds were associated to hormone-like effects, responsible for stimulating shoot and root elongation. The reactions parameters proved to be determinant for the organic composition of hydrochar, exerting a strict influence on molecular features and plant growth response.
This study focuses on the utilization of an amino-sugarcane bagasse/metakaolin-based geopolymer hybrid microsphere adsorbent (ASB-MGM) for the efficient removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solutions. The influence factors of pH value and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption amount of ASB-MGM were investigated. The BET specific surface area of the microsphere adsorbents enlarged from 18.09 m2/g to 49.16 m2/g with the incorporation of ASB, while reducing the average pore size from 17.59 nm to 7.76 nm. Characterization techniques including FT-IR, XPS, and SEM-EDS confirmed the successful doping of amino groups, enhancing the adsorption efficiency. The adsorption kinetics fitted a pseudo-second-order model with a maximum monolayer adsorption of 248.13 mg/g for Langmuir. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is a spontaneous heat absorption reaction with an increase in system disorder. The ASB-MGM-Cu was effectively regenerated using HCl (with concentration of 0.1 mol/L) and retained good adsorption capacity. The low-cost, eco-friendly synthesis method presented in this study offers a highly efficient approach for industrial-scale removal of Cu2+. Data avail ability: Data will be made available on request.
Experiments were carried out with the objectives to reduce the yield gap of plant and subsequent ratoon crops, evaluate juice quality, as well as soil properties. A 3-year field experiment was utilized to assess the use of organic materials and inorganic fertilizers on plant and subsequent ratoon crops. The organic materials included press mud, farmyard manure ( FYM), and green manure ( GM) of Sunhemp ( Crotalaria juncea); the fertilizers were urea, triple superphosphate ( TSP), muriate of potash ( MOP), gypsum, and zinc sulphate. Farm yard manure was applied at a rate of 15 t ha(-1) accompanied with a chemical fertilizer ( N(178)P(53)K(54)S(26)Zn(2.6)kg ha(-1)), which produced yield of 108.4, 96.8, and 73.5 t ha(-1) in plant cane, first, and second ratoon crops, respectively. Cane yields in the first were recorded in plant cane first and second ratoon crops, respectively. Cane yields in the first and second ratoon crops were 89.3 and 67.8\% of plant crop, respectively. Juice quality parameters viz., Brix, pol and purity percent progressively increased in ratoons crops as compared to corresponding plant cane. The organic carbon, total N, and available P, K, \& S contents of soils increased slightly due to incorporation of organic materials. The result of the study revealed that 25\% reduction of inorganic fertilizer with FYM or press mud at 15 t ha(-1) in plant cane and addition of 50\% more N with same amount of fertilizer suggested for plant cane showed better yield and improved juice quality in first and second ratoon crops of sugarcane.
Microalgae lipid accumulation can be accomplished by different strategies rather than naturally reaching the stationary phase. Many studies employ nitrogen (N) depletion to improve lipid production; however, this approach might not be a suitable alternative when growth in wastewater is attempted. Agro-industry effluents in particular can have high concentrations of N, so nutrient removal is also required. This study evaluated two possibilities of achieving stress conditions in Desmodesmus sp. cultivation: light intensity and CO2 concentration. The culture medium also included liquid and solid residues from the sugarcane agro-industry: vinasse and a biofertilizer produced from bagasse biochar. Optimization of growth in a flat plate photobioreactor was conducted by combining a two-level factorial design and simplex methodology. Both the highest biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acid productivities (150.2 and 21.4 mg L-1 day(-1), respectively) were achieved near the central points (5\% CO2 in air and 1000 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) light intensity). These results show the possibility of microalgae growth in a sustainable medium coupled with high-value lipid production, e.g., omegas-3, 6, and -9.
Worldwide, the annual energy content of sugarcane leaves (SCL) amounts to 4.21 EJ. However, its direct use as a solid fuel is hindered by its inherent characteristics, such as its low bulk density, low energy density, and hygroscopic nature. These characteristics of SCL could be improved through torrefaction. However, in addition to these characteristics, combustion and flow characteristics, expressed in their respective indices, should also meet their desired values as they have direct influence in the later performance of boilers and furnaces. Torrefaction of SCL at various temperatures (250-350 degrees C) and times (0-75 min) under minimized oxidative atmosphere was investigated in this study to improve its characteristics as solid fuel. The torrefaction performancewas not only assessed through themass and energy yields, but also changes in the combustion and flowindices. Torrefaction at 300 degrees C \& 45 min led to the increase in fixed carbon to as much as 21 g for every 100 g of raw SCL being torrefied, which originally contains 18 g of fixed carbon. Devolatilization during torrefaction not only involves the volatilization of the volatiles but also the formation of additional fixed carbon. The higher heating value (HHV) of SCL increased to as much as similar to 22 MJ/kg after the torrefaction. The resulting SCL torrefied at 300 degrees C for at least 45 minwas found to be suitable for industrial and domestic applications having fuel ratio (FR), combustibility index (CI), volatile ignitability (VI), Hausner ratio (HR), and Carr compressibility index (CCI) falling within prescribed values of 0.5-2.0, 12-23 MJ/kg, >14 MJ/kg, <1.34, and <25, respectively. (C) 2017 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The world's concern over its dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels has drawn our focus towards renewable fuels such as bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. The present study investigated the potential of sugarcane tops as a potent source for bioethanol production. Enzymatically pretreated sugarcane tops were subjected to saccharification process using a cellulase-xylanase concoction produced from Trichoderma reesei Rut C30. Statistical analysis using response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for optimizing the process parameters in order to obtain maximum reducing sugar. Under the optimized conditions of pH 5, incubation 7 h, enzyme titre of 19.33 IU ml(-1), temperature 50 degrees C and solid loading of 14\% (w/v), maximum reducing sugar of 508.92 +/- 0.02 mg g(-1) was obtained. Changes in the functional group and calorific content after saccharification was also evaluated using FTIR and bomb calorimeter. The hydrolysate obtained after saccharification was further subjected to fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae which was able to produce an ethanol yield of 27.2 gl(-1).
Isolates of basidiomycetes have been studied for the production of extracellular cellulases in submerged shaken cultures using whole sugarcane bagasse (without delignification) as substrate. Cultures produced maximum exo-beta-1,4,glucanase (FPD), endo-beta-1,4,glucanase (E.C.3.2.1.4.) (CMCase) on the 4-5th day and beta-glucosidase (salicinase) (E.C.3.2.1.2 1.) on the 6th day of fermentation. Production of these enzymes could be manipulated for maximum yields by implication of selected cultural factors like growth medium, incubation condition, pH of fermentation, particle size of bagasse and various additives.
Erythritol - a polyol suitable for human nutrition - is industrially produced by microorganisms from costly glucose-rich or starch-rich feedstocks. However, the utilization of sugary by-products from food industries could significantly reduce process costs. This study examined erythritol production from sugarcane molasses, beet molasses and surplus grape musts, by comparing four fungal strains. Beet molasses presented toxic effects on microorganisms, which hampered erythritol production to a certain extent. Moniliella pollinis attained erythritol production yields of 0.239 +/- 0.001 g/g from sugarcane molasses (106.40 +/- 0.42 g/L erythritol), 0.229 +/- 0.003 g/g from beet molasses (57.78 +/- 1.52 g/L), 0.362 +/- 0.005 g/g from red grape must (96.26 +/- 1.31 g/L) and 0.383 +/- 0.004 g/g from rose grapemust (92.84 +/- 0.98 g/L), with nearly total sugar consumption in 6-9 days. In comparison, control tests with a valuable feedstock (beet syrup) reached erythritol yields of 0.327 +/- 0.009 g/g(126.78 +/- 3.21 g/L). Therefore, erythritol production could be considered as a viable route incertain food industries aiming at market diversification. (c) 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
This research aimed to study the effect of no-tillage and bagasse mulching on the population and biomass of earthworm in sugarcane plantation for six years application. The experiment was conducted in 2010 (plant cane, 1st period); the first sampling in July 2011; plant cane, period in August 2014 and the last in August 2016 (ratoon 1, 2nd period) at sugarcane plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia. The treatments were soil tillage as the main plot i.e. (conventional tillage and no-tillage) and bagasse mulch as the sub-plot i.e. 80 mg bagasse ha(-1) yr(-1) in 2010-2014 and 70 mg bagasse ha(-1) in 2015, and with no bagasse mulch. The results showed that in the first sampling, from July 2011 to July 2013, all treatments did not significantly affect earthworm population and biomass. On ratoon 3rd, application of bagasse mulching started to show a significant effect on it, in which revealing significantly higher of earthworm population and biomass than that in without bagasse mulch. In 2015-2016, the effect of bagasse mulching on earthworm population was more pronounce than that in control treatment. Treatment of no-tillage after six years application gave higher population of earthworm than that of conventional tillage after six year application.
This paper proposes the design of a PI alpha robust controller with which to regulate the steam pressure in the steam drum of a bagasse-fired boiler. The dynamic behavior of this process was identified by means of experimentation. This identification procedure yielded an equivalent third order plus time delay model, and showed wide process static gain variations. We, therefore, propose a new method with which to design fractional-order robust controllers for this kind of processes. This method is based on the exact attainment of certain nominal time specifications while using one of the parameters of the controller to maximize the gain margin. The controllers attained were shown to significantly outperform the robustness achieved by using PI or PID controllers, in the sense of reducing the Integral Absolute Error (IAE) and improving the steam pressure uniformity.
In this study, we developed a pathway to valorize sugarcane bagasse left from sugar production to food-related end products through pulp molding, which represents a sustainable material and clean manufacturing. The sugarcane bagasse from the sugar industry is naturally safe for food-related applications. The produced tableware is fully biodegradable, renewable, and environmentally friendly. We also developed a hybrid fiber strategy that long bamboo fibers were blended with short sugarcane fibers, which formed abundant physical interwinding in the obtained tableware with superior performances as required for food containers, including high tensile strength, superior oil stability, excellent hydrophobicity, and low heavy metal content. Of note, our tableware was mostly biodegraded under natural conditions within 60 days, which is largely shorter than the degradation time for synthetic plastics. Moreover, in comparison with polystyrene production, pulp molding produced much less CO2 emission. The tableware made from biomass thus represents an eco-friendly, low cost, and biodegradable alternative to synthetic plastics for food packaging.
The synthesis of methylcellulose (MC) from chemically purified cellulose extracted from sugarcane bagasse was carried out with dimethyl sulfate (DMS) in the presence of sodium hydroxide and acetone as solvent under heterogeneous conditions and the degree of substitution (DS) was determined as 1.44. 3D porous composite of methylcellulose/polyvinyl alcohol (MC/PVA) was prepared by freeze drying process. The synthesized products were characterized by FE-SEM. FTIR, H-1 NMR and XRD. Porosity was calculated as 86\% and the binary image, histogram of pores distribution of MC/PVA porous composite were investigated by ImageJ processing technique which shows the roughness of the topographical structure. Synthesized methylcellulose enhances the value to this abundant agro-industrial residue and may extend its range of biomedical applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing corn grain for sugar cane molasses (MO) or glucose syrup (GS) in the starter concentrate on performance and metabolism of dairy calves. Thirty-six individually housed Holstein male calves were blocked according to weight and date of birth and assigned to one of the starter feed treatments, during an 8 week study: i) starter containing 65\% corn with no MO or GS (0MO); ii) starter containing 60\% corn and 5\% MO (5MO); iii) starter containing 55\% corn and 10\% MO (10MO); and iv) starter containing 60\% corn and 5\% GS (5GS). Animals received 4 L of milk replacer daily (20 crude protein, 16 ether extract, 12.5\% solids), divided in two meals (0700 and 1700 h). Starter and water were provided ad libitum. Starter intake and fecal score were monitored daily until animals were eight weeks old. Body weight and measurements (withers height, hip width and heart girth) were measured weekly before the morning feeding. From the second week of age, blood samples were collected weekly, 2 h after the morning feeding, for glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate and lactate determination. Ruminal fluid was collected at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age using an oro-ruminal probe and a suction pump for determination of pH and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). At the end of the eighth week, animals were harvested to evaluate development of the proximal digestive tract. The composition of the starter did not affect (p>0.05) concentrate intake, weight gain, fecal score, blood parameters, and rumen development. However, treatment 5MO showed higher (p<0.05) total concentration of SCFAs, acetate and propionate than 0MO, and these treatments did not differ from 10MO and 5GS (p>0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that the replacement of corn by 5\% or 10\% sugar cane molasses or 5\% GS on starter concentrate did not impact performance, however it has some positive effects on rumen fermentation which may be beneficial for calves with a developing rumen.
This work proposes an optimization model for the design of an industrial cluster based on sugarcane bagasse in the Indian context. Three different products, namely, ethanol, electricity, and pellets, along with the possibility of selling raw bagasse and burning it in boiler are considered. An economic optimization model to maximize the net present value of the cluster is formulated. Simultaneously, a multi-objective optimization model to minimize the environmental impacts is formulated. The model was applied to a case of a sugar mill processing 181 Mg/h sugarcane. Economic optimization recommended electricity production as the optimal option at the current product prices. This was also desirable from the GHG emission reduction standpoint. However, electricity production led to highest water footprint. Ethanol price has to increase by 100\% over the target price for economic feasibility. Pelletization was preferred only from a water footprint perspective.
Kinetics of xylitol production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by Kluyveromyces marxianus IIPE453t was modelled. Yeast growth and xylitol production were represented with logistic and Michaelis-Menten equations. Batch fermentation produced xylitol with varying yields at different xylose concentrations. The maximum xylitol titre of 25.6 g L-1 was obtained with a volumetric productivity of 0.24 g L-1 h(-1). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that xylose bioconversion linked to XRKS activity was the principal factor governing xylitol production kinetics.
Bagasse samples from four different sugarcane were directly collected as the residues of milling in a processing plant. The samples were dried at 105 A degrees C, compressed to small granules and then their TG/DTA and DSC curves in synthetic air were recorded. Similar thermogravimetric curves were obtained for the different samples and they exhibited four mass loss steps. However, the analysis of the exotherm DSC peaks showed that the oxidation of the organic matter resulted different enthalpy values (Delta H/kJ g(-1)).
This article presents an experimental study to analyze the mechanical properties of a soil stabilized with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) under a sustainable approach consisting of a significant substitution of OPC for sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) to reduce the quantity of cement used in the stabilization, reaching the necessary mechanical requirements for its use as a subgrade layer. Soil specimens were elaborated with 3\%, 5\%, and 7\% OPC as a stabilizing agent by weight of the soil. These mixtures were then partially substituted with 25\%, 50\%, and 75\% SCBA, with these percentages being by weight of the stabilizer (OPC). Compaction, compressive strength, and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the specimens. The results indicate that a 25\% substitution of OPC by SCBA shows a similar performance to the mixture with only Portland cement, so a reduction in OPC use can be made. Further, with a substitution of 100\% OPC by SCBA, the CBR of natural soil without stabilizers is improved.
Rice straw (RS) is the most potentially renewable agricultural waste resource widely distributed in nature. Considering the complex recalcitrant structure and components of RS, three pretreatment methods, including high-temperature hydrothermal, medium-temperature microwave, and low-temperature cryocrushing pretreatment were performed. The components and structure of RS residues were examined and analyzed after the pretreatments. Pretreatment with hydrothermal yielded the lowest rice straw recovery (59.0\%); after being pretreated at 180 degrees C for 10 min, the hemicellulose recovery was only 14.1\%, and the removal efficiency of lignin was the largest (41.3\%), which was 32.2\% and 18.8\% higher than that achieved from cryocrushing and microwave pretreatment, respectively. Pretreatment with cryocrushing yielded the highest recovery rates of rice straw (92.9\%), hemicellulose and cellulose (88.8\% and 90.4\%, respectively). Results of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and the analysis of specific surface area and apertures demonstrated that all three pretreatments could effectively disrupt the structure of RS and reduce its cellulose crystallinity. The three pretreatments were found to enhance the hydrodepolymerization of RS residues. Furthermore, cryocrushing pretreatment yielded the highest cellulose conversion rate (56.8\%), and the yields of glucose, xylose, and arabinose were 29.6\%, 56.2\%, and 17.8\%, respectively. Apart from the use of acids and enzymes, hydrodepolymerization of RS was among the few methods that can effectively degrade cellulose, presenting an ideal solution for the degradation of biomass.
The principal goal of this exploration is to inspect the withdrawal of silver from X-ray waste. Firstly, the impact of some operating parameters on the silver leaching from x-ray utilizing nitric acid as leaching agent such as leaching temperature, incitation speed (rpm), leaching time, and leaching agent concentration was inspected utilizing practical method and mathematical and statistical method. Outcomes acquired detected that, utmost silver ion concentration in leaching solution was 9284.7 mg/kg films (61.9 \%) at an ideal conditions of leaching agent concentration, incitation velocity, leaching time, and temperature of 3 M, 400 rpm, 180 minutes, and 75 oC. Multiple regression analysis technique will be applied in an attempt to acquire correlation (R2 = 96.17\%). Results demonstrated that there is a complete cohesion between the practical values of silver leaching percentage and expected values. After the leaching process, the sorption technique was applied to treat the silver from leaching solution utilizing sugarcane bagasse as a sorbent treated with sulfuric acid. The sorption technique optimization of silver recovery from the leaching solution was elucidated also using practical method and statistical analysis. Factors influencing the sorption process are sorption time, solution pH, mixing velocity, and a sorbent quantity. The optimal pH value, mixing velocity, and sorbent quantity were 5.37, 200 rpm, and 5 gm, respectively at 60 min. sorption time. Under above ideal factors the sorption silver percent was 96.68\%. Kinetic of a sorption were effectively depicted using a pseudo second order model with elevated correlation coefficient (R2 = 99.09 \%). Adsorbed silver on sugarcane bagasse surface were explored via SEM-EDX analysis. Finally, Multiple regression analysis technique will be applied in an attempt to acquire correlation for predicting the silver recovery percent. R2 of the attained correlation was 95.56\%.
The first- and second-generation bioethanol by-products (bagasse and fermentation by-product, respectively) have different biochemical characteristics relating to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) due to their production processes. To examine the impacts of fermentation by-product and bagasse on soil C and N dynamics, a 120 day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted by applying these amendments in soil at an equal carbon application rate (2.2 g C kg(-1) soil). There was a significant increase in overall cumulative CO2-C production from amended soil compared to the control soil, though the loss was greatest in bagasse amended soil. However, delta C-13-CO2 measurements suggested that fermentation by-product addition suppressed native soil C mineralization and prompted strong negative C priming (-57\%). In contrast, bagasse amendment maintained similar native soil C mineralization to control soil. Decreased microbial biomass turnover time appears to be the major driving force for increased CO2-C production and soil C loss following bioethanol by-product amendments. Increased mineral N production indicated net N mineralization after fermentation by-product addition, while addition of bagasse resulted in lower N availability and N immobilization. Overall, results suggested that fermentation by-product application is advantageous in maintaining native soil C stock and N mineralization compared to bagasse. Thus, in a sustainable second-generation bioethanol production system, bagasse may be used for second-generation bioethanol production and the cogenerated by-product could be used as an amendment to improve soil C stock and N availability.
Lignocellulosic material breakdown by hydrolysis is an important step to open new perspectives for bioenergy and special foods production like prebiotic xylooligosaccharides. Improvement of lignocellulose and arabinoxylan alkaline extraction from sugarcane bagasse and enzymatic hydrolysis were performed. Treatments 1 (10\% KOH at 70 degrees C), 3 (5\% KOH at 121 degrees C) and ZD method (24\% KOH at 35 degrees C) showed solid lignocellulose recovery of respectively 75.2\%, 74.2\% and 73\%. A range of 24.8-27\% extracted material with high arabinoxylan content (72.1-76.3\%) was obtained with these treatments. Treatment 1 and 3 exhibited great KOH reduction in the method reaction, 54.1\% and 76.2\%, respectively. Likewise, in treatment 3 there was a decrease in ethanol consumption (40.9\%) when compared to ZD method. The extracted arabinoxylan showed susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis with high solid loading (7\%) since Trichoderma reesei xylanases were advantageous for xylose production (54.9\%), while Aspergillus fumigatus xylanases achieved better XOS production (27.1\%). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bio-derived Hard Carbon is a proven negative electrode material for sodium ion battery (SIB). In the present study, we report synthesis of carbonaceous anode material for SIBs by pyrolyzing sugarcane bagasse, an abundant biowaste. Sugarcane bagasse contains carbon-rich compounds e.g., hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose which prevent graphitization of carbon on pyrolysis. The prepared material is highly disordered, porous with flake-like structures and has enhanced interplanar spacing which facilitate the faster Na ion transport and enhanced sodium storage as evidenced by the excellent electrochemical characteristics of the hard carbon pyrolyzed at 900 degrees C (SW 900) showing highest 2nd cycle discharge capacity of 300 mAhg-1 at 25 mAg-1. Even after subjecting the SW 900 for 300 cycling at 100 mAg-1, the capacity of over 65\% is found. This confirms sugarcane waste as a suitable hard carbon anode material for SIB application. The sodium storage mechanism of the hard carbon contributing to the slope and the plateau capacity has been studied in detail.
Sugarcane bagasse was milled using a high-pressure (100 MPaG) homogenizer and then graphitized in the temperature range 1800-2400 degrees C. The samples obtained were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Carbon tubules containing nanocrystalline SiC were discovered. Their diameter and length were ca. 50-200 nm and 2-30 gm, respectively. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus biofilm was able to produce increased levels of an extracellular thermotolerant phytase using polyethylene and viscose as an inert support in both modified NBRIP medium and modified Khanna medium containing sugarcane bagasse as the carbon source. The enzyme production was strictly regulated by the phosphorus content with optimal production at 0.5 mM of sodium phytate and KH2PO4. The extracellular phytase, RMPhy1, was purified 4.18-fold with 4.78 \% recovery using DEAE-cellulose and CM-cellulose. A single protein band with a molecular mass of 35.4 kDa was obtained when the samples were subjected to 10 \% SDS-PAGE. The optimum temperature for activity was 55 A degrees C and the optimum pH was 4.5. R. microsporus var. microsporus phytase exhibited high stability at 30 and 40 A degrees C with a half-life of 115 min at 60 A degrees C. The enzyme activity increased in the presence of Ca (2+) and was inhibited by Zn2+, arsenate, and sodium phosphate. Phytase demonstrated high substrate specificity for sodium phytate with K (m) = 0.72 mM and V (max) = 94.55 U/mg of protein and for p-NPP with K (m) = 0.04 mM and V (max) = 106.38 U/mg of protein. The enzyme also hydrolyzed ATP, AMPc, glucose 6-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate, and UDPG. This is the first report on phytase characterization delivered with biofilm technology. The properties of the enzyme account for its high potential for use in biotechnology and the possibility of application in different industrial sectors as feed in the future.
The sugarcane industry has been responsible in some countries for the production of most of the sugar and ethanol available in the world for internal and external markets. In this sector, ethanol can be produced by fermentation of sugars obtained directly from sugarcane biomass, commonly called 1st generation ethanol. New processes using the enzymatic hydrolysis technology of lignocellulosic residues like bagasse and sugarcane leaves as feedstock can increase the ethanol production in these plants, reducing the land requirements and the environmental of impact biofuels production in large scale. The lignocellulosic ethanol production using enzymatic hydrolysis technology is one of the most promising alternatives of 2nd generation biofuels, due to its high conversion efficiencies and low environment impact. Some problems like high water consumption and enzymes costs must be overcome in order to reach commercial scale. The process integration and thermo-economic optimization of the process can be important for the design of this process in a sugarcane autonomous distillery aiming at the cost and environmental impact reduction. In this paper a process integration of the sugarcane ethanol distillery model is carried out taking into account 1st and 2nd generation processes in the same site using sugars and bagasse as feedstock respectively. Conflictive objectives such as maximization of the electricity or ethanol production are adopted in a multi-objective optimization technique using evolutionary algorithms, in order to provide a set of candidate solutions considering different configurations of the ethanol production process design.
Bioconversion of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) into hydrogen (H-2) and organic acids was evaluated using a biomolecular approach to monitor the quantity and expression of the cellulase (Cel) gene. Batch reactors at 37 degrees C were operated with Paraclostridium sp. (10\% v/v) and different substrates (5 g/L): glucose, cellulose and SCB in natura and pre-heat treated and hydrothermally. H-2 production from glucose was 162.4 mL via acetic add (2.9 g/L) and 78.4 mL from cellulose via butyric acid (2.9 g/L). H-2 production was higher in hydrothermally pretreated SCB reactors (92.0 mL), heat treated (62.5 mL), when compared to in natura SCB (51.4 mL). Butyric acid (5.8, 4.9 and 4.0 g/L) was the main acid observed in hydrothermally, thermally pretreated, and in natura SCB, respectively. In the reactors with cellulose and reactors with hydrothermally pretreated SCB, the Cel gene copy number 3 and 2 log were higher, respectively, during the stage of maximum H-2 production rate, when compared to the initial stage. Differences in Cel gene expression were observed according to the concentration of soluble sugars in the reaction medium. That is, there was no gene expression at the initial phase of the experiment using SCB with 2.6 g/L of sugars and increase of 2.2 log in gene expression during the phases with soluble sugars of <1.4 g/L. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ethanol production by xylose-fermenting Candida shehatae ATCC 22984 was studied in repeated batch fermentations of rice straw hydrolysate using both free cells and immobilized cells. Terracotta beads, coconut bract and corncob were investigated as supporting materials for cell immobilization. Ethanol production was stable at least 5 cycles when using cells immobilized on coconut bract. Average ethanol concentrations obtained from each batch were 16.7 in free-cell system and 17.2 in immobilized cell system. Repeated batch using free cell system resulted in a slightly higher volumetric productivity than the use of immobilized cells. Ethanol that could be produced per ton of dried rice straw was 120 L using free cell system and 117 L using immobilized cell on coconut bract in glass column system. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The effect of lignocellulose degradation in wheat straw, rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse on the accumulation and antioxidant activity of extra- (EPS) and intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) of Inonotus obliquus under submerged fermentation were first evaluated. The wheat straw, rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse increased the EPS accumulation by 91.4, 78.6, and 74.3 \% compared with control, respectively. The EPS and IPS extracts from the three lignocellulose media had significantly higher hydroxyl radical- and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity than those from the control medium. Of the three materials, wheat straw was the most effective lignocellulose in enhancing the mycelia growth, accumulation and antioxidant activity of I. obliquus polysaccharides (PS). The carbohydrate and protein content, as well as the monosaccharide compositions of the EPS and IPS extracts, were correlated with sugar compositions and dynamic contents during fermentation of individual lignocellulosic materials. The enhanced accumulation of bioactive PS of cultured I. obliquus supplemented with rice straw, wheat straw, and bagasse was evident.
beta-glucosidases are among the key enzymes for juice and beverage industries. They are responsible for the release of aromatic compounds in fruits and fermentation products. In this study, beta-glucosidase was isolated, purified, and characterized from an indigenously developed Bacillus subtilis mutant PS-5CM-UM3. It is a 56 kDa protein monomer (isoelectric point of 5.6) belonging to 1 glycosyl hydrolase family. The purified beta-glucosidase was immobilized on SiO2 nanoparticles (with 52\% efficiency and 14.1\% yield) to improve the thermostability and Michaelis constant (K-m) value of beta-glucosidase from 0.9 to 1.1 mM. The immobilized enzyme showed improved storage stability and was reusable for up to 10 cycles with 70\% residual activity. beta-glucosidase treatment in sugarcane juice elevated the phenolics content with about 2.6 folds and 2.4 folds increase in p-hydroxy benzoic acid (PHBA) and gallic acid, respectively. The results show that recyclable immobilized enzyme system is a novel green approach for improving the sugarcane juice properties. Industrial relevance: In this study, beta-glucosidase originally isolated and purified from an indigenously developed Bacillus subtilis mutant was immobilized on SiO2 nanoparticles. The immobilization has improved the thermostability, storage stability, and Michaelis constant (K-m) value of the beta-glucosidase. The immobilized beta-glucosidase is now reusable for 10 cycles with 70\% residual activity. Further, beta-glucosidase treatment in sugarcane juice elevated the phenolics content with about 2.6 folds and 2.4 folds increase in p-hydroxy benzoic add (PHBA) and gallic acid, respectively. Hence, this study provides a green and sustainable approach for the food industry to efficiently enhance the juice properties. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Non-centrifugal sugar product (NCS) is produced without molasses removal and contains nutrients and phytochemicals inherently found in sugarcane. To obtain a high-quality product, clarifying raw cane juice, especially following the traditional process, is the most important step to remove contamination as insoluble and suspended matter impurities from the rind during harvesting and pressing. Calcium oxide (CaO) is a promising chemical, widely used as a liming agent to clarify raw juice by the traditional non-centrifugal sugar process. However, use of traditional methods and different cane cultivars affect the quality of sugar products. Clarification by calcium oxide at different pH levels and the diversity of cane cultivars also affect physicochemical components. Bioactive compounds among the obtained products were evaluated. Clarifying juice at pH 8.5 gave highest insoluble solids (47.52 g) removed from cane juice and lowest sediment value (0.68\%) of non-centrifugal sugar but caused greatest loss of policosanol and tricin contents. Using calcium oxide clarification, Suphanburi 50 cultivar gave NCS with the highest sugar yield (17.75\%) but lowest color value (2100 IU) and phytochemical contents. LK 92-11 cane cultivar produced NCS with the highest color value (6533.3 IU), total phenolic content (1124.09 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content (143.82 mg RUE/100 g), policosanol content (4.13 mg/100 g) and tricin content (50.82 mu g/100 g).
Polyaniline (PANI) nanorods were randomly deposited on oxidized 2D sugarcane pith-based porous carbon nanosheets by using dilute polymerization methods. The random stacked morphology of the PANI nanorods on the oxidized pith-based porous carbon nanosheets (SPCN) can be effectively controlled by simply changing the molar mass of aniline monomer. When the molar mass of the aniline monomer is increased to 0.02 M, the PANI nanorods can be randomly and uniformly stacked on the oxidized SPCN. Most of these stacked pores derived from random stack of the PANI nanorods on the oxidized SPCN are mesopore and macropore. These stacked pores not only facilitate the diffusion of ions in the stacked layer of the PANI nanorods, but also mitigate mechanical deformation of the PANI nanorods during the doping/dedoping process. Furthermore, the relationship between the properties of the oxidized SPCN/PANI-X (X represents the molar mass of aniline monomer) electrode materials and molar mass of aniline monomer is explored in detail. The oxidized SPCN/PANI-0.02 exhibits the best electrochemical performance in 1 M H2SO4. The largest specific electrode capacitance is up to 513 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.25 A g(-1). The oxidized SPCN/PANI-0.02 also exhibits excellent electrochemical cycling stability.
Nine cellulolytic bacteria were isolated from agricultural residues compost on selective culture medium amended with cellulose (filter paper) as the sole carbon source. Five of the nine isolates (CX2, CX4, CX5, CX7 and CX9) were able to degrade both cellulose (CMC) and xylan in congo red agar plates. The five isolates were able to depolymerize the agricultural wastes, rice straw and sugarcane bagasse. CMC-ase and xylanase production by the five isolates were determined on rice straw and sugarcane bagasse. CX2 and CX9 exhibited the highest CMC-ase and xylanase production on both rice straw and sugarcane bagasse. Among the isolated strains, CX9 produced the highest CMC-ase activity (71 pKat ml(-1)) on rice straw, whereas CX9 produced the highest xylanase activity (7.83 nKat ml(-1)) on sugarcane bagasse. In general, higher CMC-ase and xylanase production was obtained on rice straw compared with sugarcane bagasse. According to the sequences of the 16 s rRNA genes, the five isolates were identified as: Paracoccus kondratievae strain GB (CX2 and CX4), Para -coccus communis (CX5), Bacillus australimaris (CX7) and Bacillus pumilus (CX9). The sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of five isolates were submitted to the gene bank. (C) 2022 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The profitability of biorefinery scenarios utilizing sugarcane lignocellulose (bagasse and harvesting residues), annexed to an existing sugar mill for the co-production of electricity and bioproducts was investigated. Biorefinery scenarios for xylitol, citric acid or glutamic acid production, each in combination with electricity, were simulated in Aspen Plus (R) to generate mass and energy balances, and perform economic analyses. The profitability was compared to a combined heat and power (CHP) plant baseline scenario that solely combusts biomass for electricity co-production. Scenario 2, citric acid and electricity co-production was not profitable at a selling price of 680 \$/t citric acid. However Scenario 1, xylitol and electricity co-production, and Scenario 3 for glutamic acid and electricity co-production, both demonstrated economic feasibility with IRR's of 12.3\% and 31.5\% for a selling price of 3000 \$/t and 3625 \$/t, respectively. These IRR values exceeded the baseline CHP plant IRR of 10.3\% and hurdle rate of 9.7\%.
This work evaluated the xylitol production from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate in a bubble column bioreactor using cells of the yeast Candida guilliermondii immobilized in calcium-alginate. The fermentation runs were performed according to a 2(2) full factorial design with three replicates at the center point in order to determine the effect of the variables: aeration rate (0.66-1.33 vvm) and immobilized system concentration (20-40\% v/v), on the efficiency of xylose-to-xylitol conversion and on the xylitol volumetric productivity. The results indicated a significant influence of both variables on xylitol production. The highest conversion efficiency (41\%) was attained using 1.33 vvm aeration rate and 40\% immobilized system. Under these conditions, the volumetric productivity was 0.21 g l(-1) h(-1). (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The employment of hemicellulose fractions from bagasse acid (HF-AC-rich in xylose) and hydrothermal (HF-HT-containing high amounts of xylooligosaccharides) pretreatments led to yields of 265 and 177 mL(H2/gcarbohydrate) after 18 and 45 h of fermentation, respectively. The anaerobic sludge used as inoculum was able to hydrolyze the xylooligosaccharides of HF-HT into simpler sugars, enabling microbial hydrogen production. The acid hydrolysis of xylooligosaccharides in HF-HT before fermentation improved the productivity by 30\% and showed similar yield (231 mL(H2/gcarbohydrate)). The adaptive phase for HF-HT consumption was influenced by the hydrolytic step and by inhibitors, as the kinetics of hydrolyzed HF-HT was deeply affected in the first 18 h compared to HF-AC. Higher amounts of HF-AC in the media promoted fermentation inhibition, which could be related to the increased concentrations of acetic acid and carbohydrates, two factors that enhance the system osmolarity. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sugarcane is one of the most promising agricultural sources of biomass energy. Sugarcane produces mainly two types of biomass, cane trash and bagasse. Furfural is synthesized from bagasse hydrolysis in an acidic environment and as a result of pentose dehydration. This study has been focused on the production of furfural by using sulfuric acid plus an inorganic salt (NaCl + H2SO4) as catalyst in a pilot plant. The obtained experimental data show that sulfuric acid plus NaCl can be more effective in the production of furfural. Furthermore, in order to predict the outlet furfural percentage from reactors, a three-layer Feed-Forward Neural Network using temperature and pressure of reactor, time of reaction, sulfuric acid percentage, and bagasse humidity has been considered. In fact, using H2SO4 + NaCl as the catalyst, significant improvement is observed in the furfural production process and energy consumption.
Controllableextraction of cellulose from bagasse and preparationof flexible and transparent bagasse aerogels. Thepreparation of functional composite aerogels for building envelopes,especially for building glazing as the key climate moderator, hasbeen widely investigated to improve the sustainability of buildings.Unfortunately, the prohibitive costs, mechanical brittleness, andoptical opacity limit the current development and application of compositeaerogels. Herein, using the controllable extraction of cellulose frombagasse, a low-cost (less than \$3 per square foot), flexible (>15\%elastic deformation under 0.02 MPa) bagasse aerogel film with highvisible-light transparency (>80\% transmittance of visible light)andsuperinsulation (0.0158 W m(-1) K-1) was developed. These properties were achieved by constructing auniform three-dimensional network structure using elastic polysiloxaneand a mixture of cellulose nanofibers and cellulose nanocrystals inan equal proportion. This cellulosic aerogel film would have the latentpotential of application in highly glazed modern buildings to reducethe energy loss from windows.
Background: Sugarcane is one of the world's most profitable crops. Waste steam-exploded sugarcane bagasse (SEB) is a cheap, abundant, and renewable lignocellulosic feedstock for the next-generation biofuels. In nature, fungi seldom exist as planktonic cells, similar to those found in the nutrient-rich environment created within an industrial fermenter. Instead, fungi predominantly form biofilms that allow them to thrive in hostile environments. Results: In turn, we adopted an RNA-sequencing approach to interrogate how the model fungus, Aspergillus nidulans, adapts to SEB, revealing the induction of carbon starvation responses and the lignocellulolytic machinery, in addition to morphological adaptations. Genetic analyses showed the importance of hydrophobins for growth on SEB. The major hydrophobin, RodA, was retained within the fungal biofilm on SEB fibres. The StuA transcription factor that regulates fungal morphology was up-regulated during growth on SEB and controlled hydrophobin gene induction. The absence of the RodA or DewC hydrophobins reduced biofilm formation. The loss of a RodA or a functional StuA reduced the retention of the hydrolytic enzymes within the vicinity of the fungus. Hence, hydrophobins promote biofilm formation on SEB, and may enhance lignocellulose utilisation via promoting a compact substrate-enzyme-fungus structure. Conclusion: This novel study highlights the importance of hydrophobins to the formation of biofilms and the efficient deconstruction of lignocellulose.
In this study, we aimed to develop simple, efficient, economic and sustainable approach for synthesis of carbon based quantum dots from agricultural waste. Sugarcane bagasse is one of the major solid agricultural waste and through its utility a novel strategy is evolved which makes a good sense both environmentally and economically. Herein, graphene quantum dots have been synthesized by chemical cutting from graphene oxide, while chemical oxidation followed by exfoliation method was used to form carbon quantum dots. The manufactured carbon based quantum dots were structurally characterised by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The quantum dots were optically characterised by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fluorescence microscopy and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. SEM and TEM analysis indicated size, shape and monodispersed nature of carbon based quantum dots along with structural information about graphene oxide and sugarcane bagasse. The presence of large amount of oxygenous functionality was confirmed by FT-IR spectra and UV-vis spectroscopy. The optical properties reveal the bright blue luminescent nature of carbon quantum dots and graphene quantum dots with a produced yield of 25.7\% and 12.54\% respectively.
In Brazil, the degradation of nutrient-poor Ferralsols limits productivity and drives agricultural expansion into pristine areas. However, returning agricultural residues to the soil in a stabilized form may offer opportunities for maintaining or improving soil quality, even under conditions that typically promote carbon loss. We examined the use of biochar made from filtercake (a byproduct of sugarcane processing) on the physicochemical properties of a cultivated tropical soil. Filtercake was pyrolyzed at 575 degrees C for 3 h yielding a biochar with increased surface area and porosity compared to the raw filtercake. Filtercake biochar was primarily composed of aromatic carbon, with some residual cellulose and hemicellulose. In a three-week laboratory incubation, CO2 effluxes from a highly weathered Ferralsol soil amended with 5\% biochar (dry weight, d.w.) were roughly four-fold higher than the soil-only control, but 23-fold lower than CO2 effluxes from soil amended with 5\% (d.w.) raw filtercake. We also applied vinasse, a carbon-rich liquid waste from bioethanol production typically utilized as a fertilizer on sugarcane soils, to filtercake- and biochar-amended soils. Total CO2 efflux from the biochar-amended soil in response to vinasse application was only 5\% of the efflux when vinasse was applied to soil amended with raw filtercake. Furthermore, mixtures of 5 or 10\% biochar (d.w.) in this highly weathered tropical soil significantly increased water retention within the plant-available range and also improved nutrient availability. Accordingly, application of sugarcane filtercake as biochar, with or without vinasse application, may better satisfy soil management objectives than filtercake applied to soils in its raw form, and may help to build soil carbon stocks in sugarcane-cultivating regions.
A total of 168 seven days-old Arbor Acres chicks were reared in late-autumn on 4 types of litters; sawdust, rice husk, sugarcane bagasse or wheat straw up to 49 days of age to compare the growth performance, evaluate the manureal value and Coccidial oocyst population in used litter. Sadust, rice husk, sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw did not differ statistically for live weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and survivability (p>0.05). However, live weight and survivability tended to increase on sawdust. The highest moisture content of used litter was found in sugarcane bagasse followed by sawdust, rice husk and wheat straw (p<0.05). Rice husk contained the highest amount of of nitrogen, phosphurus and potassium followed by sawdust, sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw (p<0.01). Oocyst content of all treatment groups increased suddenly up to 5 weeks of age and thereafter suddenly declined up to 7 weeks of age. Litter materials did not differ at 35 and 42 days of age for oocyst content, but significantly differed at 49 days of age (p<0.01). So, the above findings reveal that sawdust may be suitable litter followed by rice husk, sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw in late-autumn in Bangladesh in respect of broiler growth performance.
Fungal pretreatment of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) by solid state fermentation (SSF) studied in a Mesh tray bioreactor. In pretreatment by using Coriolus versicolor, optimal mesh size in tray and humid airflow into bioreactor overcame the problems of SSF and improved fungal growth; increased the production of lignolytic enzymes laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, polyphenol peroxidase, aryl alcohol oxidase by 1.9, 1.85, 2.6, 2.0, 1.9 folds respectively; hemicellulolytic enzyme xylanase by 1.8 folds and decreased cellulolytic enzymes production. Altered lignocellulolytic enzyme profiles resulted in high lignin degradation 46.092.0\%ww(-1), high selectivity value 5.98 and low cellulose loss 7.7 +/- 0.3\%ww(-1). Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated SSB yielded higher (2.47 times) fermentable sugar. Characterizations of SSB by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA/DTG supported the results. Mesh tray bioreactor could be used for fungal pretreatment and enzyme productions by SSF of waste biomass. {[
This study investigated the effects of two soil moisture levels (SM) (30\% and 70\% soil available water) and three harvests (90 days, 118 days, and 151 days after seeding) on sweet (S506) and fiber (B133) sorghum genotypes under rain-sheltered conditions. Juice and bagasse-derived ethanol and their sum (EtOHBJ, EtOHB, and EtOHJ+B, respectively) were assessed. Water use efficiency (WUE) was determined for sorghum dry weight (DW) and EtOHJ+B. S506 had similar DW, but higher sugar content than B133, resulting in higher EtOHJ(+ 32\%) and EtOHJ+B (+ 9\%). High SM-enhanced DW, juice and sugars content, determining a strong EtOHJ+ B increase (+ 99\% vs. low SM). Late harvest enhanced DW and EtOHJ+ B (+ 107\% vs. early harvest), despite decreasing extractives and increasing structural fiber components. Water use efficiency of EtOHJ+ B improved with high vs. low SM, although differences faded in late harvest. Upscale of EtOHJ+ B and WUE data indicated a range of 21,000-82,000 ha of sorghum cultivation and 60-117 Mm(3) of irrigation water, as amounts of resources needed to supply an 85,000 m(3).yr(-1) bio-ethanol plant. This large variation in land and water needs depended on specific combinations between crop factors SM and harvests.
In the present work, sugarcane tops (SCT), an agricultural residue, were subjected to alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) subsequently followed by acid hydrolysis for the maximum release of fermentable sugars for bioethanol production. The process parameters that affect the AHP pretreatment efficiency include AHP concentration (\%, v/v), SCT loading (\%, w/v), pretreatment time (h), pretreatment temperature (degrees C), and agitation speed (rpm) were studied for effective delignification. Furthermore, central composite design (CCD) based on response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for optimizing various process parameters of acid hydrolysis such as sulfuric acid concentration (\%, v/v), reaction time (min), and reaction temperature (degrees C). The optimal hydrolysis conditions yielded 6.911 g/L of xylose and 4.106 g/L of glucose. The hydrolyzate containing fermentable sugars was fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and about 9.9 vol\% ethanol was obtained at the end of 24 h fermentation. The native, pretreated, and hydrolyzed SCT were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.
In order to understand the relationship among enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose, cellulase adsorption characteristics, and physicochemical properties of lignocellulose, a series of investigations was conducted, including composition, surface morphology, chemical bonds, functional groups, pore characteristics, cellulase accessibility, productive cellulase adsorption, cellulase adsorption isotherm, and kinetics of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and ammonia-treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) substrates. The results showed that the hydrolysis efficiency of NaOH-treated SCB (87.85\%) was higher than that of ammonia-treated SCB (33.65\%) and NaOH-treated SCB had less lignin, looser surface, and larger specific surface area and pore volume. This suggested that better accessibility of NaOH-treated SCB to cellulase resulted in higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. The data on cellulase adsorption showed that NaOH-treated SCB had more productive adsorption, less non-productive adsorption, better adsorption capacity, and smaller binding strength with cellulase, which was also beneficial to the enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis of NaOH-treated SCB. In addition, it was found that once cellulase molecules were adsorbed onto these two SCB substrates, two types of bonds as follows might be formed: one was C-OR (R means organic groups) and the other was C-OH center dot center dot NH that was a type of hydrogen bond formed between the hydrogen of amino group in cellulase and the hydroxyl group in lignocellulose. This study would help further learn the link between lignocellulosic substrate characteristics and enzymatic hydrolysis or cellulase adsorption properties of lignocellulose. Graphical