scholarly journals Synergistic Dual Catalytic System and Kinetics for the Alcoholysis of Poly(Lactic Acid)

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 921
Author(s):  
Fabio M. Lamberti ◽  
Andy Ingram ◽  
Joseph Wood
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Zinc Acetate Dihydrate ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Poly Lactic Acid ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Methyl Lactate ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
Global Issue

Plastic pollution is a global issue that is approaching crisis levels as plastic production is projected to reach 1.1 GT annually by 2050. The bioplastic industry along with a circular production economy are solutions to this problem. One promising bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA) has mechanical properties comparable to polystyrene (PS), so it could replace PS in its applications as a more environmentally sustainable material. However, since the bioplastic PLA also suffers from long biodegradation times in the environment, to ensure that it does not add to the current pollution problem, it should instead be chemically recycled. In this work, PLA was chemically recycled via alcoholysis, using either methanol or ethanol to generate the value-added products methyl lactate and ethyl lactate respectively. Two catalysts, zinc acetate dihydrate (ZnAc) and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), were tested both individually and in mixtures. A synergistic effect was exhibited on the reaction rate when both catalysts were used in an equal ratio. The methanolysis reaction was determined to be two-step, with the activation energy estimated to be 73 kJ mol−1 for the first step and 40.16 kJ mol−1 for the second step. Both catalysts are cheap and commercially available, their synergistic effect could be exploited for large-scale PLA recycling.

scholarly journals APPLICATION OF WASTE BANANA PEELS AS BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-130
Author(s):  
NUR ATHIRAH HUZAISHAM
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Biodegradable Plastic ◽  
Organic Polymer ◽  
Banana Peel ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Synthetic Materials ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Materials Used

The world today seems unimaginable without plastics or synthetic organic polymer, however their large-scale production and use only dates back to 1950 (1). The resulting rapid growth in plastics production is remarkable, surpassing most other man-made materials. The study presents the utilization of banana peel as biodegradable plastic to substitute the existing non-biodegradable plastic. The objectives of this research are to aims to develop and produce biodegradable plastic that will substitute the existing non-biodegradable plastic to help in saving the environment as well as to compare the properties of biodegradable plastic based on banana peel with the commercial biodegradable plastic. The use of waste banana peel in this study is mainly to replace the synthetic materials used in the conventional biodegradable plastic. Furthermore, the environmental pollutions can be reduced due to the usage of waste banana peels to produce a new value-added biodegradable plastic.   Keywords : Banana peel, biodegradable plastic, pollution, environment

scholarly journals Synthesis and Processing of Melt Spun Materials from Esterified Lignin with Lactic Acid

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 5361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Goulis ◽  
Ioannis Kartsonakis ◽  
George Konstantopoulos ◽  
Costas Charitidis
Keyword(s):  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Carbon Fiber ◽  
Carbon Fibers ◽  
Thermal Processing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Poly Lactic Acid ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Fibrous Materials ◽  
Melt Spun

In this study, the carbon fiber manufacturing process is investigated, using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and esterified lignin either with lactic acid (LA) or with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as precursors. More specifically, lignin was modified using either LA or PLA in order to increase its chemical affinity with HDPE. The modified compounds were continuously melt spun to fibrous materials by blending with HDPE in order to fabricate a carbon fiber precursor. The obtained products were characterized with respect to their morphology, as well as their structure and chemical composition. Moreover, an assessment of both physical and structural transformations after modification of lignin with LA and PLA was performed in order to evaluate the spinning ability of the composite fibers, as well as the thermal processing to carbon fibers. This bottom–up approach seems to be able to provide a viable route considering large scale production in order to transform lignin in value-added product. Tensile tests revealed that the chemical lignin modification allowed an enhancement in its spinning ability due to its compatibility improvement with the commercial low-cost and thermoplastic HDPE polymer. Finally, stabilization and carbonization thermal processing was performed in order to obtain carbon fibers.

scholarly journals Poly(lactic Acid): A Versatile Biobased Polymer for the Future with Multifunctional Properties—From Monomer Synthesis, Polymerization Techniques and Molecular Weight Increase to PLA Applications

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1822
Author(s):  
Evangelia Balla ◽  
Vasileios Daniilidis ◽  
Georgia Karlioti ◽  
Theocharis Kalamas ◽  
Myrika Stefanidou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Chain Extension ◽  
Poly Lactic Acid ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Decomposition Reactions ◽  
Melt Polycondensation ◽  
Polymerization Conditions ◽  
Molecular Weight Increase

Environmental problems, such as global warming and plastic pollution have forced researchers to investigate alternatives for conventional plastics. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), one of the well-known eco-friendly biodegradables and biobased polyesters, has been studied extensively and is considered to be a promising substitute to petroleum-based polymers. This review gives an inclusive overview of the current research of lactic acid and lactide dimer techniques along with the production of PLA from its monomers. Melt polycondensation as well as ring opening polymerization techniques are discussed, and the effect of various catalysts and polymerization conditions is thoroughly presented. Reaction mechanisms are also reviewed. However, due to the competitive decomposition reactions, in the most cases low or medium molecular weight (MW) of PLA, not exceeding 20,000–50,000 g/mol, are prepared. For this reason, additional procedures such as solid state polycondensation (SSP) and chain extension (CE) reaching MW ranging from 80,000 up to 250,000 g/mol are extensively investigated here. Lastly, numerous practical applications of PLA in various fields of industry, technical challenges and limitations of PLA use as well as its future perspectives are also reported in this review.

scholarly journals Multi-Country Scale Assessment of Available Energy Recovery Potential Using Micro-Hydropower in Drinking, Pressurised Irrigation and Wastewater Networks, Covering Part of the EU

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 899
Author(s):  
Djordje Mitrovic ◽  
Miguel Crespo Chacón ◽  
Aida Mérida García ◽  
Jorge García Morillo ◽  
Juan Antonio Rodríguez Diaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Water Networks ◽  
Scale Assessment

Studies have shown micro-hydropower (MHP) opportunities for energy recovery and CO2 reductions in the water sector. This paper conducts a large-scale assessment of this potential using a dataset amassed across six EU countries (Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain, and Portugal) for the drinking water, irrigation, and wastewater sectors. Extrapolating the collected data, the total annual MHP potential was estimated between 482.3 and 821.6 GWh, depending on the assumptions, divided among Ireland (15.5–32.2 GWh), Scotland (17.8–139.7 GWh), Northern Ireland (5.9–8.2 GWh), Wales (10.2–8.1 GWh), Spain (375.3–539.9 GWh), and Portugal (57.6–93.5 GWh) and distributed across the drinking water (43–67%), irrigation (51–30%), and wastewater (6–3%) sectors. The findings demonstrated reductions in energy consumption in water networks between 1.7 and 13.0%. Forty-five percent of the energy estimated from the analysed sites was associated with just 3% of their number, having a power output capacity >15 kW. This demonstrated that a significant proportion of energy could be exploited at a small number of sites, with a valuable contribution to net energy efficiency gains and CO2 emission reductions. This also demonstrates cost-effective, value-added, multi-country benefits to policy makers, establishing the case to incentivise MHP in water networks to help achieve the desired CO2 emissions reductions targets.

scholarly journals The SOC1-like gene BoMADS50 is associated with the flowering of Bambusa oldhamii

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Hou ◽  
Ling Li ◽  
Tengfei Ma ◽  
Jialong Pei ◽  
Zhongyu Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Activation Functions ◽  
Regulatory Activity ◽  
Mature Leaves ◽  
Sporadic Flowering ◽  
Bamboo Flowering ◽  
Bambusa Oldhamii

AbstractBamboo is known for its edible shoots and beautiful texture and has considerable economic and ornamental value. Unique among traditional flowering plants, many bamboo plants undergo extensive synchronized flowering followed by large-scale death, seriously affecting the productivity and application of bamboo forests. To date, the molecular mechanism of bamboo flowering characteristics has remained unknown. In this study, a SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1)-like gene, BoMADS50, was identified from Bambusa oldhamii. BoMADS50 was highly expressed in mature leaves and the floral primordium formation period during B. oldhamii flowering and overexpression of BoMADS50 caused early flowering in transgenic rice. Moreover, BoMADS50 could interact with APETALA1/FRUITFULL (AP1/FUL)-like proteins (BoMADS14-1/2, BoMADS15-1/2) in vivo, and the expression of BoMADS50 was significantly promoted by BoMADS14-1, further indicating a synergistic effect between BoMADS50 and BoAP1/FUL-like proteins in regulating B. oldhamii flowering. We also identified four additional transcripts of BoMADS50 (BoMADS50-1/2/3/4) with different nucleotide variations. Although the protein-CDS were polymorphic, they had flowering activation functions similar to those of BoMADS50. Yeast one-hybrid and transient expression assays subsequently showed that both BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1 bind to the promoter fragment of itself and the SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP)-like gene BoSVP, but only BoMADS50-1 can positively induce their transcription. Therefore, nucleotide variations likely endow BoMADS50-1 with strong regulatory activity. Thus, BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1/2/3/4 are probably important positive flowering regulators in B. oldhamii. Moreover, the functional conservatism and specificity of BoMADS50 and BoMADS50-1 might be related to the synchronized and sporadic flowering characteristics of B. oldhamii.

scholarly journals Sustainable Spatial Energy Planning of Large-Scale Wind and PV Farms in Israel: A Collaborative and Participatory Planning Approach

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 551
Author(s):  
Sofia Spyridonidou ◽  
Georgia Sismani ◽  
Eva Loukogeorgaki ◽  
Dimitra G. Vagiona ◽  
Hagit Ulanovsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Participatory Planning ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Planning Framework ◽  
Planning Approach ◽  
Near Future

In this work, an innovative sustainable spatial energy planning framework is developed on national scale for identifying and prioritizing appropriate, technically and economically feasible, environmentally sustainable as well as socially acceptable sites for the siting of large-scale onshore Wind Farms (WFs) and Photovoltaic Farms (PVFs) in Israel. The proposed holistic framework consists of distinctive steps allocated in two successive modules (the Planning and the Field Investigation module), and it covers all relevant dimensions of a sustainable siting analysis (economic, social, and environmental). It advances a collaborative and participatory planning approach by combining spatial planning tools (Geographic Information Systems (GIS)) and multi-criteria decision-making methods (e.g., Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)) with versatile participatory planning techniques in order to consider the opinion of three different participatory groups (public, experts, and renewable energy planners) within the site-selection processes. Moreover, it facilitates verification of GIS results by conducting appropriate field observations. Sites of high suitability, accepted by all participatory groups and field verified, form the final outcome of the proposed framework. The results illustrate the existence of high suitable sites for large-scale WFs’ and PVFs’ siting and, thus, the potential deployment of such projects towards the fulfillment of the Israeli energy targets in the near future.

Direct conversion of cellulose to high-yield methyl lactate over Ga-doped Zn/H-nanozeolite Y catalysts in supercritical methanol

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1969-1982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Verma ◽  
Rizki Insyani ◽  
Young-Woong Suh ◽  
Seung Min Kim ◽  
Seok Ki Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Direct Conversion ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Supercritical Methanol ◽  
Methyl Lactate ◽  
High Yields

For realizing sustainable bio-based refineries, it is crucial to obtain high yields of value-added chemicalsviadirect conversion of cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass.

A structure–activity relationship study using DFT analysis of Bronsted–Lewis acidic ionic liquids and synergistic effect of dual acidity in one-pot conversion of glucose to value-added chemicals

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 1423-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firdaus Parveen ◽  
Tanmoy Patra ◽  
Sreedevi Upadhyayula
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquids ◽  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Levulinic Acid ◽  
Value Added ◽  
One Pot ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Acidic Ionic Liquids ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
Relationship Study

The catalytic conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to value-added chemicals, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, and formic acid, is a commercially important reaction and requires the use of both Lewis and Bronsted acids.

scholarly journals Catalytic valorization of hardwood for enhanced xylose-hydrolysate recovery and cellulose enzymatic efficiency via synergistic effect of Fe3+ and acetic acid

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaixuan Huang ◽  
Lalitendu Das ◽  
Jianming Guo ◽  
Yong Xu
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Enzymatic Saccharification ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Lewis Acid Site ◽  
Aqueous Acetic Acid ◽  
Xylan Degradation ◽  
Hydrolysis Process ◽  
Xylonic Acid

Abstract Background Poplars are considered suitable dedicated energy crops, with abundant cellulose and hemicellulose, and huge surplus biomass potential in China. Xylan, the major hemicellulosic component, contributes to the structural stability of wood and represents a tremendous quantity of biobased chemicals for fuel production. Monomeric xylose conversion to value-added chemicals such as furfural, xylitol, and xylonic acid could greatly improve the economics of pulp-paper industry and biorefinery. Acetic acid (HAc) is used as a friendly and recyclable selective catalyst amenable to xylan degradation and xylooligosaccharides production from lignocellulosic materials. However, HAc catalyst usually works much feebly at inert woods than agricultural straws. In this study, effects of different iron species in HAc media on poplar xylan degradation were systematically compared, and a preferable Fe3+-assisted HAc hydrolysis process was proposed for comparable xylose-hydrolysate recovery (XHR) and enzymatic saccharification of cellulose. Results In presence of 6.5% HAc with 0.17–0.25 wt% Fe3+, xylose yield ranged between 72.5 and 73.9%. Additionally, pretreatment was effective in poplar delignification, with a lignin yield falling between 38.6 and 42.5%. Under similar conditions, saccharification efficiency varied between 60.3 and 65.9%. Starting with 100 g poplar biomass, a total amount of 12.7–12.8 g of xylose and 18.8–22.8 g of glucose were harvested from liquid streams during the whole process of Fe3+-HAc hydrolysis coupled with enzymatic saccharification. Furthermore, the enhancement mechanism of Fe3+ coupled with HAc was investigated after proof-of-concept experiments. Beechwood xylan and xylose were treated under the same condition as poplar sawdust fractionation, giving understanding of the effect of catalysts on the hydrolysis pathway from wood xylan to xylose and furfural by Fe3+-HAc. Conclusions The Fe3+-assisted HAc hydrolysis process was demonstrated as an effective approach to the wood xylose and other monosaccharides production. Synergistic effect of Lewis acid site and aqueous acetic acid provided a promising strategy for catalytic valorization of poplar biomass.

scholarly journals Clean Enzymatic depolymerization of highly crystalline polyethylene terephthalate in moist-solid reaction mixtures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Kaabel ◽  
J. P. Daniel Therien ◽  
Catherine E. Deschênes ◽  
Dustin Duncan ◽  
Tomislav Friščić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polyethylene Terephthalate ◽  
Metal Organic Framework ◽  
Direct Synthesis ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Solid Reaction ◽  
Pollution Problem ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Dilute Aqueous Solutions ◽  
Space Time Yield ◽  
Crystalline Forms

AbstractLess than 9% of the plastic produced is recycled after use, contributing to the global plastic pollution problem. While polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics, its thermomechanical recycling generates a material of lesser quality. Enzymes are highly selective, renewable catalysts active at mild temperatures; however, the current consensus is that they lack activity towards the more crystalline forms of PET. We report here that when used in moist-solid reaction mixtures instead of the typical dilute aqueous solutions, enzymes can directly depolymerize high crystallinity PET in 13-fold higher space-time yield and a 15-fold higher enzyme efficiency than prior reports. Further, this process shows a 26-fold selectivity for terephthalic acid over other hydrolysis products, which allows the direct synthesis of UiO-66 metal-organic framework.

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