Manufacture of Banana-Based Paper

The paper is one of the most used elements in modern society, despite the fact that its invention dates back to ancient times. The paper is used for different domestic, labor and industrial purposes. Its manufacture is made from cellulose pulp and vegetable fibers, which have had a significant environmental impact in recent years. This work proposes the analysis of the production of paper from the use of residues of the banana plant, which could offer a better use of natural resources and a lower impact on nature. In addition, the natural fiber of bananas is resistant and is easily obtained in Latin American countries such as Ecuador, which has a high production of it. The results found show that it is possible to make paper with fiber from banana residues and that it is possible to commercialize and make good use of resources. Keywords: Organic paper, banana waste, environmental protection. References [1]A. Herrera, «ELABORACIÓN DEL PAPEL ORGÁNICO A BASE DE PSEUDOTALLO DE BANANO, CANTÓN SANTA ROSA, PROVINCIA DE EL ORO, ECUADOR,» Guayaquil, 2019. [2]R. d. León, «Fabrican papel con desechos de plátano,» CIENCIAMX, 1 julio 2016. [En línea]. Available: http://www.cienciamx.com/index.php/tecnologia/biotecnologia/8476-generacion-de-celulosa-a-partir-de-desechos-de-la-planta-del-platano. [3]A. Cortéz, «ELABORACIÓN DE PAPEL A BASE DE RESIDUOS DE BANANO,» Guayaquil, 2014. [4]M. Dávalos and S. Zurita, «Organic paper, banana waste, environmental protection,» Universidad Politécnica del Litoral, Chile, 2004. [5]G. Castillo-Tumaille and W. Espinoza- Espinoza, «Análisis de aceptación del papel a base de pinzote de banano como alternativa de,» Ingeniería Industrial. Actualidad y Nuevas Tendencias, vol. V, nº 18, pp. 59-70, 2017. [6]M. Mazzeo, L. León, L. Mejía, L. Guerrero and J. Botero, «APROVECHAMIENTO INDUSTRIAL DE RESIDUOS DE COSECHA Y POSCOSECHA DEL PLÁTANO EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE CALDAS,» Educación en Ingeniería, vol. junio de 2010, nº 9, pp. 128-139, 2010. [7]M. Arzola and A. Mejías, «Modelo conceptual para gestionar la innovación en las empresas del sector servicios,» Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, vol. 12, nº 37, pp. 80-98, 2007. [8]I. Azman and S. Yusrizal, «Service quality as a predictor of satisfaction and customer loyalty.,» Scientific Journal of Logistics. , vol. 12, nº 4, pp. 269-283, 2016.

Green Approach to Clean Marble Surfaces

In the field of cultural heritage restoration, the removal of iron corrosion stains is a difficult problem to deal with, especially in porous stone materials. Many studies in recent years have been aimed at finding simple and reliable methods using non-toxic chelating compounds. The search for natural compounds is therefore of great relevance, especially in the restoration of cultural heritage, where the use of toxic chemical compounds often involves risks for the environment and human health. Following this trend, the purpose of this preliminary work was to verify the use of two natural proteins, Lactotransferrin (Ltf) and Ovotransferrin (Ovt), for the removal of iron-based stains on marble surfaces. The two proteins, whose high affinity for iron "in vivo" has been widely documented, were extracted from their natural matrices. The protein extracts were then immobilized using a common cellulose pulp. The poultices obtained were spread on the surfaces of artificially stained marble specimens and, after a set time, were easily removed. The effectiveness of the removal, visually evident, was detected by spectrocolorimetry and image analysis. The surface analyses, before and after the treatment, carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirmed that both proteins have a selective and effective complexing capacity for the ferric ions of rust stains.

Characterization of Birch Wood Residue after 2-Furaldehyde Obtaining, for Further Integration in Biorefinery Processing

Latvia is a large manufacturer of plywood in Eastern Europe, with an annual production of 250,000 m3. In Latvia’s climatic conditions, birch (Betula pendula) is the main tree species that is mainly used for plywood production. A significant part of the processed wood makes up residues like veneer shorts, cores, and cut-offs (up to 30%), which have a high potential for value-added products. The aim of this research was to comprehensively characterize lignocellulosic (LC) biomass that was obtained after 2-furaldehyde production in terms of further valorization of this resource. The polymeric cellulose-enriched material can be used in the new biorefinery concept for the production of 2-furaldehyde, acetic acid, cellulose pulp, thermomechanical (TMP) and an alkaline peroxide mechanical (APMP) pulping process. In addition, we experimentally developed the best 2-furaldehyde production conditions to optimize the purity and usability of cellulose in the leftovers of the LC material. The best experimental results in terms of both 2-furaldehyde yield and the purity of residual lignocellulose were obtained if the catalyst concentration was 70%, the catalyst amount was 4 wt.%, the reaction temperature was 175 °C, and the treatment time was 60 min. After process optimization with DesignExpert11, we concluded that the best conditions for maximal glucose content (as cellulose fibers) was a catalyst concentration of 85%, a catalyst amount of 5 wt.%, a temperature of 164 °C, and a treatment time of 52 min.

Packaging Composite Films Fabricated from Cellulose Pulp with Polyurethane and Curcumin by Using NMMO ionic Liquid Solvent

Cellulose pulp (CP), polyurethane (PU), and curcumin-based biocompatible composite films were prepared using a simple cost-effective method. These materials dissolved well in the ionic liquid solvent N-methylmorpholine N-oxide. Significant structural and microstructural changes were observed in CP upon the addition of PU. These changes were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The 5% and 10% gravimetric losses of the CP/PU/curcumin composite were found to be in the range 87.2–182.3 ºC and 166.7–249.8 ºC, respectively. The addition of PU significantly improved the thermal stability and water barrier properties of the composites. All the composites exhibited single Tg values in the range 147.4–154.2 ºC. The tensile strength of CP was measured to be 93.2 MPa, which dropped to 14.1 MPa for the 1:0.5 CP/PU composite and then steadily increased to 30.5 MPa with further addition of PU. The elongation at break of the composites decreased from 8.1 to 3.7% with the addition of PU. The addition of PU also improved the water vapor permeability (3.96 ×10–9 to 1.75 ×10–9 g m–1 s–1 Pa–1) and swelling ratio (285 to 202%) of the CP composite films. The CP/PU/curcumin composite exhibited good antioxidant activity and no cytotoxicity when tested on the HaCat cell line. The visual appearance and UV transmittance (86.2–32.9% at 600 nm) of the CP composite films were significantly altered by the incorporation of PU and curcumin. This study demonstrates that CP/PU/curcumin composites can be used for various packaging and biomedical applications.

Commercial Bio-Packaging to Preserve the Quality and Extend the Shelf-Life of Vegetables: The Case-Study of Pumpkin Samples Studied by a Multimethodological Approach

A multidisciplinary protocol is proposed to monitor the preservation of fresh pumpkin samples (FP) using three commercial polymeric films: A made of biodegradable cellophane from regenerated cellulose pulp; B from corn starch, cassava and eucalyptus, C made of polylactic acid from corn starch, and a polyethylene film used as reference (REF). Chemical, mechanical and microbiological analyses were applied on packaging and fresh and packaged samples at different times. After an 11-day period, NMR spectroscopy results showed a sucrose increase and a malic acid decrease in all the biofilms with respect to FP; fructose, glucose, galactose levels remained quite constant in biofilms B and C; the most abundant amino acids remained quite constant in biofilm A and decreased significantly in biofilm B. From microbiological analyses total microbial count was below the threshold value up to 7 days for samples in all the films, and 11 days for biofilm C. The lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds counts were below the acceptability limit during the 11 days for all packages. In the case of biofilm C, the most promising packaging for microbiological point of view, aroma analysis was also carried out. In this paper, you can find all the analysis performed and all the values found.

Paper trapping research after adding Mulberry tree branches bark cellulose pulp

The paper presents the study results of paper trapping during inkjet printing which contains cellulose pulp from the inner bark layer of mulberry branches. The connection between the print density and the paper surface structure, in particular, water absorption and raggedness, is established. The study of the stepwise gradation transition and color rendition, the graphic accuracy of reproduction of the slur element of the image is carried out. Densitometric and microscopic analysis of the impressions printed on an inkjet printer was performed. It was revealed that the pigments of water ink, depending on the microgeometry of the paper surface, penetrated deeper in different ways. It was found that the maximum thickness of the paint layer, expressed using the optical density values for the primary colors of the subtractive synthesis, and the best color reproduction were provided by the surface of the paper sample with 100 % addition of cellulose pulp from the inner layer of the bark of mulberry tree branches, which has the least roughness, according to the scanning probe microscope Solver HV. Recommendations are given for testing paper data on inkjet printers that use pigment inks and are less demanding on the surface properties of paper, or by printing methods that do not use low-viscosity printing inks.

Utilizing a novel fungal enzymatic cocktail as an eco-friendly alternative for cellulose pulp biobleaching

Enzyme cocktails can alter the lignin and hemicellulose content in wood cell walls, improving the bleaching process during pulp production and offsetting the need for toxic chemicals. In this study, brown pulp was biobleached with a mixture of crude fungal extracts rich in xylanase and laccase, respectively produced from Aspergillus tamarii Kita and Trametes versicolor on waste materials. The optimal conditions for biobleaching were a mixture of xylanase and laccase crude extracts (1 to 2 v/v), at a temperature of 36 °C and a pH of 5.5. The treated brown cellulose pulp showed a reduction in the Kappa number by 1.83 points, representing an efficiency of 20.3%. In addition, the brightness increased by 4.65 points in comparison to the control. Hence, studies involving the application of the standardized cocktail during the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic residues, e.g., barley residue and sugarcane bagasse, led to the formation of 85 g/L and 25 g/L of reducing sugars, respectively. Moreover, the standardized cocktail caused greater deinking of the recycled paper pulp.

Olive Trees By-Products as Sources of Bioactive and Other Industrially Useful Compounds: A Systematic Review

The need to produce an ever-increasing quantity of material products and food resulting from the planet globalization process has contributed to the spread of modern agriculture based on a linear production resulting in the generation of tons of waste. This huge amount of waste is generally accumulated in landfills, causing different environmental problems. Hence, researchers moved on to study the processes used to recover agro-industrial by-products within a circular and sustainable bio-economy concept. A systematic quest on Scopus and PubMed databases was performed to identify the data available to date on recycling agro-industrial by-products of Olea europaea L. This systematic review summarizes the knowledge regarding the use of olive trees by-products for producing animal feed, biocomposites, bioethanol, cellulose pulp, activated carbon, and as a fuel source for energy production. Furthermore, the data regarding the potential biological activity of extracts from olive roots, wood, bark, and pruning were analyzed. Olive trees by-products are, indeed, rich in molecules with antioxidant, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and anticancer activity, representing a promising candidate for treat several human diseases.

Fractionation of Cynara cardunculus L. by Acidified Organosolv Treatment for the Extraction of Highly Digestible Cellulose and Technical Lignin

One of the primary targets for the new lignocellulosic feedstock-based biorefinery is the simultaneous valorization of holocellulose and lignin. Acidified organosolv treatment is among the most promising strategy for recovering technical lignin, water-soluble hemicellulose, and cellulose pulp with increased accessibility to hydrolytic enzymes. In this work, a design-of-experiment (DoE) approach was used to increase the cellulose recovery, digestibility, and the delignification of Cynara cardunculus L. feedstock. In the first treatment, the milled biomass was subjected to microwave-assisted extraction using an acidified GVL/water mixture to separate lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose. In the second treatment, the cellulose pulp was hydrolyzed by cellulolytic enzymes to demonstrate the enhanced digestibility. At the optimal condition (154 °C, 2.24% H2SO4, and 0.62 GVL/water ratio), the cellulose pulp showed a cellulose content of 87.59%, while the lignin content was lower than 8%. The cellulose recovery and digestibility were equal to 79.46% and 86.94%, respectively. About 40% of the initial hemicellulose was recovered as monosaccharides. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the two-step organosolv treatment for biomass fractionation; however, as suggested by DoE analysis, a confirmative study at a low temperature (<154 °C) should be performed to further increase the cellulose recovery.