Liquid Smoke Fractionation from Dry Distillation of Styrofoam Board Waste to Produces Liquid Fuel

Styrofoam waste is difficult to be decomposed by bacteria or microorganisms. Therefore it takes a long time to be decomposed naturally. Styrofoam waste, in general, is a big problem for the survival of living things on earth because there are quite a lot of them. So, if not handled properly can cause environmental pollution. Styrofoam waste is inorganic waste composed of polymers derived from chemicals. Additives from styrofoam are harmful to humans because they are carcinogenic. This study aims to utilize Styrofoam board waste into liquid fuel. Liquid fuel from styrofoam waste has been made successfully through dry distillation and fractionation methods. The result of fractional distillation is 42.00% liquid fuel. Based on the physical properties tests that have already been carried out, including the density test, viscosity, flash point, boiling point, calorific value, and octane number, it turns out that the liquid has characteristics close to the standard gasoline fuel. The MS spectra and the GC chromatogram show that the liquid fuel consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, namely acetone 0.23%, acetic acid 0.40%, benzene 2.82%, toluene 3.56%, heptane 1.04%, 1-octene 0.26%, butyl ester 4.92%, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptane 0.32%, p-xylene 13%, the compound with the highest composition was styrene 73.45%.

Biodegradability of Novel Polylactide and Polycaprolactone Materials with Bacteriostatic Properties Due to Embedded Birch Tar in Different Environments

The microbial biodegradation of new PLA and PCL materials containing birch tar (1–10% v/v) was investigated. Product of dry distillation of birch bark (Betula pendula Roth) was added to polymeric materials to obtain films with antimicrobial properties. The subject of the study was the course of enzymatic degradation of a biodegradable polymer with antibacterial properties. The results show that the type of the material, tar concentration, and the environment influenced the hydrolytic activity of potential biofilm degraders. In the presence of PCL films, the enzyme activities were higher (except for α-D-glucosidase) compared to PLA films. The highest concentration of birch tar (10% v/v) decreased the activity of hydrolases produced by microorganisms to the most significant extent; however, SEM analysis showed the presence of a biofilm even on plastics with the highest tar content. Based on the results of the biological oxygen demand (BOD), the new materials can be classified as biodegradable but, the biodegradation process was less efficient when compared to plastics without the addition of birch tar.

Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction of Thymus mastichina Essential Oil: Influence on Their Chemical Composition and on the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) is a combination of microwave heating and dry distillation performed at atmospheric pressure without the addition of water or organic solvents that has been proposed as a green method for the extraction of essential oils from aromatic and medicinal herbs. In this work, SFME and the conventional techniques of steam distillation (SD) and hydrodistillation (HD) were compared with respect to the extraction and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Thymus mastichina essential oil. The main constituent of essential oils obtained using different methods was 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol). The results showed that the essential oils extracted by means of SFME in 30 min were quantitatively (yield) and qualitatively (aromatic profile) similar to those obtained using conventional HD over 120 min. In addition, SFME generates less waste and less solvent, consumes less energy, and provides a higher yield for a shorter extraction time, which is advantageous for the extraction of the T. mastichina essential oil compared to SD. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the T. mastichina essential oil obtained from either SFME or conventional extraction methods (SD or HD) showed a similar pattern. Large-scale experiments using this SFME procedure showed a potential industrial application.

The formation conditions of birch tar in oxygen-depleted environments

Birch tar is the oldest manmade adhesive dating back to the European Middle Palaeolithic. Its study is of importance for understanding the cognitive capacities and technical skills of Neanderthals and the aceramic production systems employed in the European Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. Several methods may have been used to make birch tar, the most common proposition being dry distillation in oxygen-depleted atmospheres. One of the major impediments for our understanding of the conditions employed to make Neanderthal birch tar, and ultimately the technique used, is that it remains unknown at which temperatures exactly birch tar forms. The relationship between heating duration and tar formation is also unknown. To address these questions, we conduct a laboratory heating experiment, using sealed glass tubes and an electric furnace. We found that birch tar is only produced at a narrow temperature interval (350 °C and 400 °C). Heating times longer than 15 min have no effect on the quantity of tar produced. These findings, notwithstanding previous propositions of necessarily long heating times and larger tolerances for temperature, have important implications for our understanding of the investment in time needed for Palaeolithic birch tar making.

Indirect Drying and Coking Characteristics of Coking Coal with Soda Residue Additive

To improve indirect drying efficiency, the effect of soda residue on the drying characteristics of coking coal were studied using a self-made indirect drying system. A tube furnace was used in the dry distillation of coal samples with soda residue, and the coke properties were analyzed. The results indicated that the soda residue has a significant influence on the increase in the heating rate of coal samples in the temperature distribution range of 90 to 110 °C. With the addition of 2%, 5%, and 10% soda residue, the drying rates increased by 11.5%, 25.3%, and 37.3%, respectively at 110 °C. The results of dry distillation show that addition of 2%, 5% and 10% soda residue decreases the carbon loss quantity by 4.67, 4.99, and 8.82 g, respectively. The mechanical strength of coke samples satisfies the industrial conditions when the soda residue ratio ranges from 2% to 5%. Soda residue can improve the active point of coke dissolution reaction and inhibit coke internal solution. Economically, coking coal samples mixed with soda residue have an obvious energy saving advantage in the drying process. Energy saving analysis found that it can reduce cost input by 20% than that of the normal drying method.

Miera y mereras de enebro (Juniperus oxycedrus L.) en Albacete

This article presents a study on the traditional use of the cade oil (miera in Spanish) and the cade oil ovens in the province of Albacete (Spain). Cade oil is the vegetable tar that is obtained by dry distillation of prickly juniper wood (Juniperus oxycedrus L.), used especially as a disinfectant by shepherds and ranchers. This process take place in specific ovens called mereras, miereras or miera ovens. These elements appear in various documentary sources, they are kept in the toponymy and even there are some ovens scattered in Albacete province, in different states of conservation.

Combustion Characteristics and Combustion Kinetics of Dry Distillation Coal and Pine Tar

The samples of dry distillation pine tar and coal tar were investigated by TG-DTG-DSC, and the combustion characteristics and combustion kinetics of the samples were studied. The results show that there exist two significant mass loss peak and endothermic peak in the combustion of dry distillation coal tar and pine tar, which, respectively, means the volatile hydrocarbon combustion and heavy hydrocarbon combustion. At the first DTG peak range, the activation energy of dry distillation pine tar and coal tar is about the same at the initial stage (before DTG peak). Activation energy of the dry distillation pine tar increases sharply while that of dry distillation coal tar has little changes on the subsequent stage (after DTG peak). Dry distillated coal tar has better ignition performance, combustible characteristic, combustible stability, and integrated combustion characteristic, but difficult to burnout compared to the dry distillation pine tar.