Process intensification of the ionoSolv pretreatment: effects of biomass loading, particle size and scale-up from 10 mL to 1 L

The ionoSolv process is one of the most promising technologies for biomass pretreatment in a biorefinery context. In order to evaluate the transition of the ionoSolv pretreatment of biomass from bench-scale experiments to commercial scale, there is a need to get better insight in process intensification. In this work, the effects of biomass loading, particle size, pulp washing protocols and 100-fold scale up for the pretreatment of the grassy biomass Miscanthus giganteus with the IL triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate, [TEA][HSO4], are presented as a necessary step in that direction. At the bench scale, increasing biomass loading from 10 to 50 wt% reduced glucose yields from 68 to 23% due to re-precipitation of lignin onto the pulp surface. Omitting the pulp air-drying step maintained saccharification yields at 66% at 50 wt% loading due to reduced fiber hornification. 100-fold scale-up (from 10 mL to 1 L) improved the efficacy of ionoSolv pretreatment and increasing loadings from 10 to 20 wt% reduced lignin reprecipitation and led to higher glucose yields due to the improved heat and mass transfer caused by efficient slurry mixing in the reactor. Pretreatment of particle sizes of 1–3 mm was more effective than fine powders (0.18–0.85 mm) giving higher glucose yields due to reduced surface area available for lignin re-precipitation while reducing grinding energy needs. Stirred ionoSolv pretreatment showed great potential for industrialization and further process intensification after optimization of the pretreatment conditions (temperature, residence time, stirring speed), particle size and biomass loading. Pulp washing protocols need further improvement to reduce the incidence of lignin precipitation and the water requirements of lignin washing.

Process Intensification of the ionoSolv Pretreatment: Effects of Biomass Loading, Particle Size and 100-Fold Scale-Up

Background: The ionoSolv process is one of the most promising technologies for biomass pretreatment in a biorefinery context. In order to evaluate the transition of the ionoSolv pretreatment of biomass from bench-scale experiments to biorefinery scale, there is a need to get better insight in process intensification. In this work, the effects of biomass loading, particle size, pulp washing protocols and 100-fold scale up for the pretreatment of the grassy biomass Miscanthus giganteus with the IL triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate, [TEA][HSO4], are presented. Results: At the bench scale, increasing biomass loading from 10 wt% to 50 wt% reduced glucose yields from 68% to 23% due to re-precipitation of lignin onto the pulp surface. Omitting the pulp air-drying step maintained saccharification yields at 66% at 50 wt% loading due to reduced fiber hornification. 100-fold scale-up (from 10 mL to 1 L) improved the efficacy of ionoSolv pretreatment and increasing loadings from 10 wt% to 20 wt% reduced lignin reprecipitation and led to higher glucose yields due to the improved heat and mass transfer caused by efficient slurry mixing in the reactor. Pretreatment of particle sizes of 1–3 mm was more effective than fine powders (0.18–0.85 mm) giving higher glucose yields due to reduced surface area available for lignin re-precipitation while reducing grinding energy needs.Conclusion: Stirred ionoSolv pretreatment showed great potential for industrialization and further process intensification after optimization of the pretreatment conditions (temperature, residence time, stirring speed), particle size and biomass loading. Pulp washing protocols need further improvement to reduce the incidence of lignin precipitation and the water requirements of lignin washing.

Autophagy Regulates the Effects of Adipose-derived Stem Cells Exosomes on Lipopolysaccharide-induced Pulmonary Microvascular Barrier Damage

Background: Exosomes have been recognized as being more effective than direct stem cell differentiation into functional target cells for protecting against tissue injury and promoting tissue repair. Our previous study demonstrated the protective effect of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury and the effect of autophagy on ADSC functions, but the role of ADSC-derived exosomes (ADSC-Exos) and autophagy-mediated regulation of ADSC-Exos in LPS-induced pulmonary microvascular barrier damage remain unclear. Methods: LPS-induced pulmonary microvascular barrier injury was detected after ADSC-Exos pretreatment. Effects of autophagy on the function and bioactive miRNAs components of ADSC-Exos were assessed after inhibiting the cells autophagy in advance. Results: ADSC-Exo culture resulted in significant alleviation of LPS-induced microvascular barrier injury. The inhibition of autophagy markedly weakened the therapeutic effect of ADSC-Exos. In addition, autophagy inhibition changed the expression levels of the five specific miRNAs in exosomes; interleukin-1β（IL-1β）preconditioning promoted the expression of miR(miRNA)-21a but lowered the expressions of let-7-a-1, miR-143 and miR-145a, and did not affect the expression of miR-451a. Autophagy inhibition, however, has prohibited the expressions of all these miRNAs under IL-1β preconditioning. Conclusion: Our results indicate that ADSC-Exos protect against LPS-induced pulmonary microvascular barrier damage. Autophagy is a positive mediator of exosome function at least partly through controlling the expression of bioactive miRNAs in exosomes.

Process Intensification of The Ionosolv Pretreatment: Effects Of Biomass Loading, Particle Size And 100-Fold Scale-Up

Background: The ionoSolv process is one of the most promising technologies for biomass pretreatment in a biorefinery context. In order to evaluate the transition of the ionoSolv pretreatment of biomass from bench-scale experiments to biorefinery scale, there is a need to get better insight in process intensification. In this work, the effects of biomass loading, particle size, pulp washing protocols and 100-fold scale up for the pretreatment of the grassy biomass Miscanthus giganteus with the IL triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate, [TEA][HSO4], are presented. Results: At the bench scale, increasing biomass loading from 10 wt% to 50 wt% reduced glucose yields from 68% to 23% due to re-precipitation of lignin onto the pulp surface. Omitting the pulp air-drying step maintained saccharification yields at 66% at 50 wt% loading due to reduced fiber hornification. 100-fold scale-up (from 10 mL to 1 L) improved the efficacy of ionoSolv pretreatment and increasing loadings from 10 wt% to 20 wt% reduced lignin reprecipitation and led to higher glucose yields due to the improved heat and mass transfer caused by efficient slurry mixing in the reactor. Pretreatment of particle sizes of 1–3 mm was more effective than fine powders (0.18–0.85 mm) giving higher glucose yields due to reduced surface area available for lignin re-precipitation while reducing grinding energy needs.Conclusion: Stirred ionoSolv pretreatment showed great potential for industrialization and further process intensification after optimization of the pretreatment conditions (temperature, residence time, stirring speed), particle size and biomass loading. Pulp washing protocols need further improvement to reduce the incidence of lignin precipitation and the water requirements of lignin washing.

Effects of water pretreatment on properties of pellets made from beech particles

Particles of beech wood were treated with hot water at the temperature of 150 oC, during 60 min, prior to the pelleting process. The applied hot water pretreatment affected the chemical composition and heating value of particles. Two groups of pellets, designated as PT 10 and PT 20, were produced from treated beech particles, with the moisture content of particles being 10.5 and 20.5 %, respectively. Pellets from nontreated beech particles (PNT) served as controls to assess the hot water pretreatment effects on the pellet properties. Both, the applied pretreatment, and the particle moisture content, affected properties of the obtained pellets. The heating value of PT 10 ad PT 20 pellets has increased for ~6 and 1 %, respectively. The mineral (ash) content in treated pellets decreased for about 24 % in comparison to that in PNT pellets. In addition, the bulk (apparent) density of pellets has increased for 21 % (PT 10) and 10 % (PT 20), as a consequence of the hot water pretreatment of particles. The specific density of PT 10 pellets was for 16 % higher, while the equilibrium moisture content (after conditioning at RH 68 % and 20.1?C) was for about 32 % lower in comparison to the respective properties of PNT pellets.