Potential for the use of coconut shell (Cocus nucifera) as an alternative fuel in the production of cassava flour

The production of cassava and tapioca flour are recognized as activities merged in family culture in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, which demand the use of firewood to feed the furnaces in the flour mills. Due to the small number of studies on this theme, this work aims to evaluate the quality of woody species commonly used as solid fuels in the production of manioc flour in the state of Sergipe, namely: Poincianella pyramidalis (“catingueira”), Cronton sonderianus (“marmeleiro”) and Piptadenia stipulacea (white “jurema”), as well as coconut shells (Cocos nucifera), as an alternative to the use of woody species. Representative samples of the materials were analyzed for parameters: total extracts, lignin, holocellulose, volatile materials, fixed carbon, ashes, higher (HHV) and lower (LHV) heating values, in addition to thermogravimetric analysis. The data were analyzed in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and three replications. The species Piptadenia stipulacea and Cocos nucifera showed high contents of total extracts (18.14%; 29.81%), lignin (29.14%; 28.18%) and fixed carbon (28.22%; 29.62%), and lower contents of holocellulose (52.72%; 42.01%) and volatile materials (70.60%; 66.14%), respectively. The species with the lowest ash content were Croton sonderianus and Piptadenia stipulacea, and the species with the highest HHV and LHV were Piptadenia stipulacea and Croton sonderianus, respectively. Regarding to the thermogravimetric properties, Cocos nucifera behaved like the other biomasses, with ignition temperature slightly lower and peak temperature higher than those for the other species. Among the species analyzed, Piptadenia stipulacea and Cocos nucifera showed the best results as combustibles for cassava flour production. Hence, dried Cocos nucifera shells can properly replace the conventional firewood.

Determination of Time-to-ignition and Flaming Duration of Biomasses in a Muffle Furnace

Measuring the energy characteristics of solid biofuels can help to determine the most suitable species for combustion. The objective of this study is to propose a new methodology for determining the ignition time and flaming duration in lignocellulosic biomass. A muffle furnace was used, instead of an epiradiador, to measure the variables. The optimal oven temperature was defined according to the average time-to-ignition of biomasses in the literature. Ten biomasses were analyzed to obtain their high heating value, volatile matter, fixed carbon content, ash content, time-to-ignition, and flaming duration. The results showed a high correlation between the biomass volatile content, time-to-ignition, and flaming duration. In the literature, it is described that high levels of volatile materials accelerate the ignition of the material. Thus, the association between the volatile matter and the variables analyzed justifies the use of the muffle furnace methodology. Furthermore, biomasses with high levels of volatile matter have longer flaming durations than other solid biofuels.

Intergrated metagenomics and metabolomics analysis discovers nematicidal microbes, enzymes and metabolites from the plant rhizosphere microbiota

Background: Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects root systems of many crops resulting in huge decrease of crop production. Nematicidal microorganisms provides a safe and effective strategy to control M. incognita infection. In order to find microorganisms with high activity and new nematicidal metabolites, we collected the M. incognita infected tobacco rhizosphere soils (RNI) and non-infected tobacco rhizosphere soils (NS), and investigated their microbial community and network via metagenomics and metabolomics analysis. Results: Microbial networks of RNI soils were very different from the NS soils. Many nematicidal microorganisms were enriched in the NS soils, including isolates of Aspergillus , Achromobacter , Acinetobacter , Bacillus , Burkholderia , Comamonas , Enterobacter , Lysobacter , Microbacterium , Paenibacillus , Pantoea , Pseudomonas , Streptomyces and Variovorax. Enzymes analysis showed these nematicidal microorganisms can produce proteases, chitinase and lipases. The functions genes belonging to pathways of secondary metabolites biosynthesis and carbohydrate transport and metabolism were overrepresented in the rhizophere microbiota of NS soils comparing with the RNI soils. 102 metabolites contents were significantly different between the RNI and NS rhizosphere microbiota. 35 metabolites were overrepresented in the NS soils comparing the RNI samples, including acetophenone. Acetophenone showed high nematicidal (LC 50 = 0.66 μg/ml) and avoidance activity against M. incognita . Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 could produce acetophenone. Liquid culture of W1 could kill 98.8% of M . incognita J2 juveniles after treatment for 24 h.Conclusions: In general, the rhizophere microbiota of NS soils could produce volatile materials, multiple enzymes and secondary metabolites against nematode. Collectively, the microbiota of NS and RNI rhizophere differed significantly in microbial network structure, community composition, function genes and metabolites. Collectively, combination of multi-omics analysis and culture-dependent technology is powerful for finding nematicidal microorganisms and metabolites from soil.

The selection of outgas temperature for shale in low-pressure N2 adsorption: An evidence from thermogravimetry

Low-pressure N2 adsorption (LPNA) could provide quantitative data for characterizing the pores in gas shale. However, the inconsistencies of outgas temperature have caused significant deviations in LPNA experiments. To explore the effects of outgas temperature on pore characteristics, two shale samples of Lower Cambrian Niutitang formation from Northern Guizhou, China, were collected for LPNA experiments and thermogravimetry-fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR) spectroscopy. The samples were outgassed at six temperatures: 80°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, 250°C, 300°C. Larger adsorbed volumes were presented in the isotherms at higher outgas temperatures. Similar regularity is obtained from the relationship between specific surface area, micropore volume and outgas temperature. Comprehensive analysis of TG-FTIR and LPNA at different outgas temperature indicated that at lower outgas temperatures (from 80°C to 100°C), the free water was unlikely to be removed completely, and resulted in large amounts of micropores couldn’t be accessed. An excessive outgas temperature might expulse liquid hydrocarbons or decompose organic matter (from 200°C to 300°C), and could lead to the generation of micropores. When the sample were outgassed at 150°C, TG-FTIR analysis indicated that the sample composition unchanged and a better removal of free water happened. Therefore, 150°C should be a suitable outgas temperature for shale in LPNA experiments. The findings in this research not only provide reliable evidence for the selection of outgas procedure in LPNA for shale, but clarify the important effects of free water and volatile materials on pore accessibility in shale.

Intergrated Metagenomics and Metabolomics Analysis Discovers Nematicidal Microbes, Enzymes and Metabolites From the Plant Rhizosphere Microbiota

BackgroundRoot-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects root systems of many crops resulting in huge decrease of crop production. Nematicidal microorganisms provides a safe and effective strategy to control M. incognita infection. In order to find more microorganisms with high activity and new nematicidal metabolites, we collected the M. incognita infected tobacco rhizosphere soils (RNI) and non-infected tobacco rhizosphere soils (NS), and investigated their microbial community and network via metagenomics and metabolomics analysis. ResultsMicrobial networks of RNI soils were very different from the NS soils. Many nematicidal microorganisms were enriched in the NS soils, including some isolates such as Aspergillus , Achromobacter , Acinetobacter , Bacillus , Burkholderia , Comamonas , Enterobacter , Lysobacter , Microbacterium , Paenibacillus , Pantoea , Pseudomonas , Streptomyces and Variovorax. Enzymes analysis showed these nematicidal microorganisms can produce proteases, chitinase and lipases. The functions genes belonging to pathways of secondary metabolites biosynthesis and carbohydrate transport and metabolism were overrepresented in the rhizophere microbiota of NS soils comparing with the RNI soils. 102 metabolites contents were significantly different between the RNI and NS rhizosphere microbiota. 35 metabolites were overrepresented in the NS soils comparing the RNI samples, including acetophenone. Acetophenone showed high nematicidal (LC 50 = 0.66 μg/ml) and avoidance activity against M. incognita . A isolate of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 with production of acetophenone can kill 98.8% of M . incognita . ConclusionsIn general, the rhizophere microbiota of NS soils could produce volatile materials, multiple enzymes and secondary metabolites against nematode. Collectively, the microbiota of NS and RNI rhizophere differed significantly in microbial network structure, community composition, function genes and metabolites. Collectively, combination of multi-omics analysis and culture-dependent technology is powerful for finding nematicidal microorganisms and metabolites from soil.

Syntheses, Biological and Material Significance of Dihydro[1,3]oxazine Derivatives: An Overview

: Dihydro[1,3]oxazines are an important class of heterocyclic compounds having a wide range of biological and material properties. Medicinally, they possess diverse pharmacological activities such as bactericidal, fungicidal, microbiocidal, antitumor, anti-HIV and anti-inflammatory agents. Apart from being biologically active, they are materially useful for making polybenzoxazines. Polybenzoxazines, a novel class of non-conjugated thermosetting materials that belong to the family of addition-curable phenolic resins. They have lucrative properties such as small shrinkage in curing, low water absorption, good thermal stability, no release of volatile materials during cure, no need for catalyst and inexpensive raw materials. Further, the flexibility in designing a monomer gives polybenzoxazines an additional edge over ordinary phenolic resins. This review briefly describes the syntheses including eco-friendly strategies, biological and material significance of various dihydro[1,3]oxazine derivatives.

Prediction of higher heating value of oat grain and straw biomass

The aim of the study was modelling of HHV of oat (grain and straw) biomass. The content of ash, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, moisture, volatile materials and the higher heating value of oat (grain and straw) biomass was measured. The possibility of using twenty models from the literature to describe HHV of oat was examined. The following models: HHV=19.914-0.2324A and HHV=-3.0368+0.2218VM+0.2601FC are recommended for determining of HHV of oat (RMSE of the range 0.13-0.28). The models based on ultimate analysis gave worse results in determination of HHV for oat.

Kinetic Study of Corn and Sugarcane Waste Oxidative Pyrolysis

The behavior of the kinetics and pyrolysis of the corn and sugarcane waste (cob corn, husk corn, and bagasse) produced in Colombia have been evaluated in a thermobalance as a step toward their valorization, in order to recover this type of waste. For this, a kinetic model has been developed consisting of a multicomponent mechanism that seeks to describe the formation of volatile materials. This model evaluates the decomposition of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin from three parallel and independent reactions network. It also involves the production of other products such as fixed coal and ashes. The evaluation of the model from the kinetic parameters and the thermogravimetric curves were compared with other types of waste, in the same way the chemical characteristics of the studied waste were determined. Although the wastes of this study are completely different, it was found that the degradation behavior of the residues of this study are very similar to other lignocellulosic materials, which demonstrates again that the pyrolysis valorization is possible.