• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.44-52
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• 2002

Composite materials are created by combining two or more component to achieve desired properties which could not be obtained with the separate components. The use of reinforcing fillers, which can reduce material costs and improve certain properties, is increasing in thermoplastic polymer composites. Currently, various inorganic fillers such as talc, mica, clay, glass fiber and calcium carbonate are being incorporated into thermoplastic composites. Nevertheless, lignocellulose fibers have drawn attention due to their abundant availability, low cost and renewable nature. In recent, interest has grown in composites made from lignocellulose fiber in thermoplastic polymer matrices, particularly for low cost/high volume applications. In addition to high specific properties, lignocellulose fibers offer a number of benefits for lignocellulose fiber/thermoplastic polymer composites. These include low hardness, which minimize abrasion of the equipment during processing, relatively low density, biodegradability, and low cost on a unit-volume basis. In spite of the advantage mentioned above, the use of lignocellulose fibers in thermoplastic polymer composites has been plagued by difficulties in obtaining good dispersion and strong interfacial adhesion because lignocellulose fiber is hydrophilic and thermoplastic polymer is hydrophobic. The application of lignocellulose fibers as reinforcements in composite materials requires, just as for glass-fiber reinforced composites, a strong adhesion between the fiber and the matrix regardless of whether a traditional polymer matrix, a biodegradable polymer matrix or cement is used. Further this article gives a survey about physical and chemical treatment methods which improve the fiber matrix adhesion, their results and effects on the physical properties of composites. Coupling agents in lignocellulose fiber and polymer composites play a very important role in improving the compatibility and adhesion between polar lignocellulose fiber and non-polar polymeric matrices. In this article, we also review various kinds of coupling agent and interfacial mechanism or phenomena between lignocellulose fiber and thermoplastic polymer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2017

Lignocellulosic biomass represents a potentially large resource to supply the world's fuel and chemical feedstocks. Enzymatic bioconversion of this substrate offers a reliable strategy for accessing this material under mild reaction conditions. Owing to the complex nature of lignocellulose, many different enzymatic activities are required to function in concert to perform efficient transformation. In nature, large multienzyme complexes are known to effectively hydrolyze lignocellulose into constituent monomeric sugars. We created artificial complexes of enzymes, called rosettazymes, in order to hydrolyze glucuronoxylan, a common lignocellulose component, into its cognate sugar ${\small{D}}$-xylose and then further convert the ${\small{D}}$-xylose into ${\small{D}}$-xylonic acid, a Department of Energy top-30 platform chemical. Four different types of enzymes (endoxylanase, ${\alpha}$-glucuronidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, and xylose dehydrogenase) were incorporated into the artificial complexes. We demonstrated that tethering our enzymes in a complex resulted in significantly more activity (up to 71%) than the same amount of enzymes free in solution. We also determined that varying the enzyme composition affected the level of complex-related activity enhancement as well as overall yield.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.529-533
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• 2023

The fundamental electrochemical properties and adsorption capabilities of the carbonized product derived from coffee grounds, a prevalent form of lignocellulose abundantly generated in our daily lives, have been extensively investigated. The structure and morphology of the resultant carbonized product, obtained through a carbonization process conducted at a relatively low temperature of 600 ℃, were meticulously examined using a scanning electron microscope. Raman spectroscopy measurements yielded a relative crystallinity (D/G ratio) of the carbon product of 0.64. Electrical measurements revealed a linear ohmic relationship within the carbonized product. Furthermore, the viability of utilizing this carbonized material as an anode in lithium-ion batteries was evaluated through half-cell charge/discharge experiments, demonstrating an initial specific capacity of 520 mAh/g. Additionally, the adsorption performance of the carbon material towards a representative dye molecule was assessed via UV spectroscopy analyses. Supplementary experiments corroborated the material's ability to adsorb a distinct model molecule characterized by differing surface polarity, achieved through surface modification. This article presents pivotal findings that hold substantial implications for forthcoming research endeavors centered around the recycling of lignocellulose waste.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2017

In this study, lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) were prepared from Pussy willow wood powder by disk-milling after pretreatment using the cosolvent of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]Ac) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) with different mixing ratios for different time. All pretreated samples showed native cellulose I polymorph and cellulose crystallinity was lowest when cosolvent of DMF with 30% [EMIM]Ac was used. Average crystallite size of raw material and the pretreated product by MDF and its cosolvent with 10% [EMIM]Ac was found to be about 3.2 nm and decreased with increasing pretreatment time at the DMF cosolvent with 30% [EMIM]Ac. Defibrillation efficiency was improved by loosening wood cell wall structure by the pretreatment using co-solvent system of [EMIM]Ac and DMF.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.368-379
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• 2018

Objective of this work is to study the effects of a saline solution used to pretreat lignocellulosic material derived from champak timber. The native lignocellulosic solids, in powder form, were mixed with saline water solutions of three different concentrations and maintained for 2 weeks without stirring. The treated solids were washed, recovered, and then dried under sunlight. The substrates were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystallinity (CrI), lateral order index (LOI), total crystallinity index (TCI), and surface morphologies of all the samples were determined. The treated biomass structures were compared with controls. The data show that the structures of all the treated substrates changed, as indicated by CrI. CrI of the treated substrates decreased significantly compared with that of the original wood, as did LOI and TCI quantities, whereas the HBI parameter increased. The results indicate that the saline water pretreatment modified the wood samples.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.2165-2172
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• 2017

Lignocellulose is now a promising raw material for biofuel production. However, the lignin complex and crystalline cellulose require pretreatment steps for breakdown of the crystalline structure of cellulose for the generation of fermentable sugars. Moreover, several fermentation inhibitors are generated with sugar compounds, majorly furfural. The mitigation of these inhibitors is required for the further fermentation steps to proceed. Amino acids were investigated on furfural-induced growth inhibition in E. coli producing isobutanol. Glycine and serine were the most effective compounds against furfural. In minimal media, glycine conferred tolerance against furfural. From the $IC_{50}$ value for inhibitors in the production media, only glycine could alleviate growth arrest for furfural, where 6 mM glycine addition led to a slight increase in growth rate and isobutanol production from 2.6 to 2.8 g/l under furfural stress. Overexpression of glycine pathway genes did not lead to alleviation. However, addition of glycine to engineered strains blocked the growth arrest and increased the isobutanol production about 2.3-fold.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2020

While the utilization of wood as a raw material in related industries has been increasing with the population increasing, the availability of wood from natural forests has continued to decline. An alternative to this situation is the manufacture of particleboard from non-wood lignocellulose materials through the modification of sandwich particleboard (SPb) using bamboo strands as reinforcement. In this study, strandsof belangke bamboo (Gigantochloa pruriens W) and tali bamboo (Gigantochloa apus) were utilized. The non-wood particles included sugar palm fibers, cornstalk, and sugarcane bagasse. The board was made in a three-layer composition of the face, back, and core in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. The binder used was 8% isocyanate resin. The sheet was pressed at a temperature of 160℃ for 5 min under a pressure of 3.0 N/㎟. Testing included physical and mechanical properties based on the JIS A 5908 (2003) standard, while acoustic testing was based on ISO 11654 (1997) standards. The results showed that using bamboo strands as reinforcement has an effect on the mechanical and physical properties of SPb. Almost all the types of boards met the JIS A 5908 (2003) standards, with the exception of thickness swelling (TS) and internal bond (IB) parameters. Based on the thickness swelling parameter, the C-type board exhibited the best properties. Overall, the B-type board thatused a belangke bamboo strand for the surface and sugarcane bagasse as the core underwent the best treatment. Based on the acoustical parameter, boards using a tali bamboo strand for the surface and sugar palm fiber as the core (E-type board) exhibited good sound absorption properties.

• Plant Resources
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2005

Thin sections of cellulose fibers were incubated with an endo- and an exoglucanase labeled with gold particles of differing sizes. The hydrolytic sites were then visualized under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The potential interaction between the ${\beta}$-1, 4-glucan substrates and the endo- and the exoglucanases was investigated using cellulosic and lignocellulosic substrates. The simultaneous visualization was very successful in distinguishing preferred substrates for each cellulase in lignocellulosic substrates. When plant lignocellulose was preincubated with endocellulase, density of the gold labeling greatly increased suggesting that preliminary exposure of lignocellulosic material to endocellulase may have enhanced the accessibility of the substrate to endocellulase and exocellulase. This result provided a plausible explanation for the observed endo/exo cellulase co-hydrolysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

The production of high-value chemicals from natural resources as an alternative for petroleum-based products is currently expanding in parallel with biorefinery. The use of lignocellulosic biomass as raw material is promising to achieve economic and environmental sustainability. Filamentous fungi, particularly Aspergillus species, are already used industrially to produce organic acid as well as many enzymes. The production of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes opens the possibility for direct fungal fermentation towards organic acids such as itaconic acid (IA) and fumaric acid (FA). These acids have wide-range applications and potentially addressable markets as platform chemicals. However, current technologies for the production of these compounds are mostly based on submerged fermentation. This work showed the capacity of two Aspergillus species (A. terreus and A. oryzae) to yield both acids by solid-state fermentation and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. FA was optimally produced at by A. oryzae in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (0.54 mg/g wheat bran). The yield of 0.11 mg IA/g biomass by A. oryzae is the highest reported in the literature for simultaneous solid-state fermentation without sugar supplements.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.506-514
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• 2020

The current study stresses on the reuse of waste lignocellulose biomass (rice husk and sugarcane bagasse) for the synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and further conversion of this CMC into a biodegradable film. Addition of commercial starch was done to form biodegradable film due to its capacity to form a continuous matrix. Plasticizers such as Glycerol and citric acid were used to provide flexibility and strength to the film. Biopolymer film obtained from sugarcane bagasse CMC showed maximum tensile strength and elongation in comparison to the film synthesized from commercial CMC and CMC obtained from rice husk. It has been observed that an increase in sodium glycolate/NaCl content in CMC imposed an adverse effect on tensile strength. Opacity, moisture content, and solubility of the film increased with a rise in the degree of substitution of CMC. Therefore, CMC obtained from sugarcane bagasse was better candidate in preparing biopolymer/biocomposite film.