• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1557-1565
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• 2016

Itaconic acid (IA) is a dicarboxylic acid included in the US Department of Energy's (DOE) 2004 list of the most promising chemical platforms derived from sugars. IA is produced industrially using liquid-state fermentation (LSF) by Aspergillus terreus with glucose as the carbon source. To utilize IA production in renewable resource-based biorefinery, the present study investigated the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a carbon source for LSF. We also investigated the production of fumaric acid (FA), which is also on the DOE's list. FA is a primary metabolite, whereas IA is a secondary metabolite and requires the enzyme cis-aconitate decarboxylase for its production. Two lignocellulosic biomasses (wheat bran and corn cobs) were tested for fungal fermentation. Liquid hydrolysates obtained after acid or enzymatic treatment were used in LSF. We show that each treatment resulted in different concentrations of sugars, metals, or inhibitors. Furthermore, different acid yields (IA and FA) were obtained depending on which of the four Aspergillus strains tested were employed. The maximum FA yield was obtained when A. terreus was used for LSF of corn cob hydrolysate (1.9% total glucose); whereas an IA yield of 0.14% was obtained by LSF of corn cob hydrolysates by A. oryzae.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.302-306
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• 2014

The present study was carried out to optimize fermentation parameters for the production of cellulolytic enzymes through solid substrate fermentation of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger grown on wheat straw. A sequential optimization based on one-factor-at-a-time method was applied to optimize fermentation parameters including temperature, pH, moisture content and particle size. The results of optimization indicated that $40^{\circ}C$, pH 7, moisture content 75% and particle size between 0.25~0.5 mm were found to be the optimum condition at 96 hr fermentation. Under the optimal condition, co-culture of T. reesei and A. niger produced cellulase activities of 10.3 IU, endoglucanase activity of 100.3 IU, ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity of 22.9 IU and xylanase activity of 2261.7 IU/g dry material were obtained. Cellulolytic enzyme production with optimization showed about 72.6, 48.8, 55.2 and 51.9% increase compared to those obtained from control experiment, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.102-108
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• 2008

At the University of Maine, a hemicellulose pre-extraction technology is now being investigated to improve pulp yields, reduce the organic and inorganic load for liquor recovery, and create a feed stream for the generation of new biomaterials. It is important to understand the composition of unextracted wood, extracted wood, and pulping extracts in the design of an economically viable pilot-scale ethanol plant. For analysis of wood pulp composition, the total analytical mass balance closure was 100.6, 100.3, and 81.6% for unextracted chips, extracted chips, and pulping extracts from HPLC-H column analysis. Meanwhile, the total analytical mass balance from the HPLC-P column was 97.8, 86.3, and 80.7%, respectively. This slight variability between H- and P-column results for analytical mass balance may be within the experimental error of the measurement. The data generated by this analysis are important to further design work in commercializing this process.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.326-336
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• 2016

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most employed cell factories for the production of bioproducts. Although monomeric hexose sugars constitute the preferential carbon source, this yeast can grow on a wide variety of nitrogen sources that are catabolized through central nitrogen metabolism (CNM). To evaluate the effects of internal perturbations on nitrogen utilization, we characterized strains deleted or overexpressed in GLT1, encoding for one of the key enzymes of the CNM node, the glutamate synthase. These strains, together with the parental strain as control, have been cultivated in minimal medium formulated with ammonium sulfate, glutamate, or glutamine as nitrogen source. Growth kinetics, together with the determination of protein content, viability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation at the single cell level, revealed that GLT1 modulations do not significantly influence the cellular physiology, whereas the nitrogen source does. As important exceptions, GLT1 deletion negatively affected the scavenging activity of glutamate against ROS accumulation, when cells were treated with H₂O₂, whereas Glt1p overproduction led to lower viability in glutamine medium. Overall, this confirms the robustness of the CNM node against internal perturbations, but, at the same time, highlights its plasticity in respect to the environment. Considering that side-stream protein-rich waste materials are emerging as substrates to be used in an integrated biorefinery, these results underline the importance of preliminarily evaluating the best nitrogen source not only for media formulation, but also for the overall economics of the process.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.204-211
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• 2012

In this study, fast pyrolysis of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) was performed in a fluidized bed reactor under the temperature ranges between 400 and $550^{\circ}C$ at the residence time of 1.9 sec. Essential pyrolytic products (bio-oil, biochar, and gas) were produced and their yield was clearly influenced by temperature. The maximum yield of bio-oil was observed to 64.9 wt% (wet basis) at the temperature of $500^{\circ}C$. As pyrolysis temperature increased, the yield of biochar decreased from 36.8 to 11.1 wt%, while gas amount continuously increased from 16.1 to 33.0 wt%. Water content as well as heating value of bio-oils were obviously sensitive to the pyrolysis temperature. The water contents in the bio-oil clearly decreased from 26.1 ($400^{\circ}C$) to 11.9 wt% ($550^{\circ}C$), with increasing the fast pyrolysis temperature, while their higher heating values were increased from 16.6 MJ/kg to 19.3 MJ/kg. According to GC/MS analysis, 22 degradation compounds were identified from the bio-oils and 10 compounds were derived from carbohydrate, 12 compounds were derived from lignin.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2008

A series of anion exchange composite membranes were prepared and characterized for electro-dialysis process used in the removal of toxic anion and cation polutants in groundwater or wastewater. The membranes were prepared as follows; first, porous poly(ethylene) (PE) substrates were fully impregnated with monomer mixtures with various ratio of vinylbenzylchloride (VBC), divinylbenzene (DVB) and ${\alpha},\;{\alpha}$-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN). Second, they were thermally polymerized to yield crosslinked poly(VBC-DVB)/PE composite membranes. Finally, the membranes were treated in trimethylamine (TMA)/acetone to give $-N^+(CH_3)_3$-containing poly(VBC-DVB)/PE membranes. The basic membrane properties such as ion exchange capacity (IEC), electric resistance and water content of the resulting membranes were measured as a function of VBC/DVB and TMA/Acetone content. As a result, the composite membranes showed lower electric resistance, lower water content and higher IEC than commercial anion exchange membranes (AMX, Astom) due to thin PE substrates, indicating that the composite membranes could be successfully applied to the electrodialysis for water treatment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2010

In this study, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was treated with changing mixing ratios of $F_2$ and $O_2$ using oxyfluorination method for hydrophilic modification of PMMA film. For the characterizations of oxyfluorinated PMMA surface, contact angle, surface free energy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and optical transmittance (UV-vis) were carried out. After the oxyfluorination, PMMA surface became more hydrophilic showing the decrease of water contact angle from $69^{\circ}$ to $44^{\circ}$. So, surface free energy of oxyfluorinated PMMA film was increased from 46 to $58\;mN\;m^{-1}$. These results are attributed to hydrophilic functional groups such as hydroxyl group formed oxyfluorination method on the PMMA surface. From XPS results, it was confirmed that O/C concentration ratio on the surface of PMMA was increased, the amount of C-OH bonding which shows hydrophilicity was also largely increased from 6.7 to 24.8% with increasing fluorine partial-pressure via the oxyfluorination, The oxyfluorination conditions, room temperature, 1 bar with one mixture ratio of $F_2$ to $O_2$ had little influence on optical transmittance properties of PMMA film but enhanced its surface hydrophilicity. This result suggests that oxyfluorination method could be useful to change hydrophobic PMMA surface to hydrophilic.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.343-348
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• 2010

The surface of low density polyethylene (LDPE) film was oxyfluorinated under different reaction conditions to introduce hydroperoxide groups and change surface characteristics. Hydroperoxide functional groups created by oxyfluorination were used as active sites for graft polymerization with hydrophobic monomer, acryl amide (AM), and hydrophilic monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA) to carry out the second modification of the LDPE film surface. The surface properties of the OFPE films and grafted OFPE films were characterized by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, ATR-IR, contact angle measurement and DSC. From the results of DPPH method, the amount of hydroperoxide groups on the oxyfluorinated LDPE film continuously increased as the total pressure in the oxyfluorination and the partial pressure of fluorine gas increased. The water contact angle and surface free energy measurements showed that hydrophilic liquid (water) contact angle on LDPE film surface decreased with hydrophilic AM grafting and hydrophobic liquid (methylene diiodide) contact angle on LDPE film surface decreased with hydrophobic MMA grafting. These were attributed to AM or MMA monomer grafting and the wettability of LDPE filmsurface to hydrophilic and hydrophobic liquids were improved.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.166-170
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• 2011

This study reported the synthesis of perfluoropolyether intermediate (TP-$COOCF_3$) having a $CF_3$ functional group via electrophilic fluorine substituting direct fluorination from PFPE intermediate (TP-$COOCH_3$) having a $CH_3$ functional group, which was synthesized by the ring opening polymerization and methyl esterification of HFPO. The effects of reaction conditions such as the amount of solvent, fluorine partial pressure, reaction time, were investigated. The results showed that the yield of fluorination reaction became the highest when the reaction was carried out in a mild condition for a long reaction time, which also minimized side reactions. The sample was characterized by FTIR and NMR, which confirmed the synthesis of the final product, TP-$COOCF_3$, via direct fluorination converting $CH_3$ of TP-$COOCH_3$ to $CF_3$ of TP-$COOCF_3$ with 95.4% yield.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.287-293
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• 2007

Pervaporation separation of toluene from water were studied using hydrophobic copolyimide membranes. The copolyimide membranes were prepared from 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and two diamines (polysiloxane diamine (SIDA)/2-(perfluorohexyl) ethyl-3,5-diaminobenzene (PFDAB)). The pervaporation properties for toluene/water were investigated in terms of mol ratio of SIDA/PFDAB in polyimide membranes. Sorption- and diffusion-related properties were measured to analyze the permeation properties in solution-diffusion theory, It was found that as the SIDA content in the membranes increased, sorption of toluene and sorption selectivity of toluene/water increased due to high affinity of siloxane moiety toward toluene. Diffusion coefficient of toluene and diffusion selectivity of toluene/water also increased with SIDA content due to high free volume of siloxane moiety. As the results, the permeation flux and pervaporation selectivity increased markedly from 0.005 $kg/m^2h$ to 049 $kg/m^2h$ and from 9 to 6380, respectively.