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Open Access Research Article Issue
Green and Effective Ammonium Carbonate-assisted Process for Drying Hemicellulose Obtained through Alkali Extraction of Bleached Bamboo Kraft Pulp
Paper and Biomaterials 2021, 6(1): 1-10
Published: 25 January 2021
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Downloads:29

Hemicellulose has a wide range of applications, including that as an emulsifier for the food industry and raw material for the synthesis of bioethanol/biochemicals and biodegradable films. Hemicellulose is usually present as a spent liquor, such as the prehydrolysis liquor of the prehydrolysis kraft dissolving pulp production process and the alkali extraction liquor of the cold caustic extraction of pulp fibers. Due to its dilute nature, hemicellulose needs to be dried for practical utilization, and this is challenging. In this study, cellulose and hemicellulose in a bleached bamboo kraft pulp were separated using an alkali extraction process. Hemicellulose obtained from the extraction liquor was dried by an ammonium carbonate-assisted drying process. The effects of drying time and drying temperature were determined. Structure of the hemicellulose obtained by the ammonium carbonate-assisted drying process was similar to that of original hemicellulose, as revealed by detailed Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analyses. The novel drying method was more energy efficient and required a shorter drying time than the conventional freeze drying method, and the excellent solubility in alkaline solutions favored the chemical modification of hemicellulose. The dried hemicellulose can be used as a renewable raw material for the preparation of hydrogels and other substances such as bioethanol/biochemicals and biodegradable films.

Open Access Research Article Issue
Hydrogenation of Pyrolysis Oil from Loblolly Pine Residue
Paper and Biomaterials 2020, 5(1): 1-13
Published: 15 January 2020
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Downloads:33

Loblolly pine residue prepared with and without zeolite ZSM-5 was pyrolyzed at 600℃ and the pyrolysis oil was hydrogenated using formic acid as a hydrogen source, in the presence of a Ru/activated carbon catalyst. As indicated by the pyrolysis yield, addition of the zeolite ZSM-5 increased the yield of light oil but decreased the yield of heavy oil. The pyrolysis oils were analyzed by 13C-, 31P-, 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and heteronuclear single quantum coherence or heteronuclear single quantum correlation nuclear magnetic resonance (HSQC-NMR), demonstrating that the zeolite ZSM-5 can efficiently induce decarboxylation reactions and decrease the content of aliphatic hydroxyl groups in the heavy oil by 57%. After hydrogenation of the pyrolysis oil, the aromatic carbon content decreased by 78%, with a significant increase in the aliphatic carbon content.

Open Access Review Issue
Cellulose Paper-based Strapping Products for Green/Sustainable Packaging Needs
Paper and Biomaterials 2019, 4(3): 54-68
Published: 01 July 2019
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Downloads:63

Paper products such as corrugated paperboards are the most common green packaging materials, which are renewable, sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable. However, the plastic or metal straps used to secure the carton boxes are not so green. At the end of packaging, the carton boxes can be recycled, but the plastic/metal straps have to be sorted out for disposal separately. This review focuses on: 1) the global trend of green packaging; 2) conventional plastic/metal strapping materials for carton boxes; 3) conventional market pulp baling with steel wire as the tying materials; 4) cellulose fiber-based materials for strapping market pulp bales and carton boxes. New generation of cellulose paper straps are being developed for more challenging applications with superior strength properties and repulpability.

Open Access Original Article Issue
Upgrading Paper-grade Softwood Kraft Pulp to Dissolving Pulp by Cold Caustic Extraction
Paper and Biomaterials 2016, 1(1): 31-37
Published: 25 July 2016
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Downloads:20

Cold caustic extraction has potential applications in the production of dissolving-grade pulps due to its ability to selectively remove hemicellulose from lignocellulosic materials. In this study, we demonstrate the conversion of paper-grade kraft pulp into dissolving pulp by a single-stage cold caustic extraction. Under the extraction conditions of 12 wt% NaOH lye, 11% pulp consistency, a temperature of 35℃, and 2 h, a paper-grade softwood kraft pulp was purified to high-grade dissolving pulp with 97.1% α-cellulose content, 1.2% pentosane content, and narrowed molecular weight distribution. The resulting extraction filtrate was concentrated by nano-filtration to obtain the hemicellulose content of 59.0 g/L, while the permeate was a clear Na OH solution with 10.9 wt% concentration. A process configuration was also proposed, integrating this cold caustic extraction process with existing pulp and paper production and multi-purpose utilization of the extraction filtrate.

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