Evaluation of Keratin-Cellulose Blend Fibers as Precursors for Carbon Fibers.

One main challenge to utilize cellulose-based fibers as the precursor for carbon fibers is their inherently low carbon yield. This study aims to evaluate the use of keratin in chicken feathers, a byproduct of the poultry industry generated in large quantities, as a natural charring agent to improve the yield of cellulose-derived carbon fibers. Keratin-cellulose composite fibers are prepared through direct dissolution of the pulp and feather keratin in the ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.

Fast and quantitative compositional analysis of hybrid cellulose-based regenerated fibers using thermogravimetric analysis and chemometrics.

Unlabelled: Cellulose can be dissolved with another biopolymer in a protic ionic liquid and spun into a bicomponent hybrid cellulose fiber using the Ioncell technology. Inside the hybrid fibers, the biopolymers are mixed at the nanoscale, and the second biopolymer provides the produced hybrid fiber new functional properties that can be fine-tuned by controlling its share in the fiber. In the present work, we present a fast and quantitative thermoanalytical method for the compositional analysis of man-made hybrid cellulose fibers by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in combination with chemometrics.

Close Packing of Cellulose and Chitosan in Regenerated Cellulose Fibers Improves Carbon Yield and Structural Properties of Respective Carbon Fibers.

A low carbon yield is a major limitation for the use of cellulose-based filaments as carbon fiber precursors. The present study aims to investigate the use of an abundant biopolymer chitosan as a natural charring agent particularly on enhancing the carbon yield of the cellulose-derived carbon fiber. The ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.

Metal(loid) immobilization in soils with biochars pyrolyzed in N and CO environments.

Previous studies indicated that using CO as a reaction agent in the pyrolysis of biomass led to an enhanced generation of syngas via direct reaction between volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evolved from the thermal degradation of biomass and CO. In addition, the physico-chemical properties of biochar in CO were modified. In this current study, biochars generated from red pepper stalks in N and CO (RPS-N and RPS-C, respectively) were tested for their effects on the immobilization of Pb, Cd, Zn, and As in contaminated soils.