Thermal Conversion Characteristics of Molasses.

Agroindustrial biomass residues are considered potential feedstocks for renewable fuels and chemical production through processes such as thermal conversion. In this regard, thermal conversion characteristics of molasses, a byproduct from sugar production, have not been investigated. In this study, thermal conversion properties of molasses at temperatures of 700-900 °C have been studied using a single-particle reactor.

Potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from the integrated sugar-ethanol process - Fate of ash and ash-forming elements.

In this work, potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from an integrated sugar-ethanol process and the fate of ash and ash-forming elements in the process are presented. Ash, ash-forming elements, and energy flows in the process were determined using mass balances and analyses of eight different biomass samples for ash contents, elemental compositions, and heating values. The results show that the ash content increases from the sugarcane to the final residue, vinasse.

Sugarcane vinasse CO2 gasification and release of ash-forming matters in CO2 and N2 atmospheres.

Gasification of sugarcane vinasse in CO2 and the release of ash-forming matters in CO2 and N2 atmospheres were investigated using a differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyzer (DSC-TGA) at temperatures between 600 and 800°C. The results showed that pyrolysis is the main mechanism for the release of the organics from vinasse. Release of ash-forming matters in the vinasse is the main cause for vinasse char weight losses in the TGA above 700°C.

Thermal treatment of solid residues from WtE units: a review.

Thermal treatment methods of bottom ash, fly ash and various types of APC (air pollution control) residues from waste-to-energy plants can be used to obtain environmentally stable material. The thermal treatment processes are meant to reduce the leachability of harmful residue constituents, destroy toxic organic compounds, reduce residue volume, and produce material suitable for utilization. Fly ash and APC residues often have high levels of soluble salts, particularly chlorides, metals such as cadmium, lead, copper and zinc, and trace levels of organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans.

The presence of zinc in Swedish waste fuels.

Zinc (Zn) is a chemical element that has gained more attention lately owing to its possibility to form corrosive deposits in large boilers, such as Waste-to-Energy plants. Zn enters the boilers in many different forms and particularly in waste, the amount of Zn is hard to determine due to both the heterogeneity of waste in general but also due to the fact that little is yet published specifically about the Zn levels in waste. This study aimed to determine the Zn in Swedish waste fuels by taking regular samples from seven different and geographically separate waste combustion plants over a 12-month period.

Determination of fossil carbon content in Swedish waste fuel by four different methods.

This study aimed to determine the content of fossil carbon in waste combusted in Sweden by using four different methods at seven geographically spread combustion plants. In total, the measurement campaign included 42 solid samples, 21 flue gas samples, 3 sorting analyses and 2 investigations using the balance method. The fossil carbon content in the solid samples and in the flue gas samples was determined using (14)C-analysis.

Thermal properties and surface reactivity in simulated body fluid of new strontium ion-containing phosphate glasses.

In this paper, we investigate the effect of SrO substitution for CaO in 50P₂O₅-10Na₂-(40-x)CaO-xSrO glass system (x from 0 to 40) on the thermal and structural properties and also on the glass reactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF) in order to find new glass candidates for biomedical glass fibers. The addition of SrO at the expense of CaO seems to restrain the leaching of phosphate ions in the solution limiting the reduction of the solution pH. We observed the formation of an apatite layer at the surface of the glasses when in contact with SBF.

Pyrolysis of pine and gasification of pine chars--influence of organically bound metals.

Pyrolysis of pine and gasification of pine chars was studied in this work, focusing on the influence of organically bound metals. Selective leaching of the major ash-forming elements in pine wood was performed with different acids, namely, nitric, sulfuric, hydrochloric and oxalic acids. No other major changes in the chemical composition of the biomass were observed except the removal of the metals.

Dissolution patterns of biocompatible glasses in 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-propane-1,3-diol (Tris) buffer.

A continuous flow measurement system with sensitive on-line ion analysis has been applied to study the initial dissolution behaviour of biocompatible glasses in Tris. Altogether 16 glasses with widely varying compositions were studied. The measurement system allowed for quantitative determination of the time-dependent rates of dissolution of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, silicon and phosphorus during the first 10-15 min in contact with Tris solution.

Measuring the concentration of carboxylic acid groups in torrefied spruce wood.

Torrefaction is moderate thermal treatment (∼200-300°C) to improve the energy density, handling and storage properties of biomass fuels. In biomass, carboxylic sites are partially responsible for its hygroscopic. These sites are degraded to varying extents during torrefaction.

In vitro behaviour of three biocompatible glasses in composite implants.

Poly(L,DL-lactide) composites containing filler particles of bioactive glasses 45S5 and S53P4 were compared with a composite containing a slowly dissolving glass S68. The in vitro reactivity of the composites was studied in simulated body fluid, Tris-buffered solution, and phosphate buffered saline. The high processing temperature induced thermal degradation giving cavities in the composites containing 45S5 and S53P4, while good adhesion of S68 to the polymer was observed.

Phase composition and in vitro bioactivity of porous implants made of bioactive glass S53P4.

This work studied the influence of sintering temperature on the phase composition, compression strength and in vitro properties of implants made of bioactive glass S53P4. The implants were sintered within the temperature range 600-1000°C. Over the whole temperature range studied, consolidation took place mainly via viscous flow sintering, even though there was partial surface crystallization.

Comparing the greenhouse gas emissions from three alternative waste combustion concepts.

Three alternative condensing mode power and combined heat and power (CHP) waste-to-energy concepts were compared in terms of their impacts on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a heat and power generation system. The concepts included (i) grate, (ii) bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) and (iii) circulating fluidised bed (CFB) combustion of waste. The BFB and CFB take advantage of advanced combustion technology which enabled them to reach electric efficiency up to 35% and 41% in condensing mode, respectively, whereas 28% (based on the lower heating value) was applied for the grate fired unit.

Antibacterial effects and dissolution behavior of six bioactive glasses.

Dissolution behavior of six bioactive glasses was correlated with the antibacterial effects of the same glasses against sixteen clinically important bacterial species. Powdered glasses (<45 microm) were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 48 h. The pH in the solution inside the glass powder was measured in situ with a microelectrode.

Bioceramic inlays do not improve mechanical incorporation of grit-blasted titanium stems in the proximal sheep femur.

The aim of the present study was to determine, if bioactive glass (BG) surface inlays improve osseointegration of titanium implants in the proximal femur of adult sheep. In simulation of uncemented primary stems (nine animals), only the proximal part of the implants was grit-blasted and three surface slots of the grit-blasted region were filled with sintered BG microspheres. Primary stems were implanted using press-fit technique.

Pyrolysis of softwood carbohydrates in a fluidized bed reactor.

In the present work pyrolysis of pure pine wood and softwood carbohydrates, namely cellulose and galactoglucomannan (the major hemicellulose in coniferous wood), was conducted in a batch mode operated fluidized bed reactor. Temperature ramping (5 degrees C/min) was applied to the heating until a reactor temperature of 460 degrees C was reached. Thereafter the temperature was kept until the release of non-condensable gases stopped.

In situ pH within particle beds of bioactive glasses.

The in vitro behavior of three bioactive glasses with seven particle size distributions was studied by measuring the in situ pH inside the particle beds for 48h in simulated body fluid (SBF). After immersion, the surface of the particles was characterized with a field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer. In addition, the results were compared with the reactions of the same glasses formed as plates.

The behaviour of selected yttrium containing bioactive glass microspheres in simulated body environments.

The study aims at the manufacture and investigation of biodegradable glass microspheres incorporated with yttrium potentially useful for radionuclide therapy of cancer. The glass microspheres in the SiO2-Na2O-P2O5-CaO-K2O-MgO system containing yttrium were prepared by conventional melting and flame spheroidization. The behaviour of the yttrium silicate glass microspheres was investigated under in vitro conditions using simulated body fluid (SBF) and Tris buffer solution (TBS), for different periods of time, according to half-life time of the Y-90.

Antibacterial effect of bioactive glasses on clinically important anaerobic bacteria in vitro.

Bioactive glasses (BAGs) of different compositions have been studied for decades for clinical use and they have found many dental and orthopaedic applications. Particulate BAGs have also been shown to have antibacterial properties. This large-scale study shows that two bioactive glass powders (S53P4 and 13-93) and a sol-gel derived material (CaPSiO II) have an antibacterial effect on 17 clinically important anaerobic bacterial species.

Influence of pressure on pyrolysis of black liquor: 1. Swelling.

This is the first of two papers concerning the behavior of black liquor during pyrolysis under pressurized conditions. Two industrial kraft liquors were pyrolyzed in a laboratory-scale pressurized single particle reactor and a pressurized grid heater at temperatures ranging from 650 to 1100 degrees C and at pressures between 1 and 20 bar. The dimensions of the chars produced were measured and the specific swollen volume was calculated.

Influence of pressure on pyrolysis of black liquor: 2. Char yields and component release.

This is the second in a series of papers concerning the behavior of black liquor during pyrolysis at elevated pressures. Two industrial black liquors were pyrolyzed under pressurized conditions in two laboratory-scale devices, a pressurized single-particle reactor and a pressurized grid heater. Temperatures ranging between 650 and 1100 degrees C and pressures in the range 1-20 bar were studied.

Study of yttrium containing bioactive glasses behaviour in simulated body fluid.

The influence of yttrium oxide on the bioactivity of glasses in the system SiO(2)-Na(2)O-P(2)O(5)-CaO-B(2)O(3)-K(2)O-MgO was studied in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Two series of glasses with different bioactivity were investigated. The reaction layers formed on the surface of the exposed glasses were evaluated by means of back scattered electron imaging of scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (BEI-SEM/EDXA).

Characterisation of bioactive glass coatings on titanium substrates produced using a CO2 laser.

Titanium and its alloys are widely used in load-bearing bioinert implants. Bioactive glasses (BAGs) form a chemical bond with bone, but they are not suitable for load-bearing applications. Creating a BAG coating on a titanium implant could combine the best properties of both materials.

Influence of the non-bridging oxygen groups on the bioactivity of silicate glasses.

The effect of the composition and bonding configuration of the bioactive silica-based glasses on the initial stage in vitro bioactivity is presented. Information of the IR active Si-O groups of glass in the system SiO(2)-P(2)O(5)-CaO-Na(2)O-K(2)O-MgO-B(2)O(3) was obtained by fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Two different bands associated to non-bridging oxygen stretching vibrations (Si-O-1NBO and Si-O-2NBO) and a gradual shifting of the bridging oxygen stretching vibration (Si-O) have been observed and evaluated.

Biologic significance of surface microroughing in bone incorporation of porous bioactive glass implants.

A novel chemical etching method was recently developed to create a controlled microrough surface on porous bioactive glass implants. Our earlier in vitro studies showed enhanced attachment of osteoblast-like MG63 cells on a microrough bioactive glass surface. The purpose of our current study was to confirm the in vivo significance of surface microroughening for bone bonding of bioactive glass.