Ozone pretreatment and process optimization to improve fuel pellet production from sugarcane bagasse pith.

Sugarcane bagasse pith (SBP), a byproduct of sugar production, is often discarded or burned as waste, despite its potential as a biofuel feedstock. This study explores ozone pretreatment as a processing step to enhance the physicochemical and pelletizing properties of SBP for biofuel production. Ozone pretreatment, conducted in a fixed-bed reactor, selectively reduced lignin content and improved the biomass's binding properties, promoting stronger interparticle adhesion during pelletization.

Cross-Linked Amylose Bio-Plastic: A Transgenic-Based Compostable Plastic Alternative.

Bio-plastics and bio-materials are composed of natural or biomass derived polymers, offering solutions to solve immediate environmental issues. Polysaccharide-based bio-plastics represent important alternatives to conventional plastic because of their intrinsic biodegradable nature. Amylose-only (AO), an engineered barley starch with 99% amylose, was tested to produce cross-linked all-natural bioplastic using normal barley starch as a control.