A two-step sequential biomass liquefaction process was developed to produce bio-based polyols and polyurethane (PU) foams using crude glycerol as a liquefaction solvent. The first step, acid-catalyzed liquefaction, was highly effective in liquefying biomass, while the second step, base-catalyzed liquefaction, featured extensive condensation reactions. By using the developed two-step liquefaction process, the polyols produced from lignocellulosic biomass and crude glycerol containing 26-40% organic impurities showed hydroxyl numbers ranging from 536 to 936mgKOH/g, viscosities from 20.6 to 28.0Pas, and molecular weights (Mw) from 444 to 769g/mol. The PU foams produced had densities ranging from 0.04 to 0.05g/cm(3), compressive strengths from 223 to 420kPa, and thermal conductivities from 32.2 to 38.9mW/mK. Polyols and PU foams produced from the two-step liquefaction process had improved properties over their analogs derived from a one-step biomass liquefaction by crude glycerol process catalyzed by acid or base.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.03.072 | DOI Listing |
Polymers (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
Crude glycerol (CG), a major biodiesel production by-product, is the focus of ongoing research to convert it into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). However, few bacterial strains are capable of efficiently achieving this conversion. Here, 10 PHA-producing strains were isolated from various media.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
January 2025
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Florence, Via di S. Marta, 3, 50139, Firenze, Italy.
The performance of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) bioreactors treating sulfate (SO) -rich effluents depends on multiple factors, including microbial interactions and operational conditions. The high complexity of these systems necessitates the use of mathematical modelling tools to better understand the process and predict the long-term impacts of various operational variables. In this work, a mathematical model describing the long-term operation of a sulfate-fed 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
College of Technology and Engineering, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan-313001, India. Electronic address:
Lipases, enzymes that perform the hydrolysis of triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol, present a potential paradigm shift in the realms of food and detergent industries. Their enhanced efficiency, energy conservation and environmentally friendly attributes make them promising substitutes for chemical catalysts. Motivated by this prospect, this present study was targeted on the heterologous expression of a lipase gene, employing E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Bio-Circular-Green-Economy Technology and Engineering Center, BCGeTEC, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
Glycerol carbonate (GC) can be produced from glycerol (GL), a low-value byproduct in the biodiesel industry. In this work, continuous processes of GC production via transesterification from crude GL and diethyl carbonate (DEC) were developed using Aspen Plus. Two cases were considered, and their process performances were compared.
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