Thermochemical properties of cellulose acetate blends with acetosolv and sawdust lignin: A comparative study.

Sawdust (SD) and cotton-lignin blends (CLB) were acetylated and the effect of lignin type and content on thermoplastic properties of the acetate produced was studied. The lignin in samples did not significantly affect the degree of acetylation. An increase in acetyl groups of 1-3% was observed in acetylated SD (ASD) unlike acetylated CLB (ACLB). Thermogravimetric analysis showed two thermal degradation zones; one at 190-200°C and the other at 330-370°C. The early degradation in ASD corresponds to galactoglucomannans while that in ACLB corresponds to the low-molecular-weight lignin. The second degradation is due to decomposition of cellulose acetate and high-molecular-weight lignin. DSC analysis showed homogeneous behaviour in ASD with only one glass transition temperature (Tg) at 170-180°C, unlike ACLB that showed two Tgs at 170-180°C. Sawdust acetylation, taking advantage of its residual lignin, showed higher reactivity and miscibility as compared to the same material produced by adding previously extracted lignin on cotton.

Acetylation of bleached Kraft pulp: effect of xylan content on properties of acetylated compounds.

Bleached Kraft pulp (BKP) from Eucalyptus globulus and cotton xylan blends (CXB) was acetylated. The effects of xylan content on cellulose acetylation and the properties of the acetylated material were studied. An increase in xylan content caused a slight decrease in the degree of substitution (2.98 to 2.68 for CXB; 2.93 to 2.84 for BKP). Thermal analysis showed that the melting temperature also decreases from 268.0 to 188.8 °C for CXB and from 221.4 to 212.8 °C for BKP. Moreover, the solubility decreased due to the partial dissolution of acetylated xylans. The presence of xylans during Kraft pulp acetylation does not have a significant negative effect on the physical properties of the acetylated material, but the decrease in melting temperature was beneficial for the application of acetylated polymer as a natural internal plasticizer. This is considered to be an important argument for BKP utilization in the cellulose acetate manufacturing process.

Modeling of simultaneous denitrification--anaerobic digestion--organic matter aerobic oxidation and nitrification in an anoxic-anaerobic-aerobic compact filter reactor.

A mathematical model was developed for a compact anoxic-anaerobic-aerobic filter reactor with liquid recirculation for the treatment of fishing effluents. The model includes denitrification, anaerobic digestion, aerobic carbon oxidation and nitrification steps, as well as an evaluation of the liquid gas mass transfer and pH. The model was calibrated using one experimental condition at a recycling ratio (R)=10, and was validated with R equal to 2 and 0, with an organic concentration of 554±24 mg TOCL(-1), salinity of 24 g L(-1) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 d. Carbon total removal is higher than 98%, while maximum nitrogen removal is 62% using total nitrification in the aerobic zone, due to a higher quantity of NO(x) produced which were recirculated to the anoxic zone. In the aerobic zone, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes occur, because the diffusion limitations cause a low oxygen penetration in the biofilm. In the anoxic-anaerobic zone, denitrification or methanogenesis inhibition by DO (caused by the recycled oxygen) is not observed.