Peracetic acid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse for enzymatic hydrolysis: a continued work

Previous work has shown that the enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse could be greatly enhanced by peracetic acid (PAA) pretreatment. There are several factors affecting the enzymatic digestibility of the biomass, including lignin and hemicelluloses content, cellulose crystallinity, acetyl group content, accessible surface area and so on. The objective of this work is to analyze the mechanism of the enhancement of enzymatic digestibility caused by PAA pretreatment. Delignification resulted in an increase of the surface area and reduction of the irreversible absorption of cellulase, which helped to increase the enzymatic digestibility. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed that the absorption peaks of aromatic skeletal vibrations were weakened or disappeared after PAA pretreatment. However, the infrared crystallization index (N.O'KI) was increased. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the crystallinity of PAA‐treated samples was increased owing to the partial removal of amorphous lignin and hemicelluloses and probable physical change of cellulose. The effect of acetyl group content on enzymatic digestibility is negligible compared with the degree of delignification and crystallinity. The results indicate that enhancement of enzymatic digestibility of sugarcane bagasse by PAA pretreatment is achieved mainly by delignification and an increase in the surface area and exposure of cellulose fibers. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chlorosis in sugarcane: Associated soil properties,leaf mineral composition,and crop response to iron and manganese

Attempts were made to find out the nature and cause of a widespread sugarcane chlorosis in a cane growing area. Soils from chlorotic and nonchlorotic fields did not differ markedly in pH, CaCO₃, electrical conductivity, organic C, and soil test P, Zn, Cu, and Mn levels, but the chlorotic field soils had relatively more NH₄OAc-extractable K and less clay and DTPA-extractable Fe. Chlorotic and green leaf blades contained about the same concentration of P, S, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mo, but the former leaf blades had more K and less Ca and HCl soluble Fe than the green ones. Green leaves of plants that seemed to have naturally recovered in chlorotic fields were higher in Mn. A foliage spray with 2.5% FeSO₄.7H₂O solution resulted in greening of leaves and a field experiment showed marked crop response to Fe and some response to Mn. The results thus suggest that the chlorosis is due to a lime-induced Fe-deficiency with the possibility of some role of Mn in Fe nutrition in calcareous soil conditions.Deceased 22 September 1988     

The roles of nitrogen,phosphorus and Potassium in the production of sugarcane in South Africa

The amounts of N and K fertilizers used in the South African sugar industry have increased dramatically in the past four decades, due partly to an increase in the area under sugarcane but also to large increases in the amounts of N and K fertilizers applied per hectare. There has also been an increase in the amount of P fertilizer used but this has been more gradual. The main fertilizer carriers for cane and their relative efficiency are discussed. During this period there has been considerable research into the nutrient requirements of sugarcane. Correlations established between soil and leaf analysis and crop responses to N, P and K fertilizers, and their effects on cane quality, are reviewed. While fertilizer recommendations based on soil and leaf analysis have provided a useful guide for determining the nutrient requirements of cane, they are continually being modified in the light of current research.     

调亏灌溉条件下甘蔗耗水规律试验研究

通过大棚内的甘蔗盆栽试验,研究了不同生育期调亏灌溉条件下甘蔗的耗水规律。结果表明:甘蔗的耗水强度因土壤含水量的不同而不同,各生育期内,土壤含水量大的甘蔗耗水强度就大;甘蔗各生育期的阶段耗水量因生育期的长短而不同,萌芽期的甘蔗耗水量最小,伸长期的耗水量最大。在不考虑降雨因素影响的条件下,研究了甘蔗生长的耗水规律参数。     

A primary influence vertex approach to identify driving factors in complex integrated agri-industrial systems – an example from sugarcane supply and processing systems

Integrated agri-industrial systems (IAISs), such as sugarcane supply and processing systems, are complex systems and hence generally difficult to understand and manage. The large number factors in IAISs coupled with the complex interrelationships among the factors make it challenging to identify the points of intervention for improving their overall performance. Several approaches, such as the network theory and the Theory of Constraints have been used to identify important factors in systems with variations in success. This paper demonstrates a primary influence vertex approach for identifying and ranking the factors that drive the performance of IAISs. The approach is based on comprehensive causal network analyses and was tested in four relatively diverse large-scale sugarcane milling operations in South Africa. Results from the analyses were found to be consistent with the literature and external knowledge of the milling areas as at the time of the study. It is concluded that the approach can proffer a sound basis from which deeper rooted problems in systems can be identified on an ongoing basis. It is, however, recommended that the approach should be systematically compared with other relevant methods that are used to analyse complex systems.     

自动煮糖控制系统嵌入式GUI的设计与实现

阐述了基于嵌入式ARM-Linux和ZigBee的自动煮糖控制系统GUI的设计与实现过程,并给出了国际化以及不同语言之间动态切换的详细步骤.系统已成功运用并且运行良好,良好的图形化用户界面有利于现场操作,提高人机交互程度,能够满足工艺的要求.同时也为嵌入式领域中的GUI的进一步研究与开发提供了参考模型.     

PLC在均衡输蔗自动控制系统中的应用

介绍了PLC在糖厂压榨车间均衡输蔗自动控制系统中的应用。系统以PLC为控制核心 ,使用核子秤检测蔗层厚度 ,通过变频器控制输蔗速度 ,实现了碎蔗的均衡输送。通过上位监控程序完成输蔗计量和控制参数的在线设置。系统在甘蔗糖厂应用后 ,取得了良好的效果     

非直线排列剥叶元件的疲劳寿命分析

阐述了整杆式甘蔗收获机械非直线排列剥叶元件疲劳分析的总体思路．利用计算机仿真分析的方法分析了剥叶元件装夹参数及其注塑加工过程中产生的缺陷对元件寿命的影响，提出了不同工况剥叶元件疲劳分析的有限元计算模型．通过仿真分析，方便、快捷地得出剥叶元件疲劳寿命预估值，并用试验证明了其有效性．     

Combined effect of microwave and ultrasonication treatments on the quality and stability of sugarcane juice during cold storage

The main objective of this study was to investigate the combined effect of microwave (MW) treatment (2450 MHz for 120 s), ultrasonication (US) (24 KHz, 20 °C for 20 min) and combined treatment (MW-US) on the quality and stability of sugarcane juice (SCJ) during 21 days of storage at 4 °C. The effect of the treatments and storage time on physicochemical, bioactive compounds (total phenolic, flavonoids and ascorbic acid content) and microbial analysis of SCJ. No significant (P < 0.05) changes were observed in °Brix, while there was an increase in pH and a decrease in titratable acidity in all treatments. Compared to US and MW, MW-US treatments was more effective in preserving colour attributes, total phenolic and flavonoids contents, ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacities of the SCJ during storage. The results regarding the microbial count indicate that more microbial safety and longer shelf life was achieved by MW-US. MW-US treatment is an effective technology for improving the safety and shelf life of SCJ by minimising quality changes, retaining bioactive compounds and reducing microbial growth during storage.