Commercial scale trial of an economical schedule for boron impregnation treatment of green rubber wood

An economical treatment schedule, developed at the Kerala Forest Research Institute for boron impregnation of rubber wood, was tested in a commercial wood treatment plant. A pooled mean dry salt retention (DSR) of 12.4 kg/m³ was achieved for rubber wood in green condition with average moisture content of around 70%, using a 6% boric acid equivalent solution. This confirms the success of the schedule for commercial application, as the DSR achieved is much higher than the standard specification of many countries.     

An economical treatment schedule for boron impregnation of Eucalyptus grandis wood: Commercial trial of partially dried material

Being non-durable, Eucalyptus grandis wood needs treatment with preservative chemicals. As vacuum-pressure impregnation treatment being more suitable for commercial applications, and boron chemicals being environment-friendly for indoor uses, an economical treatment schedule (15 minutes initial vacuum of -85 kPa followed by a pressure of 1300 kPa for 15 minutes and a final vacuum of -85 kPa for 5 minutes) developed at the Kerala Forest Research Institute was tested for its commercial suitability for treating E. grandis wood with boron chemicals. A pooled mean dry salt retention (DSR) of 7.7 kg m ^-3 was achieved for wood in partially dried condition with average moisture content of around 32%, using a 6% boric acid equivalent (BAE) solution. This confirms the success of the schedule for commercial application, as the DSR achieved is much higher than the standard specification of many countries.     

Optimizing the schedule for CCA impregnation treatment of rubber wood

could be achieved by using concentrations of the CCA solution of 2–4%, depending on moisture content and thickness of the wood. Also, it was found that the penetration and distribution of chemicals in the treated wood were throughout uniform. Chemical analysis revealed that the distribution of the constituents (copper, chromium and arsenic) of CCA in the treated timber conformed to the desired ratio. This study presents an economical and energy saving schedule for the treatment of rubber wood with CCA preservative. The applicability of the economical schedule developed was tested in two commercial scale treatment units and found suitable.     

Optimizing the schedule for CCA impregnation treatment of rubber wood

3 could be achieved by using concentrations of the CCA solution of 2–4%, depending on moisture content and thickness of the wood. Also, it was found that the penetration and distribution of chemicals in the treated wood were throughout uniform. Chemical analysis revealed that the distribution of the constituents (copper, chromium and arsenic) of CCA in the treated timber conformed to the desired ratio. This study presents an economical and energy saving schedule for the treatment of rubber wood with CCA preservative. The applicability of the economical schedule developed was tested in two commercial scale treatment units and found suitable.     

Application of plant essential oils in prevention of fungal growth on Para rubber wood

Antifungal activities of essential oils (cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass oils) against moulds (Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus versicolor) isolated from rubber wood surfaces were examined. Clove oil possessed consistent antifungal activity with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5 μl ml^?1 against all these fungi, while cinnamon oil had MICs from 2.5 to 10 μl ml^?1. However, only dip treatment with cinnamon oil inhibited the growth of A. niger on rubber wood for at least 25 weeks.     

Catalytic seawater flue gas desulfurization process: an experimental pilot plant study

In previous articles by the authors on seawater S(IV) oxidation kinetics, a significant catalytic effect was demonstrated by means of a commercially available activated carbon. The aims of this study carried out at pilot plant scale were to assess the use of high-efficiency structured packing and to validate the positive results obtained previously in laboratory studies. A comparison between a packed tower and a spray column was made by maintaining the same desulfurization efficiency. A 47% reduction in seawater flow can be obtained with a packed tower. This option seems to be more economical, with a reduction in operation costs of least of 33%. With the appropriate activated carbon, it is possible to reach a greater oxidation rate at a low pH level than by operating conventionally at a high pH level without a catalyst. A preliminary technical and financial comparison between the advanced seawater desulfurization process (equipped with a packed tower and a catalytic oxidation plant) and the conventional process (spray tower and noncatalytic oxidation) was carried out.     

Development of new wood treatments combining boron impregnation and thermo modification: effect of additives on boron leachability

Environmental pressures in France and in most European countries during the last decade have led to the development of more environmentally acceptable preservation methods. In this context, wood heat treatment is one of the most investigated alternative methods. Important chemical modifications resulting from thermo-degradation reactions confer new properties to wood, like increased decay resistance or higher dimensional stability, while mechanical properties like tensile strength decrease after treatment. However, the improved durability of heat treated wood is not sufficient to allow its utilization in ground contact, where it is subjected to insect and fungi attacks. Impregnation with borax before thermal treatment could be an interesting method to improve the properties of thermally modified wood. Boron is a relatively harmless biocide that improves resistance to fungi and insects like termites. Additionally, borax can also improve wood fire resistance due to its fire retardant effect. To reduce boron leachability, two additives previously developed in the laboratory corresponding to water soluble polymerizable polyglycerol derivatives were added to the borax solution, taking advantage of thermal treatment to fix the latter through polymerization within the wood structure limiting boron leachability.     

Behavior of metallic silver nanoparticles in a pilot wastewater treatment plant

We investigated the behavior of metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) in a pilot wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) fed with municipal wastewater. The treatment plant consisted of a nonaerated and an aerated tank and a secondary clarifier. The average hydraulic retention time including the secondary clarifier was 1 day and the sludge age was 14 days. Ag-NP were spiked into the nonaerated tank and samples were collected from the aerated tank and from the effluent. Ag concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were in good agreement with predictions based on mass balance considerations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed that nanoscale Ag particles were sorbed to wastewater biosolids, both in the sludge and in the effluent. Freely dispersed nanoscale Ag particles were only observed in the effluent during the initial pulse spike. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements indicated that most Ag in the sludge and in the effluent was present as Ag(2)S. Results from batch experiments suggested that Ag-NP transformation to Ag(2)S occured in the nonaerated tank within less than 2 h. Physical and chemical transformations of Ag-NP in WWTPs control the fate, the transport and also the toxicity and the bioavailability of Ag-NP and therefore must be considered in future risk assessments.     

Sustainable reduction of bioreactor contamination in an industrial fermentation pilot plant

Facility experience primarily in drug-oriented fermentation equipment (producing small molecules such as secondary metabolites, bioconversions, and enzymes) and, to a lesser extent, in biologics-oriented fermentation equipment (producing large molecules such as recombinant proteins and microbial vaccines) in an industrial fermentation pilot plant over the past 15 years is described. Potential approaches for equipment design and maintenance, operational procedures, validation/verification testing, medium selection, culture purity/sterility analysis, and contamination investigation are presented, and those approaches implemented are identified. Failure data collected for pilot plant operation for nearly 15 years are presented and best practices for documentation and tracking are outlined. This analysis does not exhaustively discuss available design, operational and procedural options; rather it selectively presents what has been determined to be beneficial in an industrial pilot plant setting. Literature references have been incorporated to provide background and context where appropriate.     

Increasing the water uptake of wood veneers through plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure

In order to provide a database which documents the influence of plasma treatment on water uptake of wood veneers, veneers of 27 wood species underwent immersion tests in untreated and plasma-treated states. Plasma treatment was executed using an air driven dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure. The results showed that plasma treatment led to significantly improved water uptake for most of the wood species, but some wood species remained unaffected after plasma treatment.     

Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis for clarification and concentration of fruit juices at pilot plant scale

The process of ultrafiltration of raw juices (peach, pear, apple and mandarin) through tubular polysulphone membranes (8 kDa) and finally concentrated by reverse osmosis membranes of tubular composite polyamide film (99 g/100 g NaCl rejection) with filtration area of 0.9 m² was studied. Furthermore, in order to obtain a higher permeate flow, the fluids were previously treated with commercial pectinolytic enzyme.The following parameters were analyzed: permeate flow, soluble solids, viscosity, density, pH, acidity, formol index, starch, pulp content, color and presence of pectin. The use of a pectinolytic enzyme provides increased permeate flux of approximately 40%, retaining the juice properties. The highest total soluble solids content was clarified peach juice from 12.2 °Brix concentrated up to 30.5 and 21.52 °Brix by using RO with transmembranes pressures of 4 and 2 MPa respectively.The results show a cross-flow velocity (1.8 m/s) which corresponds with Reynolds number that is on the lower border of a laminar flow and above of transition rate (2090 < Re < 2900). Also the (VCF) for mandarin (1.49), pear (1.53), apple (1.56) and peach (1.58) was obtained for RO process. The membranes used were characterized morphologically using scanning electron microscopy.     

Comparative investigation on wood production of eleven poplar clones in an experimental planting in North Greece

3 /tree respectively) in comparison to the widely cultivated clone `I-214' (1.3551 m<sup>3</sup>/tree), whereas clone `I-262' produced the lowest (0.193 m³/tree). The other clones presented a variety in volume of 0.438 to 1.662 m³/tree. The Greek clones `He-X/3' and `He-X/34' presented a lower volume (1.1662 and 1.1578 m³/tree) compared to the clone `I-214', whereas the clone `He-X/10' had a much lower one (0.438 m³/tree). It is recommended that more clones with high wood production are used for better exploitation of the microenvironmental and biological stability.

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3 /Baum) im Vergleich mit dem weit verbreiteten Klon `I-214' (1,3551 m<sup>3</sup>/Baum). Die niedrigsten Werte zeigte Klon `I-262' (0,193 m³/Baum). Die Holzmenge der übrigen Klone lag zwischen 0,438 und 1,662 m³/Baum. Die griechischen Klone `He-X/3' und `He-X/34' produzierten ebenfalls ein niedrigeres Holzvolumen (1,1662 and 1,1578 m³/Baum) als `I-214'. Die Werte des Klons `He-X/10' lagen sehr viel niedriger (0,438 m³/Baum). Es wird empfohlen, Klone mit der h?chsten Holzproduktion zu pflanzen, um die Gegebenheiten der Mikroumwelt und die biologischen Stabilit?t besser zu nutzen.

     

Production and characterization of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) protein-enriched products obtained at pilot plant scale

Sunflower protein concentrates with different content of phenolic compounds were produced at pilot plant scale from the by-product of oil manufacturing. The products obtained were characterized, and their physicochemical properties (i.e. surface hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and polypeptide composition) were evaluated at different storage conditions. All the procedures evaluated resulted in sunflower protein concentrates with high protein solubility (>60%) but with different chemical composition, color, and physicochemical properties. The products exhibited intense coloration and antioxidant properties due to their residual phenolic compounds content. The addition of an isoelectric precipitation step increased the protein content and the removal of phenolic compounds. The resulting concentrates exhibited high protein digestibility in vitro, even in the presence of phenolic compounds, and maintained high protein solubility for at least 6 months of storage. During this period, only structural changes in proteins were observed, as evidenced by their surface hydrophobicity. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to produce sunflower protein concentrates with high solubility on a pilot plant scale, using sunflower oilcake as starting material.     

Freeze concentration of whey in a falling-film based pilot plant: Process and characterization

Falling-film freeze concentration is a technique for concentration of liquids by freezing the available water in the form of a layer of ice on a refrigerated surface. Processing at low temperatures keeps the organoleptic properties of the initial product. In this study the freeze concentration of whey was investigated as an technological alternative for the use of this byproduct of the dairy industry. Freeze concentration tests were carried out in pilot-scale equipment and the increase in soluble solids content of the whey and the amount and purity of the ice formed were analysed. Electrical conductivity, viscosity and freezing point of the concentrated whey were determined. The concentrate obtained had a solid concentration of up to 21.8 °Brix. The ice formed in the last stage of the freeze-concentration process had a lactose content of 11.3 g/L and protein content of 3.45%. The electrical conductivity of the ice formed increased exponentially to a value of 29.40 mS/cm. Freeze-concentrated whey of 10, 15, and 20 °Brix behaves as a Newtonian fluid in the temperature range of −4 °C-4 °C.     

Development of anti-insect food packaging film containing a polyvinyl alcohol and cinnamon oil emulsion at a pilot plant scale

Anti-insect packaging films containing cinnamon oil (CO) encapsulated by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for repelling Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) larvae were manufactured using pilot plant scale instruments. The microcapsule emulsion of CO and PVA was printed onto polypropylene (PP) film as an ink mixture using the gravure printing method. The printed PP film was then laminated with a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film to protect the printed side. Four types of multilayer films were produced: control film, 2% CO film, encapsulated 1% CO film, and encapsulated 2% CO film. When mechanical properties were assessed, tensile strength and elongation-at-break were not significantly different among films, whereas the Young's modulus values were different between the control film and the three types of CO-containing films. In a repellent test, 2% CO film repelled P. interpunctella larvae most effectively. For sensory evaluation, which was performed using milk chocolate, caramel soft candy, and cookies packaged with the produced films, the produced films did not affect the sensory characteristics. Therefore, the films printed with emulsions of CO and PVA could be applied in the food industry to help protect foods from infestation by P. interpunctella.