Recovery of15N-labelled fertilizer by sugar beet—spring wheat and winter rye—sugar beet cropping sequences

The recovery of¹⁵N labelled ammonium fertilizer was studied during two cropping sequences: sugar beet—spring wheat and winter rye—sugar beet with the labelled N applied to the first crop of each sequence. The difference between fall and spring application was also investigated. For the first cropping sequence 100 kg N ha^–1 labelled with 11.4%¹⁵N atom excess (a.e.) was applied to the sugar beets. This labelled N was followed in the sugar beets, in the soil profile at harvesting time as well as in the spring wheat of the following year. The first crop of sugar beet recovered 43–46% of the applied N, with 26–29% remaining in the soil at harvesting time and 25–31% could not be accounted for. Of the residual N, less than 1% could be recovered by the next crop of spring wheat. For the second cropping sequence 50 kg N ha^–1 labelled with 11.5%¹⁵N a.e. was applied to the winter rye and followed in the winter rye and in the sugar beets of the following year. The recovery of the labelled fertilizer N applied to the winter rye of the second sequence was 20–27% and the sugar beets of the next year could only recover 2%. With respect to time of application, no difference in fertilizer N recovery was found between fall or spring application for the two sequences.     

Development and compatibility assessment of new composite film based on sugar beet pulp and polyvinyl alcohol intended for packaging applications

In this study, interaction and compatibility between sugar‐beet pulp (SBP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in blend films was assessed. Film‐forming dispersions of different ratios of SBP to PVA (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75) were cast at room temperature. The effects of adding PVA to SBP on the resulting film's physical, mechanical and barrier properties and thermal stability were investigated. X‐ray diffraction and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the composites. When PVA was also added to the composite films, the films became softer, less rigid and more stretchable than pure SBP films. The addition of PVA gave significantly greater elongation at break (12.45%) and lower water vapor permeability (1.55 × 10^?10 g s^?1 m^?1 Pa^?1), but tensile strength did not markedly change, remaining around 59.68 MPa. Thermogravimetric analysis also showed that SBP/PVA film had better thermal stability than SBP film. The ESEM results showed that the compatibility of SBP50/PVA50 was better than those of other composite films. These results suggest that when taking all the studied variables into account, composite films formulated with 50% PVA are most suitable for various packaging applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41354.     

The analysis of process variables influencing some characteristics of permeate from ultra- and nanofiltration in sugar beet processing

The aim of this paper is to analyze effect of operating conditions (duration, flow rate, temperature and transmembrane pressure) on the purity ratio, colour changes and turbidity changes of the permeates obtained by ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) applied for the clarification and purification of sugar syrup solution. The analysis was based on the results of experiments performed in batch conditions, with 2 L of the initial syrup., on two types of the flat, cross-flow membranes: polyethersulfone for the UF process, and polyamide for the NF process. The plan of the experiments was in accordance with a full factorial design, and the 12-parameter polynomial proved adequate for data processing in all the examined cases. It was found that the response surfaces do not have extremes. However, the conclusions towards optimization of operating conditions, in most cases, were as follows: (1) process duration could be shortened, (2) flow rate should be kept at the lower boundary and (3) transmembrane pressure should be kept at the upper boundary of the investigated experimental space. Temperatures in the previous stages of the process mostly determined temperature at separation. The higher the temperature at separation, the lower the effect of separation.     

Optimization of the production of chitosan from beet molasses by response surface methodology

Chitosan was produced by Rhizopus oryzae 00.4367 in shake flask culture and a stirred tank fermenter. Synthetic medium, treated and untreated beet molasses were used as cultivation media in shake flask cultures. In the stirred tank fermenter, the cultivation media were synthetic medium and untreated beet molasses. Shake flask culture containing untreated molasses with a sugar concentration of 40 g dm^?3 produced the maximum chitosan yield (961 mg dm^?3). Chitosan concentration reached its maximum value at the late exponential growth phase of R oryzae. In all experiments almost 8–10% of biomass and 32–38% of alkali‐insoluble material was extracted as chitosan. A central composite design was employed to determine the optimum values of process variables (aeration rate, agitation speed and initial sugar concentration) leading to maximum chitosan concentration in the stirred tank fermenter. In all cases, the fit of the model was found to be good. Aeration rate, agitation speed and initial sugar concentration had a strong linear effect on chitosan concentration. Moreover, the concentration of chitosan was significantly influenced by the negative quadratic effects of the given variables and by their positive or negative interactions. A maximum chitosan concentration of 1109.32 mg dm^?3 was obtained in untreated molasses medium containing an initial sugar concentration of 45.37 g dm^?3 with an aeration rate and agitation speed of 2.10 vvm and 338.93 rpm, respectively. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Studies on fermentation with recombinant yeast cells: plasmid stability and kinetics of biomass and protein production

Plasmid stability of the recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPB‐G strain harbouring a YEp plasmid with α‐amylase and glucoamylase genes as a fusion has been investigated in shake flasks and in a bioreactor using various compositions of media containing glucose or starch as the main carbon source. The medium composition affected both the growth characteristics and the stability of the plasmid. Superior plasmid stability was obtained in yeast minimal medium and in complex medium with glucose. Plasmid stability was substantially increased at high growth rates. Additional data were collected in the same system to investigate the kinetic characteristics of biomass and protein production, and unstructured kinetic models were used to interpret the results. At high initial glucose concentrations, where the biomass and protein production rates were similar, the kinetic models displayed good fits associated with high degrees of correlation. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

生物质快速热解制油试验及流程模拟

使用自主研发的流化床热解反应器对生物质热解制油进行实验研究,通过对不同实验温度450、500、525、550、580、610℃下得到的目标产物进行分析,得到了反应温度对生物油产率的影响规律。实验表明：550℃时,最大液体产率为42.5%（质量）;实验得到的不可冷凝气体的组分以CO、CO₂、CH₄和H₂为主,气相产物产率约为37.7%（质量）。在实验基础上,利用Aspen Plus流程模拟软件,建立了生物质热解制油工艺模拟流程,模拟分析了热解温度对生物油产率的影响,结果表明该模型能准确模拟实际热解过程,具有较好的适用性和可靠性。     

An ionic liquid reaction and separation process for production of hydroxymethylfurfural from sugars

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is viewed as a potential platform material to make a variety of chemicals and products out of renewable resources. In this work, a complete ionic liquid reaction and separation process is presented for nearly stoichiometric conversion of fructose into HMF. The silicalite adsorbent material is demonstrated for separation of 99% pure HMF out of ionic liquid reaction mixtures through a packed column and for recovery of the unconverted sugars and reaction intermediates along with the ionic liquid. Membrane‐coated silicalite particles are prepared and studied for a practical adsorption process with separation performances comparable to or better than the powder material. It is discovered that nearly all the fresh fructose feed could be converted into HMF with the recycled ionic liquid under suitable reaction conditions. These research results lead to a new HMF production process much simpler than the current paraxylene manufacturing process from petroleum oil. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 300–314, 2014     

糖醇催化氢解制低级多元醇研究进展

利用糖醇生产低级多元醇可以减少对石油资源的依赖,是可再生资源利用的一个重要研究方向。本文综述了利用糖醇为原料催化氢解制备低级多元醇的研究成果,氢解糖醇可以高选择性得到乙二醇、丙三醇和1,2-丙二醇的混合物。重点介绍了糖醇催化氢解的Retro-aldol、 Retro-Michael反应机理和铜系、镍系、贵金属催化剂,并对糖醇催化氢解的发展前景做了展望,提出开发更为高效稳定的催化体系、降低催化剂制备成本和优化工艺条件将是未来研究工作的重点。     

Ethanol production from raw starch by a recombinant yeast having saccharification and fermentation activities

In order to develop a method for converting raw starch into ethanol efficiently, direct fermentation of ozonized raw starch using a recombinant yeast was investigated. Ozonolysis was carried out as a pretreatment to convert raw starch into ethanol rapidly and efficiently, and then the effect of the ozone degradation conditions on the degree of polymerization and the amount of amylose in a raw starch was determined. Since the degree of polymerization was low and the amount of amylose was high, raw starch treated with an ozone concentration of 40 gm^?3 and an ozonation time of 30 min was the material chosen for alcohol fermentation. Though the recombinant yeast could not convert the untreated raw starch, it converted the soluble starch and the ozonized raw starch at a comparatively high yield into ethanol. About 56% of the ozonized raw starch decomposed, and the ethanol concentration obtained from the ozonized raw starch was markedly greater than that obtained from untreated raw starch. The dynamic behavior of cell growth, substrate degradation, and ethanol production was examined in a continuous culture under various dilution rates, and the optimal dilution rate, ie 0.15 h^?1, was determined for maximizing the ethanol productivity (amount of ethanol produced per unit time). © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Efficient production of l-lactic acid from chicken feather protein hydrolysate and sugar beet molasses by the newly isolated Rhizopus oryzae TS-61

The aim of this study was to investigate production of l-lactic acid from molasses and chicken feather protein hydrolysate (CFP) by the newly isolated Rhizopus oryzae TS-61. R. oryzae TS-61 was capable of utilizing molasses sucrose and CFP as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. In contrast to yeast extract and ammonium sulfate, CFP had potential not only to prevent excessive pH changes and foaming but also to provide smaller uniform pellet formation in during fermentation. Thanks to these properties, it was concluded that CFP might have resulted in higher l-lactic acid production than the other two nitrogen sources (yeast extract and ammonium sulfate). At the end of 42-h optimal cultivation period, the highest (38.5 g/L) and lowest (28.8 g/L) concentrations of l-lactic acid were obtained with CFP and ammonium sulfate, respectively. This is the first report on use of waste chicken feather as a lactic acid production substrate. In addition, a new R. oryzae strain, being capable of using molasses sucrose as carbon source in order to produce l-lactic acid, was isolated.     

Screening and selection of microfungi for microbial biomass protein production and water reclamation from starch processing wastewater

Thirty strains of microfungi and amylolytic yeasts were screened for production of microbial biomass protein (MBP) and water reclamation from starch processing wastewater (SPW). Three species and six strains of microfungi Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oligosporus and Rhizopus arrhizus showing high enzymatic activities on SWP were selected under non‐aseptic growth conditions. In 20 h submerged cultivation the selected strains had a high capacity to enzymatically hydrolyse more than 93% of the starch and produce 4.3–5.6 g dm⁻³ of dry biomass at a specific biomass growth rate from 0.05 to 0.12 h ⁻². The fungal biomass contained crude protein ranging from 37.5 to 49.8% of dry biomass. The pellet and flocculated biomass products were easily harvested by simple filtration or sedimentation. After these processes, 76–88% of total organic carbon (TOC), 85%–92% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 95% suspended solids in SPW were removed, and the treated water was reusable for farm irrigation. Typical pretreatment processes including hydrolysis, sterilisation and nutrient supplementation were unnecessary. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mathematical model for growth process of a recombinant yeast having saccharification and fermentation activities

A mathematical model for direct alcohol fermentation from starch was proposed using an amylase‐producing recombinant yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR93. This model consisted of the reaction rate equations for glucoamylase synthesis in the recombinant yeast, starch degradation by a glucoamylase, cell growth, production of glucose, and production of ethanol. The rate of glucoamylase synthesis was expressed on the basis of the diauxic growth model that represents catabolite repression and enzyme induction. The rate of starch degradation was expressed on the basis of the enzymatic hydrolysis model representing the change of structure resulting from starch degradation. The calculated values were in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data in a batch culture of direct alcohol fermentation from starch using S cerevisiae SR93. Furthermore, the calculated values obtained by changing only one parameter concerning the synthesis rate of glucoamylase were in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data using another recombinant yeast, S cerevisiae SR96. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

高炉渣余热回收协同转化生物质制氢

高炉渣是钢铁生产过程的主要副产品,是一种多元金属熔体,具有大量显热并能促进焦油及甲烷等低分子碳氢化合物的催化转化。鉴于此本文提出通过干法离心粒化技术将液态炉渣制备成液-固过渡态的高温炉渣颗粒,作为生物质气化热载体,利用炉渣中多种金属矿物对大分子的解构、断键和分解的催化作用,提高气化反应的选择性,实现对炉渣显热的回收和转换,将低品位的液态炉渣余热转换成高品位的氢能。通过气化实验,对影响气化产物分布及气体组成的主要因素进行考察,结果表明：高炉渣在促进焦油分解和碳氢化合物重整方面表现出良好的催化性能,增加热载体炉渣颗粒温度,减小颗粒粒径能够减小炉渣表面积炭,降低气化产物中焦油产率和提升富氢气体品质,在最佳工况下（选用粒径小于2 mm,温度为1200℃的高炉渣颗粒作为热载体）,气化产物中焦油含量仅为2.52%,气体产率达到1.65 m³·kg^-1,富氢气体中H₂含量可达53.22%。     

A hybrid neural model (HNM) for the on‐line monitoring of lipase production by Candida rugosa

A mechanistic model was proposed by Gordillo for the representation of lipase production by Candida rugosa, with the bioreactor in batch and fed‐batch operation. However, the model was not able to represent the lipolytic activity. The objective of the present study is to propose an efficient hybrid neural‐phenomenological model (HNM) for this process. The experimental data used corresponded to fed‐batch operation with constant substrate feed rate at 2.8 × 10^?7; 5.6 × 10^?7 and 9.7 × 10^?7 kg s^?1. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were trained to represent the aqueous and intracellular lipase activity and were further associated with a reduced version of the mechanistic model of the proposed HNM. When compared to the experimental data, the HNM exhibited higher accuracy. The HNM can be employed in process monitoring using only on‐line measurements of CO₂ and substrate feed rate to infer enzyme activities and also substrate and biomass concentrations. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry