Progress and recent trends in biofuels

In this paper, the modern biomass-based transportation fuels such as fuels from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, bioethanol, fatty acid (m)ethylester, biomethanol, and biohydrogen are briefly reviewed. Here, the term biofuel is referred to as liquid or gaseous fuels for the transport sector that are predominantly produced from biomass. There are several reasons for bio-fuels to be considered as relevant technologies by both developing and industrialized countries. They include energy security reasons, environmental concerns, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector. The term modern biomass is generally used to describe the traditional biomass use through the efficient and clean combustion technologies and sustained supply of biomass resources, environmentally sound and competitive fuels, heat and electricity using modern conversion technologies. Modern biomass can be used for the generation of electricity and heat. Bioethanol and biodiesel as well as diesel produced from biomass by Fischer–Tropsch synthesis are the most modern biomass-based transportation fuels. Bio-ethanol is a petrol additive/substitute. It is possible that wood, straw and even household wastes may be economically converted to bio-ethanol. Bio-ethanol is derived from alcoholic fermentation of sucrose or simple sugars, which are produced from biomass by hydrolysis process. Currently crops generating starch, sugar or oil are the basis for transport fuel production. There has been renewed interest in the use of vegetable oils for making biodiesel due to its less polluting and renewable nature as against the conventional petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel is a renewable replacement to petroleum-based diesel. Biomass energy conversion facilities are important for obtaining bio-oil. Pyrolysis is the most important process among the thermal conversion processes of biomass. Brief summaries of the basic concepts involved in the thermochemical conversions of biomass fuels are presented. The percentage share of biomass was 62.1% of the total renewable energy sources in 1995. The reduction of greenhouse gases pollution is the main advantage of utilizing biomass energy.     

Biodiesel production from vegetable oils via catalytic and non-catalytic supercritical methanol transesterification methods

This paper reviews the production and characterization of biodiesel (BD or B) as well as the experimental work carried out by many researchers in this field. BD fuel is a renewable substitute fuel for petroleum diesel or petrodiesel (PD) fuel made from vegetable or animal fats. BD fuel can be used in any mixture with PD fuel as it has very similar characteristics but it has lower exhaust emissions. BD fuel has better properties than that of PD fuel such as renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. There are more than 350 oil bearing crops identified, among which only sunflower, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, rapeseed and peanut oils are considered as potential alternative fuels for diesel engines. The major problem associated with the use of pure vegetable oils as fuels, for Diesel engines are caused by high fuel viscosity in compression ignition. Dilution, micro-emulsification, pyrolysis and transesterification are the four techniques applied to solve the problems encountered with the high fuel viscosity. Dilution of oils with solvents and microemulsions of vegetable oils lowers the viscosity, some engine performance problems still exist. The viscosity values of vegetable oils vary between 27.2 and 53.6 mm²/s whereas those of vegetable oil methyl esters between 3.59 and 4.63 mm²/s. The viscosity values of vegetable oil methyl esters highly decreases after transesterification process. Compared to no. 2 diesel fuel, all of the vegetable oil methyl esters were slightly viscous. The flash point values of vegetable oil methyl esters are highly lower than those of vegetable oils. An increase in density from 860 to 885 kg/m³ for vegetable oil methyl esters or biodiesels increases the viscosity from 3.59 to 4.63 mm²/s and the increases are highly regular. The purpose of the transesterification process is to lower the viscosity of the oil. The transesterfication of triglycerides by methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol, has proved to be the most promising process. Methanol is the commonly used alcohol in this process, due in part to its low cost. Methyl esters of vegetable oils have several outstanding advantages among other new-renewable and clean engine fuel alternatives. The most important variables affecting the methyl ester yield during the transesterification reaction are molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil and reaction temperature. Biodiesel has become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel that can be used in any diesel engine without modification.     

Optimum link distance determination for a constant signal to noise ratio in M-ary PSK modulated coherent optical OFDM systems

In this paper 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Coherent optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CO-OFDM) systems are studied to obtain the relation between the bit error rate (BER) and transmission link distance for a constant signal to noise ratio (SNR). Utilizing Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) with 192 optical channels in C and L bands (1528.77 nm–1612.65 nm), data rates can theoretically reach up to 19 Tb/s (192?100 Gb/s) using only one optical fiber core. In this research, we selected the same data rates with the IEEE standards published by IEEE Computer Society in 2010 and 2011. Results show the performance of the CO-OFDM system at different data rates and distances for one RF carrier and one optical carrier instead of 4 optical carriers used in IEEE 802.3ba.     

β-Glucan and mineral nutrient contents of cereals grown in Turkey

Mixed-linked (1 → 3), ( 1→  4)-β-D-glucan contents of 14 selected cereal grains grown in Turkey, such as barley (Hordeum vulgaria), beans, canary seed (Tropaeolum peregrinum), corn/maize (Zea mays), flax, lentil (Lens culinaris), millet (Panicum miliaceum), oat (Avena sativa), peas, rice, rye (Secale cereale), spelt (Triticum spelta), spring wheat and winter wheat, were determined quantitatively using enzymatic methods. By using pure β-D-glucanase and β-D-glucosidase in the experiments, (1 → 3), ( 1→  4)-glycosidic bonds of linear polysaccharides found in cell-wall endosperm of plant seeds were hydrolyzed and the resulting β-D-glucans were determined by using glucose oxidase/peroxidase solution and measuring the absorbances at 510 nm in a UV-spectrophotometer. The nutrient mineral contents of the 14 selected cereal grains were studied. Some macronutrients such as K, Ca, Mg, N, P and S, and some micronutrients, such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and B, were analyzed by using atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) methods. A flame photometer was used for determination of potassium. After oven drying of the samples, P was determined by a colorimetric method.     

A new flavone from antioxidant extracts of Pistacia terebinthus

Acetone and methanol extracts of the fruits of Pistacia terebinthus L. subsp. terebinthus L. were studied for their antioxidant activity by investigating their total phenolic and flavonoid contents, β-carotene bleaching potential, DPPH radical scavenging effect, scavenging activity on superoxide anion radical, reducing power, and metal chelating effect on ferrous ion. Both extracts showed very similar chemical profile by checking on TLC plates, and exhibited high scavenging activity on superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical. Due to these similarities they were combined and fractionated on a silica gel column for their constituents, and the most active three fractions in DPPH assay were purified to afford a new flavone 6′-hydroxyhypolaetin 3′-methyl ether (1) besides a group of known flavonoids apigenin, luteolin, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, quercetin, quercetagetin 3-methyl ether 7-O-glucoside, isoscutellarein 8-O-glucoside. Their structures were established by UV, UV shift reagents, and ¹H NMR spectroscopic techniques. Antioxidant activity of the new flavone was investigated by β-carotene bleaching and DPPH radical scavenging activity methods, and it showed a high activity in the first system, but not so good in the latter.     

Importance of biodiesel as transportation fuel

The scarcity of known petroleum reserves will make renewable energy resources more attractive. The most feasible way to meet this growing demand is by utilizing alternative fuels. Biodiesel is defined as the monoalkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel is the best candidate for diesel fuels in diesel engines. The biggest advantage that biodiesel has over gasoline and petroleum diesel is its environmental friendliness. Biodiesel burns similar to petroleum diesel as it concerns regulated pollutants. On the other hand, biodiesel probably has better efficiency than gasoline. One such fuel for compression-ignition engines that exhibit great potential is biodiesel. Diesel fuel can also be replaced by biodiesel made from vegetable oils. Biodiesel is now mainly being produced from soybean, rapeseed and palm oils. The higher heating values (HHVs) of biodiesels are relatively high. The HHVs of biodiesels (39–41 MJ/kg) are slightly lower than that of gasoline (46 MJ/kg), petrodiesel (43 MJ/kg) or petroleum (42 MJ/kg), but higher than coal (32–37 MJ/kg). Biodiesel has over double the price of petrodiesel. The major economic factor to consider for input costs of biodiesel production is the feedstock, which is about 80% of the total operating cost. The high price of biodiesel is in large part due to the high price of the feedstock. Economic benefits of a biodiesel industry would include value added to the feedstock, an increased number of rural manufacturing jobs, an increased income taxes and investments in plant and equipment. The production and utilization of biodiesel is facilitated firstly through the agricultural policy of subsidizing the cultivation of non-food crops. Secondly, biodiesel is exempt from the oil tax. The European Union accounted for nearly 89% of all biodiesel production worldwide in 2005. By 2010, the United States is expected to become the world's largest single biodiesel market, accounting for roughly 18% of world biodiesel consumption, followed by Germany.     

Analysis of petroleum coke from low grade oily sludge of refinery

Petroleum coke is often shortened as pet coke. Petroleum coke or pet coke is a product obtained from oil of all kinds during the oil refining process. Petroleum coke is a carbon-rich solid originating from petroleum refining and is obtained by cracking process. Petroleum coke is a byproduct of the coking unit, a residual fuel upgrader. The coke quality depends on the crude oil processed in refinery. The mixture of oil, solids and water deposited at the bottom of the storage deposit is known as waste oil sludge. Oil sludge is one of the solid wastes produced in petroleum refinery and it is a complex emulsion composed of various petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, solid particles, and water. As a result of the refining process of crude oil, the contaminated sludge is biodegraded and converted into waste products that damage the environment and human health. In the coke processing, the assessment of oil sludge fraction is based on the principle of heating to high temperatures and the removal of light fractions from the breakdown. If the oil sludge initially contains low levels of sulfur and metal, the resulting petroleum coke is then calcined before use. The high quality needle type coke produced on convenient conditions in the coking unit.     

Regioselective Alkylations of Cyclic 1,3-Diketones via Metalated Dimethylhydrazones

Cyclic 1,3- diketones 1 are transformed into their 2,2-dimethylhydrazones 2 , which can be alkylated regio-selectively at different positions after mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrametalation. Monometalated C-2 unsubstituted hydrazones afford C-2 and N-alkylation, monometalated C-2 substituted hydrazones afford only C-2 alkylation. The regioselectivity of the alkylation of the polymetalated hydrazones follows Hauser's rule according to the sequence: NH- > C-4 Ha > C-5 > C-4 Hb. Hydrolysis of the product hydrazones 3–5 afforded mono- and polyalkylated 1,3- diketones 7 in good yields.     

Molecular Dynamics of Drying-Induced Structural Transformations in a Single Nanocellulose

Nanocellulose is attracting attention in the field of materials science as a sustainable building block. Nanocellulose-based materials, such as films, membranes, and foams, are fabricated by drying colloidal dispersions. However, little is known about how the structure of a single nanocellulose changes during the complex drying process. Here, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and atomic force microscopy is used to investigate the structural dynamics of single nanocellulose during drying. It is found that the twist morphology of the nanocellulose became localized along the fibril axis during the final stage of the drying process. Moreover, it is shown that conformational changes at C6 hydroxymethyl groups and glycoside bond is accompanied by the twist localization, indicating that the increase in the crystallinity occurred in the process. It is expected that the results will provide molecular insights into nanocellulose structures in material processing, which is helpful for the design of materials with advanced functionalities.