Utilization of excess sludge by acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation employing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 (ATCC 13564)

Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 could not grow or produce butanol in excess sludge medium. However, adding glucose to the excess sludge medium resulted in a specific growth rate and butanol productivity of 0.29 h(-1) and 0.55 g/l/h, respectively, and the final butanol production reached 9.3 g/l. Since the content of suspended solids in medium reduced to less than 50% of the initial content during acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, the sludge was quantitatively decreased by this fermentation employing this strain.     

A new schedule-free mandrel-less bending method for straight/pre-shaped long tubes

The objective is to propose a new schedule-free mandrel-less draw-bending method to achieve high cross-sectional precision for straight and pre-shaped long tube, for which conventional methods lacking innovation are useless. The proposed method applies side compression on the tube. Analyses and experiments verified excellence of the method and the new method successfully reduced the error index of circularity under the severe conditions of conventional methods. The method would bring significant flexibility in manufacturing as the method is able to bend arbitrary portions of tubes and be placed in arbitrary positions of the process line.     

Influence of silicon species on the transformation of green rust I(Cl) in aqueous solution by oxidation

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and solution analysis were used for characterizing the influence of different silicon species on oxidation of green rust (GRI(Cl⁻)) suspension. While addition of silicon to metallic iron enhanced the formation of β-FeOOH, GRI(Cl⁻) in aqueous solution oxidized into lepidocrocite and oxidation was delayed in presence of silica and silicate species as noticed from potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the particle size of lepidocrocite was reduced due to silicate addition. The influence of silicate was attributed to its adsorption on GRI(Cl⁻) and lepidocrocite particles as confirmed from ICP-AES analysis of supernatant solution.     

New Sweet Potato Line having low Gelatinization Temperature and altered Starch Structure

A new sweet potato breeding line, Kanto 116, was developed, featuring low gelatinization temperature and an altered starch fine structure. Starch granules from Kanto 116 showed an abnormal morphology characterized by cracking into granules. Starch content, amylose content and tuberous root appearance of Kanto 116 were similar to those of the control and the parents. Pasting temperatures of Kanto 116 starch determined by the Rapid Visco Analyser were 51.4 — 52.6 °C, approximately 20 °C lower than those of the control and parents starches. Onset, peak, and conclusion temperature of gelatinization, and gelatinization enthalpy of Kanto 116 starch determined by differential scanning calorimetry were 39.0 °C, 46.9 °C, 64.8 °C, and 8.8 J/g, respectively, and much lower than those of the control and parents starches. The chain‐length distribution of the amylopectin molecules, determined by high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography, showed that Kanto 116 starch had a higher proportion of short chains (DP 6 — 11) and a lower proportion of chains between DP 12 — 28 than control and parent starches. The debranched β‐limit dextrin of Kanto 116 starch also showed that the proportion of both short and long B1 chains was different from those of the control and parents starches.