Comparison of Lactic Acid Productivities at High Substrate Conversions in a Continuous Two-stage Fermenter With Cell Recycle Using Different Kinetic Models

The steady-state performance of a two-stage recycle fermenter with two different types (I and II) of configurations for staging was investigated numerically for the continuous production of lactic acid. In Type I the bleed broth withdrawn from the first stage is supplied to the second fermenter, and in Type II both filtrate and bleed broth from the first stage are introduced to the second stage. Using four different kinetic models taken from the literature, the effects of operating parameters on the overall lactic acid productivities and the overall substrate conversions are examined. At moderate conversions, productivities for Type I operation are found to be higher than those for Type II and for the single-stage system. In the case of high conversions close to complete consumption, Type II operation is more efficient than the Type I and single-stage systems. For 99% conversion and 40 kg m^-3 substrate feed concentration, productivities for Type II are predicted to be 14-74% higher compared to those for the single-stage system at the same bleed ratios.     

Continuous precipitation of calcium sulfate dihydrate from waste sulfuric acid and lime

Precipitation of calcium sulfate dihydrate, gypsum, from (i) a pure sulfuric acid/lime suspension and (ii) a waste sulfuric acid/lime suspension in a continuous pilot plant in the temperature range from 40 °C to 80 °C was studied. It was observed that in the case of waste sulfuric acid with a high content of Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions, several hours after the beginning of the precipitation, partial dissolution of the product and modification of the crystals from needle‐ and plate‐like to agglomerated structures occurred. It is suggested that the secondary changes occur due to the increased concentration of Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions in the reactor. Below 60 °C, and above 70 °C plate‐like and needle‐like single crystals respectively were formed. The mean size (d₅₀) of the crystals was found to increase with increasing temperature and decrease with the initial concentration of lime. Gypsum produced between 70 °C and 80 °C is suitable for further processing for construction plaster. In a precipitation process with pure sulfuric acid only single perfect needle‐like crystals occurred. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of an interpenetrating polymer network composed of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol)

Temperature and pH‐responsive interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, constructed with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), by a sequential IPN method, were studied. The characterization of IPN hydrogels was investigated by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and swelling under various conditions. The IPN hydrogels exhibited relatively high swelling ratios, in the range 230–380 %, at 25 °C. The swelling ratios of the PMAA/PVA IPN hydrogels were pH and temperature dependent. DSC was used for the quantitative determination of the amounts of freezing and non‐freezing water. The amount of free water increased with increasing PMAA content in the IPN hydrogels. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

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     

Metathesis as a versatile tool in oleochemistry

Olefin metathesis, awarded with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005 for Chauvin, Grubbs and Schrock, has emerged as a powerful tool for organic as well as polymer chemistry. In oleochemistry, this reaction is well known and has been applied for many decades. Examples include the functionalization of the double bonds of different oleochemicals or the (direct) polymerization of plant oils via metathesis. More recent developments, particularly the development of better and more robust catalysts, allow for highly efficient cross‐metathesis reactions opening new possibilities for the direct introduction of chemical functionalities. Within this contribution, the development of metathesis in oleochemistry will be discussed, covering self‐metathesis as well as more recent developments in the field of cross‐metathesis that lead to desired platform chemicals.     

高镁边缘磷矿制取阻燃剂氢氧化镁的工艺

为解决大量的高镁低磷边缘磷矿废渣堆存对环境的影响,开发了以其为原料制取阻燃剂氢氧化镁工艺.该工艺主要包括酸解磷矿和镁沉淀过程,重点讨论了沉淀氢氧化镁过程中时间、温度、氨镁摩尔比n(NH3/MgO)等多种因素的影响,得到的最佳工艺条件是:反应温度65℃,反应时间80min,n(NH3/MgO)为5∶ 1,镁的沉淀效率为80%.     

2-羟基-3-萘甲酸生产工艺条件的优化研究

通过对中和及酸析过程的分析,采用改进后的参数指标进行中和及酸析得到的2-羟基-3-萘甲酸,产品为大颗粒、亮黄色,含量98.78%,收率80.13%(以消耗的2-萘酚计),并实现了在大生产中的应用。     

L-乳酸和聚乳酸的研究进展

综述了乳酸发酵和提取工艺以及聚乳酸的合成进展,分析了L-乳酸及合成聚乳酸两种产品的市场前景,对进一步的技术开发提出了建议。     

新型复合有机膨胀剂的应用

通过对腐殖酸和木素磺酸盐进行复合试验,确定了其复合比例为1∶1～3。经过蓄电池测试验证,这一复合比例提高了蓄电池的-18℃冷起动性能。     

硫酸铈和磷酸处理对铌酸表面酸度及催化活性的影响

用硫酸铈和磷酸对固体铌酸进行了表面处理。表面酸度和TG DTA测定结果表明 ,与未处理的固体铌酸相比 ,处理后表面强酸量提高 3～ 5倍 ,耐受温度由 30 0℃提高到 5 0 0～ 6 0 0℃。用于催化酯化合成二甘醇二苯甲酸酯增塑剂 ,处理后固体铌酸的催化活性和重复使用寿命有明显提高。