Lignocellulosic biomass: a sustainable platform for the production of bio-based chemicals and polymers

The demand for petroleum dependent chemicals and materials has been increasing despite the dwindling of their fossil resources. As the dead-end of petroleum based industry has started to appear, today's modern society has to implement alternative energy and valuable chemical resources immediately. Owing to the importance of lignocellulosic biomass being the most abundant and bio-renewable biomass on earth, this critical review provides insights into the potential of lignocellulosic biomass as an alternative platform to fossil resources. In this context, over 200 value-added compounds, which can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass by various treatment methods, are presented with their references. Lignocellulosic biomass based polymers and their commercial importance are also reported mainly in the frame of these compounds. This review article aims to draw the map of lignocellulosic biomass derived chemicals and their synthetic polymers, and to reveal the scope of this map in today's modern chemical and polymer industry.

Cellulose acetate is one of the most important esters of cellulose. Depending on the way it has been processed cellulose acetate can be used for great varies of applications (e.g. for films, membranes or fibers). The properties of the applied cellulose acetates are very important for these applications. A special field for using cellulose acetate is the synthesis of porous, spherical particles, so called cellulose beads. Different types of technical cellulose acetates were used and their ability to form such cellulose beads was characterized. First the different types of cellulose acetates were characterized by means of solubility; turbidity and degree of substitution. In addition the molar mass and the distribution of substituents along the polymeric chain were analyzed. Next, the cellulose beads were synthesized within an emulsion process using these different cellulose acetates. Then the properties (particle size, porosity, morphology) of the cellulose beads were determined. Finally, the relationship between the characteristic of cellulose acetates and properties of cellulose beads was investigated.

https://blogs.unpad.ac.id/evyerna/files/2010/11/ca.pdf

Properties and Applications of Cellulose Acetate

Electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers: the present status and gamut of biotechnological applications.

Identifying and addressing critical improvements in biomass, bioproduct and biofuel productivity is a priority for the nascent algae-based bioeconomy. Economic and sustainability principles should guide these developing improvements and help to unravel the contentious water–food–energy–environment nexus that algae inhabit. Understanding the biochemistry of the storage carbon metabolism of algae to produce biofuels and bioproducts can bring to light the key barriers that currently limit the overall carbon efficiency and the photosynthetic efficiency, and ultimately guide productivity and commercial viability in the context of limiting resources. In the analysis reported here, we present different potential pathways for a conceptual algae biorefinery framework, with each pathway addressing one of the main identified barriers to future deployment. We highlight the molecular identification, in the form of an extensive literature review, of potential bioproducts that may be derived directly from both biomass and fractions produced through a conversion pathway, for three important commercially-relevant genera of algae, Scenedesmus, Chlorella and Nannochloropsis. We establish a relationship between each of the potential bioproducts, describe relevant conversion and extraction processes, and discuss market opportunities with values and sizes as they relate to commercial development of the products.

/pdf/development-of-algae-biorefinery-concepts-for-biofuels-and-32zl7fgsb5.pdf

Development of algae biorefinery concepts for biofuels and bioproducts; a perspective on process-compatible products and their impact on cost-reduction

The amount of hemicellulose in pulps varies according to wood species, and the pulping processes including their bleaching agents. Making viscose cellulosic and non-cellulosic material is removed during mercerisation which is the first processing step. Low molecular weight material is also formed during the reduction of the degree of polymerisation in order to fit the alkali cellulose for xanthation and dissolving, respectively. In this work commercially available dissolving pulps with respect to their behaviour during the preparation of viscose fibres shall be discussed. For these investigations a Eucalyptus sulphite and a Eucalyptus pre- hydrolysed sulphate pulps were selected.

Hemicellulose in Dissolving Pulp and its Behaviour during its Processing to Viscose

The distribution of substituents of cellulose xanthogenate and carboxymethyl cellulose along the cellulose chains and therefore in relation to the molecular mass can be measured using size exclusion chromatography including a multi angle laser light scattering and mass detection for determining the molecular mass of the derivative assisted by an UV- detection for determining the xanthate groups and carboxymethyl groups after derivatisation, respectively. The results investigating cellulose xanthogenate show that the temperature used in dissolving xanthogenate and in ripening viscose influences the distribution of xanthate groups in a different way; but all steps processing viscose are connected with a loss in the degree of substitution in ripening the distribution of substitution additionally becomes more even. The investigated carboxymethyl cellulose revealed different distribution of carboxylic groups in dependence on the viscosity of the CMC.

Distribution of substituents along the cellulose chain on cellulose xanthate and carboxymethyl cellulose

Pulp reactivity is a kinetic term and is always connected with a certain derivatization process. The quality and hence the market value of the pulp is determined by such characteristics as α- cellulose content, solubility, brightness, ash content, as well as the amount of soluble material in dichloromethane. However, solubility data, especially S18 and S10 values do not characterise dissolving pulp reactivity. These are indicative of pulp solubility and provide some information regarding losses of material during pulp processing. One way by which the pulp reactivity for viscose making can be characterised is the investigation of the mercerisation step. Following the mercerisation kinetics by help of the molecular weight distribution of cellulose II the behaviour especially of the high molecular weight cellulose gives information regarding the accessibility and therefore, about the reactivity of the pulp aside from losses in low molecular weight cellulose. This behaviour will be shown on different pulps and the physicochemical background will be discussed in relation to results obtained from wide angle X-ray scattering and Raman investigations. The influence of the behaviour of the pulp during mercerising on the viscose process, and the molecular weight distribution of the viscose including the distribution of the xanthogenate groups along the chain was investigated and will also be discussed.

Reactivity of Dissolving Pulp for Processing Viscose

The hemicellulose content of pulp is dependent on different factors, such as the wood species, the conditions with cooking and bleaching harmonised with the application. In addition to the hemicellulose content, a special interest for the valuation of pulp and the decision of arrangements of the production process is the hemicellulose distribution across the cell wall layers and the influence of several process stages on the hemicellulose distribution across the cell wall layers. The investigations were carried out on dissolving pulp and paper grade pulp. For paper grade pulp, the influence of separate bleaching steps and several bleaching sequences on the distribution of hemicellulose across the cell wall were investigated. Regarding the selected dissolving pulps which were produced according to an acid bisulphite process and a pre-hydrolysis sulphate process the influence of the cooking process on the hemicellulose distribution across the cell wall layers was of a special interest.

Ingeborg Schmidt

Papers

Properties and Applications of Cellulose Acetate

Hemicellulose in Dissolving Pulp and its Behaviour during its Processing to Viscose

Distribution of substituents along the cellulose chain on cellulose xanthate and carboxymethyl cellulose

Reactivity of Dissolving Pulp for Processing Viscose

Hemicellulose Composition in the Outer Cell Wall Layers of Paper Grade and Dissolving Pulp