Chemical pulp from corn stalks.

This work aimed to carry out chemical cooking of corn stalks, both in a nitrate-alkaline manner and in a soda pulp method. The composition of corn is characterized by cellulose, lignin, ash, and substances extractable into polar and organic solvents. Handsheets were made from the pulp, for which the degree of polymerization, sedimentation rate, and strength properties was determined.

Biochar in manure can suppress water stress of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and increase sucrose content in tubers.

Increased soil drought events threaten the yields of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and other staples of arable production in central Europe. In this study we evaluated soil moisture and nutrients as impacted by a two and five % (wt) addition of biochar, manure and their blend to a loamy-sand Regosol. Cyclical soil drought was achieved by the controlled reduction of watering by 75% in pot experiments. Ongoing soil moisture and nutrient measurements were taken, and physiological parameters of sugar beet plants were analysed three weeks after the induced drought. At the end of the experiment (16 weeks) plants were harvested and their mass assessed, as well as their nutrient, pigment and sugar contents. In contrast to the addition of manure, soil volumetric water contents were two to three times greater after biochar amendment, compared to the control soil. Porewater analysis revealed that nutrient leaching (e.g., NO3-, K+) from manure addition to soil was reduced when biochar was blended in (by ≤86% compared to manure alone). Crop analysis showed that leaf gas exchanges were moderated during drought following soil amendment, and leaf and tuber yields were increased furthest when combined biochar-manure blends were applied (> 2-times compared to the control). Perhaps most importantly, the advantageous soil conditions induced by the combined biochar and manure addition also resulted in significantly increased sugar contents in plants (2.4-times) pointing to immediate practical applications of these results in the field.

Nitrate-Alkaline Pulp from Non-Wood Plants.

Because there is a lack of wood resources in many countries, this work focused on pulp and paper production from the waste and agricultural residues of non-wood plants. The work aimed to pulp the nitrate-alkaline of black mustard (Brassica Nigra L.) and camelina (Camelina Sativa L.). The black mustard and the camelina were selected due to the expanding planted areas of these crops in the Czech Republic. To characterize the chemical composition of black mustard and camelina, cellulose, lignin, ash, and extractives were determined. Raw alpha-cellulose, beta-cellulose, and gamma-cellulose were also measured. The results showed that the content of lignin in non-wood plants is lower than that in softwoods. The cooked pulp was characterized by the delignification degree-Kappa number. Additionally, handsheet papers were made for selected samples of pulp. The handsheet papers were characterized by tensile index, breaking length, and smoothness and compared with commonly available papers.

Flammability Characteristics of Thermally Modified Meranti Wood Treated with Natural and Synthetic Fire Retardants.

This paper deals with the effect of synthetic and natural flame retardants on flammability characteristics and chemical changes in thermally treated meranti wood (Shorea spp.). The basic chemical composition (extractives, lignin, holocellulose, cellulose, and hemicelluloses) was evaluated to clarify the relationships of temperature modifications (160 °C, 180 °C, and 210 °C) and incineration for 600 s. Weight loss, burning speed, the maximum burning rate, and the time to reach the maximum burning rate were evaluated. Relationships between flammable properties and chemical changes in thermally modified wood were evaluated with the Spearman correlation. The thermal modification did not confirm a positive contribution to the flammability and combustion properties of meranti wood. The effect of the synthetic retardant on all combustion properties was significantly higher compared to that of the natural retardant.

Physicochemical Properties of Biobutanol as an Advanced Biofuel.

Biobutanol is a renewable, less polluting, and potentially viable alternative fuel to conventional gasoline. Biobutanol can be produced from same sources as bioethanol, and it has many advantages over the widespread bioethanol. This paper systematically analyzes biobutanol fuel as an alternative to bioethanol in alcohol-gasoline mixtures and the physicochemical properties. Based on the conducted analyses, it was found that biobutanol mixtures have a more suitable behavior of vapor pressure without the occurrence of azeotrope, do not form a separate phase in lower temperature, it has higher energy density, but slightly reduce the octane number and a have higher viscosity. However, in general, biobutanol has many advantageous properties that could allow its use in gasoline engines instead of the commonly used bioethanol.

Determination of Tractor Engine Oil Change Interval Based on Material Properties.

This article focuses on the issue of motor oils used in the engines of non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), more specifically tractors. The primary goal of the paper is to determine the appropriate replacement interval for these oils. The physical properties of the examined samples were first determined by conventional instruments. Furthermore, the concentrations of abrasive metals, contaminants, and additive elements were measured using an optical emission spectrometer. Lastly, the content of water, fuel, and glycol and the products of oxidation, nitration, and sulfation were determined by using infrared spectrometry. The measured values were compared to the limit values. Based on the processing and evaluation of these analyses, the overall condition of the oils was assessed and subsequently the optimal exchange interval of the examined oils was determined. In addition, a risk analysis of the outage was performed. Due to the high yields of crops, farmers can lose a significant amount of product when a tractor is not functioning during the harvest period. This loss is calculated in the paper.

Bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in biomass fly ash by co-composting and co-vermicomposting.

An experiment was established to compare composting and vermicomposting for decreasing the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biomass fly ash incorporated into organic waste mixtures. PAH removal from the ash-organic waste mixture was compared to the same mixture spiked with PAHs. The removal of 16 individual ash PAHs ranged between 28.7 and 98.5% during the 240 day experiment. Greater dissipation of total PAH content of ash origin was observed at the end of composting (84.5%) than after the vermicomposting (61.6%). Most ash PAHs were removed similarly to spiked PAHs through the composting and vermicomposting processes. Higher manganese peroxidase in composting treatments indicated increased activity of ligninolytic PAH-degrading microorganisms. 3D models of total PAH removal were parametrized using the polarity index and organic matter content, and paraboloid equations for each treatment were estimated (all R2 > 0.91). A two-phase model of pseudo-first order kinetics analysis showed faster PAH removal by higher rate constants during the first 120 days of the experiment. The compost and vermicompost produced from the bioremediation treatments are usable as soil organic amendments.

Properties of vermicompost aqueous extracts prepared under different conditions.

The aim of this work was to determine the influence of aeration and time of extraction on the agrochemical properties of aqueous extracts from vermicomposts made from horse manure (M) and apple pomace (P) waste. There were two extract treatments: stirring without aeration (S), and stirring with aeration (A) for 48 h. Aeration significantly increased the levels of electrical conductivity (EC) and the concentration of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and macro-elements in the extracts. In the (A) treatment, the extraction efficiency of K and Mg increased twofold, and the extraction efficiency of Ca and P increased by one-third compared with the (S) treatment. Simultaneously, the extracts prepared under aeration were characteristic with a higher pH value compared with non-aerated variants. The EC and content of macro-elements in the extracts increased proportionally with time. Their highest growth was found within the first 6 h. After 48 h, the highest release of macro-elements into the extract was found in the case of the horse manure under stirring with aeration.