Preparation of volatile fatty acid (VFA) calcium salts by anaerobic digestion of glucose.

Many potentially useful intermediates such as hydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are formed during the complex anaerobic digestion processes that produce methane from biomass. This study recovers VFAs from an anaerobic digester by a combination of gas stripping and absorption with calcium carbonate slurry. Glucose was used as the model substrate because it is readily available, inexpensive, and easily digested. Sludge from a meatworks anaerobic digester produced methane and carbon dioxide (and sometimes a small amount of hydrogen) when batch-fed with glucose. Conditioning the neutral anaerobic sludge to an acidic pH (below 4.8) was achieved using repeated 1 g L(-1) doses of glucose. After conditioning, mainly VFAs and hydrogen were produced. The intermediate VFAs could be stripped using headspace gas. In subsequent fed-batch digestion/stripping cycles, the pH decreased when glucose was added and then increased when the VFA was gas stripped. The predominant acids formed at low pH values were lactic, butyric, and acetic acids. Lactic acid was converted to VFAs during stripping. The VFA calcium salts recovered were 80% butyrate and 20% acetate with minor quantities of propionate and valerate.

Effect of chemical and biological degumming on the adsorption of heavy metal by cellulose xanthogenates prepared from Eichhornia crassipes.

Cellulose xanthogenates, derived from the straw of Eichhornia crassipes, were prepared as adsorbents for heavy metals by CS(2) sulfonation and magnesium substitution after degumming with alkali, self-isolated A(1) strain and pectase, respectively. The effects of three degumming treatments were compared by functional groups analysis, surface morphology and surface element composition and heavy metal (Pb(2+)) adsorption studies. The results demonstrate that bio-degumming treatments by A(1) strain and pectase have weaker degumming effects than alkali treatment. However, the surface characteristics of the bio-degumming products, especially the pectase degumming product, are more beneficial to heavy metal adsorption. In comparison to that of the raw plant materials, the Pb(2+) adsorption performances of the three xanthogenates improved significantly, although no obvious differences being observed among themselves. From an environmental point of view, the two bio-degumming treatments, especially the pectase degumming treatment, are more beneficial to prepare heavy metal adsorbents than the alkali degumming treatment.

Metal adsorption by quasi cellulose xanthogenates derived from aquatic and terrestrial plant materials.

The FTIR spectra, SEM-EDXA and copper adsorption capacities of the raw plant materials, alkali-treated straws and cellulose xanthogenate derivatives of Eichhornia crassipes shoot, rape straw and corn stalk were investigated. FTIR spectra indicated that of the three plant materials, the aquatic biomass of E. crassipes shoot contained more OH and CO groups which accounted for the higher Cu(2+) adsorption capacities of the raw and alkali treated plant material. SEM-EDXA indicated the incorporation of sulphur and magnesium in the cellulose xanthogenate. The Cu(2+) adsorption capacities of the xanthogenates increased with their magnesium and sulphur contents. However more copper was adsorbed than that can be explained by exchange of copper with magnesium. Precipitation may contribute to the enhanced uptake of copper by the cellulose xanthogenate.

The structure characterization of cellulose xanthogenate derived from the straw of Eichhornia crassipes.

Alkali-treated straw and cellulose xanthogenate were derived from shoot and root biomass of Eichhornia crassipes by treatment with NaOH and CS(2), respectively. The structures of the raw and modified plant materials were characterized by XRD, TGA/DTA, and FTIR. Alkali treatment increased the crystallinity of raw plant material, while the subsequent CS(2) treatment had the reverse effect. The thermal stability of the plant material was diminished by alkali treatment but was restored by subsequent CS(2) treatment. Alkali treatment removed most of the lignin and hemicellulose from the raw plant material, whereas the formation of cellulose xanthogenate introduced new C=S and O-CS-S functional groups.

The use of magnetic bed conditioning and pH control to enhance filtration by natural titanomagnetite.

The fine particle size and magnetic properties of natural titanomagnetite (TM) iron sand offer options for novel granular water filtration systems. The isoelectric points (IEPs) of a variety of natural and synthetic TMs were determined to be in the range from 3.60+/-0.06 to 4.01+/-0.06. TM beds (125-150 microm particle size) expanded by up to 28% were successfully conditioned with vertical fields of approximately 0.018 T and produced up to a three-fold increase in hydraulic conductivity. Filtration studies showed that the filtration efficiency decreased with bed expansion but that this reduction was more than compensated for by reducing the pH to below the IEP of TM. Backwash performance was improved by magnetic conditioning which allowed higher interstitial flow velocities at a given bed expansion.