Common Raw Materials Research Articles

Lecithin is the key material attribute in soy bean oil affecting filamentous bioprocesses

Complex raw materials are widely used as supplements in biopharmaceutical production processes due to their positive effect on biomass growth and productivity at low cost. However, their use negatively impacts process reproducibility due to high lot-to-lot variability which contradicts current regulatory guidelines. In this study we investigated crude soy bean oil (SBO) which is a common complex raw material for filamentous fungi. We demonstrated that lecithin, which we define as phosphatidylcholines, is in fact the key material attribute in crude SBO positively affecting fungal growth and consequently productivity. The methodological toolbox we present here allows the straightforward isolation of lecithin from crude SBO, its semi-quantification by HPLC and the consequent supplementation thereof in defined amounts. Thus, over-dosage and potential resulting negative impacts on fungal growth and productivity can be omitted.

Application of waste brick powder in alkali activated aluminosilicates: Functional and environmental aspects

Abstract Several alkali activated aluminosilicate (AAA) materials prepared using waste brick powder as precursor are analyzed from both functional and environmental points of view. The functional properties in hardened state are assessed by the measurement of basic physical properties and mechanical parameters. The environmental impacts are examined by determination of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission related to their production. The obtained results show that functional properties of designed AAAs are comparable with cement-based materials. Their environmental qualities are though substantially higher, which is due to lower demand for common raw materials and lower greenhouse gases emissions and energy consumption. The combined assessment of functional and environmental aspects, which is performed using the energy consumption efficiency index and the carbon dioxide emission efficiency index, reveals that the analyzed AAA mixes can provide up to 45% savings in consumed energy and even 72% in emitted greenhouse gases, as compared with Portland cement paste.

Optimization of Process-Control, Size Reduction and Thermal Treatment of Animal By-Products

Animal by-products (ABP) from slaughterhouses go through a process known as rendering to economically recover the protein sources. Common raw material treatment technologies include reduction of the size of raw material particles and thermal treatment with pressure or sub-pressure impact. Often the thermal treatment is a long-term process that lasts up to 120 minutes – and is the primary disadvantage of known solutions because hot processing influences the natural properties of proteins contained in the raw materials rendering them less valuable. To maximize the efficiency of heat treatment and fractionation operations on ABP it is necessary to optimally design the technological processes to fit within the specific requirements of the particular heat treatment application. The size reduction was performed in four stages in the present study and the fineness of material reached was 0.01…10 mm depending on the type of crushing. The treatment time which ensures the full penetration of heat into the meat-bone material was determined for fine grinded material 15…20 seconds, for small grinded material 0,5…2 minutes, for medium grinded material 5…10 minutes and for coarse grinded material up to one hour. The information gained from the study will enable more accurate determination of heating times corresponding to the processed material properties.

Morphology of Surface Integrity as Effect of Cold Forging of Aluminum Alloy

ABSTRACT Aluminum and its alloys represent a common raw material for components released through a cold machining routine (i.e., forging, cold heading, and rolling processes). They offer easy manufacturing and high plastic strength, together with light weight, long life span, and easy recycling and are heavily used in the transport industry (P. M. G. P. Moreira, et al. (1), Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, 50, pp 81–91, 2008; H. Yoshimura and K. Tanaka (2), Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 98, pp 196–204, 2000). However, during processing, the sample–tool interfaces can generate sticking mechanisms that result in an increase in friction values and high wear rates, leading to irreversible damage to the workpiece surface. The surface morphology provides characteristics that allow detection of the damage amplitude. The hard contact between asperities causes nucleation and the formation of adhesive wear. The normal load and lubrication conditions may further affect the quantity of wear elements (A. Hase and H. Mishina (3), Tribology International, 42, pp 1684–1690, 2009). Optical nondestructive observations permit the detection of the quantity of wear elements as per material transfer from one side (specimen surface) to the other side (contactor surface). This article presents the mechanisms of the adhesive layer and material transfer that are directly proportional to the new roughness stature. A robust finite element method analysis was embedded to establish a relationship between time, plastic deformation, friction coefficients, and surface defects.

Wood Procurement at the Early Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, Barcelona)

ABSTRACTWood is one of the most common raw materials for the prehistoric societies. Therefore sites were wood is preserved in waterlogged conditions are essential in order to understand those prehistoric societies. La Draga (Banyoles, Spain) is a lake dwelling dated 5300–4900 cal BC, which correspond to the firsts farming societies on the Iberian Peninsula. The site has provided an excellent sample of tools and architectonical remains made of wood. This work summarizes the results of the study of wood remains in order to characterize the wood acquisition strategies of Neolithic societies. The morphology and size of the wooden elements as well as the anatomical features provide an excellent picture of taxa selection. Quercus sp deciduous is the most important taxa according to the number of individuals identified between the piles and beams. However, other species were also used for specific purposes.

Thermodynamic Studies of High-Temperature Processes in the System "Loesslike Loam - Coal - Alkaline"

In recent years, studies of a number of foreign scientists have been reported on the possibility of using loess loam as the main constituent of the ceramic composition in the production of clinker brick. Loess loam is considered a common raw material. In this paper, we consider the purpose, which is research on the study and development of methods that regulate the physicochemical processes occurring in the mass of loess-like loam under the influence of temperature. As a result of these studies it will be possible to intensify thermochemical processes and achieve high-quality products with minimal energy costs.

Thermodynamic Studies of High-Temperature Processes in the System "Loesslike Loam - Coal - Alkaline"

In recent years, studies of a number of foreign scientists have been reported on the possibility of using loess loam as the main constituent of the ceramic composition in the production of clinker brick. Loess loam is considered a common raw material. In this paper, we consider the purpose, which is research on the study and development of methods that regulate the physicochemical processes occurring in the mass of loess-like loam under the influence of temperature. As a result of these studies it will be possible to intensify thermochemical processes and achieve high-quality products with minimal energy costs. Thus, the possible chemical interactions between minerals of loess-like loam have been theoretically studied, the medium of which is given priority to the decomposition of kaolinite. To intensify the decomposition process of refractory minerals, it is recommended to use an alkali additive in an amount of up to 5%, with a weight ratio of coal.

Advances in Achaemenid brick manufacturing technology: Evidence from the monumental gate at Tol-e Ajori (Fars, Iran)

This paper deals with the archaeometric characterization of the bricks belonging to Tol-a Ajori Gate, one of the most important excavated sites on the Iranian plateau (Fars, Iran), close to the World Cultural Heritage of Persepolis. The archaeological excavations were carried out between 2011 and 2016 and brought to light a monumental building. The wall of the structure is built with mud and fired bricks sometimes glazed that are very similar to the elements of Babylon's Ishtar Gate.Several investigations were carried out on the bricks in order to investigate the technology process and to compare their composition with local clays, as potential raw materials collected nearby the archaeological site.The brick samples were investigated using different analytical techniques (Optical Microscopy, XRD, XRF, SEM-EDX, FT-IR/ATR, TGA, STA and Micro-Raman) to point out differences in chemical and mineralogical composition. Raw clay samples were submitted to XRD, XRF, SEM-EDX and FT-IR/ATR analyses.A wide homogeneity is present for all the considered bricks: Ca-rich clays with quartz-rich temper were used, this possibly suggesting a common raw material origin. Firing temperatures interval was estimated around 850–900°C. A multivariate data treatment (PCA and HCA analysis) was applied to the XRF data set acquired for both clays and bricks. PCA suggests that Polvar alluvial clays could be the source raw material for mostly of Tol-e Ajori's bricks and more than one clay deposit was probably used.

Adaptability of sediment from Joumine reservoir, Tunisia, as a ceramic raw material

Sediment occupies the storage capacity of reservoirs and reduces the sustainability of the surface water resource. A countermeasure is simply dredging, but this has often not been carried out because of financial reasons, especially in developing countries. One solution is to convert the sediment into a valuable commodity. This study examined the adaptability of the sediment in Joumine reservoir as a ceramic raw material. The sediment particles were plate-like in shape. Their size was around 0.5 µm, which is much smaller than the Japanese traditional ceramic raw material. The appropriate water content for forming was around 34.7%. The shrinkage by drying was 10.73%. The shrinkage by sintering was 0.17, 1.24, 9.35, 14.72, and 16.42% at 700, 800, 900, 1000, and 1150 °C, respectively. The best sintering temperature was 900 °C from the viewpoint of density, porosity, and crystal structure. The shrinkage by sintering is much higher because of the small particle diameter of the sediment. The shrinkage is much higher than that of the common raw materials used in the traditional Japanese ceramic industry, but it is possible to adjust it by mixing at high temperature with a stable material such as sand or grained waste ceramics.

Design, synthesis and antifungal activity of new substituted difluoromethylpyrimidinamine derivatives

Rusts are one of the most important fungal diseases, the known target sites have already developed serious resistance to the main existing classifications of fungicides. In order to discover novel fungicides with a promising activity on rusts, twenty new substituted difluoromethylpyrimidinamine derivatives were designed and synthesized with the aid of the intermediate derivatization methods starting from ethyl 4,4-difluoro-3-oxobutanoate that is the common raw material in some newly launched important succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides. Their structures were identified by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR, IR, elemental analyses and HRMS. All the compounds were screened for in vivo fungicidal activity against southern corn rust (SCR). The preliminary bioassay results indicated that 5-chloro-6-(difluoromethyl)-N-(2-(6-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)pyridin-3-yl)ethyl)pyrimidin-4-amine (compoundJ, R1=CHF2, Alk=CH2CH2, Rn=3-CF3) is the optimal structure with desired fungicidal activity against SCR (EC50=2.16mg/L), significantly higher than commercial fungicides diflumetorim (EC50=53.26mg/L) and propiconazole (EC50=3.92mg/L). The structure–activity relationship of the synthesized compounds was discussed as well. This study also demonstrated that difluoromethylpyrimidinamine derivatives can be further utilized as a promising antifungal agent to control rust. Further synthesis and structure optimization studies are currently in progress.

Enzymatic saccharification of agar waste from Gracilaria verrucosa and Gelidium latifolium for bioethanol production

Worldwide, 9600 t of agar is produced annually. Meanwhile, 60% of the waste produced from the agar industry yearly do not get treated. Our present study aims to study the enzymatic saccharification of solid agar waste produced from two of the most widely used agarophytes in the agar industry, Gracilaria verrucosa and Gelidium latifolium. Gracilaria species are the most common raw material in the food grade agar industry, while Gelidium species are the most common raw material used for bacteriological and pharmaceutical purposes because of the high-quality agar that is produced from these species. Our results showed that waste generated from agar extraction still contained sugars which could be optimized by acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. Gracilaria verrucosa resulted in a higher agar yield (35.15 ± 1.17%), but produced less agar waste (20.91 ± 0.43%) than G. latifolium. After sequential acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification of the agar waste, the agar waste hydrolysate of G. latifolium resulted in higher glucose, galactose, and ethanol production, and a higher ethanol yield (18.17 ± 0.75, 16.17 ± 2.07, and 10.83 ± 0.30 g L−1 and 0.33 g g−1, respectively) than G. verrucosa. The results from our present study may be used to optimize biorefinery utilization of G. verrucosa and G. latifolium.

Optimization of dissolution of colemanite ore in potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution (kh2po4)

Boron is one of the most important richnesses of Turkey which has approximately 72% of the known boron reserves globally. The production of boron compounds has essentially expanded recently due to increasing demands. Colemanite rich in boron is a common raw material to produce boron components and the first step of this process is the dissolution of colemanite by using different leaching solutions. The main aim of the study is to investigate the optimization of dissolution of colemanite in potassium dihydrogen phosphate ( KH 2 PO 4 ) solution. Taguchi method was used to determine the optimum conditions while effectiveness of the parameters were identified by variance analysis. Reaction temperature (T), KH 2 PO 4 concentration (C), stirring speed (W), solid to liquid ratio (S/L), and particle size (D) of colemanite were selected as parameters affecting the rate of colemanite dissolution. The optimum conditions for these parameters were determined. As a result of the experiment made under optimum conditions, both 98% of B 2 O 3 passed into the solution and potassium borate by-product were produced by crystallization.

Examining the epoxidation process of soybean oil by peracetic acid

The main principle of green chemistry is the use of renewable, ecological raw materials, which will contribute to subsequent biodegradation and reduction of toxicity of the product in the production of polymers. Vegetable oil (VO) is the cheapest and most common biological raw material, the use of which has such advantages as low toxicity and natural biodegradation. We analyzed experimental dependences of the consumption of reagents and the accumulation of epoxide in the interaction between a solution of soybean oil (SO) in toluene and the epoxidizing systems H 2 O 2 /acetic acid (AA)/KU-2´8 and H 2 O 2 /acetic anhydride (AAn)/KU-2´8. It was established that the use in the process of epoxidation of soybean oil of the specified systems makes it possible to achieve high values of selectivity of epoxidation by double bonds. The resulting values of selectivities in the epoxidation process by double bonds and by the consumption of peroxide when studying the epoxidizing system Н 2 О 2 /AAn/KU-2´8 are higher. The advantages of using the specified epoxidizing system include a reduction in the total volume and mass of the reaction mixture. Obtaining the epoxidized soybean oil with a low resulting value of bromine number provides subsequent good thermal and oxidative stability of materials on its base. We calculated the values of rate constants of the epoxidation reaction of SO at different temperatures. By using the methods of IR and Raman spectroscopic studies, we demonstrated structural changes in raw materials and confirmed the progress of the epoxidation reaction. The developed technique for recalculating the values of bromine, iodine numbers of products of the epoxidation reaction, unsaturation and epoxy number, selectivity of the process in the epoxidation of mixtures of unsaturated compounds allows comparing the results of research. The use of the specified technique also makes it possible to draw unambiguous comparative conclusions about the effectiveness of reagents consumption and the selectivity of reaction. In this case, there is a possibility to improve the technology of obtaining the epoxidized compounds. The calculation formulas obtained were applied to analyze the progress of the epoxidation process of soybean oil.

Co-production of thermoplastic composites with solid residue from enzymatic hydrolysis of recycled paper sludge

The aim of this study is to enhance the use of agro-industrial byproducts and to address the environmental concerns by a novel method of co-production of thermoplastic composites with a solid residue constituting biorefinery. Accordingly, the reuse of 10–30 wt. % solid residues (SRH) from the enzymatic hydrolysis of recycled paper sludge (PS) in the production of thermoplastic composites with polypropylene (PP) was investigated. Thermal properties, water absorption, tensile strength and morphology of the prepared composites were evaluated. Higher thermal stability, rougher and wetter surface, and characteristics of a brittle material were observed in PP-SRH composites in comparison to the pristine PS-PP composites and the neat PP. The water absorption increased with increasing amount of SRH, but in lower proportion compared to other common raw materials used in the preparation of composites. Use of SRH resulted in similar or better properties compared to the composites made with the unhydrolyzed paper sludge, suggesting that SRH has potential for recycling and utilization as filler in the development of thermoplastic composites.

Dissolution kinetics of colemanite in potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution (KH2PO4)

Colemanite is rich in boron, and it is a common raw material used to produce boron components. The first step in this process is the dissolution of colemanite using different leaching solutions. The main aim of this study was to investigate the dissolution kinetics of colemanite in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) solution. The reaction temperature (T), the KH2PO4 concentration (C), the stirring speed (W), the solid-to-liquid ratio (S/L) and particle size (D) of the colemanite were selected as parameters affecting the rate of its dissolution. The Statistica software package was used to correlate the experimental results. The findings of the study showed that the dissolution rate of colemanite in KH2PO4 solution increased with increasing reaction temperature and KH2PO4 concentration, while an increase in particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio caused a decrease. Heterogeneous and homogeneous reaction models were tried in order to derive a proper kinetic model for colemanite dissolution. According to the results, it was determined that the colemanite dissolution process is controlled by a chemical reaction model. The activation energy value (41.88 kJ mol−1) also verified this conclusion.

MSPD as sample preparation method for determination of selected pesticide residues in apples

Abstract A method for extraction and fast gas chromatographic (GC) determination of twenty pesticide residues of different volatility and polarity at ultratrace concentration level in apples is presented. Apples as representatives of non-fatty food were chosen as a matrix; they are also a common raw material for baby food production. Under fast GC conditions employing a mass spectrometric detector (MSD), several parameters of the MSPD procedure were optimised. Samples were homogenised with sorbent Florisil, pesticides were eluted with the optimised volume of etylacetate. After solvent evaporation to dryness, reconstitution of the rest to toluene follow and the final extract was injected. Recoveries obtained at three selected concentration levels were determined. The optimised procedure led to recoveries ≥ 90 % for the majority of the studied pesticides and the limits of quantification (LOQs) < 5 μg.kg-1. Repeatability of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) measurements of the matrix matched standards, expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD [%]), was in most cases acceptable for ultratrace concentration levels of pesticide residues.

Quartzite pebble technology in the final Middle Pleistocene of the Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (High Ribatejo, Central Portugal)

The lithic assemblage of Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (OIS8-9) was produced, almost exclusively, through the exploitation of good quality quartzite fluvial pebbles with a regular morphology. Quartzite fluvial pebbles are the most common raw material found in the Middle Pleistocene occupation sites in Portugal. Such feature results from the easy availability of these pebbles in the valleys where the great majority of the archaeological sites within this chronology are located, and also because of the quartzite’s physical properties and suitability for knapping.
 In a techno-typological point of view, its lithic assemblage is characterized by the application of two main reduction sequences that result in abundant worked pebbles, retouched pebbles, cortical and semi-cortical flakes, retouched flakes, a few cores and rare bifacial artefacts. Some artefacts present irregular and variable edge modifications described as ‘atypical’ edge modifications that could edge damage resultant from their utilization. From a strictly technical point of view the assemblage can be described as quite simple, however we can envisage an inherent complexity starting in an accurate selection and exploitation of the quartzite pebbles, whose regular morphology allows a ‘predetermined’ production of regular blanks through simple actions.
 In order to better understand patterns of raw material selection and technical schemes adopted in the exploitation of the quartzite pebbles we compared a sample of pebbles collected in the same deposits identified in the site (t4 fluvial terrace deposits) with worked pebbles that have 1 or 2 removals that had not altered significantly the original morpho-volumetry of the pebbles. The goal of this comparison was to verify if there was a selection of the fluvial pebbles based on texture and morpho-volumetry and if so, relate such selection with the technical schemes identified by technological study of the assemblage.

Development of Novel Mineral Licks (Toka) and the Livestock Industry Boom in North-eastern Nigeria

Conventional mineral licks used in livestock production in tropical Africa, are usually imported, highly expensive and their cost/benefit ratio is often questionable. The broad objective of the study is to survey the production technique, utilization and marketing process of novel mineral licks (toka) in Adamawa State, North-Eastern Nigeria. Fifty (50) household producers of novel mineral licks (toka) were purposively selected for oral interviews, discussions and on-field observations. The results indicate that, ninety percent (90%) of novel mineral licks producers are between the ages of 20 and 50 years. Hundred percent (100%) of the people engaged in the business in the study area are women. Ninety percent (90%) of them are married with eighty percent (80%) of them having attended adult education. They had enough experience in the business with seventy percent (70%) having 5 – 15 years and all (100%) of them from minority tribes who are mostly Muslims. The common raw materials used for the production of novel mineral licks in Adamawa State include twelve (12) different plants and fifteen (15) different animal parts. The findings show that, novel mineral licks are utilized by livestock and humans in 6 different ways and, there is no elaborate and well developed marketing structure in the study area. The results indicate that, all the producers (100%) are responsible for retailing and selling of their products to earn additional income to augment the family revenue from sale of their annual farm products.

The Grain de mil flint, a key resource from south-western France during the Palaeolithic: Characterization and determination criteria in archeological contexts

Land use patterns are typically used to describe Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer nomadic groups. Due to the methodological development of petroarchaeology, in south-western France in particular, this region is one of the best documented European areas in terms of siliceous resources. But one major unknown still needs to be addressed: the characterization and origin of the so-called “Grain de mil” flint, a common raw material that has never been properly described and sourced even though it has been identified in archeological contexts over a very extensive area. In order to address this issue, we first approach the question of the lithic raw material analytical method: the sedimentary petrographic description remains the best approach to directly include petrological data in a petro-techno-economical study. We then present the results of the Grain de mil study: this material is typical of Charente-Maritime as its formation is linked to the Jonzac anticline. It forms a flint group comprising two types (Jonzac and Saintes), mostly differing with regard to outcrop location, and nodule size and shape. In archeological contexts, criteria observable with a binocular microscope are sufficient to distinguish the Grain de mil from other north Aquitaine Cretaceous materials with abundant grains, particularly regarding their organization and pattern, and the absence of quartz grains.

A flexible high-energy lithium-ion battery with a carbon black-sandwiched Si anode

A flexible and free-collector-current of silicon-based anode is facilely prepared just by coating carbon black (CB) and silicon powders layer-by-layer. The resultant electrodes with a “sandwich” structure (CB/Si/CB) are assembled into half-cell and its electrochemical properties are tested. This type of anode exhibits excellent cycling and outstanding rate capability. The superior electrochemical performances are ascribed to both flexible CB-layers to offset the volume expansion of Si-particle. And, the CB-layer with high electric conductivity can provide efficient electron conductive pathways when Si particles react with lithium. More importantly, the CB/Si/CB electrodes without the collerctor (copper-foil) are exhibited high energy density, due to the weight proportion of copper foil is exceeded 60%. The CB/Si/CB electrode is used to assemble full-cell with the same structure as free-collector LCO/CB cathode material. It imposes the energy density of 200Whkg−1, and can keep stable charging-discharging capability at various deformations of shapes. And the flexible-cell of high performance is obtained to meet diverse applications in energy storage devices. Until now, many flexible batteries are put forward by researchers, but these product is faced with the complex production-process, high-cost material, low energy-density. This CB/Si/CB structure is produced with the matching current manufacturing industry and the common raw material, and to get a full-cell of the high energy density.