Liquor Concentration Research Articles

Herbicidal Effects of Pyroligneous Acid for Control in Weed Seed Bank

Aims: Pyroligneous liquor, a by-product extracted from wood pyrolysis during charcoal production, is mainly discarded. Pyroligneous liquor has a phytotoxic effect and can be used environmentally as an herbicide of natural and sustainable origin for plant control. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of pyroligneous liquor to control the plant seed bank. Study Design: Different concentrations of pyroligneous liquor (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100% (v/v)) were tested in soil samples with 10 replications each. Statistical analysis of the data found was carried out using the OriginPro 2018 software, employing a nonlinear regression model. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out in the Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi – To, Brazil. Soil collection and formal analyzes carried out between January 2023 and August 2023. Methodology: The soil was collected with the aid of a digger, with five subsamples within the useful area of ​​the plot and constituted a composite sample. After collection, samples from the Seed Banks were separated to quantify the seeds present in the soil seed bank, the other half of the sample, the soil was divided into 10 gerbox boxes for each treatment and benches were placed with natural light and kept under irrigation to stimulate germination. Throughout the experiment, temperature and relative humidity were monitored, remaining on average at 26.4°C and 73.5%, respectively. From the pyroligneous liquor obtained, dilutions were made with distilled water at liquor concentrations 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75, 100%(v/v) that were used in the treatments. Results: Higher pyroligneous liquor concentrations inhibited seed germination, while lower concentrations had less impact. Conclusion: These findings suggest that pyroligneous liquor can be used to control of weed seed bank.

High-sensitivity determination of ethanol concentration based on weak measurement system with Faraday effect

A high-sensitivity detection method is proposed for ethanol concentration based on weak measurement system with Faraday effect, and the improvement law of the sensitivity is studied. Different from chiral solution determination, the post-selection angle of the system is modified by the Faraday rotation angle of ethanol solution. The amplified photonic spin Hall effect acts as a probe for detecting the ethanol concentration in the system, and the sensitivity of ethanol concentration increases linearly with the increasing magnetic field intensity. Then we use the method to determine the ethanol concentration of commercial liquor, whose determination values are consistent with the label values and Raman spectroscopy results. Compared to other methods such as Raman spectrometry, the method has the advantages of real time, non-invasiveness, low cost and high sensitivity. Finally, the sensitivity of ethanol concentration can be further improved by designing of a suitable BK7-medium structure, and the sensitivity of 9.72 /vol% is achievable for the range 0 vol% ∼100 vol% of ethanol solutions.

Editorial: TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper for 2023 focuses on black liquor concentration using graphene oxide membranes

TAPPI and the TAPPI Journal (TJ) Editorial Board would like congratulate the authors of the 2023 TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper Award and Honghi Tran Prize: Sam Rae, Ella V. Richards, Max Kleiman-Lynch, Brent D. Keller, and Brandon I. Macdonald. Their paper, “Pilot scale black liquor concentration using pressure driven membrane separation,” appeared on p. 223 of the April 2023 issue. This kraft recovery cycle research was recognized by the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board for its innovation, creativity, scientific merit, and clear expression of ideas.

Integrated Microbiome and Metabolomics Analysis of the Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Corn-Steep-Liquor-Derived Candida utilis Feed on Black Pigs.

In this experiment, glucose master liquor and corn steep liquor were used as carbon and nitrogen sources, and Candida utilis was used as a strain to ferment yeast feed. The OD value and number of yeast cells were used as response values to optimize the medium components of the yeast feed through a response surface methodology. The optimal medium components were a glucose master liquor concentration of 8.3%, a corn steep liquor concentration of 1.2%, and a KH2PO4 concentration of 0.14%. Under this condition of fermentation, the OD value was 0.670 and the number of yeast cells was 2.72 × 108/mL. Then, we fed Candida utilis feed to Dongliao black piglets, and the effects of the yeast feed on the piglets' growth performance, fecal microbiota, and plasma metabolic levels were investigated through 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics. In total, 120 black piglets with an average initial weight of 6.90 ± 1.28 kg were randomly divided into two groups. One group was fed the basic diet (the CON group), and the other was supplemented with 2.5% Candida utilis add to the basic diet (the 2.5% CU group). After a pre-feeding period, the formal experiments were performed for 21 days. The results showed that the addition of Candida utilis to the diet did not affect growth performance compared with the control group. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in the serum biochemical indices. However, piglets in the 2.5% CU group had a significantly altered fecal microbiota, with an increased abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Lactobacillus, and Muribaculaceae_unclassified. Regarding the plasma metabolome, the 12 differential metabolites detected were mainly enriched in the histidine, tryptophan, primary bile acid, and caffeine metabolic pathways. Regarding the integrated microbiome-metabolome analysis, differential metabolites correlated with fecal flora to variable degrees, but most of them were beneficial bacteria of Firmicutes. Collectively, dietary Candida utilis feed had no adverse effect on growth performance; however, it played an important role in regulating fecal flora and maintaining metabolic levels.

Techno-economic and environmental analysis of high temperature heat pumps integration into industrial processes: the ammonia plant and pulp mill cases

Heat pumps will play an important role in improving the performance of the industrial processes aiming to decarbonize their heating requirements. Yet, defining the best operating conditions of those devices may be a challenging task, as they are embedded in larger energy conversion systems and in direct competition with fired and electric heaters and other waste heat recovery systems. The costs of the energy inputs also influence the selection of either a heat pump or a gas boiler, which affects the overall efficiency and the incremental cost of the final solution. Thus, a systematic analysis must be applied in order to determine the best option to supply the heating requirement, without considerably impacting the operational feasibility of the overall plant. In this work, the base-case performance of two industrial applications with intensive heating demand, namely, the solvent regeneration process of a carbon capture unit and the black liquor concentration process of a kraft pulp mill, are compared to that of the scenarios in which a high temperature heat pump or a mechanical vapor recompression unit are integrated, aiming to reduce the energy consumption and the environmental impact. The benefits of the integration of a heat pump or a mechanical vapor recompression unit over a conventional reboiler and a multiple effect evaporation system are discussed in the light of thermodynamic, economic and environmental indicators. As a result, the alternative approaches remain competitive vis-à-vis the conventional solutions in terms of energy consumption and operating costs. In addition, the emissions associated to the heating applications could be reduced by 45% if a high temperature heat pump is integrated. The optimized solution using a heat pump has an overall exergy efficiency 9% higher compared to the typical configuration of the ammonia plant. In pulp mills, the integration of mechanical vapor recompression systems slightly affects the performance compared to the conventional scenario with a multiple effect evaporation system.

Cross-flow separation characteristics and piloting of graphene oxide nanofiltration membrane sheets and tubes for kraft black liquor concentration

Dewatering of weak black liquor (WBL) in the kraft cycle by evaporation is highly energy intensive. Membranes are an attractive alternative for energy-efficient dewatering, but existing commercial polymeric or ceramic membranes are either degraded in BL or have high capital costs. Our recent works have demonstrated the engineering of graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes, their stability and promising performance in BL conditions, and preliminary scale-up into sheets and tubes. Here, we describe in detail the separation characteristics of GO membrane sheets and tubes under real BL conditions and crossflow operation. Recycle-mode piloting of a GO tubular membrane showed average “production flux” of 16 L/m2/h (LMH) and high rejections of lignin (98.3%), total solids (66%), and total organic carbon (83%), with no signs of irreversible fouling identified. A corresponding GO sheet membrane produced an average flux of ~25 LMH and maintained high lignin rejection of ~97% during a slipstream pilot at a kraft mill site using WBL with ~16 wt% total solids (TS). Finally, we piloted a Dow/DuPont XUS1808 polyamide composite reverse osmosis (RO) membrane for last-mile processing of the GO nanofiltration membrane permeate. The RO membrane showed a steady state flux of 19 LMH at 65 bar and produced ~0.02 wt% TS water product, which is highly suitable for reuse in pulp washing operations in the kraft process. The results have strong positive implications for the industrial application of GO membranes in BL concentration and other related applications.

Techno-economic assessment for black liquor concentration system of chemical pulp integrating mechanical vapor recompression

Mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) is mostly used for the evaporation of black liquor in chemical pulp production process because of low operating cost, high thermal efficiency and small footprint. This paper designed a black liquor concentration system of Chemical pulp integrating MVR (BLCS-MVR), modeled the energetic and economic requirements of BLCS-MVR. The results found that the total cost increases as the solid content of black liquor leaving MVR segment increases, MVR has lower operation cost than the traditional evaporation technology when the solid content of black liquor after MVR segment is less than 37.5%. Compared with the traditional evaporation system, the total energy cost of new system is reduced by 21.0%, and the latter three-effects of the traditional six-effect evaporation can be replaced by MVR system. Steam consumption can be reduced by 48.2%, and the payback period is only 2.72 years. Sensitivity analysis showed the steam price impacts the economy of BLCS-MVR most, followed by the electricity price, the investment cost and the production scale. This research provides a theoretical basis and technical reference for the application of MVR in the black liquor concentration of chemical pulp, which contributes to the realization of “carbon neutralization”.

The purification and concentration of amoxicillin by novel alkali-sensitive polypiperazine amide/polysulfate composite nanofiltration membranes

The recovery of amoxicillin from the mother liquor is crucial in reducing production costs and preventing environmental contamination. Amoxicillin separation was enhanced under an alkaline filtering environment. Therefore, the novel alkali-sensitive polypiperazine amide (PPA)/polysulfate (PSE) composite nanofiltration membranes were fabricated via interfacial polymerization for the concentration and purification of the amoxicillin crystalline mother liquor. The alkali sensitivity of the PPA/PSE composite nanofiltration membrane was investigated. The long-term stability of the membrane was also evaluated. Purification and concentration experiments of amoxicillin mother liquor were also carried out. The separation efficiency of amoxicillin was improved due to the pH sensitivity of amoxicillin and the pH sensitivity of the developed nanofiltration membrane. The results indicate 92.2% rejection of amoxicillin and 45.4 L⋅m−2⋅h−1 of flux at pH 10. In addition, PPA/PSE nanofiltration membranes exhibit good mechanical properties and long-term stability. This indicates its remarkable application potential and its use is expected to result in the large-scale recovery of amoxicillin from the crystalline mother liquor.

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION FOR RESISTANCE TO PHOTO-OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION AND IMPROVED BLEACHING AND COLOR FASTNESS PROPERTIES OF HEMP FIBER

The objective of the research has been to overcome some inherent drawbacks of hemp fiber via chemical modification, which is a vital issue in using it as a textile fiber like cotton. Hemp fiber was modified with treatment liquor (mixture of sulfurous acid and sodium hydroxide) in aqueous medium to remove lignin. The effects of the treatment liquor concentration, fiber to liquor ratio, reaction time and temperature on the percent lignin extracted from hemp fiber were studied. Modified hemp fibers (MHF) were bleached in an alkaline pH aqueous medium with hydrogen peroxide. The process significantly improved lignin removal, bleaching and color fastness. In fact, the whiteness index of bleached MHF was significantly higher than that of bleached raw hemp, but its tensile strength was slightly affected. The photo-oxidative degradation of hemp fiber was 70% lower than that of unmodified (raw) hemp fiber and almost like that of cotton yarn. The color fastness properties of dyed bleached modified hemp fiber were significantly better than those of dyed bleached unmodified hemp fiber and close to those of dyed bleached cotton yarn.

Fabrication and Characterization of Organo Modified Polysiloxane Softened Linen Fabrics by On-Loom Integrated Finishing

In this study, the fabrication – that is, weaving and softening of linen fabric – was accomplished by on-loom integrated finishing on a handloom using a special attachment. The optimization of the process parameters (finish liquor concentration, temperature and curing time) for these on-loom integrated softening finished fabrics were investigated. The softened linen fabric was studied for their physical properties like softness, drapeability, wickability, water vapour permeability, air permeability, total crease recovery angle, tensile and tear strength against untreated fabric and also compared with similar finished market sample. Furthermore, chemical interaction of the softener with linen fabric and their morphology were studied by the Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results showed that as the concentration of the finish liquor increased, the softening effect increased, while wickability decreased after the particular optimum point. It was observed that drapeability, total crease recovery angle, tensile and tear strength were increased till the optimum point with the increase in process parameters. However, water vapour permeability and air permeability were decreased. The Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy studies clearly proved the presence of softener chemical and a coating of a thin layer on the fabric. The optimum process parameters of concentration of the finish liquor, curing temperature and curing time were found to be 10 g/L, 60°C and 5 min, respectively, for softening of linen fabric using this integrated finishing method.

Thermodynamic and environmental assessment of black liquor supercritical water gasification integrated online salt recovery polygeneration system

Conventional black liquor treatment has weaknesses in pollution. Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) technology makes it possible to utilize the energy of black liquor cleanly. In this work, an auto-thermal SCWG black liquor polygeneration system integrated with online salt recovery was proposed. The performance of salt recovery and gasification was evaluated. The results show that the increasing gasification temperature, black liquor concentration, and salt discharge concentration are favorable to hydrogen production and system efficiency. For salt recovery, the sulfur-containing substances in black liquor are all converted into Na2S/NaHS and recovered in this system. Through exergy analysis, the major exergy destructions are caused by the oxidation unit, SCWG unit, and sub-critical heat transfer. Then, the discharge brine heat is utilized to heat oxygen and feed to reduce the exergy destruction of reaction and heat transfer, which improved the energy efficiency from 78.03% to 88.16%, and the exergy efficiency from 60.86% to 64.10%. After adding a discharge salt utilization unit, the system's hydrogen production is 58,438 Nm3/h and the steam supply is 70,455 kW. This work provides theoretical guidance for the design and establishment of a black liquor SCWG industry system.

Characterisation of lignins isolated from Bamboo organosolv and kraft black liquor

Bamboo biomass was pulped using organosolv methods: Acetic acid and formic acid; hydrogen peroxide and formic acid; ethanol and water and kraft process with varying concentrations of the cooking chemicals. The properties of the isolated lignin were influenced by the black liquor pH as well as the pulping method. Highest pH (12,8) was recorded for kraft at 70:30 liquor concentration while lowest pH of 2,5 was recorded for both Aceticformic (70:30) and Ethanol/water (70:30 and 60:40). There were obvious differences in the characteristic colours, shapes and sizes of the lignin samples. Bamboo kraft lignin samples formed large pieces much easier than that of Organosolv. Aceticformic (70:30) had the best filteration properties (FC) while Ethanol/water had the poorest. Generally, kraft recorded the highest lignin yield while all the organosolv processes recorded reduced yield. Highest yield (119,25 g/L) was gotten from kraft (50:50) while Peroxyformic (60:40) had the lowest yield of 8,20 g/L. The results showed that higher liquor pH favours total dissolved solid as well as lignin precipitation. As the pH increases, total dissolved solid, yield, Klason and low molecular weight (LMW) lignin content increases while FC decreases. The Klason and LMW lignin content increased with incresing lignin yield.

Electrodialysis Metathesis (EDM) Desalination for the Effective Removal of Chloride and Nitrate from Tobacco Extract: The Effect of Membrane Type.

Electrodialysis Metathesis (EDM) desalination was investigated using a squad of three ion-exchange membranes (ACS, TW-A, and A3) and simulated tobacco extract liquid for selective ions removal. We have studied various factors affecting EDM desalination efficiency using a complete experimental design. First, diffusion dialysis (DD) was conducted to determine the permeation rate of different anions in tobacco liquor with different membrane materials. We conclude that A3 had the fastest permeation rate of anions. However, ACS has the lowest permeation rate for different salts. The investigation of the EDM process showed the excellent ion permeation ability of A3 by detecting the current, conductivity, and ion concentration of the target tobacco liquor in the metathesis chamber of the EDM process. The EDM had shown the most excellent chloride ion removal ability. We found that A3 was the best membrane for the EDM process of tobacco liquor.

Cost-effective fibrinolytic enzyme production by microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta using medium supplemented with corn steep liquor.

A fibrinolytic enzyme from the microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta was produced under mixotrophic conditions using different corn steep liquor (CSL) concentrations ( 0 ≤ CLS ≤ 0.75%), purified using a combination of salting out and ion-exchange chromatography, and then biochemical characterized. Cultivation of this microalga using 0.5% CSL led to the highest maximum cell concentration (1.960±0.010 mg L-1) and cell productivity (0.140g L-1 day-1), besides a high fibrinolytic activity of the extract obtained by the homogenization method (102 ±1 U mL-1). The enzyme extracted from the microalgal biomass was 5-fold purified with a 20% yield and was found to have a specific activity of 670 U mg-1. The enzyme, whose molecular weight determined by fibrin zymography was 10 kDa, was shown to be stable at pH 3.0-9.0 and up to 70°C with optimal pH and temperature values of 8.0 and 50°C, respectively. When compared to other fibrinolytic enzymes, this protease stood out for its high fibrinolytic activity, which was enhanced by Fe2+, inhibited by Zn2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+, and strongly inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, suggesting that it belongs to the serine metalloprotease family. Moreover, thanks to its thermal stability, the enzyme may be easily preserved and activated under high-temperature conditions.

Soft-sensing modeling of mother liquor concentration in the evaporation process based on reduced robust least-squares support-vector machine.

The evaporation process is vital in alumina production, with mother liquor concentration serving as a critical control parameter. To address the challenge of online detection, we propose the introduction of a soft measurement strategy. First, due to the significant fluctuations in the production process variables and inter-variable coupling, comprehensive grey correlation analysis and kernel principal component analysis are employed to reduce the input dimension and computational complexity of the data, enhancing the efficiency of the soft sensing model. The reduced robust least-squares support-vector machine (LSSVM), with its commendable predictive performance, is used for modeling and predicting the principal components. Concurrently, an improved Pattern Search-Differential Evolution (PS-DE) algorithm is proposed for optimizing the pivotal parameters of the LSSVM network. Lastly, on-site industrial data validation indicates that the new model offers superior tracking capabilities and heightened accuracy. It is deemed aptly suitable for the online detection of mother liquor concentration.

Enhancement of struvite generation and anti-fouling in an electro-AnMBR with Mg anode-MF membrane module

Severe membrane fouling and the inability to remove/recover nitrogen and phosphorus are bottlenecks of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for large-scale application in wastewater treatment. Herein, an electrochemical AnMBR with a Mg anode-membrane module (electro-AnMBR) was built and showed good performance in terms of membrane fouling mitigation and nutrient recovery during sewage treatment. Compared with the traditional AnMBR, membrane fouling in the electro-AnMBR was reduced by up to 30%. The application of an electric field decreased the zeta potential, viscosity, and EPS concentration of the sludge-water liquor in the electro-AnMBR, which could improve the cake layer structure and thus enhance water permeability. Meanwhile, 26% of NH4+ and 48% of PO43- co-precipitated with Mg2+ generating from the sacrificial Mg anode and were recovered as struvite deposited onto cathode in the electro-AnMBR. Hydrogen evolution provided a relatively alkaline pH environment, resulting in struvite electrodeposition on the graphic cathode, which partly separated the formed struvite from the sludge with a purity of 77%. In the electro-AnMBR, the electrochemical reactions provided alkalinity and effectively inhibited anaerobic acidification. The applied voltage of 0.6 V reduced the relative abundance of methanosaeta, but increased that of methanosarcina, which is also beneficial for the membrane anti-fouling.

Effect of Tea Infusion Strength on Equivalent Circuit Parameters of Multielectrode Voltammetric Sensor System

Analysis of voltammetric response obtained from black tea liquor samples has been used extensively in research to evaluate tea quality. The recent system identification-based quality estimation method of black tea uses the equivalent circuit parameters of the voltammetric system. This work reports the analysis of these equivalent circuit parameters of a multielectrode voltammetric system in correlation with the change in concentration of black tea liquor. In this work, the experimental input–output data obtained using the voltammetric analysis of tea liquor is subjected to the system identification to obtain the system process model. The model hence obtained is subjected to a network synthesis procedure to estimate the equivalent circuit parameters of the system with various electrodes and at different concentrations of tea samples. Therefore, the tea infusion strength is simulated by varying concentrations. The performance parameters of the models identified for all the electrode–analyte combinations are calculated by comparing the experimental and the simulated waveforms. The study of the concentration of tea samples and circuit parameters agrees with the theoretical concepts. This work therefore also provides a legitimate validation to the established equivalent circuit for the voltammetric taste measurement system (electronic tongue). The cluster analysis performed here reveals a potential application of this work in the domain of electronic tongue.

Isolation and production optimization of a novel milk-clotting enzyme Bacillus velezensis DB219

The milk-clotting enzyme (MCE) is a crucial ingredient in cheese manufacture. Due to the limits of traditional MCE, finding viable substitute is a pressing issue. This study aims to isolate and identify a wild strain with high milk-clotting activity (MCA) and low proteolytic activity (PA) and optimize the fermentation conditions for MCE production. A strain of Bacillus velezensis DB219 with high MCA/PA value (9.2) was isolated from dairy soil (Wuchang, Heilongjiang, China) and identified through 16S rRNA from 40 strains. The optimal wheat bran, carbon, nitrogen, inoculum size, volume and initial pH were 60 g/L, soluble starch 12.5 g/L, corn steep liquor 3 g/L, 5%, 40 mL and 6.15, respectively for improving DB219 MCE production through single factor experiment. The wheat bran concentration, corn steep liquor concentration and volume were the most critical factor and their changed range was determined through Plackett–Burman design and the steepest ascent/descent experiments. The response surface analysis experiment of three factors and three levels was conducted by Box–Behnken design. The theoretical optimal fermentation conditions for DB219 MCE were as follows: wheat bran concentration 60.14 g/L, soluble starch 12.5 g/L, corn steep liquor 3 g/L, inoculum size 5%, volume 40.08 mL and initial pH 6.15. DB219 MCE achieved the maximal MCA (3164.84 SU/mL) that was 101.9% of the predicted value (3104.49 SU/mL) and 4.3-fold higher than the control.

Covalently Functionalized Graphene for Black Liquor Concentration Membranes

Covalently Functionalized Graphene for Black Liquor Concentration Membranes

Optimal operation of the evaporator and combustion air distribution system in a pulp mill to maximize biomass recycling and energy efficiency

In the pulping process, the recovery boiler produces “green” steam without the use of fossil fuels as it burns the biomass (black liquor). However, because the black liquor concentration generated during the woodchip cooking is not suitable for combustion, it is concentrated using an evaporator that uses a large amount of steam energy for evaporation. The concentrated black liquor is sprayed to burn in a recovery boiler furnace, and combustion air is simultaneously supplied through an air distribution system. Biomass concentration and combustion air distribution should be optimized to realize sustainable cleaner production by maximizing biomass recycling and energy efficiency. In this study, the optimal operating conditions of the evaporator and combustion air distribution system in a pulp mill were determined simultaneously for biomass recycling and energy efficiency maximization. First, a process model was developed by integrating an evaporator and a recovery boiler furnace with an air distribution system. Using this model, the energy consumption of the evaporator, energy generation in the recovery boiler, and amount of recycled pulping chemicals were predicted for profit and cost estimation. Second, a mathematical model was developed to derive the optimal operating conditions. In this model, the net profit was calculated by subtracting the steam cost in the evaporation process from the profit of steam production and recovered pulping chemicals. Finally, the optimal biomass concentration and combustion air distribution were determined to maximize the net profit. As a result, the derived optimal operating conditions increased the annual power generation by 7,491 MWh/y and the amount of recovered pulping chemicals by 68,602 t/y. In addition, the net profit increased by 11.82%, and the annual CO2 emissions decreased from 2,504 to 1,361 tons, making the pulping process more sustainable. The findings of this study promote cleaner production in the pulping process by substituting fossil fuels with biomass and maximizing energy efficiency.