Corn Stalk Powder Research Articles

Graphene-based aerogel for efficient oil sorption and water pollution remediation

In the past few years, there has been a notable rise in the release of industrial waste oil, frequent oil spills at sea, and a significant escalation in the severity of water pollution. This issue has garnered global attention and is now recognised as a widespread concern. Hence, there is a pressing demand for an oil-absorbing material exhibiting high oil-absorption capabilities and robust mechanical properties. This study introduces a new aerogel characterised by a three-dimensional hierarchical pore size structure derived from natural corn stalk powder and graphene oxide (GO). The developed aerogel demonstrated notable sorption capacity ranging from 70.6 to 131.0 g/g, along with excellent compressibility and high elasticity. These properties enable effective oil-water separation and selective sorption. This study introduces a novel approach to treating agricultural waste and presents a straightforward, environmentally friendly, cost-effective method for synthesising high-performance graphene-based oil-absorbing agents.

On The Crystallinity Of Eco Bioplastics Packaging Using DSC Techniques

The aim of this study is to examine Eco Bioplastics Packaging containing LDPE/CS. Effects content concentration of corn stalk and inclusion compatibilizer on the crystallinity and morphology of Eco Bioplastics Packaging biocomposites. It was found that the by using similar filler loading, compatibilized Eco Bioplastics Packaging has revealed higher enthalpy and crystallinity of Eco Bioplastics Packaging with MAPE. Additionally, the addition of MAPE improved the interfacial interaction between corn stalk and LDPE biocomposites, as confirmed by SEM analysis. Keywords: Corn Stalk Powder (CSP), Maleic Anhydride Polyethylene (MAPE), Light Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Optimizing Mechanical Properties in Biodegradable Composites: Polypropylene and Corn Stalk Powder Fibers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the microstructure and characteristics of biodegradable composites made from corn stalk powder fiber material and a polypropylene plastic matrix, using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. The issue of environmental pollution caused by plastic waste is a growing concern, with plastic waste accounting for an average of 10% of total waste production, and less than 1% of plastic waste being effectively decomposed due to the synthetic polymers used in their production. Developing biodegradable plastic materials, such as bioplastics, is one way to address this problem. In this study, different compositions of the composite materials were tested using SEM and microphotography. The composite materials consisted of a polypropylene plastic matrix with varying amounts of corn stalk powder fibers (5%, 10%, and 15%). The SEM results showed that the composition of 85% polypropylene plastic and 15% corn stalk powder had a more significant impact on the mechanical properties of the composites, due to a stronger bond between the plastic and polypropylene. Overall, this study provides important insights into the development of biodegradable plastic materials that can help mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste.

Corn stem fiber fractionation by acid hydrolysis

Fractionation was carried out by hydrolyzing corn stalk powder with 0.3 M HCl. The hydrolysis process was carried out with 3 variations of acid volume with 3 replications in each variation. This hydrolysis will be carried out at a temperature of 100 – 120°C for ± 60 minutes. The glucose level before hydrolysis was 9.7%. The average glucose levels produced after hydrolysis in each volume treatment were 8.56% at a volume of 600 ml, 8.4% at a volume of 650 ml, and 7.92% at a volume of 700 ml.

基于自适应模糊神经网络算法（ANFIS）的生物质原料颗粒密度预测

Coconut coir dust and corn stover powder were taken as raw biomass materials for pellet production, using four uni-axial compression set-ups, to explore the influence of the diameter of the inner hole diameter of the cylinder, the depth in compression , and the depth remained in compaction on the pellet density. Sample of pellets produced at the force steady phase, the maximum pellet density of the coconut coir dust material is 1.53 g/cm3 (1530 kg/m3), and 1.23 g/cm3 (1230 kg/m3) of the corn stalk powder pellets are obtained, At the same time, in the process of the test, Failure to compress the two biomass raw materials into pellets also occurred, indicating that the compression parameters studied in the experiment had a significant impact on the pellet quality. On the basis of the obtained pelleting test data, taking into account the nonlinear characteristics between pellet density and processing parameters involved, the adaptive neuro-fuzzy influence system(ANFIS) method was used to predict the pellet density of coconut coir dust and corn stover powder. The results show that the method is effective for predicting the density of biomass particles.

Stalk-derived carbon dots as nanosensors for Fe3+ ions detection and biological cell imaging.

Introduction: Iron is one of the most important needed elements for the growth and reproduction of living organisms. The detection of iron levels is important and developing fluorescent probes with excellent sensitivity for Fe3+ ions is of great significance. Carbon dot (CDs) is a new type of fluorescent nanomaterial based on abundant and low-cost carbon elements. The use of widely distributed renewable agricultural waste straw as a carbon precursor to prepare CDs sensor can not only reduce the pollution caused by burning straw to the atmospheric environment, but also achieve the transformation of resources from waste to treasure. Methods: In this study, CDs were obtained from corn stalk powder by pyrolysis and microwave process. The sensitivity and linear response range of CDs sensor was studied through analyzing the effect of different Fe3+ ions concentrations on the fluorescence quenching. The application of CDs in biological cell imaging was investigated using HGC-27 cells. Results: The fluorescence quenching showed a good linear relationship with the Fe3+ concentration in the range from 0 to 128 μM, and a low detection limit of 63 nM. In addition, the CDs have high recognition for Fe3+ ions. Meanwhile, the CDs have a low cytotoxicity and desirable biocompatibility, allowing the multicolor living cell imaging. Conclusion: The prepared CDs can be used as fluorescent sensors for the selective detection of Fe3+ ions and biological cell imaging. Our results supported that the conversion of agricultural waste into carbon nanomaterials has great potential to be developed.

Sustainable and clean utilization of coal gangue: activation and preparation of silicon fertilizer

Coal gangue, a by-product produced during the coal processing, has a serious impact on the environment. Using coal gangue as a fertilizer has been proven helpful in potentially reducing its environmental impact and improving its value. In this study, the formation mechanism and influencing factors of coal-gangue-based silicon fertilizer was studied using XRD and FT-IR measurement technologies. The results showed that the layered structure of coal gangue was severely damaged above 600 ℃, where the kaolin began to transform into metakaolin. When CaCO3 alone was added, CaCO3 mainly played a catalytic role, forming only a small amount of calcium silicate with available-Si content below 12.60%. When corn stalk powder alone was added, the oxides of the corn stalk ash participated in the chemical reaction involving coal gangue, forming nepheline (K(Na, K)3Al4Si4O16) and other silicates with available-Si content of 14.56%. When coal gangue, CaCO3, and corn stalk powder were mixed and calcined, the available-Si content was as high as 22.97% under the synergistic effect of CaCO3 and corn stalk powder; the concentration of toxic metals and ions was below 52.87 mg/kg. The prepared silicon fertilizer can reduce the pollution of coal gangue and meet the agricultural needs of China.

Facile one-step synthesis of biochar supported iron nanoparticles for enhancing Pb(II) scavenging from water: Performance and mechanisms

The scavenging of heavy metals from water is of great significance for improving water quality. Biochar supported-iron nanoparticles (FeNPs@BC) are a type of efficient adsorbent for Pb(II). However, a simple and low-cost one-step synthesis of FeNPs@BC faces challenges. Here, a new type of FeNPs@BC was fabricated successfully by co-pyrolyzing corn stalk powder with a small amount of Fe3O4 to realize simultaneous biomass carbonization and iron ion reduction. Characterization results revealed Fe3O4 was gradually reduced to FeCO3, Fe3C, and Fe0 in the process of biomass carbonization. FeNPs@BC Pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models are adopted well to describe Pb(II) uptake processes, and the maximum scavenging capacity of FeNPs@BC for Pb(II) is up to 337.83 mg/g at 25 ℃. The FeNPs@BC enhanced the Pb(II) uptake via the following mechanisms: 1) reduction, 2) chemical precipitation, 3) surface complexation, 4) electrostatic attraction, and 5) pore filling.

Experimental study on Mechanical Properties of green and environmental friendly self-compacting recycled concrete

By replacing cement with 5% of ground rice husk powder, 4% of corn stalk powder and 30% of fly ash, and replacing natural aggregate with 25% recycled aggregate, the Mechanical Properties of green and environment-friendly self-compacting recycled concrete were studied. The experimental results show that the early strength of the concrete is lower than the common self-compacting concrete. However, the strength of 56 days is up to the design requirement and the volume stability is good. According to the test value of the compressive strength of the concrete block, the curve equation of the relationship between the compressive strength and the age is put forward, and it provides a reference for similar concrete mix proportion design.

Preparation of high‐strength lightweight alumina with plant‐derived pore using corn stalk as pore‐forming agent

AbstractTo improve the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of lightweight alumina, which was prepared by using pore‐forming agent from biological sources, the silica sol‐infiltrated corn stalk was utilized. Spring back and hygroscopicity of corn stalk powder as well as cold compressive strength, thermal conductivity, microstructure, and pore size distribution of lightweight alumina were characterized. The results indicate that impregnation of silica sol leads to different degrees of decrease in spring back height due to achieving better mesh by silica gel between the corn stalk powders, and then improves the formability, although at the same time the large number of hydrophilic groups results in an increase in hygroscopicity. Furthermore, sol impregnated pore‐forming agent optimizes the microstructure of the lightweight alumina pores. Lightweight alumina with a cold compressive strength up to 48.64 MPa was produced, and with the silica sol concentration of 3 wt%, lower thermal conductivity values at all test temperatures were obtained. Hence, the use of corn stalk impregnated with the appropriate concentration of silica sol as pore‐forming agent could enhance the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of lightweight alumina for the spheroidization of pore shape, randomization of pore distribution as well as miniaturization of pore size.

Correlation between persistent free radicals of biochar and bio-oil yield at different pyrolysis temperatures

Biomass pyrolysis technology has important developmental prospects for biofuels and chemicals. Biochar as one of main pyrolysis products has excellent performance in soil improvement and adsorption of harmful elements. The environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in corn stalk powder and biochar obtained by pyrolysis at different temperatures were tested by electronic paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. After pyrolysis treatment, the biochar had a large number of stable free radicals. With increased pyrolysis temperature, the peak width of the free radicals signal in biochar decreased remarkably, and the widest peak of free radicals signal in biochar was presented at 450 °C, which was 0.69×10-4 T. The g-factor of free radicals in biochar decreased continuously as the temperature increased, while the peak height of free radicals first increased and then decreased. The peak height at 600 °C was only 23.8% of the peak height at 500 °C. The concentration of EPFRs in biochar increased with the increase of temperature from 450 °C to 500 °C, while it decreased at higher temperature (>500 °C). This phenomenon was similar to the trend of bio-oil collection efficiency. The experimental results showed a correlation between EPFRs of biochar and bio-oil yield at different pyrolysis temperatures.

Comparison of LDPE/corn stalk with eco degradant and LDPE/corn stalk with MAPE: Influence of coupling agent and compatibiliser on mechanical properties

This study investigated the effect of corn stalk (CSP) content with different coupling agents, namely eco-degradant and Maleic Anhydride Polyethylene (MAPE), on tensile properties, as well as the morphology of Low Density Polyethylene/Corn Stalk (LPDE/CSP) biocomposites. It was found that increment of CSP content decreased both tensile strength. The dispersion and interfacial adhesion between CS filler and thermoplastic emerged as significant factors that affected the tensile properties of biocomposites system. In order to improve interfacial adhesion, incorporation of eco-degradant and Maleic Anhydride Polyethylene (MAPE) into LDPE/CS composites is recommended. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and analysis displayed improvements to the interfacial adhesion between LDPE as matrix and corn stalk powder (CSP) filler with the presence of eco-degradant and Maleic Anhydride Polyethylene (MAPE). FTIR spectra for both biocomposites was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis (FTIR).

Analysis on the effects of pre-heating temperature on mechanical properties of pellets made from corn stalk powder

Analysis on the effects of pre-heating temperature on mechanical properties of pellets made from corn stalk powder

Preparation of bio-oil by catalytic pyrolysis of corn stalks using red mud

Abstract: Red mud is a solid waste residue with alkaline nature (pH>12)-originating from the Bayer process in the production of alumina, which was probed in catalytic pyrolysis to determine its feasibility as a solid catalyst for bio-oil formulation. The red mud was characterized using X-ray fluorescence, XRD (X-ray diffraction), TG-DTG (thermogravimetry-derivative thermogravimetry), BET (surface area and pore size analyzer) measuring and testing techniques. Experiments of non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis of 40-60 mesh size corn stalk powder were channelled for bio-oil production in a fixed bed reactor. It was ascertained that adding different proportions of red mud had minute influence on bio-oil production rate and product distribution. The study signaled that liquid yield from the catalytic pyrolysis was lower than that from non-catalytic pyrolysis. Through a series of bio-oil characterization, it was encountered that the most obviously change in the bio-oil from catalytic pyrolysis was significant acidity reduction (pH>4). Meanwhile, the content of ketones and phenols was enhanced. Hence, the co-processing of agricultural waste and by-products alumina industry may offer an economical and environmentally friendly way of catalytic pyrolysis with abbreviating the red mud environmental effects. Keywords: red mud, catalytic pyrolysis, corn stalk powder, bio-oil DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20160905.2214 Citation: Wang S Q, Xu M L, Wang F, Li Z H. Preparation of bio-oil by catalytic pyrolysis of corn stalks using red mud. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2016; 9(5): 177－183.

Measurements of Final Volatiles Yield of Biomass Devolatization at Flash Heating Rate

Final volatiles yield of biomass devolatization at flash heating rate was determined via experiments. Samples of wheat straw and corn stalk powder were dispersed in the feeder and were carried by argon into the laminar entrained flow reactor. Flash devolatization of tiny biomass particles was accomplished in the moderate temperature reactor. Residue was collected and the ash content of it was detected in a thermo-grametric analyzer. Final volatiles yield was calculated using ash trace method. Altogether, 96 experiments (including repeat ones) of different reaction temperature (500, 550, 600, 650 °C), different collecting distance (550, 600, 650, 700 mm away from inlet). Results showed that final volatiles yields of wheat straw and corn stalk are 79%, 85 % separately. High reproducibility of the experiments showed it is a reliable method to determine final volatiles yield of biomass devolatization at flash heating rate. Kinetic parameters for wheat straw and corn stalk were modified as A=1009/s, E=3782kJ/mol and A=596/s, E=3716kJ/mol, respectively.

Four Materials as Carriers for Phosphate Dissolving <i>Rhizobium Sp.</i> Inoculants

As the most commonly used carrier for commercial inoculants, the development of peat has been limited because peat is a material of nonrenewable resource. Many other materials have been evaluated as alternatives to peat as carriers of rhizobia, yet seldom have been included in inoculants of phosphate dissolving rhizobia. As accessible and inexpensive carriers for rhizobial inoculants, corn stalk powder, loessal soil and vermiculite powder were used in the study to compare with peat carrier on the capacities of rhizobial solution absorption, pH value maintaining of microenvironment, viable rhizobial cells maintaining and the control of contamination. Completely randomized design and 4 replicates were used in the experiment. Twelve different compositions of selected inoculant carrier with different absorption volumes of rhizobial suspension, and were evaluated the ability of maintaining viable rhizobial cells and undesired microbes during the period of 120 days at room temperature. Thereafter, pH value, viable rhizobial cell number and undesired microbes of inoculants with selected absorption volume of rhizobial suspension that stored at 4 and room temperature respectively, after 1a storage, were evaluated. Viable rhizobial cells in inoculants were examined after 120d and 1a storage by plate counting method, and ratio of undesirable microbes was examined by antibiotic-carrying and normal plates counting method. The result indicated that: for a period of 120days at room temperature, maximum viable rhizobial cells were found in peat, vermiculite powder, corn stalk powder and loessal soil based inoculants when the absorption volume of rhizobial suspension of inoculants were 450, 500, 1000 and 200ml/kg, respectively; viable rhizobial cell numbers were better maintained in corn stalk powder than in peat, loessal soil and vermiculite, but undesired microbes contamination was a severe problem. In the study, viable rhizobial cell numbers in loessal soil was found the highest, followed by peat, while the most serious contamination was found in peat inoculants; corn stalk powder and vermiculite could not be used as inoculant carrier because fewer viable rhizobial cells existed in these inoculants. The greatest pH change was found in peat and loessal soil based inoculants during 1a storage because of enhanced acidification caused by metabolism of phosphate dissolving rhizobia; more viable rhizobial cells were found in the 4 carriers that stored at 4 than at room temperature after 1a storage. As carriers of phosphate dissolving Rhizobium inoculants, viable rhizobial cells of corn stalk powder after short time storage (120d) and of loessal soil after long time storage (1a) were found better than that of peat, and was also found more cost effective compared with peat, commercially. Both of the two carriers could be used as inoculant carriers at room temperature, but corn stalk powder could only be used as carrier with short shelf life.

Molecular composition of soluble fraction from depolymerized cornstalk powder in supercritical methanol and ethanol

Cornstalk was depolymerized in supercritical methanol and ethanol, respectively. The depolymerization products were analyzed with FTIR and GC/MS. The results show that the products can be classified into methyl esters and dimethyl diesters, ethyl esters and diethyl phthalate, hydroxybenzenes and dihydroxybenzenes, ketones, methoxybenzene to trimethyoxybenzenes, hydrocarbons, nitrogen-containing organic compounds and other compounds. Most of the products are oxygen-containing species. Palmitate and octadec-9-enoate are the two most abundant products both with supercritical methanol and with supercritical ethanol. The fact that the cornstalk depolymerization in different solvents afforded many different products suggests that the two solvents played different roles in the cornstalk depolymerization.

Hydrogen production from cellulose by co-culture of Clostridium thermocellum JN4 and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum GD17

Two thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria named JN4 and GD17 were isolated from rotten wheat straw. The cellulolytic bacterium JN4 was identified as Clostridium thermocellum and its companion bacterium GD17 was shown to be Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum by 16S rDNA analysis and morphological observation. The production of hydrogen by both strains was investigated. C. thermocellum JN4 can degrade microcrystalline cellulose to produce hydrogen, ethanol, acetic acid and lactic acid, but cannot completely utilize the cellobiose and glucose produced by the cellulose degradation. Its hydrogen yield was about 0.8molH2 (molglucose)−1, with lactate as the main product. When C. thermocellum JN4 was co-cultured with T. thermosaccharolyticum GD17, hydrogen production increased about 2-fold and H2 yield increased to a high level of 1.8mol H2 (molglucose)−1. Butyrate was the most abundant byproduct and lactate was not detected at the end of the co-culture process. In co-cultures, JN4 and GD17 could utilize several kinds of natural substrates such as corn cob powder and corn stalk powder as carbon sources for producing hydrogen.

A constitutive model for uni-axial compaction of non-adhesive corn stalk powder

In order to study mechanical behaviors of corn stalk powder during the compaction, the yield criterion for corn stalk powder is proposed with a plasticity theory. From the stress-strain curves of uni-axial compaction test for corn stalk powder, the constitutive model, in which the equations are modified by experiments on corn stalk powder, is adopted to describe plastic behaviors of powder, and is discussed based on the incremental theory and deformation theory. The numerical results agree well with the experimental ones.