Ying Ying Tye

Potential of Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. (kapok fiber) as a resource for second generation bioethanol: effect of various simple pretreatment methods on sugar production.

The importance of bioethanol currently has increased tremendously as it can reduce the total dependency on fossil-fuels, especially gasoline, in the transportation sector. In this study, Ceiba pentandra (kapok fiber) was introduced as a new resource for bioethanol production. The results of chemical composition analysis showed that the cellulose (alpha- and beta-) contents were 50.7%. The glucose composition of the fiber was 59.8%. The high glucose content indicated that kapok fiber is a potential substrate for bioethanol production. However, without a pretreatment, the kapok fiber only yielded 0.8% of reducing sugar by enzymatic hydrolysis. Thus, it is necessary to pre-treat the kapok fiber prior to hydrolysis. Taking into account environmentally friendliness, only simple pretreatments with minimum chemical or energy consumption was considered. It was interesting to see that by adopting merely water, acid and alkaline pretreatments, the yield of reducing sugar was increased to 39.1%, 85.2% and >100%, respectively.

Potential of Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. (kapok) fiber as a resource for second generation bioethanol: parametric optimization and comparative study of various pretreatments prior enzymatic saccharification for sugar production.

Various pretreatments on Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. (kapok) fiber prior to enzymatic hydrolysis for sugar production were optimized in this study. The optimum conditions for water, acid, and alkaline pretreatments were 170°C for 45 min, 120°C for 45 min in 1.0% (v/v) H2SO4 solution and 120°C for 60 min in 2.0% (v/v) NaOH solution, respectively. Among the three pretreatments, the alkaline pretreatment achieved the highest total glucose yield (glucose yield calculated based on the untreated fiber) (38.5%), followed by the water (35.0%) and acid (32.8%) pretreatments. As a result, the relative effectiveness of the pretreatment methods for kapok fiber was verified as alkali>water>acid at the condition stated.

Cellulose Reinforced Biodegradable Polymer Composite Film for Packaging Applications

This chapter provides a broad overview of bionanocomposite film prepared from various biodegradable polymers reinforced with nanocellulose. In nature, biodegradable polymer exhibits relatively weaker properties than the synthetic polymers. Incorporation of cellulose into the biopolymer matrix has improved the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of the resulting biopolymer film significantly. This achievement has encouraged their application as packaging material. Since they have a huge potential in the future, further investigation of this composite material is crucial.

Biodegradable Films for Fruits and Vegetables Packaging Application: Preparation and Properties

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities. Packaging forms an important tool to maintain the shelf life of packed fresh-cut agricultural produce. Petroleum-based films are conventionally used for fresh fruits and vegetables. However, being nonbiodegradable and derivability from nonrenewable resources, these films lead towards serious ecological problems. To address this issue, various efforts have been focused on renewable and biodegradable films obtained from biopolymers. Widely studied biopolymers for film preparation are derived from biomass (gelatin, starch, cellulose, etc.), microbes (polyhydroxyalkanoates), and bio-derived monomers (polylactic acid). However, such films possess poor mechanical and barrier properties as compared to their commercial counterparts. Incorporation of various additives has been proposed to improve the film characteristics. In the present review, comprehensive information has been provided on different methodologies for film fabrication, properties, and applications of stand-alone bio-based films for packaging of fresh-cut produce. Furthermore, successful commercial implementation of such film is also summarized.

Preparation and Characterization of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Sacred Bali Bamboo as Reinforcing Filler in Seaweed-based Composite Film

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) isolated from cheap, fast-growing and abundant accessible Sacred Bali bamboo (Schizostachyum brachycladum) was utilized as reinforcement material in the seaweed-based composite film. Isolation of MCC was carried out by using a combination of pulping, bleaching and acid hydrolysis process. This study emphasized on the feasibility of MCC production from Sacred Bali bamboo by studying its properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The commercial-MCC (CMCC) was used as reference material. Results showed that the production yield, moisture content (MC) and fiber length of bamboo-MCC (BMCC) were 83.37±1.48 %, 4.50±0.5 %, and 0.47±0.02 mm, respectively. According to the chemical analysis by FTIR, both lignin and hemicellulose were completely removed from BMCC, and thus, improved the crystallinity (78 %) and thermal stability (≈325 °C) of BMCC. This study also revealed that MCC produced from Sacred Bali bamboo demonstrated strong mechanical reinforcement effect in the seaweed-based film. Hence, Sacred Bali bamboo-MCC could be used as reinforcement material in the polymer.

Combination of aqueous pre-treatments with oxygen-alkali extraction for the enhancement of kenaf core fibre hydrolysability into fermentable sugars

Kenaf core fibre was introduced for cellulosic alcohol production. Various pre-treatments with and without oxygen-alkali extraction were employed in this study. The effects of pre-treatments on the enzymatic hydrolysability of kenaf core fibre for sugar production were investigated by FTIR and SEM to characterise the chemical structure and examine the morphology of the fibre, respectively. Both characterisation results were supported by chemical composition analysis of biomass. Results showed that the glucose yield of the fibre with a pre-treatment followed by an oxygen-alkali extraction was remarkably higher than that of the counterpart without an oxygen-alkali extraction. Chemical and morphology analyses indicated that the combination of oxygen-alkali extraction with water and acid pre-treatments could increase the fibres saccharification due to large removal of hemicellulose as well as lignin, and severe structural modifications of fibre. Nevertheless, the combination of alkali pre-treatment with oxygen-alkali extraction did not change the chemical composition and surface morphology of the fibre dramatically. [Received: January 3, 2016; Accepted: April 24, 2016]

Nanofibrillated cellulose reinforcement in thermoset polymer composites

The development of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) composite using renewable and biodegradable materials is extensively reviewed in this article. Excellent mechanical properties, remarkable reinforcing capabilities, low density, thermal stability, and environmental benefits of cellulose have gained the interest of researchers in utilizing fibers as reinforced materials. Nanobased polymer composites utilize the advantages of each component and thus hold functional superiority over conventional polymer-based materials. NFC composites are widely researched materials because of their high strength, functional properties, and wide applicability. This article discusses characterization and various chemical and mechanical treatments for isolation of NFC. Incorporation of obtained NFC in thermoset composites and its subsequent processing and properties, along with diverse applications, are also discussed. Chronological events on the development of NFC composites are also provided. The aim of this chapter is to shed some light on the current state of development in the field of NFC-based composites.