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Lignin in chemical pulping waste, or black liquor (BL), can be converted into various products via supercritical water gasification (SCWG). However, the inherited alkaline contents from the pulping chemicals may affect the product yields and properties. In this research, the influence of the residual alkali on the product distribution via SCWG of soda BL and kraft BL was evaluated. The SCWG was performed in a batch quartz reactor for 10 min at various temperatures (673, 773 and 873 K) and pressures (250, 300 and 400 bar). The highest hydrogen (H 2 ) production occurred at 873 K for the soda BL. The water-gas shift reaction with sodium ions played an important part in the H 2 production, while only small amounts of methane and carbon monoxide were detected. Hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids and esters were the dominant substrates in the liquid products, which denoted the potential of this method for bond cleaving of the lignin macromolecule. As a result, BL, which typically contains alkali salt, was an appropriate feedstock for the SCWG reaction to produce renewable fuel. This method not only has a positive influence on the generation of value added products from highly corrosive waste but also helps avoid some technical problems commonly encountered with direct firing in a recovery boiler.

In this study, a microbial consortium from an acid-treated rumen fluid was used to improve the yields of H 2 production from paper residues in batch reactors. The anaerobic batch reactors, which contained paper and cellulose, were operated under three conditions: (1) 0.5 g paper/L, (2) 2 g paper/L, and (3) 4 g paper/L. Cellulase was added to promote the hydrolysis of paper to soluble sugars. The H 2 yields were 5.51, 4.65, and 3.96 mmol H 2 /g COD, respectively, with substrate degradation ranging from 56 to 65.4 %. Butyric acid was the primary soluble metabolite in the three reactors, but pronounced solventogenesis was detected in the reactors incubated with increased paper concentrations (2.0 and 4.0 g/L). A substantial prevalence of Clostridium acetobutylicum (99 % similarity) was observed in the acid-treated rumen fluid, which has been recognized as an efficient H 2 -producing strain in addition to ethanol and n-butanol which were also detected in the reactors.

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of hydrogen bonds between fibres on static and dynamic strength properties of paper. A commercial bleached pinewood kraft pulp was soaked in water, refined in a PFI, and used to form paper webs in different solvents, such as water, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol, to determine the effect of their dipole moment on static and dynamic strength properties of resulting paper sheets. Paper which was formed in water, being the solvent of the highest dipole moment among the tested ones, showed the highest breaking length and tear resistance. When paper webs were formed in n-butanol, which was the least polar among the solvents, these parameters were reduced by around 75%. These results provide evidence of the importance of water in paper web formation and strong impact of hydrogen bonds between fibres on strength properties of paper.

A comparative evaluation of paperboard mill sludge (PMS) versus mixed culture bacteria (MCB) as inoculum for hydrogen production from paperboard mill wastewater (PMW) was investigated. The experiments were conducted at different initial cultivation pHs, inoculums to substrate ratios (ISRs gVS/gCOD), and hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The peak hydrogen yield (HY) of 5.29 ± 0.16 and 1.22 ± 0.11 mmol/gCODinitial was occurred at pH = 5 for MCB and PMS, respectively. At pH of 5, the HY and COD removal achieved the highest values of 2.26 ± 0.14 mmol/gCODinitial and 86 ± 1.6% at ISR = 6 for MCB, and 2.38 ± 0.25 mmol/gCODinitial and 60.4 ± 2.5% at ISRs = 3 for PMS. The maximum hydrogen production rate was 93.75 ± 8.9 mmol/day at HRT = 9.6 h from continuous upflow anaerobic reactor inoculated with MCB. Meanwhile, the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragments indicated a dominance of a novel hydrogen-producing bacterium of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia for PMS microbial community. On the other hand, Escherichia fergusonii and Enterobacter hormaechei were the predominant species for MCB.

This study investigated the use of calcined-lime mud from papermaking process (CLMP) pretreatment to improve fermentative hydrogen yields from corn-bran residue (CBR). CBR samples were pretreated with different concentrations (0-15 g/L) of CLMP at 55°C for 48 h, prior to the thermophilic fermentation with heat-treated anaerobic sludge inoculum. The maximum hydrogen yield (MHY) of 338.91 ml/g-VS was produced from the CBR pretreated with 10 g/L CLMP, with the corresponding lag-phase time of 8.24h. Hydrogen yield increments increased from 27.76% to 48.07%, compared to the control. The CLMP hydrolyzed more cellulose, which provided adequate substrates for hydrogen production., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Low-temperature, solution-based self-assembly of vanadia nanofibers yields a free-standing, ceramic paper with an outstanding combination of high strength, stiffness, and macroscopic flexibility. Its excellent mechanical performance results from a brick-and-mortar like architecture, which combines strong covalent bonding within the single-crystalline nanofibers with an intricate hydrogen bonding network between them., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Dark anaerobic fermentation is an interesting alternative method for producing biohydrogen (H(2)) as a renewable fuel because of its low cost and various usable organic substrates. Pulping sludge from wastewater treatment containing plentiful cellulosic substrate could be feasibly utilized for H(2) production by dark fermentation. The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal proportion of pulping sludge to paper waste, the optimal initial pH, and the optimal ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C/N) for H(2) production by anaerobic seed sludge pretreated with heat. The pulping sludge was pretreated with NaOH solution at high temperature and further hydrolyzed with crude cellulase. Pretreatment of the pulping sludge with 3% NaOH solution under autoclave at 121 °C for 2 h, hydrolysis with 5 FPU crude cellulase at 50 °C, and pH 4.8 for 24 h provided the highest reducing sugar production yield (229.68 ± 2.09 mg/g(TVS)). An initial pH of 6 and a C/N ratio of 40 were optimal conditions for H(2) production. Moreover, the supplement of paper waste in the pulping sludge enhanced the cumulative H(2) production yield. The continuous hydrogen production was further conducted in a glass reactor with nylon pieces as supporting media and the maximum hydrogen production yield was 151.70 ml/g(TVS).

Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) were successfully synthesized in situ on ZnO whiskers as a selective scaffold, which were supported in a microstructured paper matrix composed of inorganic fibers; as-prepared paper composites were easy to handle in practical use and demonstrated excellent catalytic performance in the methanol reforming process for effective hydrogen production.

A pilot-scale experimental plant for the production of hydrogen and methane by a two-stage fermentation process was constructed and operated using a mixture of pulverized garbage and shredded paper wastes. Thermophilic hydrogen fermentation was established at 60 degrees C in the first bioreactor by inoculating with seed microflora. Following the hydrogenogenic process, methanogenesis in the second bioreactor was conducted at 55 degrees C using an internal recirculation packed-bed reactor (IRPR). After conducting steady-state operations under a few selected conditions, the overall hydraulic retention time was optimized at 8 d (hydrogenogenesis, 1.2 d; methanogenesis, 6.8 d), producing 5.4 m3/m3/d of hydrogen and 6.1 m3/m3/d of methane with chemical oxygen demand and volatile suspended solid removal efficiencies of 79.3% and 87.8%, respectively. Maximum hydrogen production yield was calculated to be 2.4 mol/mol hexose and 56 L/kg COD loaded. The methanogenic performance of the IRPR was stable, although the organic loading rate and the composition of the effluent from the hydrogenogenic process fluctuated substantially. A clone library analysis of the microflora in the hydrogenogenic reactor indicated that hydrogen-producing Thermoanaerobacterium-related organisms in the inoculum were active in the hydrogen fermentation of garbage and paper wastes, although no aseptic operations were applied. We speculate that the operation at high temperature and the inoculation of thermophiles enabled the selective growth of the introduced microorganisms and gave hydrogen fermentation efficiencies comparable to laboratory experiments. This is the first report on fermentative production of hydrogen and methane from organic waste at an actual level.

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) papers were successfully prepared by dispersing SWNTs in Triton X-100 solution, then filtered by PVDF membrane (0.22 microm pore size). The electrochemical behavior and the reversible hydrogen storage capacity of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) papers have been investigated in alkaline electrolytic solutions (6 N KOH) by cyclic voltammetry, linear micropolarization, and constant current charge/discharge measurements. The effect of thickness and the addition of carbon black on hydrogen adsorption/desorption were also investigated. It was found that the electrochemical charge-discharge mechanism occurring in SWNT paper electrodes is somewhere between that of carbon nanotubes (physical process) and that of metal hydride electrodes (chemical process), and consists of a charge-transfer reaction (Reduction/Oxidation) and a diffusion step (Diffusion).

The objective of this work was to determine the hydrogen production from paper mill wastes using microbial consortia of solid substrate anaerobic digesters. Inocula from mesophilic, continuous solid substrate anaerobic digestion (SSAD) reactors were transferred to small lab scale, batch reactors. Milled paper (used as a surrogate paper waste) was added as substrate and acetylene or 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES) was spiked for methanogenesis inhibition. In the first phase of experiments it was found that acetylene at 1% v/v in the headspace was as effective as BES in inhibiting methanogenic activity. Hydrogen gas accumulated in the headspace of the bottles, reaching a plateau. Similar final hydrogen concentrations were obtained for reactors spiked with acetylene and BES. In the second phase of tests the headspace of the batch reactors was flushed with nitrogen gas after the first plateau of hydrogen was reached, and subsequently incubated, with no further addition of inhibitor nor substrate. It was found that hydrogen production resumed and reached a second plateau, although somewhat lower than the first one. This procedure was repeated a third time and an additional amount of hydrogen was obtained. The plateaux and initial rates of hydrogen accumulation decreased in each subsequent incubation cycle. The total cumulative hydrogen harvested in the three cycles was much higher (approx. double) than in the first cycle alone. We coined this procedure as IV-SSAH (intermittently vented solid substrate anaerobic hydrogen generation). Our results point out to a feasible strategy for obtaining higher hydrogen yields from the fermentation of industrial solid wastes, and a possible combination of waste treatment processes consisting of a first stage IV-SSAH followed by a second SSAD stage. Useful products of this approach would be hydrogen, organic acids or methane, and anaerobic digestates that could be used as soil amenders after post-treatment.

This study addressed the utilization of an industrial waste stream, paper sludge, as a renewable cheap feedstock for the fermentative production of hydrogen by the extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. Hydrogen, acetate, and lactate were produced in medium in which paper sludge hydrolysate was added as the sole carbon and energy source and in control medium with the same concentration of analytical grade glucose and xylose. The hydrogen yield was dependent on lactate formation and varied between 50 and 94% of the theoretical maximum. The carbon balance in the medium with glucose and xylose was virtually 100%. The carbon balance was not complete in the paper sludge medium because the measurement of biomass was impaired owing to interfering components in the paper sludge hydrolysate. Nevertheless, >85% of the carbon could be accounted for in the products acetate and lactate. The maximal volumetric hydrogen production rate was 5 to 6 mmol/(L x h), which was lower than the production rate in media with glucose, xylose, or a combination of these sugars (9-11 mmol/[L x h]). The reduced hydrogen production rate suggests the presence of inhibiting components in paper sludge hydrolysate.

The main objective of this study was to develop a system for the production of "renewable" hydrogen. Paper sludge is a solid industrial waste yielding mainly cellulose, which can be used, after hydrolysis, as a feedstock in anaerobic fermentation by (hyper)thermophilic organisms, such as Thermotoga elfii and Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. Tests on different medium compositions showed that both bacteria were able to produce hydrogen from paper sludge hydrolysate, but the amount of produced hydrogen and the requirement for other components differed. Hydrogen production by T. elfii strongly depended on the presence of yeast extract and salts. By contrast, C. saccharolyticus was less dependent on medium components but seemed to be inhibited by a component present in the sludge hydrolysate. Utilization of xylose was preferred over glucose by C. saccharolyticus.

The paper and pulp industry stands out to be one of the industries that are growing at a fast pace. Besides their characteristics such as high water consumption of 695.7 million m3 per year and subsequent high energy consumption, there are plenty of environmental impacts arising from this industry. Approximately 300 different types of harmful organic pollutants such as phenols, dioxins, and other organic substances are the significant effluents of the paper and pulp industry. As per the regulations set by the world health organization (WHO), the permissible limit of such pollutants is less than 1 ppm. Since the complete degradation of these pollutants is difficult to achieve using conventional techniques, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are widely being used as promising alternatives. On the other hand, depleting non-renewable energy resources are forcing industries to look for energy-efficient technologies. Photocatalysis is one such AOPs, which has the potential to solve the energy-wastewater nexus and is the primary focus of this review in terms of waste treatment from the paper and pulp industry. The photocatalytic materials induce photoreactions by receiving photon energy from light. However, harnessing light energy to the fullest is a challenge owing to the limited share of UV spectrum in sunlight. Different composite photocatalysts at different loadings, pollutant concentrations, and contact time along with their respective efficiencies are reported. The enhancement in thermodynamic driving force due to shift in Fermi energy levels with a suitable example is explained. The dependence of photocatalysis on various factors such as organic species, temperature, and light intensity makes it tough to predict the precise kinetic model in real-life experiments. The hydrogen production from the degradation of organic pollutants was discussed vividly and by optimization of the processes, an estimated amount of 0.45% of the total world's energy could be produced from the paper and pulp industry alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper waste is a raw material for a lot of products with different added value. The engineering, economic and environmental aspects of paper waste recycling are analysed for production of composite material, cellulose nanofibers and nanocrystals, bricks with paper components, porous carbon, film of biopolymer, enzymatic sugar and bioenergy: bioethanol, hydrogen and biofuel. Through multicriteria analysis, it was possible to determine the most feasible paper waste recycling product in case of four product groups: egg packaging boxes, cardboard, reused paper, cellulose nanomaterials (nanofibers and nanocrystals). The production of cellulose nanofibres and cellulose nanocrystals has an advantage over egg packaging and cardboard production as well as reusable paper.

Paper, in addition to its frequent usage in writing, packaging, printing, etc., has gained comprehensive utility as a flexible and conductive base in sensors, solar energy harvesting, conversion, and storage applications. This is due to its strategic-aiding aspect in terms of environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, recyclability, thin, flexible and lightweight nature, biocompatibility, etc., required to develop next-generation flexible devices. The signs of progress in paper-based devices are seen in matured technologies of the paper-based sensor for varied sectors. Also, there have been wide-ranging research efforts on developing paper-based high-performance energy harvesting, conversion, and storage solutions. However, it is a newly emerging area and needs a fundamental and state-of-the-art understanding for future devices development. Thus, the current review summarizes the research progress in this field utilizing paper, understanding fundamental properties w.r.t application, performance enhancement w.r.t material advancements (i.e. paper modification), and technological trends, which is otherwise not yet reviewed earlier. It further sheds light upon the perspectives for their associated and allied technological developments in the energy sector. [Display omitted] • Role of paper properties in energy related applications are discussed. • Paper based electrodes for energy harvesting and conversion devices. • Utilty of papers in energy storage i.e. supercapacitors and batteries is presented. • Challenges and perspectives of realization of paper based devices for energy sector are projected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simple anaerobic biodegradation process using wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, shredded paper, and a purge of nitrogen gas was used to produce hydrogen and simultaneously capture nitrogen and phosphorus. Two reactor configurations, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a classic batch reactor (CBR) were tested as simultaneous saccharification and fermentation reactors (enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation in one tank). The CBR demonstrated greater stability of hydrogen production and simplicity of operation, while the SBR provided better nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed acetic acid to be the main product from both reactors. Optimal CBR conditions were found to be pH 5, 4 g/L loading, 0.45 ml/g Accellerase 1500, and 38 °C. Experiments with an argon purge in place of nitrogen and with ammonium chloride spiking suggested that hydrogenase and nitrogenase enzymes contributed similarly to hydrogen production in the cultures. Analysis of a single fermentation showed that hydrogen production occurred relatively early in the course of TOC removal, and that follow-on treatments might extract more energy from the products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]