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In the present study, and for the waste valorization, Moringa oleifera seeds-removed ripened pods (SRRP) were used for papersheet production and for the extraction of bioactive compounds. Fibers were characterized by SEM–EDX patterns, while the phytoconstituents in ethanol extract was analyzed by HPLC. The inhibition percentage of fungal mycelial growth (IFMG) of the treated Melia azedarach wood with M. oleifera SRRP extract at the concentrations of 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 µg/mL against the growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium culmorum was calculated and compared with fluconazole (25 µg). The produced papersheet was treated with the ethanol extract (4000, 2000, and 1000 µg/mL) and assayed for its antibacterial activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Erwinia amylovora, and Pectobacterium atrosepticum by measuring the inhibition zones and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). According to chemical analysis of M. oleifera SRRP, benzene:alcohol extractives, holocellulose, lignin, and ash contents were 7.56, 64.94, 25.66 and 1.53%, respectively, while for the produced unbleached pulp, the screen pulp yield and the Kappa number were 39% and 25, respectively. The produced papersheet showed tensile index, tear index, burst index, and double fold number values of 58.8 N m/g, 3.38 mN m2/g, 3.86 kPa m2/g, and 10.66, respectively. SEM examination showed that the average fiber diameter was 16.39 µm, and the mass average of for elemental composition of C and O by EDX were, 44.21%, and 55.79%, respectively. The main phytoconstituents in the extract (mg/100 g extract) by HPLC were vanillic acid (5053.49), benzoic acid (262.98), naringenin (133.02), chlorogenic acid (66.16), and myricetin (56.27). After 14 days of incubation, M. oleifera SRRP extract-wood treated showed good IFMG against R. solani (36.88%) and F. culmorum (51.66%) compared to fluconazole, where it observed 42.96% and 53.70%, respectively. Moderate to significant antibacterial activity was found, where the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 500, 650, and 250 µg/mL against the growth of A. tumefaciens, E. amylovora, and P. atrosepticum respectively, which were lower than the positive control used (Tobramycin 10 µg/disc). In conclusion, M. oleifera SRRP showed promising properties as a raw material for pulp and paper production as well as for the extraction of bioactive compounds.

In this study, the effects of the lacquer applied to the printing materials which were printed by electrophotographic printing method on printing quality were investigated. In practice, printing materials with the same weight and different optical properties were used and the study was carried out in three stages. The optical and physical properties of the printing materials used in the first part were determined, in the second part, the printing of these materials by electrophotographic printing method and printability tests were performed. In the third chapter, matte and glossy lacquers were applied to these printed materials and printability tests were repeated. As a result of the study, it was observed that the application of gloss and matte lacquer caused a decrease in the printing density values and also the application of matte lacquer caused a decrease in the gloss values.

Paper derived from lignocellulose has great advantages over plastics as packaging material, nevertheless, the poor water- and oil-resistances of paper-derived products limited their application in high-end field. Herein, novel dimer acid-based waterborne polyurethanes (DWPUs) with different content of dimer acid-based polyester polyol (DG) were prepared and used as water- and oil-resistant coating for paper substrate. The effects of DG contents on water- and oil-resistances, mechanical properties and thermal stability of DWPUs coated papers were systematically investigated. When the content of DG reached up to 7 wt% (based on polyester glycol), the paper coated by DWPU exhibited 88.06% decrease in Cobb 60 value, 8.7 times increase in kit rating compared with uncoated paper. Meanwhile, DWPUs coated papers showed good mechanical properties and thermal stability. These improvements are attributed to the flexible long-alkyl chain, and six-ring structure of DWPUs as well as the continuous and homogeneous DWPU-derived membrane on the surface of paper. This study provides a new framework for the preparation of high quality, multifunctional, environmentally friendly water- and oil-resistant coatings for paper substrates.

Pulping trials were carried out using MEA and the soda process comparing their pulping potentials. The operating conditions such as the concentration of the cooking liquor (50%, 75%, 100%) for MEA and (10%, 15%, 20%) for NaOH, the maximum cooking temperature (150oC, 160oC, 170oC) and cooking time (60, 90, 120minutes) for both processes were investigated systematically to establish optimal pulping conditions. The agro-biomass used in this investigation is Sugarcane Bagasse viewed as alternative raw material for pulp and paper production. The lignin content of Bagasse (19.5%) was low; indicating that Bagasse should be easier to pulp. The optimum cooking conditions (independent variables) for MEA pulping were 75% MEA concentration, 150oC cooking temperature and 90 minutes cooking time. Excel 2013 was used to analyze the effect of independent variables on yield of bagasse pulp and properties of furnished paper from MEA process in comparison with the Soda process which include tear index, tensile index, burst index and folding endurance with errors less than 15% in all cases. The Kappa number range (12.7-16.9), viscosity (270-870 ml/g) and brightness (62.1-93.2%) of bagasse pulp are appropriate for high-brightness printing and writing papers. The physical properties of furnished paper, tear index (13.4 mN.m2/g), tensile index (71Nm/g), Burst index (4.8 KN/g) and folding endurance (82) recommend the cellulosic pulp from Sugarcane Bagasse obtained from the MEA process for strengthening the virgin fiber in recycled papers and also for developing certain types of printing and packaging papers. Due to the awareness towards the negative impact of kraft mill’s effluent to the environment recently, soda pulping started to regain its popularity among the pulp mills especially non-wood based pulp mills. MEA process is more economically attractive given its high pulp yield, despite the significant increase in chemical demand for bleaching. MEA pulping is a good alternative to soda pulping furnishing high pulp yield with less cooking temperature, i.e. 150oC, thereby saving a considerable amount of energy with less odoriferous pollutants and pollution load associated with the soda process.

Currently, there is an increasing interest in the use of biopolymers in industrial applications to replace petroleum-based additives, since they are abundantly available, renewable and sustainable. Cottonseed protein is a biopolymer that, when used as a modifier, has shown improved performance for wood adhesives and paper products. Thus, it would be useful to explore the feasibility of using cellulose nanomaterials to further improve the performance of cottonseed protein as a paper strength agent. This research characterized the performance of cottonseed protein isolate with/without cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to increase the dry strength of filter paper. An application of 10% protein solution with CNCs (10:1) or CNFs (50:1) improved the elongation at break, tensile strength and modulus of treated paper products compared to the improved performance of cottonseed protein alone. Further analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the cottonseed protein/nanocellulose composites interacted with the filter paper fibers, imparting an increased dry strength.

The present work reports the biobleaching effect on OPEFB pulp upon utilisation of extracellular xylano-pectinolytic enzymes simultaneously yielded from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ADI2. The impacts of different doses, retention times, pH, and temperatures required for the pulp biobleaching process were delineated accordingly. Here, the OPEFB pulp was subjected to pre-treatment with xylano-pectinolytic enzymes generated from the same alkalo-thermotolerant isolate that yielded those of higher quality. Remarkable enhanced outcomes were observed across varying pulp attributes: for example, enzyme-treated pulp treated to chemical bleaching sequence generated improved brightness of 11.25%. This resulted in 11.25% of less chlorine or chemical consumption required for obtaining pulp with optical attributes identical to those generated via typical chemical bleaching processes. Ultimately, the reduced consumption of chlorine would minimise the organochlorine compounds found in an effluent, resulting in a lowered environmental effect of paper-making processes overall as a consequence. This will undoubtedly facilitate such environmentally-friendly technology incorporation in the paper pulp industry of today.

Cellulose is a promising biomass material suitable for high volume applications. Its potential lies in sustainability, which is becoming one of the leading trends in industry. However, there are certain drawbacks of cellulose materials which limit their use, especially their high wettability and low barrier properties, which can be overcome by applying thin coatings. Plasma technologies present a high potential for deposition of thin environmentally friendly and recyclable coatings. In this paper, two different plasma reactors were used for coating two types of cellulose-based substrates with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). The changes in surface characteristics were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface free energy and contact angles measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Successful oleofobization was observed for an industrial scale reactor where pure HMDSO was used in the absence of oxygen.

The use of paper as a sustainable packaging material is favored, but it lacks sufficient barrier properties in terms of water repellence and oil resistance. Novel approaches consider active packaging materials or coatings with controlled release providing additional functionality for delivery of specific components to the surface. In this study, the development of a waterborne coating with organic nanoparticles and encapsulated sunflower oils is presented as a system for thermal release of the oil and on-demand tuning of the final barrier properties of the paper substrate. After synthesis of the nanoparticles, it seems that the encapsulation of various grades of sunflower oil (i.e., either poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated) strongly affects the encapsulation efficiency and thermal release profiles. The water contact angles are controlled by the oil release and chemical surface composition of the coating upon thermal heating. The oil resistance of the paper improves as a more continuous oil film is formed during thermal release. In particular, the chemical surface composition of the paper coatings is detailed by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy and surface imaging, which provide an analytical quantification tool to evaluate surface coverage, oil delivery, and variations in organic coating moieties. This research was funded through the Robert-Bosch Foundation in the frame of the Juniorprofessorshhip program, project ‘FORESNAB’ (2011–2016) for acquiring Raman spectroscope and TM3000 microscope. R. Thomann (University of Freiburg) is acknowledged for TEM measurements, and D. Stanssens (Topchim N.V.) is acknowledged for materials supply.

This paper is aimed at investigating the usage of biosynthesized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3-HB)) for a coating on pineapple leaf fiber paper (PLFP). For this purpose, (P(3-HB)) was produced by Rhodococcus pyridinivorans BSRT1-1, a highly potential P(3-HB) producing bacterium, with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 6.07 × 10 −5 g/mol. This biosynthesized P(3-HB) at 7.5% (w/v) was then coated on PLFP through the dip-coating technique with chloroform used as a solvent. The respective coated PLFP showed that P(3-HB) could be well coated all over on the PLFP surface as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The brightness and mechanical properties of PLFP could be improved by coating with biosynthesized P(3-HB) in comparison to commercially available P(3-HB) and non-coated PLFP. Furthermore, coating of P(3-HB) significantly increased the water drop penetration time on the surface of PLFP and was similar to that of the commercial P(3-HB) with the same content. The results showed that all the coated PLPF samples can be degraded under the soil burial test conditions. We have demonstrated that the P(3-HB) coated PLFP paper has the ability to prevent water drop penetration and could undergo biodegradation. Taken together, the P(3-HB) coated PLFP can be applied as a promising biodegradable paper packaging.

Highlights • The alkaline – HC miscanthus fibers lignin content was decreased by 41.54% • Pulp fiber shape characteristics were negatively influenced due to cavitation force. • Results could verify the efficacy of alkaline - HC pretreatment as a delignification method. • The alkaline – HC process displayed similar results with other conventional methods. • Miscanthus grass fibers could potentially substitute hardwood fibers in pulp blends., One way of satisfying increased market demand and simultaneously achieving a reduced environmental load in the industrial paper production is the use of fibrous agricultural residues. The aims of this study were i) to investigate the effect of alkaline – hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) pre-treatments on the delignification of Miscanthus × giganteus stalks (MGS) and ii) establishing the suitability of MGS as feedstock and their exploitation in pulp and paper manufacturing. It was demonstrated that the proposed treatment is an efficient delignification method for the non-wood fiber sources, such as miscanthus. A significant outcome of this work was the observation that HC treatment preserved the fibres lengths and surface quality of raw MGS, but at the same time increased the amount of kinked and curled fibers present in cavitated miscanthus fibers. The average miscanthus fiber length was found to be relatively short at 0.45 (±0.28) mm, while the slenderness ratio, the flexibility coefficient and Runkel ratio values were calculated to be 28.13, 38.16 and 1.62, respectively. The estimated physical properties of MGS pulp hand-sheets were 24.88 (±3.09) N m g−1 as the tensile index, 0.92 (±0.06) kPa m2 g−1 as the burst index and 4.0 (±0.37) mN m2 g−1 as the tear index. Overall the current work demonstrated effective use of hydrodynamic cavitation for improving the processing in pulp and paper manufacturing.

The main ingredient of paper production is cellulose fibers. Usually produced from wood fibers and annual plants. In this study it was investigated usability of waste rose pulps (Rosa Damascena Mill.) which have environmental risk in Isparta province as a source of cellulose for paper production. Oily rose flower grows only in Isparta and its vicinity and around 7000 tons of rose flowers are grown annually. After oil extraction, rose flowers lose their economic value and are left to rot as garbage. Rose pulp which is an herbal waste therefore contains cellulose. At the Scope of study, cellulose content of rose pulp was determined and paper pulp was obtained by applying soda-NaBH4 and chlorite methods. The obtained paper pulp was mixed with waste paper in different ratio and paper production was provided. Thus, rose wastes which evaluating as rubbish, was recycled and go into the production cycle., Kağıt üretiminin ana maddesi selüloz liflerdir. Genellikle ağaç lifleri ve yıllık bitkilerden üretilir. Bu çalışmada Isparta ilinde çevresel risk taşıyan atık gül posaları (Rosa Damascena Mill.) kağıt üretimi için selüloz kaynağı olarak kullanılabilirliği araştırılmıştır. Yağlık gül çiçeği sadece Isparta ve çevresinde yetişmekte olup yıllık yaklaşık 7000 ton civarında gül çiçeği yetiştirilmektedir. Yağı alındıktan sonra gül çiçekleri ekonomik değerini yitirmekte ve çöp olarak çürümeye terk edilmektedir. Bitkisel bir atık olan gül posaları dolayısıyla selüloz içermektedir. Çalışma kapsamında. gül posasının selüloz içeriği belirlenmiş ve soda-sodyum borhidrür ve klorit yöntemleri uygulanarak kağıt hamuru elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen kağıt hamurları farklı oranda atık kağıtlar ile karıştırılarak kağıt üretimi sağlanmıştır. Böylece çöp niteliğindeki gül posaları geri dönüştürülerek üretim döngüsü içine katılmıştır.

Significance Populations living in remote rural communities would benefit from rapid, highly sensitive molecular, DNA-based diagnostics to inform the correct and timely treatment of infectious diseases. Such information is also becoming increasingly relevant in global efforts for disease elimination, where the testing of asymptomatic patients is now seen as being important for the identification of disease reservoirs. However, healthcare workers face practical and logistical problems in the implementation of such tests, which often involve complex instrumentation and centralized laboratories. Here we describe innovations in paper microfluidics that enable low-cost, multiplexed DNA-based diagnostics for malaria, delivered, in a first-in-human study, in schools in rural Uganda., Rapid, low-cost, species-specific diagnosis, based upon DNA testing, is becoming important in the treatment of patients with infectious diseases. Here, we demonstrate an innovation that uses origami to enable multiplexed, sensitive assays that rival polymerase chain reactions (PCR) laboratory assays and provide high-quality, fast precision diagnostics for malaria. The paper-based microfluidic technology proposed here combines vertical flow sample-processing steps, including paper folding for whole-blood sample preparation, with an isothermal amplification and a lateral flow detection, incorporating a simple visualization system. Studies were performed in village schools in Uganda with individual diagnoses being completed in

Horticultural plant residues (tomato, pepper, and eggplant) were identified as new sources for lignocellulose nanofibers (LCNF). Cellulosic pulp was obtained from the different plant residues using an environmentally friendly process, energy-sustainable, simple, and with low-chemical reagent consumption. The chemical composition of the obtained pulps was analyzed in order to study its influence in the nanofibrillation process. Cellulosic fibers were subjected to two different pretreatments, mechanical and TEMPO(2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-piperidin-1-oxyl)-mediated oxidation, followed by high-pressure homogenization to produce different lignocellulose nanofibers. Then, LCNF were deeply characterized in terms of nanofibrillation yield, cationic demand, carboxyl content, morphology, crystallinity, and thermal stability. The suitability of each raw material to produce lignocellulose nanofibers was analyzed from the point of view of each pretreatment. TEMPO-mediated oxidation was identified as a more effective pretreatment to produce LCNF, however, it produces a decrease in the thermal stability of the LCNF. The different LCNF were added as reinforcing agent on recycled paperboard and compared with the improving produced by the industrial mechanical beating. The analysis of the papersheets&rsquo, mechanical properties shows that the addition of LCNF as a reinforcing agent in the paperboard recycling process is a viable alternative to mechanical beating, achieving greater reinforcing effect and increasing the products&rsquo, life cycles.

Lignocellulosic raw materials are being utilised in many industrial sectors as a natural source of interesting biopolymers. In the present research, tomato plant agri-waste, were subjected to an enzymatic treatment (pectinase, hemicellulase, xylanase and laccase) with the aim of recovering polymeric matrices contained therein and obtain a good quality fibre. The cellulose content in the enzyme-treated fibres was enriched of 25% compared to the untreated, and a fair reduction in hemicellulose and lignin was registered. Morphological analyses at SEM demonstrated the cleanliness and fibrillation of fibres. Moreover, the thermal profile, water absorption and pulp viscosity of fibres was strongly affected by the composition changes. The paperboard manufactured from an enzymatically treated sample showed increased stiffness when subjected to tensile testing respect to the control. Therefore, the use of enzyme in fibre pulping has a potential application in the design of sustainable materials.

At the end of the 20th century, the future of the paper was not very optimistic due to the development of numerical technologies. Even if some paper grades have suffered, others like packaging boards, tissue papers and speciality papers have good economic trends. Furthermore, the environmental policies contribute to the development of natural fibre based materials and also to reuse a maximum of materials. Another important point to take into account is the climate warming, the fossil resources depletion and the trade globalization. All of that leads to new potential resources in order to produce greener paper and board. This chapter highlights the origin of natural fibres which could be used in the pulp and paper business, describes briefly the pulping and papermaking processes including some aspects about the specificity of the use of annual plants and to presents some new challenges for papermakers.

Despite of the wide use worldwide, the industrial potential of bamboo species in Brazil is not much investigated. However, some encouragement to revert this situation was created in last few years. The aim of this research was to evaluate the technological characteristics of the Bambusa vulgaris biomass for the production of pulp by the kraft process. The technological characteristics of the raw material were determined by the basic density, the chemical composition and the morphology of the fibers. The cooking process was carried out with the application of eight charges of active alkali, in 90 minutes of heating time and 60 minutes in the maximum temperature of 170oC. All analyzes were also executed with the Eucalyptus spp. and the Pinus spp., in order to make a complete comparison among the species Bambusa vulgaris and the two most used raw materials for the pulp production in Brazil. The Bambusa vulgaris presented a higher basic density, lower holocellulose content and a higher total extractive content. Its fibers have intermediate length and wall thickness, similar to the Eucalyptus spp. and the Pinus spp. Considering the kraft pulping process, the species Bambusa vulgaris demonstrated to be easier to delignify besides presenting almost zero reject content and smaller consumption of active alkali. However, the Eucalyptus spp. and the Pinus spp. obtained the best yields, the lowest specific consumption of raw material and better selectivities.

C.-Y.K. and C.-H.L. contributed equally to this work. This publication was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST) (107-2221-E-009-113-MY3), the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) (OSR-2016-CRG5-3005), the KAUST Solar Center, KAUST Catalysis Center, and KAUST baseline funding. The authors would like to thank Prof. Nakamura Shuji of University of California, Santa Barbara and Dr. Lin Chien-Chung of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan for the helpful discussion, and express sincere gratitude to Everlight Electronics for helpful technical support with the LED devices.

Fly ash (FA) from biomass combustion and biological sludge (S), both wastes from the pulp and paper industry, were granulated in different proportions (90% FA + 10% S, and 70% FA + 30% S w/w, dry weight basis, dw) and used to recover the functionality of soils affected by mining activities (Aljustrel, Iberian Pyrite Belt), with and without the application of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC). Application doses of both mixtures were 2.5, 5.0 and 10% (w/w, dw). These materials corrected soil acidity to circumneutral values and increased extractable P and K concentrations. A significant increase in soil organic matter (from 0.6 to 0.8–1.5% w/w, dw) and N content (from 0.04 to 0.09–0.12% w/w, dw) was also observed, but only when MSWC was applied. The soil was already heavily contaminated with Cu, Pb and Zn and the application of amendments did not increase their pseudo-total concentrations. The CaCl2 extractable fractions of both Cu and Zn decreased to very low values. The improvement in soil quality, compared to fertilizer only treatment, was further evidenced by the increase in some soil enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and cellulase), with a better response for the granules with the higher proportion of biological sludge, as well as by the decrease in the soil-water extract toxicity towards different organisms (Daphnia magna, Thamnocephalus platyurus, and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata). Agrostis tenuis germinated and grew during the first month only in the amended pots, but, after that, a considerable phytotoxic effect was evident. This was mainly attributed to salt stress or to some specific ionic toxicity. In conclusion, to establish a long-term plant cover in mining soils amended with biomass ash-based materials, the selection of plants with higher resistance to salinity and/or the stabilization of the amendments, to reduce their soluble salt content, is recommended.

Highlights • Phenol red screening plates is the best method for detecting lipolytic activity. • Substrate specificity is affected by temperature and pH. • Essential to test substrates at various pH and temperature to determine optima. • Lipolytic enzymes indigenous to Eucalyptus sp. can assist in pitch control., This study highlights the importance of determining substrate specificity at variable experimental conditions. Lipases and esterases were isolated from microorganisms cultivated from Eucalyptus wood species and then concentrated (cellulases removed) and characterized. Phenol red agar plates supplemented with 1% olive oil or tributyrin was ascertained to be the most favourable method of screening for lipolytic activity. Lipolytic activity of the various enzymes were highest at 45–61 U/ml at the optimum temperature and pH of between at 30–35 °C and pH 4–5, respectively. Change in pH influenced the substrate specificity of the enzymes tested. The majority of enzymes tested displayed a propensity for longer aliphatic acyl chains such as dodecanoate (C12), myristate (C14), palmitate (C16) and stearate (C18) indicating that they could be characterised as potential lipases. Prospective esterases were also detected with specificity towards acetate (C2), butyrate (C4) and valerate (C5). Enzymes maintained up to 95% activity at the optimal pH and temperature for 2–3 h. It is essential to test substrates at various pH and temperature when determining optimum activity of lipolytic enzymes, a method rarely employed. The stability of the enzymes at acidic pH and moderate temperatures makes them excellent candidates for application in the treatment of pitch during acid bi-sulphite pulping, which would greatly benefit the pulp and paper industry.

In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of silver-coated gold nanoparticles (Au-Ag NPs) immobilized on cellulose paper. Ag NPs are known to have strong antibacterial properties, while Au NPs are biocompatible and relatively simple to prepare. We made the Au-Ag NPs using a facile process called Ag enhancement, in which Au NPs serve as the nuclei for precipitation of a Ag coating, the thickness of which can be easily controlled by varying the ratio of the reactants. After synthesis, electron microscopy showed that the Au-Ag NPs displayed a core-shell structure, and that they could be successfully immobilized onto a cellulose membrane by heat treatment. We then investigated the antibacterial properties of this NP-coated cellulose paper against E. coli JM109. The inhibition rate, growth curve, and AATCC 100 activity test showed that cellulose paper coated with 15 nm Au-Ag NPs possessed excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli JM109. These results suggest that Au-Ag NPs immobilized on cellulose paper could be a valuable antibacterial technology for applications such as food packaging, clothing, wound dressings, and other personal care products.

Cellulase (mainly endoglucanase, EG) has been used in pulp modification for improving paper quality through environmentally friendly process. But low activity in alkaline pH and high filter paper activity (FPA) were still obstacles for extending the cellulase application in papermaking industry. In the study, an alkali-tolerant EG gene of Bacillus subtilis Y106 was homologous over-expressed for obtaining suitable enzyme used in pulp modification. The engineering strain could produce the crude enzyme with more alkali-tolerant EG and little PFA. Potential of the crude enzyme in modification of different pulps were investigated. It was found that the enzyme could be used for improving drainage and strength properties of pulps from softwood, hardwood and non-wood materials, especially non-wood pulp such as wheat straw pulp. The underlying mechanisms of pulp modification and different effects on various types of pulps by the EG treatment were also discussed by studying the change in fibers characteristics and fiber bonding.

This paper reviews key advances in understanding the hydrodynamics of the forming section of papermaking during the years 1950 to 2000. Over this period papermaking advanced from rather slow-speed Fourdrinier machines to modern high-speed twin-wire formers. The advances are described in the context of technical problems faced at the time to increase machine speeds and improve paper properties. The scientific work and advances in machine design contributed greatly to the marvel of modern papermaking, which now includes machines 10 m wide operating at speeds over 100 km/h.

The numerous advantages of disposable and screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) particularly in terms of portability, sensibility, sensitivity and low-cost led to the massive application of these electroanalytical devices. To limit the electronic waste and recover precious materials, new recycling processes were developed together with alternative SPEs fabrication procedures based on renewable, biocompatible sources or waste materials, such as paper, agricultural byproducts or spent batteries. The increased interest in the use of eco-friendly materials for electronics has given rise to a new generation of highly performing green modifiers. From paper based electrodes to disposable electrodes obtained from CD/DVD, in the last decades considerable efforts were devoted to reuse and recycle in the field of electrochemistry. Here an overview of recycled and recyclable disposable electrodes, sustainable electrode modifiers and alternative fabrication processes is proposed aiming to provide meaningful examples to redesign the world of disposable electrodes.

Lining of canvases and paper artworks is a diffused conservation methodology developed to ensure the safe and long-term preservation of weakened supports. Lining systems are generally constituted by a new supporting material or a package of new materials glued to the original artefact. This paper reports on the study of the mechanical behaviour of four multi-layered paper and canvas composites, proposed as lining systems for a large drawing on paper: the “School of Athens” by Raffaello Sanzio, dated 1508. This masterpiece is the 1:1 preparatory cartoon for the wall-painting in the Vatican rooms. Uniaxial tensile testing has been employed in this study to characterize both the single layer materials and the overall mechanical behaviour of the composites. The mechanical tests have been performed before and after artificial ageing with high humidity regime. The complex testing protocol allowed selecting the best performing composite for the final lining, and to assess a safety threshold in terms of stress value for the framing and display of the restored artwork in the new showcase. The results constitute a quantitative evaluation of the different systems, and therefore they can effectively support the conservators’ activity and methodological choices.

2D cine MR imaging may be utilized to monitor rapidly moving tumors and organs-at-risk for real-time adaptive radiotherapy. This study systematically investigates the impact of geometric imaging parameters on the ability of 2D cine MR imaging to guide template-matching-driven autocontouring of lung tumors and abdominal organs. Abdominal 4D MR images were acquired of six healthy volunteers and thoracic 4D MR images were obtained of eight lung cancer patients. At each breathing phase of the images, the left kidney and gallbladder or lung tumor, respectively, were outlined as volumes of interest. These images and contours were used to create artificial 2D cine MR images, while simultaneously serving as 3D ground truth. We explored the impact of five different imaging parameters (pixel size, slice thickness, imaging plane orientation, number and relative alignment of images as well as strategies to create training images). For each possible combination of imaging parameters, we generated artificial 2D cine MR images as training and test images. A template-matching algorithm used the training images to determine the tumor or organ position in the test images. Subsequently, a 3D base contour was shifted to the determined position and compared to the ground truth via centroid distance and Dice similarity coefficient. The median centroid distance between adapted and ground truth contours was 1.56 mm for the kidney, 3.81 mm for the gallbladder and 1.03 mm for the lung tumor (median Dice similarity coefficient: 0.95, 0.72 and 0.93). We observed that a decrease in image resolution led to a modest decrease in localization accuracy, especially for the small gallbladder. However, for all volumes of interest localization accuracy varied substantially more between subjects than due to the different imaging parameters. Automated tumor and organ localization using 2D cine MR imaging and template-matching-based autocontouring is robust against variation of geometric imaging parameters. Future work and optimization efforts of 2D cine MR imaging for real-time adaptive radiotherapy is needed to characterize the influence of sequence- and anatomical site-specific imaging contrast.

The aim of the study was to determine the properties of pulp and paper produced from wheat stubble (Triticum aestivum L.), using soda-oxygen-sodium borohydride (NaBH4) cooking method. Whole wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.) was also used for comparison with stubbles. The morphological and chemical properties of the raw materials were investigated. The results showed that stubble had high holocellulose, cellulose, and alpha-cellulose contents and low lignin content. Fiber length, fiber width, lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness were measured in order to determine suitability of the fibers for pulp and paper production. The values were used to calculate fiber parameters. The effects of these parameters on paper strength were also discussed. The effect of NaBH4 on the yield and chemical, physical, and optical properties of pulp and paper were investigated. The addition of NaBH4 increased pulp yield by 4.1 %, and improved the physical and optical properties of the pulp. The physical and optical properties of the stubble pulp were better than those of whole wheat straw pulp. It was concluded that these characteristics demonstrate the suitability of wheat stubbles for pulp and paper production.

For the purpose of this study, pulp and handseet were produced from common hazelnut (Coryllus avellana L.) wood by using Kraft methods. Chip/solution ratio was chosen as 1/5, cooking temperature was 170°C and time for reaching the maximum temperature was 90 minutes. Screened yield was found best in 20/26 active alkali/sulfidity ratio with 47.59 %. With increased active alkali/sulfi dity ratios, screened yield was decreased. The best beating degree has been identified as the 50 SR°. According to cooking parameters, while NaOH/Na2S ratio was 20/26 %, tearing index, breaking length and burst index were reached to the maximum value of 3.83 mN · m2/g, 43.23 N · m/g and 1.87 kPa · m2/g, respectively. These values were used for selecting the optimum cooking parameters.

It is identified the number of operations on cargo processing in containers in the sea ports of Ukraine and build a logical model of the relationship for the members of cargo service. It is developed a network model of cargo processing in containers in the sea ports of Ukraine as a tool for coordination of operations during processing. The used method allows creating an effective cargo processing plan and identifying and reducing the period of container location with cargo in the port

To study the relationship between exposure to airborne particles in a pulp and paper mill and markers of inflammation and coagulation in blood. Personal sampling of inhalable dust was performed for 72 subjects working in a Swedish pulp and paper mill. Stationary measurements were used to study concentrations of total dust, respirable dust, PM10 and PM2.5, the particle surface area and the particle number concentrations. Markers of inflammation, interleukins (IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and fibrinogen and markers of coagulation factor VIII, von Willebrand, plasminogen activator inhibitor, and D-dimer were measured in plasma or serum. Sampling was performed on the last day of the work free period of 5 days, before and after the shift the first day of work and after the shifts the second and third day. In a mixed model analysis, the relationship between particulate exposures and inflammatory markers was determined. Sex, age, smoking, and BMI were included as covariates. The average 8-h time-weighted average (TWA) air concentration levels of inhalable dust were 0.30 mg/m(3), range 0.005-3.3 mg/m(3). The proxies for average 8-h TWAs of respirable dust were 0.045 mg/m(3). Significant and consistent positive relations were found between several exposure metrics (PM 10, total and inhalable dust) and CRP, SAA and fibrinogen taken post-shift, suggesting a dose-effect relationship. This study supports a relationship between occupational particle exposure and established inflammatory markers, which may indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [2006-0152]

Biomaterials and new processes (3D printing and flexible hybrid electronics) offer opportunities to break free from a 2D paper world by allowing for the development of smart multi-dimensional structures. While there has been recent progress reported in each of these areas of technology, to date, the merger of these technologies has been very limited. We believe that their merger offers boundless opportunities and an opportunity for the paper industry to innovate a low cost, sustainable housing solution capable of promoting the well-being of its occupants while minimizing the environmental impact of its daily use.

This study presents dark fermentative hydrogen gas production from acid hydrolysed waste paper towel hydrolysate. Firstly, Box-Behnken statistical experiment design was used to investigate glucose production from waste paper towel by acid hydrolysis. S/L ratio, hydrolysis time and pH were chosen as independent variables while glucose concentration in the hydrolysate was the objective function. Highest glucose concentration of 32.17 g/L was obtained at S/L ratio of 100 g/L, pH 0 (gauge pH) and 180 min hydrolysis time. All variables were found to have significant effect on glucose formation. Glucose concentration increased by increasing the S/L ratio and hydrolysis time, but decreased by increasing the pH. Secondly, the hydrolysate obtained at most convenient hydrolysis conditions was subjected to lime putty treatment for the removal of 5-HMF and SO4 2-. Thirdly, H2 gas was produced from the detoxified hydrolysate by dark fermentation. Maximum H2 formation yield, rate and H2 percentage in the gas phase were 1.02 mol H2/mol glucoseconsumed, 130.22 mL H2/g biomass.h and 43%, respectively. The remaining 5-HMF after lime treatment was effectively removed in dark fermentation. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

A laboratory scale (LS) and a field-based pilot plant (PP), designed to simulate aerobic stabilization basin (ASB) operation, were utilized to assess the potential impacts of changes in pulp and paper (P&P) mill operations on full-scale (FS) ASB performance. Two stages of investigation were conducted. The first was undertaken to determine the potential of pre-alum treatment of pulp mill wastewaters on ASB performance. The second investigation was conducted to assess ASB performance where wastewaters transitioned from being coagulated pulp and paper mill wastewaters to paper mill wastewaters only. Simulation ASB performance was assessed based on removals of BOD5, colour, UV@254 nm and nutrients [total phosphorus (TP) and nitrogen compounds (TN)]. Pre-alum treatment of pulp mill wastewaters with subsequent ASB treatment following mixing with paper mill wastewaters showed high percentage removals of BOD5. Despite low TP concentrations (≤0.05 mg/L) and low nutrient to BOD5 ratios of wastewaters in the LS-ASB trial, the high % BOD5 removal indicated recycling of nutrients from sludge [sourced from the FS-ASB]. Despite coagulation of pulp mill wastewater being performed using a very high alum dose (∼2000 mg/L) to remove colour and its precursors, colour formation remained high throughout the simulated ASB trials. Simulation of discontinuation of pulping indicated that colour would reduce rapidly to low levels in ASB wastewaters, but that TP and TN concentrations would persist for longer periods of time and decline slowly. Survey data of water qualities of the FS-ASB system obtained before, during and 2 years after discontinuation of pulping are presented. Refereed/Peer-reviewed