Search

Many organic residues are being wasted since they are not given a comprehensive management; anaerobic digestion is an alternative to reduce the impact of these residues, and to produce biogas. The chapter includes the state of art about biogas and energy production, and later, the analysis of a study case focusing on the use of pulp and paper wastes to produce biogas. The study was carried out through anaerobic digestion at a bench scale using three temperature phases to treat primary and secondary sludge, establishing operational parameters such as temperature, retention time, and organic loadings. Monitoring of volume, methane concentration in the biogas, volatile solids reduction, volatile fatty acids during the process, the performance of the process in function of methane produced per volatile solids removed is calculated. This case study shows that it is feasible to use the sludge from the company’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for the generation of biogas, thus reducing waste management problems.

Deinking of Mixed Office Waste [MOW] paper was carried out by using a flotation device and adding enzymes as defibrillators. Employing the computational simulation of the molecular coupling between the cellulase enzyme obtained from Trichoderma sp. and cellulose, the enzyme-cellulose molecular complex and the main amino acids endo-β-1,4-D-glucanase of this molecule, responsible for the hydrolysis of cellulose, were obtained. Three of these amino acids were used for deinking. The deinked cellulose fibers were evaluated according to the standards of the paper industry (ISO whiteness [brightness], factor of reflectance, opacity, and tonality) to determine the efficiency of deinking. The experimental results show that the best optical characteristics of the sheets of deinked paper with amino acids are those where a mixture of aspartate, glutamate, and asparagine was applied, instead of their individual dosage. In addition to the aforesaid, the use of enzymes instead of the traditionally used reagent, such as sodium hydroxide, avoids the contamination of wastewater; additionally, the operation of the column is carried out easily, taking into consideration that the pH of the system goes from alkaline to neutral.

Heavy metals have a huge impact on the environment due to their toxicity and bioaccumulation capacity. A great variety of methods can be used to the determination. The electrochemical methods are one of the best options due to their sensitivity, selectivity, and rapidness. They are based on the use of electrochemical cells made of different materials depending on the analyte to determine. An eco-friendly cheap option that has earned big importance is paper-based electrodes, which are formed by a cellulose matrix modified with conductive inks. Carbon ink is the most used, and it can be modified with nanoparticles to increase sensitivity. Alternatively, metallic surfaces or “films” such as mercury or bismuth can improve the determination of heavy metals because of their interactions with the film. This chapter focuses on the methods to determination of heavy metals based on their affinity with different nanomaterials or films on low-cost electrode substrates.

To face the problem of information overload, digital libraries, like other businesses, have used recommender systems and try to personalize recommendations to users by using the textual information of papers. This textual information includes title, abstract, keywords, publisher, author and other similar items. Since the volume of papers is increasing day by day and recommender systems do not have the ability to cover this huge volume to process papers according to the user’s tastes, that is why we need to use our papers to cover and process this volume quickly. We have big data tools, which will offer relevant recommendations by running parallel processing. In this chapter, the researches and researches of researchers in the field of recommender systems/aware of the text of scientific papers and recommender systems have been discussed.

The presence of contaminants in water generates a great concern worldwide. As contaminants, we can refer different classes of chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, heavy metals, and also microorganisms, such as waterborne pathogens. Some of the chemical compounds have the potential to bioaccumulate in the aquatic biota. Hence, the development of simple and portable methods for the detection of contaminants in the aquatic environment can improve their monitoring and, consequently, the study of their environmental impact. In this context, the development of paper-based analytical tools and also of biosensor devices has been exploited for quantitative and semiquantitative analysis of several contaminants in different water matrices. The association of these two analytical strategies can provide the implementation of low-cost, portable, and easily handled methods for detecting chemical and biological contaminations in water. In this chapter, we provide a review of the developed paper-based analytical biosensors, highlighting the features of the paper-based (paper substrate and fabrication procedures) and biosensor devices (transducers and biorecognition elements). Moreover, the application of the referred paper-based biosensors for the detection of different water contaminants (pathogens, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals) in environmental and wastewater samples is discussed.

Power transformers life is limited fundamentally by the insulation paper state, which can be analysed through different techniques such as furanic compound concentration, dissolved gases, methanol concentration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, refractive index of cellulose fibres, degree of polymerisation or tensile strength. The two last techniques provide the best way to evaluate mechanical resistance of insulation paper. This chapter describes briefly the most remarkable studies about post-mortem assessment and thermal ageing tests in which mechanical properties are some of the characteristics evaluated to determine paper degradation. This work also gathers the main relationships developed until now to relate different by-products generated during transformer operation with loss of paper mechanical properties. Finally, this chapter defines the future approaches, which could be used to study paper degradation. The authors are grateful for the funding received to carry out this work from the State Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation Plan under the DPI2013-43897-P grant agreement, financed by the Government of Spain.

Recent years have seen remarkable progress in research and development of metal nanoparticles (NPs) that takes advantage of their unique optical, magnetic, electronic, catalytic and other physicochemical properties, in a wide range of practical and potential applications such as energy, environmental, biomedical and chemical engineering (Feldheim & Foss, 2002; Ma et al., 2006; Jena & Raj, 2008; Zotti et al., 2008). For example, gold (Au) is a chemically inert metallic element in bulk form; however, AuNPs possess colorful plasmon resonances useful for bio-sensing (Shukla et al., 2005; Yokota et al., 2008), and can catalyze chemical reactions (Bond et al., 2006; Ishida & Haruta, 2007), due to their quantum size effects. NPs of inexpensive base metals, such as copper (CuNPs) have recently attracted much attention as innovative nanomaterials for applications such as highly-active gas reforming catalysts for hydrogen production (Gadhe & Gupta, 2007) and effective marine antifouling coatings (Anyaogu et al., 2008). In general, however, practical utilization of nanosized materials involves considerable difficulties since metal NPs are hard to handle directly, and easily aggregate to minimize their surface area. The inevitable aggregation of metal NPs often nullifies their unique functionalities, and eventually yields ordinary bulk metals. For that reason, an area of ongoing research has focused on effective immobilization of metal NPs on easily handled supports such as porous membranes (Dotzauer et al., 2006) and nanostructured inorganic sheets (Wang et al., 2008). Of the various metal NPs, silver NPs (AgNPs) are of increasing interest because of their high conductivity (Li et al., 2005) and tunable optical responsiveness (McFarland & Van Duyne, 2003). Moreover, it is well known that Ag exhibits potent antibacterial properties with low toxicity for humans and animals by comparison with other heavy metals (Alt et al., 2004; Shah et al., 2008). Ag and Ag-compounded materials are effective for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, whereas the efficacy of conventional antibiotics varies with the species of bacteria (Shah et al., 2008). Many researchers have recently reported that AgNPs demonstrate excellent antibacterial activity (Sondi & Salopek-Sondi, 2004; Gogoi et al., 2006; Pal et al., 2007; Navarro et al., 2008). However, effective methods for immobilization of AgNPs for practical use are insufficiently advanced, and incorporation of AgNPs into various matrices is being actively investigated. For instance, it was reported that AgNPs were synthesized on poly(ethylene glycol)-polyurethane-titanium dioxide (TiO2) films via 14

Power transformers life is limited fundamentally by the insulation paper state, which can be analysed through different techniques such as furanic compound concentration, dissolved gases, methanol concentration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, refractive index of cellulose fibres, degree of polymerisation or tensile strength. The two last techniques provide the best way to evaluate mechanical resistance of insulation paper. This chapter describes briefly the most remarkable studies about post-mortem assessment and thermal ageing tests in which mechanical properties are some of the characteristics evaluated to determine paper degradation. This work also gathers the main relationships developed until now to relate different by-products generated during transformer operation with loss of paper mechanical properties. Finally, this chapter defines the future approaches, which could be used to study paper degradation.

In this chapter, we briefly introduce our recent work related to the topic of ultralight paper-based electrodes for energy applications. Herein, the ultralight paper-based counter electrodes containing commercial poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and homemade graphene dots (GDs) are synthesized for preparing flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Because the GDs/PEDOT:PSS composite can well fill the porosity of paper substrate, the flexible DSSC with GDs/PEDOT:PSS-coated paper electrode exhibits much higher cell efficiency than that of DSSC using paper electrode with Pt. The features of lightweight, low-cost, space-saving (high flexibility), high machinability (easy-cutting) and environmental friendly would make the GDs/PEDOT:PSS-coated paper electrodes highly potential in portable/wearable electronic applications.

Analyzing the relationship between production of wood-based products and the production of paper and its derivatives ever more often attention is paid to complementarity of the processes of production, recovery and recycling of key raw materials and finally to their value and profitability of production. In this context, two main trends in converting wood by-products are noticed: paper production and energy generation. Development of market of sawmill by-products constitutes a challenge for wood industry, which requires determination of the most efficient means of utilizing those by-products. One of the crucial criteria of making business decisions is the value of wood by-products. A method of valuation of those sawmill by-products when converted into briquettes, pellet, or energy was presented. This method allows for multilateral analysis of profitability of various means of utilizing wooden by-products, on the example of Poland. Based on comparative analysis, recommendations for wood-based industry were formulated.

This chapter explores the potentials of the alkaline peroxide pre-treated oil palm vascular bundle (oil palm waste) in the industrial production of pulp, paper and other cellulosic products like microcrystalline cellulose. Management of this escalating waste is a herculean task and creates environmental hazards hence urgent action is needed to create value out of these waste biomass. The pulp and paper industry being a large consumer of lignocellulose materials preferred the use of coniferous and deciduous trees for pulp production and papermaking because their cellulose fibres in the pulp make durable paper. In addition to this, the global population explosion and the economic development has resulted in the significant increase in demand for paper. With improvements in pulp processing technology through the use of environmental benign technology like alkaline peroxide pre-treatment it has been considered as suitable for paper pulp and other cellulose based products such as microcrystalline cellulose. Characterization of the alkaline peroxide pre-treated oil palm vascular bundles using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transmission infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses confirm the micro-sized cellulose fibres. Use of these lignocellulosic materials can reduce the burden on the forest while supporting the natural biodiversity.

This chapter covers relative topics on wheat straw applied as fibrous raw materials for pulping and papermaking industry, i.e., chemical components and anatomy of wheat straw, pulping process and pulping properties, paper and paperboard products from wheat straw pulps, as well as environmental protection issues. Wheat straw is a kind of annual vascular-bundled herbal arthrophyte containing cellulose fibers that are acceptable for pulping and papermaking. The chemical components and anatomy of wheat straw were discussed; practically, soda or soda-AQ chemical pulping processes are common techniques often applied for chemical pulping from wheat straw, conventional and advanced bleaching sequences were introduced, and especially ECF and TCF bleaching techniques have been successfully applied in China’s paper mills. Cooking and black liquor extraction equipment and facilities are explained; chemi-mechanical pulping properties of wheat straw, corrugated medium, and linerboard products from wheat straw CMP pulps are evaluated; and chemical recovery from chemical cooking black liquor and effluent treatment processes are discussed. In this chapter, not only laboratory research results but also some commercial operation experiences are shared. These information and knowledge described in this chapter will help readers to have a good understanding about wheat straw pulping and papermaking; they are useful for pulping and papermaking engineer as reference for design and operation management of wheat straw pulping lines.

This study investigates alternatives that can improve the internal bond strength (IBS) of paper by pulp refining and paper press-drying (PD). The improvement mechanisms of IBS and their impact on the strength development of high-yield pulps are discussed. All experiments were conducted using a factorial design where the factors were four pulp types (one spruce thermomechanical (TMP) and three chemi-thermomechanical (CTMP) from spruce, birch, and aspen), three refining levels, three PD temperatures and three pressures. The effects of these treatments on the physical and mechanical properties of paper were studied using an analysis of variance. Refining changed the fibre surface, thereby promoting mechanical adhesion. PD temperature softened the fibres and changed their surface chemistry, while PD pressure improved the contact area between fibres. These changes led to an important improvement in IBS which explained, to a large extent, the variations in paper properties. Compared to air-dried paper, PD paper showed much higher properties for most tested pulps at all refining levels. These results were due to the increase in bonded areas. PD at 175°C substantially improved the wet tensile strength of paper due to the flow of lignin on the fibre surface, which protects the hydrogen bonds from moisture.

In this study, the characteristics of “papers cited in patents” are examined and impact indicators of them based on existing bibliometric indicators are developed. First, the nature of patent-paper citations is examined for Japanese scientific papers as the basic knowledge for developing indicators. Second, the patent-paper citation index (PPCI) indicator, which was proposed in the previous study, is revised. Third, a set of indicators, named High Feature Valued Patent-Paper Citation Index, which is based on three feature values of citing patents, is proposed. Evidence using our new indicators is presented and the tendency of patent-paper citations of Japanese three sectors such as university, public institute, and corporation is discussed. Finally, issues to be addressed are discussed.

Since the beginning of water shortage by disasters such as global warming, environmental pollution, and drought, development of original technology and studies have been undertaken to increase the availability of water resources. Among the technologies, water treatment technology using membranes has a better water quality improvement than existing physicochemical and biological processes. Moreover, it is environmental-friendly technology that does not use chemicals. Water treatment membranes are applied to various fields such as wastewater treatment, water purification, seawater desalination, ion exchange process, ultra-pure water production, and separation of organic solvents. Furthermore, water treatment technologies using membranes will increasingly expand. The core technology of the water treatment membrane is to control the size of pores for membrane performance and is being researched to improve performance. In this chapter, the frequencies of presentation are filed by country, institution, and company through technology competitiveness and evaluation of patents and papers. In addition, evaluation of technologies for wastewater treatment, water purification, seawater desalination, and ion exchange process was carried out in the same way as before. Finally, future research directions were suggested by using evaluation results.

In all cases, when a material has to be used in medical applications, the knowledge of its physical, chemical and biological properties is of fundamental significance, since the direct contact between the biological system and the considered device could generate reactions whose long-term effects must be clearly quantified. The class of materials that exhibits characteristics that allow their use for the considered applications are commonly called biomaterials. Patients suffering from different diseases generate a great demand for real therapies, where the use of biomaterials are mandatory. Commonly, metallic biomaterials are used because their structural functions; the high strength and resistance to fracture they can offer, provide reliable performance primarily in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry. In metals, because of their particular structure, plastic deformation takes place easier, inducing good formability in manufacturing. The present paper is not encyclopaedic, but reports in the first part some current literature data and perspectives about the possibility of use different class of metallic materials for medical applications, while the second part recalls some results of the current research in this field carried out by the authors.

Lithium ion batteries (LIB) and supercapacitors (electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and lithium ion capacitors (LIC)) are the most energy storage service for mobile application. Lithium ion batteries are currently the most popular type of battery for powering portable electronic devices and are growing in popularity for defense, automotive and aerospace applications. The investigation of supercapacitors (SCs) has also achieved significant progresses. Although they have shown remarkable commercial successes, the electrodes and their constituent materials are still the subject of intensive research. Our research focused on a new type of carbon nanotube-cellulose composite materials as current collector of LIBs and as electrodes of SCs for improving and enhancing the energy/power density and cyclic performance of them. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used as conductive agent for both anodes and cathodes to replace super carbon black to satisfy the multifunctional requirements for LIBs.

Graphene paper as a new form of graphene-supported nanomaterials has received worldwide attention since its first report in 2007. Due to their high flexibility, lightweight and good electrical conductivity, graphene papers have demonstrated the promising potential for crucial applications in electrochemical sensors and energy technologies among others. In this chapter, we present some examples to overview recent advances in the research and development of two-dimensional (2D) graphene papers as new materials for electrochemical sensors. The chapter covers the design, fabrication, functionalization and application evaluations of graphene papers. We first summarize the mainstream methods for fabrication of graphene papers/membranes, with the focus on chemical vapour deposition techniques and solution-processing assembly approaches. A large portion of this chapter is then devoted to the highlights of specific functionalization of graphene papers with polymer and nanoscale functional building blocks for electrochemical-sensing purposes. In terms of electrochemical-sensing applications, the emphasis is on enzyme-graphene and nanoparticle-graphene paper-based systems for the detection of glucose. We finally conclude this chapter with brief remarks and outlook.

For centuries, paper has been an important medium of information. Currently, the basic risk to the paper collection is “acidic paper” and the action of enzymes secreted by microorganisms on them. In order to ‘prolong life’ of these materials, in recent years, various chemical compounds have been used. In this chapter, ionic liquids (IL) are explored as substances for deacidification of paper and its conservation, including antifungal activity. The use of these substances in the manufacturing of paper is possible, but the ingredients play an important role. Imidazolium IL cause an increase in the pH (deacidification) of historical papers and do not cause worsening of their strength properties, but these compound can cause a colour change. Benzalkonium dl‐lactate and didecyldimethylammonium dl‐lactate and derivatives of 1,2,4‐triazole are used as effective inhibitors of growth of moulds on paper. The best antifungal activity in these ionic liquids is observed in the paper pine at a concentration of 5% and weakest in the samples from the pulp after chemical‐thermomechanical treatment. New paper impregnated with ionic liquids is characterised by an increase in tear resistance, reduction of breaking length and a favourable influence on the paper colour.