There exists a direct correlation between improvements in standard of living and the consumption of resources. To be able to maintain the standard of living of a modern developed country, society must adapt to an economy based on sustainable processes,…

The hydroxymethylation of alkali lignin with formaldehyde in alkaline solution was studied. The influence of reaction conditions of the hydroxymethylation of alkali lignin was followed by modifying the temperature, time, and the ratios of NaOH to lignin and CH2O to…

Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) wood has low dimensional stability and durability. Heat treatment was made in an oven using hot air during 2 to 24 h and at 170-200 ºC. A comparison was made against steam heat treatment. The equilibrium…

Novel uses of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes for diversified technological applications are reported. A humic acid-like substance (cHAL2) isolated from green urban wastes was tested as a chemical auxiliary for fabric cleaning and dyeing, and as a…

Combination of lignin matrices (including those modified with silicon oligomers or quaternary ammonium compounds) and such inorganic building blocks as copper and manganese cations (Cu2+, Mn2+) made it possible to synthesize novel hybrid organic-inorganic materials. The synthesized hybrid materials were…

Solid nanocatalyst aluminum dodecatungstophosphate (Al0.9H0.3PW12O40, abbreviated as AlPW) with nanotube structure was synthesized through a natural cellulose fiber template. The AlPW nanotubes, which are highly water-tolerant and acid-tolerant, can be described as green double acids, as they combine both Brønsted…

In this paper, the thermal conductivity and dielectric parameters for pine [Pinus sylvestris (L.)] woods were determined in transverse directions for moisture conditions from oven-dry to 22 percent at a room temperature of 22 to 24 °C. Results indicate that…

The current state of biorefinery development is focused almost entirely on the production of fuel ethanol. However, an ethanol-centric approach misses the crucial example set by the petrochemical industry. The ability to fractionate a raw material, rather than simply pretreating…

Kerala in south India grows several cash crops such as banana and pineapple, the crop residues of which are sources of natural fibres that can be used in hand papermaking. Kerala, however, does not have a tradition in hand papermaking.…

This paper reports results concerning characterization and improvement of biological quality of beechwood prehydrolysate in order to adapt the Candida Scottii yeast to this nutritive medium. Some difficult aspects caused by the presence of lignin compounds in the prehydrolysate are…