A wide variety of waste bioresources are available on our planet for conversion into bioproducts. In the biological systems, microorganisms are used to utilize waste as an energy source for the synthesis of valuable products such as biomass proteins and enzymes. The large quantities of byproducts generated during the processing of plant food involve an economic and environmental problem due to their high volumes and elimination costs. After isolation of the main constituent, there are abundant remains which represent an inexpensive material that has been undervalued until now. Pea peel waste is one of the undervalued, unused sources of energy that can serve as a potential source for cellulase production. Batch experiments have been performed, using pea peel waste as a carbon source for cellulase production under solid state cultivation by Trichoderma reesei. It was observed that 30 oC temperature and pH 5.0 are the most favorable conditions for cellulase production by T. reesei. FPase activity significantly increases by incorporation of whey as well as wheat starch hydrolysate in the basal salt media used in the production study. The present study describes the utility of pea peel waste, whey as well as wheat starch hydrolysate in cellulase production by T. reesei. The utilization of economically cheap, pea peel waste for cellulase production could be a novel, cost effective, and valuable approach in cellulase production as well as in solid waste management.

No abstract

Microfibrillated celluloses, liberated from macroscopic lignocellulosic fibers by mechanical means, are sub-fiber elements with lengths in the micron scale and diameters ranging from 10 to a few hundred nanometers. These materials have shown strong water interactions. This article describes an investigation and quantification of the 'hard-toremove (HR) water content' in cellulose fibers and microfibrillated structures prepared from fully bleached softwood pulp (BSW). The fiber/fibril structure was altered by using an extended beating process (up to 300 minutes), and water interactions were determined with isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Isothermal TGA is shown to be a convenient and insightful characterization method for fiber-water interactions for fibers and microfibrils at small sample size. In addition, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images depict the differences between fibers and microfibrils with respect to beating time in the dried consolidated structures. Highly refined pulps with microfibrils were determined to have two critical drying points, i.e., two minima in the second derivative of weight versus time, not before reported in the literature. Also in this study, hard-to-remove (HR) water content is related to the area above the first derivative curve in the constant rate and falling rate drying zones. This measure of HR water correlates with a previous measurement method of HR water but is less ambiguous for materials that lack a constant drying rate zone. Blends of unbeaten fibers and microfibril containing samples were prepared and show potential as composite materials.

No abstract

No abstract