Synthesis of biodiesel from waste cooking oil using immobilized lipase in fixed bed reactor

Waste cooking oil (WCO) is the residue from the kitchen, restaurants, food factories and even human and animal waste which not only harm people's health but also causes environmental pollution. The production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil to partially substitute petroleum diesel is one of the measures for solving the twin problems of environment pollution and energy shortage. In this project, synthesis of biodiesel was catalyzed by immobilized Candida lipase in a three-step fixed bed reactor. The reaction solution was a mixture of WCO, water, methanol and solvent (hexane). The main product was biodiesel consisted of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), of which methyl oleate was the main component. Effects of lipase, solvent, water, and temperature and flow of the reaction mixture on the synthesis of biodiesel were analyzed. The results indicate that a 91.08% of FAME can be achieved in the end product under optimal conditions. Most of the chemical and physical characters of the biodiesel were superior to the standards for 0(#)diesel (GB/T 19147) and biodiesel (DIN V51606 and ASTM D-6751).

Gelatin multilayer assembled on the poly(L-lactic acid) surface for better cytocompatibility

Gelatin multilayers were assembled on PLLA substrate at pH 3, 5, and 7, which was below, around, and above the isoelectric point of the amphoteric polymer, using the layer-by-layer assembly technique. The multilayer deposition on the PLLA substrate was monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurement. The XPS, water contact angle, and atomic force microscopy data indicated that the layer thickness, surface hydrophicity, and surface morphology of the gelatin multilayers assembled strongly depended on the pH at which the layers were deposited

Layer-by-layer assembly of gelatin

Electrostatic assembly of one species can be realized using gelatin as a polyampholyte. Under suitable conditions where the electrostatic attraction and repulsion were both significant and in balance, linear growth of multilayers driven by electrostatic interactions was sustained over many successive assembly steps, and the maximum amount of adsorption of each layer was reached when the solution pH was around the isoelectric point. The rearrangement of the adsorbed chains after drying was confirmed by contact angle analysis. In addition with only one species involved, the assembled thin films should be chemically uniform rather than layered.

Performance inhomogeneity of gelatin during gelation process

The structural and performance inhomogeneities of gelatin gel can directly affect its application as a kind of functional material. The structural inhomogeneity of gelatin caused by the uneven and unstable temperature field has been analyzed by the finite element method in our previous work. Further in this paper, the performance inhomogeneity of gelatin which is closely connected with the actual application is numerically analyzed during the gelation process, which includes the inhomogeneities of the optical and mechanical properties of gelatin gels. The time required for reaching the gel point at different spatial grids is exhibited and discussed. The calculated results also show that the equilibrium shear modulus of gelatin is dependent on the thermal history.

Numerical simulation of coil-helix transition processes of gelatin

Gelatin is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and photographic industries due to the coil-helix transition, whereas the structural inhomogeneity considerably affects its essential properties closely connecting with the industrial applications. The spatially structural inhomogeneity of the gelatin caused by the uneven and unstable temperature field is analyzed by the finite element method during the cooling-induced coil-helix transition process. The helix conversion and the crosslinking density as functions of time and spatial grid are calculated by the incremental method. A length distribution density function is introduced to describe the continuous length distributions of two kinds of triple helices.

Co-electrospun poly(lactide-co-glycolide), gelatin, and elastin blends for tissue engineering scaffolds

In this study, we describe composite scaffolds composed of synthetic and natural materials with physicochemical properties suitable for tissue engineering applications. Fibrous scaffolds were co-electrospun from a blend of a synthetic biodegradable polymer (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA, 10% solution) and two natural proteins, gelatin (denatured collagen, 8% solution) and (x-elastin (20% solution) at ratios of 3:1:2 and 2:2:2 (v/v/v). The resulting PLGA-gelatin-elastin (PGE) fibers were homogeneous in appearance with an average diameter of 380 80 mn, which was considerably smaller than fibers made under identical conditions from the starting materials (PLGA, 780 +/- 200 nm; gelatin, 447 +/- 1.23 nm; elastin, 1060 170 nm). Upon hydration, PGE fibers swelled to an average fiber diameter of 963 +/- 132 nm, but did not disintegrate. Importantly, PGE scaffolds were stable in an aqueous environment without crosslinking, and were more elastic than those made of pure elastin fibers. To investigate the cytocompatibility of PGE, we cultured H9c2 rat cardiac myoblasts and rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on fibrous PGE scaffolds. We found that myoblasts grew equally as well or slightly better on the scaffolds than on tissue-culture plastic. Microscopic evaluation confirmed that myoblasts reached confluence on the scaffold surfaces while simultaneously growing into the scaffolds.

Surface modification of poly(L-lactic acid) to improve its cytocompatibility via assembly of polyelectrolytes and gelatin

Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) surface was modified via aminolysis by poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) at high pH and subsequent electrostatic self-assembly of poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and PAH, and the process was monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurement. These modified PLLAs were then used as charged substrates for further incorporation of gelatin to improve their cytocompatibility. The amphoteric nature of the gelatin was exploited and the gelatin was adsorbed to the negatively charged PLLA/PSS and positively charged PLLA/PAH at pH = 3.4 and 7.4, respectively. XPS and water contact angle data indicated that the gelatin adsorption at pH = 3.4 resulted in much higher surface coverage by gelatin than at pH = 7.4. All the modified PLLA surfaces became more hydrophilic than the virgin PLLA. Chondrocyte culture was used to test the cell attachment, cell morphology and cell viability on the modified PLLA substrates.

Meiothermus rosaceus sp nov isolated from Tengchong hot spring in Yunnan, China

A rosy-pigmented Gram-negative, thermophilic bacterium with an optimum growth temperature of about 55degreesC was isolated from Tengchong hot springs in Yunnan province, China. Its growth scarcely occurred below 40degreesC or above 70degreesC. Phylogenetic and secondary structural analyses of 16S rRNA and DNA-DNA hybridization showed that the organism represented a new species of the genus Meiothermus. This new species could be distinguished easily from other species of the genus Meiothermus by the following phenotypic characteristics: rosy pigment, expanded body, sucrose and maltose were not utilized, gelatin and starch were not hydrolyzed. On the basis of the above data, the name Meiothermus rosaceus sp. nov. was proposed for the species represented by the strain RH9901(T)(CCTCC-AB200291). (C) 2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermus rehai sp nov., isolated from Rehai of Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China

A yellow-pigmented strain of the genus Thermus, with optimum growth temperatures about 65-70 degreesC, was isolated from the hot springs in Rehai of Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China. Morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, pigment analysis of RH99-GF7504 strain and its phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA showed that this organism represented a new species of the genus Thermus(1)). This strain had maximum temperatures for growth below 80 degreesC. The new isolate from Rehai of Tengchong could be distinguished from other strains of the genus Thermus by its special structure and by its inability to hydrolyze gelatin and starch. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, the name Thermus rehai sp nov is proposed for the species, represented by strain RH99-GF7504 (CCTCC-AB200292).

Differing estrogen activities in the organic phase of air particulate matter collected during sunny and foggy weather in a Chinese city detected by a recombinant yeast bioassay

Total air suspended particles (PM 100) collected from an urban location near a traffic line in Wuhan, China, were examined for estrogen using a recombinant yeast bioassay. Wuhan, located at the central part of China, is the fourth biggest city in China with 7 million populations. Today, Wuhan has developed into the biggest city and the largest traveling center of central China, becoming one of the important bases of industry, education and research. Wuhan is right at the confluent point of Yangzi River, the third longest river in the world, and its largest distributary Hanjiang, with mountains and more than 100 takes in downtown area. Therefore, by its unique landscape, Wuhan has formed clear four seasons with relatively long winter and summer and short spring and autumn. Foggy weather usually happen in early spring. The yeast line used in this assay stably expresses human estrogen receptor-alpha. Weak but clear estrogenic activities were detected in the organic phase of crude extracts of air particle materials (APM) in both sunny and foggy weather by 0.19-0.79 mug E2/gPM(100) which were statistically significantly elevated relative to the blank control responding from 20% to 50% of the maximum E2 response, and the estrogenic activity was much higher in foggy weather than in sunny weather. The estrogenic activities in the sub-fractions from chromatographic separation of APM sampled in foggy days were also determined. The results indicated that the responses of the fractions were obviously higher than the crude extracts. Since there is no other large pollution source nearby, the estrogenic material was most likely from vehicle emissions, house heating sources and oil fumes of house cooking. The GC/MS analysis of the PM100 collected under foggy weather showed that there were many phenol derivatives, oxy-PAHs and resin acids which have been reported as environmental estrogens. These results of the analysis of estrogenic potency in sunny and foggy weather in a subtropical city of China indicate that further studies are required to investigate the actual risks for the associated health and atmospheric system. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of biodiesel from acid oil in fixed bed reactor

Acid oil, which is a by-product in vegetable oil refining, mainly contains free fatty acids (FFAs) and acylglycerols and is a feedstock for production of biodiesel fuel now. The transesterification of acid oil and methanol to biodiesel was catalyzed by immobilized Candida lipase in fixed bed reactors. The reactant solution was a mixture of acid oil, water, methanol and solvent (hexane) and the main product was biodiesel composed of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) of which the main component was methyl oleate. The effects of lipase content, solvent content, water content temperature and flow velocity of the reactant on the reaction were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that a maximum FAME content of 90.18% can be obtained in the end product under optimum conditions. Most of the chemical and physical properties of the biodiesel were superior to the standards for 0(#) diesel (GB/T 19147) and biodiesel (DIN V51606 and ASTM D6751).

Heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production

The production of biodiesel is greatly increasing due to its enviromental benefits. However, production costs are still rather high, compared to petroleum-based diesel fuel. The introduction of a solid heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel production could reduce its price, becoming competitive with diesel also from a financial point of view. Therefore, great research efforts have been underway recently to find the right catalysts. This paper will be concerned with reviewing acid and basic heterogeneous catalyst performances for biodiesel production, examining both scientific and patent literature.

Design of spectrometer based on volume phase grating for near infrared range

In order to design and fabricate a spectrometer for the infrared range widely used in the different applications, Volume Phase Grating (VPG) with. low Polarization Dependence Loss (PDL) and high efficiency has been adopted as the dispersion element. VPG is constructed by coating an optical substrate with a thin film of dichromated. gelatin and exposing the film to two mutually coherent laser beams to form index modulation. The diffraction efficiency for a VPG is governed by Bragg effects. The depth (d) and index modulation contrast of the grating structure control the efficiency at which the light is diffracted when the Bragg condition is satisfied. Gradient index lens with high performance and low aberration are used as collimating system instead of standard lens. The spot diagrams and MTF curve of the collimating lens are shown in the paper. The receive system is InCaAs photodiode (PD) array including 512 pixels with 25 mum pitch. The spectrum resolution of the spectrometer reaches to 0.2nm and wavelength accuracy is 40pm.

鲜甘薯快速乙醇发酵条件的初步研究

本文对不同菌种（酵母菌和运动发酵单胞菌）快速生产燃料乙醇的条件进行了研究，实现了鲜甘薯快速转化为燃料乙醇。全文分为两部分： 第一部分：酵母菌快速生产燃料乙醇的条件研究。通过单因素试验，酵母菌快速生产燃料乙醇的条件为：发酵方式采用边糖化边发酵（SSF），蒸煮温度为85 ℃，料水比2:1（初始糖浓度 210 g/kg），糖化酶用量0.75 AGU/g 鲜甘薯，接种量10%（v/w）。在最优条件下，经过24 h发酵，乙醇浓度可达97.44 g/kg, 发酵效率为92%，发酵强度为4.06 g/kg/h。由于采用了低温蒸煮和SSF，可以大大节约能耗，从而降低乙醇生产的成本。同时，利用摇瓶优化的条件，进行了10 L，100 L，500 L发酵罐的放大试验，由于发酵罐初期可以人为通氧，使菌体能迅速积累，发酵时间缩短2 h，发酵效率在90%以上。 第二部分：运动发酵单胞菌快速生产燃料乙醇条件研究。通过单因素试验和正交试验获得了发酵的最佳参数：初始pH值6.0-7.0，硫酸铵5.0 g/kg，糖化酶量1.6 AUG/kg淀粉，初始糖浓度200 g/kg，接种量12.5%（v/w）。经过21 h发酵，乙醇浓度为95.15 g/kg，发酵效率可达94%。同时对不灭菌发酵也进行了研究，发酵效率可达92%。为鲜甘薯运动发酵单胞菌燃料乙醇的工业化生产打下基础。 对发酵结束后的残糖进行了研究。通过薄层层析和葡萄氧化酶测定证明：无论是酵母菌还是运动发酵单胞菌发酵结束后的发酵液中都不含葡萄糖。经过HPLC进一步分析残糖说明：发酵液中已没有葡萄糖成分；经糖化酶水解后仍没有葡萄糖出现；但经酸水解后又出现了葡萄糖，说明结束后的残糖是一些低聚糖结构。有关残糖的结构需要进一步研究。可以通过开发高效的低聚糖水解酶来降低发酵液的残糖，提高原料的利用率。 A new technology for rapid production fuel ethanol from fresh sweet potato by different microorganisms (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis) was gained in this research. The paper involved two parts: Part 1: The study on fuel ethanol rapid production from fresh sweet potato by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The following parameters of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated by a series of experiments: fermentation models, cooking temperature, initial sugar concentration and glucoamylase dosage. The results showed that SSF (simultaneous saccharification and fermentation) not only reduced the fermentation time (from 30 to 24h) but also enhanced the ethanol concentration (from 73.56 to 95.96 g/kg). With low-temperature-cooking (85 ℃) using SSF, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae was able to produce ethanol 97.44 g/kg which the fermentation yield could reach to 92% and ethanol productivity 4.06 g/kg/h from sweet potato enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, the savings in energy by carrying out the cooking (85 ℃) and saccharification (30 ℃) step at low temperature had been realized. The results were also verified in 10 L, 100 L and 500 L fermentor. The fermentation yield was no less than 90%. The fermentation time of fermenter was shorter than Erlenmeyer flask. This may be that the aeration in the early fermentation period is available, which lead to the rapidly commutations of biomass. Part 2: The technology of ethanol rapid production with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation ( SSF ) by Zymomonas mobilis，using fresh sweet potato as raw material was studied. The effects of various factors on the yield of ethanol were investigated by the single factor and the orthogonal experiments. As a result, the optimal technical conditions were obtained from those experiments：initial pH value 6.0-7.0, nitride 5.0 g/kg，(NH4)2SO4, glucoamylase 1.6 AUG/kg starch, inoculums concentration 12.5% (v/w). The Zymomonas mobilis was able to produce ethanol 95.15 g/kg, with 94% of the theoretical yield, from fresh sweet potato after 24 h fermentation. The fermentation efficiency of non-sterilized was also reach to 92%. We also analyzed the final fermentation residual sugars of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis. When the residual sugars were analyzed by thin-layer chromatogram and glucose oxidase, there was no glucose. The analysis of reducing sugars by HPLC showed that there was no glucose existed in the fermentation liquor. However, the glucose appeared after being hydrolyzed by acid. It is indicated that the residual sugars in the final fermentation liquor were the configuration of oligosaccharide, which was linked by the special glycosidic bonds. It was feasible for reducing residual sugars to develope the enzyme that can degradation the oligosaccharide.