Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/22
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We continue our efforts in supporting the US paper industry to expand the fiber supply. These include investigation of alternate wood species, bleaching of secondary fibers, and chemical modification of fibers to enhance performance. Developing comprehensive molecular maps of chemicals in extractives from various wood species. Solvent extraction followed by GCxGC technology assists in identifying the most promising high-valued chemicals. This map will establish a library which will provide the building blocks for drug discovery and development of unanticipated products. PARTICIPANTS: Umesh Agarwal; Carl Houtman; Junyong Zhu with visiting scientists and students; Roderquita Moore with Dietenberger, RWU4716 and David Weise from the Pacific Southwest Research Station. TARGET AUDIENCES: Forest landowners, policy makers, scientists and engineers in the biotechnology industries, pharmaceutical industries, academia, and government research labs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: This problem area is fundamental and will be continued in our Research Work Unit Description. We will be reviewing and revising our Research Work Unit Description in 2021.
Impacts
Production of high-quality fibers supports the US paper industry. Development of high-value chemicals from wood extractives will provide a new value stream for biorefineries or pulp mills. Problem area will continue with our new RWUD.
Publications
- Ma, Qingzhi; Hirth, Kolby; Zhai, Huamin; Zhu, J.Y. 2020. Highly bleachable wood fibers containing less condensed lignin from acid hydrotropic fractionation (AHF). ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 8(24): 9046-9057.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Mann, Doreen. 2020. Classification of chemicals in black locust Robinia pseudoacacia wood and bark. Res. Note FPL-RN-0386. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 11 p.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Mann, Doreen. 2020. Investigation of inkberry Ilex glabra L. Gray (Aquifoliaceae) solvent fractions using two-dimensional gas chromatography technology. Res. Note FPL-RN-0388. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 11 p.
- Houtman, Carl; Aziz, Salman; De Jong, Robert; Doshi, Mahendra. 2020. A novel unit operation to remove hydrophobic contaminants. TAPPI Journal. 19(4): 207-217.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Mann, Doreen. 2020. Two-dimensional gas chromatography characterization of saw palmetto Serenoa repens chemical composition. Res. Note FPL-RN-0387. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 12 p.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Mann, Doreen; Matt, Frederick; Dietenberger, Mark; Weise, David. 2020. Characterization of fetterbush Lyonia lucida liquid extractions. Res. Note FPL-RN-0385. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 10 p.
|
Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/19
Outputs
OUTPUTS: One focus in this area is developing comprehensive molecular maps of chemicals in extractives from various wood species. Solvent extraction followed by GCxGC technology assists in identifying the most promising high-valued chemicals. This map will establish a library which will provide the building blocks for drug discovery and development of unanticipated products. An additional topic that was investigated was syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio (S/G) of wood lignins and how to measure it accurately. S/G is an important characteristic of woods and plays an important role in the production of biofuels and delignification in pulping and bleaching. In 2019, our research led to the development of a new method of estimating S/G that is quick, uses minimal chemicals, is carried out nondestructively, and is insensitive to the wet or dry state of the sample. PARTICIPANTS: Agarwal with support staff in the unit and researchers at University of Wisconsin and Michigan State University; Houtman with cooperators from a small business and Southern China University; Zhu with visiting scientists and students. TARGET AUDIENCES: Forest landowners, policy makers, scientists and engineers in the biotechnology industries, pharmaceutical industries, academia, and government research labs.
Impacts
Developing high-value chemicals from wood extractives will provide a new value stream from biorefineries or pulp mills. Determination of S/G is an important for industries producing pulp and biofuels from lignocellulosics.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P. 2019. Analysis of cellulose and lignocellulose materials by Raman spectroscopy: A review of the current status. Molecules. 24(9). 16 p.
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Ralph, Sally A.; Padmakshan, Dharshana; Liu, Sarah; Foster, Cliff E. 2019. Estimation of syringyl units in wood lignins by FT-Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 67(15): 4367-4374.
- Doshi, Mahendra; Aziz, Salman; De Jong, Robert; Houtman, Carl. 2018. Effect of pulper consistency on stickies size distribution. TAPPI Journal. 17(8): 461-468.
- Gu, Feng; Wang, Wangxia; Cai, Zhaosheng; Xue, Feng; Jin, Yongcan; Zhu, J.Y. 2018. Water retention value for characterizing fibrillation degree of cellulosic fibers at micro and nanometer scales. Cellulose. 25(5): 2861-2871.
- Tang, Yanan; Geng, Shengfang; Houtman, Carl; Wu, Shubin. 2019. Size distribution analysis of microstickies treated by enzyme mixtures in papermaking whitewater. TAPPI Journal. 18(3): 183-192.
|
Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/17
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The unit has continued projects of developing a better understanding of the crystallinity of cellulose in wood, and collecting extractives from wood. This year the unit completed a demonstration project of a new method for improving paper recycling. Under a DOE SBIR grant, the demonstration took the idea of vacuum flotation from a lab to pilot-scale trial at a local paper mill. With this new technology, contaminants circulating in paper mill water were significantly reduced. In collaborating with University of Maryland, we modified fibers in wood for developing new materials with superior performance. For example, our collaborator demonstrated a superflexible wood. The unit continues work on developing a catalytic alternative to the kraft pulping process. A project with Tom Elder in the Southern Research Station, and Agenda 2020 ⿿ a consortium of paper companies that sponsors research of interest to the members, this year the project picked up an additional supporting effort in a $350,000 HPC4mfg (High performance computing for manufacturing) grant that is assisting the project with computational chemistry of potential catalysts and catalyst-lignin oxidation reactions. PARTICIPANTS: Moore and collaborators; Zhu and collaborators at the University of Maryland, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and University of Florida; Houtman with Doshi and Associates; Rudie with Tom Elder of the Southern Research Station. TARGET AUDIENCES: Forest landowners, Scientist and engineers from bioproducts industries, academia, and government research labs, along with policy makers.
Impacts
Contaminants in paper recycling systems cause many operational difficulties our work is providing a way to improve quality and reduce down-time. Direct modification and densification of wood may provide opportunities for new wood products. This technology may be applied to the kinds of materials generated during land management operations. If a catalytic method for pulping wood was developed, it would transform the paper industry. It would open new avenues for bio-based products.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Ralph, Sally A.; Baez, Carlos; Reiner, Richard S.; Verrill, Steve P. 2017. Effect of sample moisture content on XRD-estimated cellulose crystallinity index and crystallite size. Cellulose. 24(5): 1971-1984.
- Moore, Roderquita K; Mann, Doreen; Yilgor, Nural. 2017. Comparative study of fungal deterioration in liquidambar Orientalis mill heartwood extractives. In: Proceedings, 19th international symposium on wood, fibre, and pulping chemistry. 28 August-1 September 2017. Porto Seguro, BA, Brazil. 4 p.
- Song, Jianwei; Chen, Chaoji; Wang, Chengwei; Kuang, Yudi; Li, Yongfeng; Jiang, Feng; Li, Yiju; Hitz, Emily; Zhang, Ying; Liu, Boyang; Gong, Amy; Bian, Huiyang; Zhu, J. Y.; Zhang, Jianhua; Li, Jun; Hu, Liangbing. 2017. Superflexible wood. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 9(28): 23520-23527.
|
Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Ongoing work in the unit is improving the ability to detect and identify wood extractives. In a new initiative working with the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, a research collaboration of the paper industry, the unit has initiated research on catalysts that can be used to wood pulping-delignification using oxygen. The collaboration with Southern Research Station on this catalysis project continues. A new effort started this fiscal year focused on reducing lignin to nanoscale particle sizes and characterizing the performance of this nanoscale lignin for use in plastic composites. The unit continues to support efforts to understand the nature of lignin and routinely works with external partners in providing expertise in lignin analysis. Staff expertise in Raman spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lignin and other wood components is highly sought. Our recent work has clearly indicated that the existing analysis of cellulose ultrastructure is not correct and a new approach needs to be developed. To meet that objective, we are carrying out the appropriate research studies to develop a new model of cellulose supramolecular structure in wood and pulp fibers.
Impacts
The research in this problem area primarily supports the pulp and paper industry which is the primary user in the United States for smaller diameter wood. The fundamental wood chemistry component of the research supports all wood-based chemical utilization processes including nanomaterials and biorefinery.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Ralph, Sally A.; Reiner, Richard S.; Baez, Carlos. 2016. Probing crystallinity of never-dried wood cellulose with Raman spectroscopy. Cellulose. 23: 125-144.
- Houtman, Carl J.; Kitin, Peter; Houtman, Jon C. D.; Hammel, Kenneth E.; Hunt, Christopher G. 2016. Acridine orange indicates early oxidation of wood cell walls by fungi. PLOS ONE. 11(7). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159715 19 p.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Leitch, Michael; Arellano-ruiz, Erick; Smaglick, Jonathon; Mann, Doreen 2015. Mountain pine beetle infestation: GCxGCTOFMS and GC-MS of lodgepole pine (pinus contorta) acetone extractives. Proceedings of the 18th ISWFPC (International Symposium on Wood, Fiber, and Pulping Chemistry). 4 p.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Smaglick, Jonathan; Arellano-ruiz, Erick; Leitch, Michael; Mann, Doreen 2015. The effect of polarity of extractives on the durability of wood. Proceedings of the 18th ISWFPC (International Symposium on Wood, Fiber, and Pulping. 4 p.
- Rudie, Alan W.; Hart, Peter W. 2014. Catalysis: A Potential Alternative to Kraft Pulping. A Synthesis of the Literature. TAPPI PEERS, Tacoma, WA, September 14-17, 2014, Preprint 4-1. 37 p.
- Stark, Nicole M.; Yelle, Daniel J.; Agarwal, Umesh P. 2016. Techniques for characterizing lignin. In: Lignin in Polymer Composites. Faruk, Omar; Sain, Mohini, eds. Elsevier; Kidlington, Oxford. Chapter 4: 49-66.
|
Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
OUTPUTS: On-going work in the unit is improving the ability to detect and identify wood extractives. In a new initiative working with the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, a research collaboration of the paper industry, the unit has initiated research on catalysts that can be used for wood pulping ⿿ delignification using oxygen. The collaboration with Southern Research Station on this catalysis project continues. A new effort started this fiscal year focused on reducing lignin to nano-scale particle sizes and characterizing the performance of this nano-scale lignin for use in plastic composites. The unit continues to support efforts to understand the nature of lignin and routinely works with external partners providing expertise in lignin analysis. Staff expertise in Raman spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lignin and other wood components is highly sought.
Impacts
The research in this problem area primarily supports the pulp and paper industry which is the primary user in the US for smaller diameter wood. The fundamental wood-chemistry component of the research supports all wood-based chemical utilization processes including nanomaterials and biorefinery.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Ralph, Sally A.; Padmakshan, Dharshana; Liu, Sarah; Karlen, Steven D.; Foster, Cliff; Ralph, John 2015. Estimation of S/G ratio in woods using 1064 nm FT-Raman spectroscopy. Proceedings of the 18th ISWFPC (International Symposium on Wood, Fiber, and Pulping Chemistry) held in Vienna (Sept 9 -11, 2015). 2015; pp. 333-336.
- Bujanovic, Biljana; Reiner, Richard S.; Ralph, Sally A.; Atalla, Rajai H. 2011. Polyoxometalate delignification of birch kraft pulp and effect on residual lignin. Journal of wood chemistry and technology. Vol. 31, no. 2 (2011): p. 121-141.
- Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan W. 2014. Anthraquinone-A review of the rise and fall of a pulping catalyst. TAPPI JOURNAL, VOLUME 13, NUMBER 10, OCTOBER 2014; pp. 23-31; 2014
- Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan W.2014. Anthraquinone - A Review of the Rise and Fall of a Pulping Catalyst. Proceedings of the TAPPI PEERS Conference, Tacoma, WA, September 14-17, 2014, Preprint 24-1, TAPPI PRESS, Atlanta, 2014. PEERS 2014; pp. 669-687.
- Lu, Fachuang; Karlen, Steven D.; Regner, Matt; Kim, Hoon; Ralph, Sally A.; Sun, Run-Cang; Kuroda, Ken-ichi; Augustin, Mary Ann; Mawson, Raymond; Sabarez, Henry; Singh, Tanoj; Jimenez-Monteon, Gerardo; Zakaria, Sarani; Hill, Stefan; Harris, Philip J.; Boerjan, Wout; Wilkerson, Curtis G.; Mansfield, Shawn D.; Ralph, John 2015. Naturally p-Hydroxybenzoylated Lignins in Palms. BioEnergy Research. 8(3): 934-952.
- Rudie, Alan W.; Hart, Peter W. 2014. Catalysis: A Potential Alternative to Kraft Pulping. TAPPI JOURNAL, Volume 13, Number 10, OCTOBER 2014; pp. 13-20.
|
Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research continues on development and testing of Raman Spectroscopy methods to determine the crystallinity of cellulose materials. The traditional method for this measurement uses wide angle X-ray scattering, but this type of instrumentation is not readily available to many research scientists in wood products. An exciting new development in this area is that the Raman technique has detect disorder in one particular functional group of glucose within the otherwise crystalline and well-ordered cellulose. This disorder usually is found in the never dried state and persists after some milder types of chemical treatment. After drying and other chemical and thermal treatments, the disorder is removed and all parts of the cellulose chain within the crystal are firmly fixed in location. At this point, it is not known if this change correlates with other chemical and physical behaviors of cellulose, but the change could impact performance of cellulose nano-materials (unit problem area 1), biorefinery (unit problem area number 2) and paper (unit problem area number 4). On-going work in the unit is improving the ability to detect and identify wood extractives. In a new initiative working with the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, a research collaboration of the paper industry, the unit has reviewed the literature on catalysts that have been tested in wood pulping and oxygen delignification. This has resulted in a new collaboration with Southern Research Station, FPL and Agenda 2020 supporting research on metal based oxidation of lignin, both for possible production of wood pulp,
Impacts
The research in this problem area supports the pulp and paper industry which is the primary user in the US for smaller diameter wood. The fundamental wood-chemistry component of the research supports all wood-based chemical utilization processes including nanomaterials and biorefinery.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P. 2014. 1064nm FT-Raman spectroscopy for investigations of plant cell walls and other biomass materials. Frontiers in Plant Science, Plant Biophysics and Modeling, September 2014, Volume 5, Article 490, 2014; 12 p.
- Cai, Zhiyong; Rudie, Alan W.; Stark, Nicole M.; Sabo, Ronald C.; Ralph, Sally A. 2013. Chapter 6: New Products and Product Categories in the Global Forest Sector. In Hansen , E.; Panwar , R.; Vlosky, R., Eds. CRC Press: Boca Raton, 2013; pp 129-149.
- Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan W. 2014. Antraquinone-A Review of the Rise and Fall of a Pulping Catalyst. In: PEERS, 2014; pp. 669-687.
- Moore, Roderquita K.; Blood, Allisha N.; Esekie, Cherrelle I.2014. Effect of Fusiform Rust (Cronartium quercuum f.sp. fusiforme) on the Composition of Loblolly Pine Lignin. USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report, FPL-GTR-230, 2014; p.7.
- Rudie, Alan W.; Hart, Peter W. 2014. Catalysis: A Potential Alternative to Kraft Pulping. A Synthesis of the Literature. In: PEERS, 2014; pp. 70-83.
- Zhu, J.Y.; Zhou, H.F; X.S., Chai; Johannes, Donna; Pope, Richard; Valls, Cristina; Roncero, M. Blanca 2014. Inter-laboratory comparisons of hexenuronic acid measurements in kraft eucalyptus pulps using a UV-Vis spectroscopic method. TAPPI JOURNAL, JANUARY, Volume 13, Number 1, 2014; pp. 57-61.
|
Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The major research effort in this area has been development of Raman Spectroscopy methods to determine crystallinity of cellulose materials. The traditional method for this measurement uses wide angle X-ray scattering, but this instrumentation is not readily available to research scientists in wood products. The Raman method has been used to determine the impact of crystallinity on cellulose saccharification and the impact of processing methods on crystallinity of cellulose nanomaterials. On-going work in the unit is improving the ability to detect and identify wood extractives. Another project determined decomposition kinetics of hydrogen peroxide at realistic, paper industry process temperatures. This was used to refine a model that mimics a peroxide bleach stage explosion that occurred in a paper mill several years ago. The model has identified key components of stage operation that predispose the system to this catastrophic decomposition reaction.
Impacts
Most of the research in this problem area is supporting needs of the pulp and paper industry, the primary user in the US for smaller diameter wood, or fundamental wood-chemistry methods that can support research in other chemical-based wood products.
Publications
- Agarwal, Umesh P.; Reiner, Richard R.; Ralph, Sally A. 2013. Estimation of cellulose crystallinity of lignocelluloses using near-IR FT-Raman spectroscopy and comparison of the Raman and Segal-WAXS methods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 61: 103-113.
- Elder, Thomas; Houtman, Carl 2013. Time-domain NMR study of the drying of hemicellulose extracted aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). Holzforschung 67(4): 405⿿411.
- Hart, Peter W.; Houtman, Carl; Hirth, Kolby. 2013. Hydrogen peroxide and caustic soda: Dancing with a dragon while bleaching. Tappi Journal. 12(7): 59-65.
- Pu, Gang; Dubay, Matthew R.; Zhang, Jiguang; Severtson, Steven J.; Houtman, Carl J. 2012. Polyacrylates with high biomass contents for pressure-sensitive adhesives prepared via mini-emulsion polymerization. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 51: 12145-12149.
- Rudie, Alan W.; Hart, Peter W. 2012. Mineral scale management. In: Hart, Peter W.; Rudie, Alan W., eds. The Bleaching of Pulp, 5th Edition. Peachtree Corners, GA: Tappi Press. 175-215, Chapter 7.
- Runge, Troy; Houtman, Carl; Negri, Alberto; Heinricher, Jackie. 2013. Timber bamboo pulp. TAPPl Journal. 12(2): 9-15.
- Vahey, David W.; Scott, C. Tim; Zhu, J.Y.; Skog, Kenneth E. 2012. Ring profiler: A new method for estimating tree-ring density for improved estimates of carbon storage. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 386-390.
- Yilgor, Nural; Dogu, Dilek; Moore, Roderquita; Terzi, Evren; Kartal, S. Nami. 2013. Evaluation of fungal deterioration in Liquidambar orientalis mill. Heartwood by FT-IR and light microscopy. BioResources. 8(2): 2805-2826.
- Zhang, Jilin; Zhao, Yuxi; Dubay, Matthew R.; Severtson, Steven J.; Gwin, Larry E.; Houtman, Carl J. 2013. Surface enrichment by conventional and polymerizable sulfated nonylphenol ethoxylate emulsifiers in water-based pressure-sensitive adhesive. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 52: 8616-8621.
|
|