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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Air-water `tornado'-type microwave plasmas applied for sugarcane biomass treatment

Full text
Author(s):
Bundaleska, N. [1] ; Tatarova, E. [1] ; Dias, F. M. [1] ; Lino da Silva, M. [1] ; Ferreira, C. M. [1] ; Amorim, J. [2]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Tecn Lisboa, Inst Super Tecn, Inst Plasmas & Nucl Fus, P-1049001 Lisbon - Portugal
[2] Inst Tecnol Aeronaut, BR-12228900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS; v. 47, n. 5 FEB 5 2014.
Web of Science Citations: 6
Abstract

The production of cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane biomass is an attractive alternative to the use of fossil fuels. Pretreatment is needed to separate the cellulosic material, which is packed with hemicellulose and lignin in cell wall of sugarcane biomass. A microwave `tornado'-type air-water plasma source operating at 2.45 GHz and atmospheric pressure has been applied for this purpose. Samples of dry and wet biomass (similar to 2 g) have been exposed to the late afterglow plasma stream. The experiments demonstrate that the air-water highly reactive plasma environment provides a number of long-lived active species able to destroy the cellulosic wrapping. Scanning electron microscopy has been applied to analyse the morphological changes occurring due to plasma treatment. The effluent gas streams have been analysed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Optical emission spectroscopy and FT-IR have been applied to determine the gas temperature in the discharge and late afterglow plasma zones, respectively. The optimal range of the operational parameters is discussed along with the main active species involved in the treatment process. Synergistic effects can result from the action of singlet O-2(alpha (1) Delta g) oxygen, NO2, nitrous acid HNO2 and OH hydroxyl radical. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 08/58034-0 - Processing of sugarcane cellulose employing atmospheric pressure plasmas
Grantee:Marco Aurelio Pinheiro Lima
Support type: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants