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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Loosenin-Like Proteins from Phanerochaete carnosa Impact Both Cellulose and Chitin Fiber Networks

The present study deepens investigations of microbial expansin-related proteins and their applied significance by (i) reporting a detailed comparison of diverse loosenins encoded by the same organism, (ii) considering both cellulosic and chitin-containing materials as targeted substrates, and (iii) investigating the impact of the C-terminal carbohydrate binding module (CBM) present in other expansin-related proteins on loosenin function. By revealing the potential of fungal loosenins to impact both cellulose and chitin-containing networks, our study reveals a possible biological and applied role of loosenins in fungal cell wall processing.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Communication of industry knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned in the space of cellulosic biofuels plant design, project development and execution and operations. Task 1 report

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, via a technical services agreement, engages Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to provide general industry knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned in cellulosic ethanol plant design, project execution, and operations. INL will also assess publicly proposed cellulosic plant designs. The scope of work will be accomplished in three tasks: Task 1, Communicate industry knowledge; Task 2, Present high-level lessons learned; Task 3, Provide an engineering assessment of publicly proposed ethanol plant designs. This Task 1 report provides a high-level summary of general industry knowledge, best practice, and lessons learned in biomass feedstock logistics and integration with bioconversion processes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Research on Chemically Deuterated Cellulose Macroperformance and Fast Identification

Chemically deuterated cellulose fiber was expected to provide novel applications due to its spectral, biological, and kinetic isotope effect. In this research, the performance of the chemically deuterated cotton fibers, including their mechanical property, enzymatic degradation performance, effect on bacterial treatment, and fast identification (near-infrared modeling) was investigated. The breaking tenacity of the deuterated cotton fibers was slightly lower, which might be attributed to the structural damage during the chemical deuteration. The glucose yield by enzymatic hydrolysis was less than that of the protonic cotton fibers, implying the deuterated fibers are less sensitive to enzymatic degradation. Furthermore, the deuterated fibers could promote the growth of bacteria such as Escherichia. coli, which was associated with the released low-level deuterium content. At last, the near-infrared technique combined with partial least squares regression successfully achieved a fast identification of the protiated and deuterated cotton fibers, which significantly promoted the potential application of deuterated cellulose as anticounterfeiting materials (e.g., special paper).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hybrid Bio-Based Composites: Enabling Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) Incorporation into Composites via Macroscale Natural Fiber Carriers

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have significant potential in composites as additives to improve mechanical properties, melt rheology, and more. However, agglomeration of CNFs is a key challenge in composite melt processing as obtaining nano-level dispersion of CNFs often requires cost- and energy-intensive processes (e.g., solvent exchange or freeze drying) due to the strong hornification tendencies of CNF. Herein, we avoid these challenges by using a natural fiber carrier method to integrate CNF into thermoplastic composites. Fibers are co-dried to create a hybrid fiber feedstock for compounding in which natural fibers are decorated with dispersed nanofibers. The hybridized fibers result in up to a 24% increase in tensile strength and up to a 35% increase in Young’s modulus compared to composites only containing natural fibers. The lignocellulosic nanofibers are found to outperform their purely cellulosic counterpart, which is theorized to be due to either an increased propensity for fibrillation of the lignocellulosic fibers or the increased hydrophobicity of the fibers due to the presence of lignin. Surface analysis of fiber feedstocks, via streaming potential measurements and dynamic light scattering (DLS), confirmed a significant change in the feedstock hydrophobicity before and after hybridization. While mild additions of CNF (1 wt.% on the macroscale fiber) do not impact the composite melt viscosity, the viscosity is found to increase at higher CNF loadings (5 wt.% on the macroscale fiber), indicating its utility as a rheology modifier. Lastly, use of these materials as novel feedstocks for medium-scale additive manufacturing in high-fidelity part production was demonstrated.

bio-based↗
DOE OSTI2020

Aqueous Polymer Modification of Cellulose Nanofibrils by Grafting‐Through a Reactive Methacrylate Group

Abstract Modifying the surface of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) produced by mechanical refinement with a variety of polymer functional groups in an entirely water‐based system is challenging because only surface hydroxyl groups are accessible. To address this limitation, an entirely water‐based, polymer modification scheme is developed. CNFs are functionalized with a reactive methacrylate functional group followed by subsequent grafting‐through polymerization. This modification worked with a variety of water‐soluble and water‐insoluble (meth)acrylates and (meth)acrylamides, grafting up to 45 wt% polymer on to the CNFs. The reaction conditions introducing the methacrylate functional group are adjusted to vary the degree of functionality. Soxhlet extraction of modified samples demonstrates that the reactive methacrylate group is necessary to facilitate polymer grafting. The degree of functionalization of the polymers is studied via quantitative transmission IR spectroscopy and the morphology of the resulting cellulose nanofibrils is studied via a combination of optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy. High levels of polymer modification do not significantly affect the micrometer‐scale fibril morphology.

Kelly, Peter V.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Melt compounding of spray-dried cellulose nanofibrils/polypropylene and their application in 3D printing

Abstract Micro- and nano-scale cellulosic fillers exhibit excellent dispersion and distribution within a thermoplastic matrix during the process of melt compounding or injection molding. In this study, spray-dried cellulose nanofiber (SDCNF) powders were manufactured using a pilot-scale rotating disk atomizer spray dryer. Bleached Kraft pulp (BKP), unbleached Kraft pulp (UKP), and old corrugated cardboard pulp (OCC) fibrillated at a fines level of 90% were used as feedstock materials for spray-drying. BKP-, UKP-, and OCC- SDCNFs were compounded with polypropylene using a twin screw co-rotating extruder. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) was used as a coupling agent in the composite formulations. The tensile, flexural, and impact properties of SDCNF-filled PP composites increased at 10 wt% SDCNF loading. The presence of SDCNFs in the PP matrix resulted in faster crystallization and a 12% reduction in the degree of crystallinity of the neat PP. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of neat PP was reduced by up to 31% attributable to the presence of the SDCNFs. Application of the SDCNF-reinforced PP composites in 3D printing reduced the shrinkage rate of the printed neat PP by 39%, and the printability of the PP was significantly improved with the addition of the SDCNFs.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2023

Inhibition of enzyme hydrolysis of cellulose by phenols from hydrothermally pretreated sugarcane straw

Relatively few studies have addressed the characterization of sugarcane straw (SCS) for production of fermentable sugars through enzyme hydrolysis. Straw is a major co-product of the sugarcane harvest in Brazil that has potential to sustainably increase cellulosic feedstocks in Brazil by 50%. Pretreatment of 10% w/v straw with liquid hot water (LHW) at 180°C for 50 min (severity, S of 4.05), solubilizes hemicellulose, preserves glucan, and generates 4.49 g/L soluble phenolic compounds in the resulting liquid. Extracts from washing pretreated solids with excess hot water followed by acetone resulted in 1.10 and 0.83 g/L phenolics, respectively. Here, acetone-derived extracts were more inhibitory and decreased glucose yield for enzyme hydrolysis of Solka Floc (a lignin-free cellulose) by 42%. In comparison, pretreated straw washed with hot water or acetone was readily hydrolyzed to 92% and 97% by cellulase enzyme. Hydrothermally treated SCS has the potential to provide a valuable and added source of fermentable sugars suitable for bioprocessing into biofuels and bioproducts when cellulase enzyme inhibitors are removed after pretreatment.

Deactivation↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integrated hydropyrolysis and vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation process with Pd/Al 2 O 3 for production of advanced oxygen-containing biofuels from cellulosic wastes

This study focuses on developing advanced oxygen-containing biofuels with high furan, cyclic ketone, and ethanol content from holocellulose and cellulosic wastes. To achieve this, we employed an integrated process that combined hydropyrolysis and vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation using Pd/Al 2 O 3 as a catalyst. In the first stage, the non-catalytic hydropyrolysis of hemicellulose resulted in furfural and acetic acid fractions that were effectively converted into furans, cyclic ketones, and ethanol in the second-stage reactor over Pd/Al 2 O 3 under 0.3 MPa H 2 . We found that a hydropyrolysis temperature of 440 °C in the first stage reactor resulted in the highest yield of oxygen-containing biofuels (171.1 mg/g) with 89.2% hemicellulose conversion. However, increasing the hydrodeoxygenation temperature in the second stage reactor reduced the yield of oxygen-containing biofuels, and at 400 °C, excess deoxygenation led to hydrocarbon production. The Pd/Al 2 O 3 catalyst demonstrated high stability during the vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation of primary furfural and acetic acid intermediates, with only 2.1% coke formation after three reaction cycles. This scalable process enables the conversion of various cellulosic wastes into advanced oxygen-containing biofuels, with considerable total yields. Our findings suggest that this integrated process holds great promise for converting biomass waste into advanced oxygen-containing biofuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Highly silanized cellulose biocomposites for sustainable insulation materials

Microfibrillated lignocellulose networks, derived from agricultural byproducts, represent an environmentally friendly biogenic material production due to their abundant availability to circular bioeconomy and inherent carbon sink in life cycle analysis. Yet, its vulnerability to moisture and flammability, coupled with challenges in creating highly reinforced insulation materials, poses challenges for the carbon-zero green building sector. Here we address these challenges with a new concept of in-situ grafting polymerization of nanoporous silica in pre-formed lignocellulosic fiber networks. The seamlessly integrating nanoporous silica with cellulose through hydrogen bonding networks enabled us to prepare highly reinforced biogenic composites for green building insulations. A high reinforcement biocomposite with hierarchal arrangements of nanoporous silica within the cellulose network exhibits remarkable attributes. It boasts a thermal conductivity of 24.2 mW·m –1 ·K –1 , a flexural modulus of 942 MPa, and soundproofing with a 20.8 % noise reduction, as well as the fire resistance characterized by an extended time to ignition and a reduced peak heat release rate of 144 kW·m –2 at 35 kW·m –2 of incident radiant heat flux. Furthermore, it demonstrates a reduced water absorption capacity, dropping from 5.12 g·g –1 to 0.75 g·g –1 . Altogether, this study opens the new pathways towards sustainable carbon-zero building materials in the context of circular bioeconomy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cellulose acetate membranes exhibit exceptional monovalent to divalent cation selectivities

Salt transport properties of cellulose acetate membranes are reported for a series of chloride salts with mono- valent and divalent cations (LiCl, NaCl, MgCl 2 , CaCl 2 ). Measurements include salt permeability and sorption, with diffusivity values calculated from the permeability and sorption results. We report an exceptionally high LiCl/MgCl 2 selectivity of 750:1. Salts with similar valence (LiCl and NaCl; MgCl 2 and CaCl 2 ) have similar transport properties. The high monovalent/divalent selectivity arises from differences in both sorption and diffusion, with a LiCl/MgCl 2 solubility selectivity of about 11 and a diffusivity selectivity of about 70. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations show that ions tend to reside in isolated clusters of water. Increasing ion charge strengthens ion–water interactions relative to ion–polymer interactions, explaining the reduced sorption of divalent ions. Diffusion of ions through the membrane occurs via hop-like motion between water clusters. Lithium diffuses faster than magnesium due to weaker ion–water coordination for lithium, which allows for greater mobility within water clusters and more frequent hopping. Altogether, our atomistic simulations suggest that the high LiCl/MgCl 2 selectivity is linked to cellulose acetate’s high water/salt selectivity and is a consequence of low water content and relatively uniform water distribution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

A synergistic approach to improve the cellulose nanofibril dispersion in poly(lactic acid) composites as feedstocks for extrusion-based additive manufacturing

Hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer composites (HFRPs) are multifunctional materials that bear more than one characteristic benefit. In this study, hybrid cellulose fibers, e.g., pulp fiber (PF) and cellulose nanofibril (CNF), were used for reinforcing poly(lactic acid) (PLA). A synergistic approach was applied to disperse CNF. The low-surface-tension solvent (ethanol), together with PF templating, assisted the dispersion of CNF in PLA. The HFRP achieved a higher tensile strength (∼70 MPa, 29% increase from PLA) and modulus (∼7 GPa, 46% increase from PLA), as well as a higher heat deflection temperature (∼60℃, 6℃ increase compared to neat PLA), compared to single-reinforcement FRPs. Additionally, the formulation was demonstrated to be potentially suitable for large-scale additive manufacturing.

Bista, Bivek [University of Maine]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Techno-economic analysis of sugarcane bagasse and straw conversion into cellulosic ethanol via consolidated bioprocessing

Cellulosic biofuels offer a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and a means to mitigate climate change. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) featuring engineered thermophilic bacteria, combined with mechanical disruption during fermentation (cotreatment), has potential to lower production costs compared to featuring thermochemical pretreatment and added cellulase. A techno-economic analysis was conducted (230 million L ethanol/year) from sugarcane bagasse and straw at stand-alone facilities generating electricity from residues. Three scenarios were evaluated: Conventional, featuring hydrothermal pretreatment, fungal cellulase, and yeast fermentation (current commercial standard); Mid-term CBP, relying on bagasse solubilization without pretreatment or cotreatment; and Mature CBP, incorporating cotreatment but no pretreatment. Results for these scenarios in this order were: fixed capital investment (CapEx) $\$$589M, $\$$658M, and $\$$472M; net annual revenue (EBITDA) $\$$56M, $\$$96M, and $\$$94M; and minimum ethanol selling price 0.73, 0.61, and 0.48 US$\$$/L. Payback periods were 10.5, 6.9, and 5.1 years, while all scenarios showed <5 years at European prices for scales >100M L/year. Sensitivity and risk analysis highlighted ethanol price as the most critical variable. It is notable that Mid-term CBP had shorter payback times and better overall economic feasibility compared to Conventional. Our results underscore opportunities for research-driven innovation on low-cost cellulosic ethanol technologies in Brazil and elsewhere.

Consolidated bioprocessing↗
DOE OSTI2024

Solvent-Dependent Dynamics of Cellulose Nanocrystals in Process-Relevant Flow Fields

Flow-assisted alignment of anisotropic nanoparticles is a promising route for the bottom-up assembly of advanced materials with tunable properties. While aligning processes could be optimized by controlling factors such as solvent viscosity, flow deformation, and the structure of the particles themselves, it is necessary to understand the relationship between these factors and their effect on the final orientation. In this study, we investigated the flow of surface-charged cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with the shape of a rigid rod dispersed in water and propylene glycol (PG) in an isotropic tactoid state. In situ scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and rheo-optical flow-stop experiments were used to quantify the dynamics, orientation, and structure of the assigned system at the nanometer scale. The effects of both shear and extensional flow fields were revealed in a single experiment by using a flow-focusing channel geometry, which was used as a model flow for nanomaterial assembly. Due to the higher solvent viscosity, CNCs in PG showed much slower Brownian dynamics than CNCs in water and thus could be aligned at lower deformation rates. Moreover, CNCs in PG also formed a characteristic tactoid structure but with less ordering than CNCs in water owing to weaker electrostatic interactions. The results indicate that CNCs in water stay assembled in the mesoscale structure at moderate deformation rates but are broken up at higher flow rates, enhancing rotary diffusion and leading to lower overall alignment. Albeit being a study of cellulose nanoparticles, the fundamental interplay between imposed flow fields, Brownian motion, and electrostatic interactions likely apply to many other anisotropic colloidal systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lignin Removal in Subcellular Location of Poplar Cell Wall During Pretreatment Significantly Impacts Cellulose Digestibility

The γ-valerolactone (GVL) pretreatment is one of the leading solvent-based methods for producing high-quality lignin under mild conditions. However, the glucan conversion yield from GVL pretreated biomass remains unsatisfactory. To explore the discrepancies between the relatively low glucan conversion and high lignin extraction, we conducted GVL−HCl and NaOH pretreatments on poplar and investigated their effects on lignin content and location, as well as on enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar cell walls at the subcellular level. Under designated pretreatment conditions of GVL−HCl (90% GVL, 0.1 M HCl, 100 °C, 1 h) and NaOH (1 M, 121 °C, 2 h), the glucan conversion yields were 69.4% and 95.8%, with lignin removal rates of 67.8% and 47.7%, respectively. Four types of GFP-labeled carbohydrate binding modules were used to identify different forms of cellulose in the pretreated cell walls. The overall binding intensities to pretreated poplar were stronger for NaOH compared to GVL−HCl pretreatment. Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy imaging revealed that GVL−HCl preferentially extracted lignin from the compound middle lamella and cell corner areas, while NaOH effectively dissolved lignin in the secondary cell walls. Real-time imaging of cellulase degradation of pretreated cell walls further indicated that digestion started from both the cell lumen and the compound middle lamella areas for GVL, whereas it occurred uniformly across the secondary cell walls for NaOH. Our findings suggest that the location of lignin removal during pretreatment is crucial for enzymatic cellulose degradation, in addition to the total amount of lignin extraction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Large-scale spatially explicit analysis of carbon capture at cellulosic biorefineries

The large-scale production of cellulosic biofuels would involve spatially distributed systems including biomass fields, logistics networks and biorefineries. Better understanding of the interactions between landscape-related decisions and the design of biorefineries with carbon capture and storage (CCS) in a supply chain context is needed to enable efficient systems. Here we analyse the cost and greenhouse gas mitigation potential for cellulosic biofuel supply chains in the US Midwest using realistic spatially explicit land availability and crop productivity data and consider fuel conversion technologies with detailed CCS design for their associated CO 2 streams. Optimization methods identify trade-offs and design strategies leading to systems with attractive environmental and economic performance. Strategic and operational decisions depend on underlying spatial features and are sensitive to biofuel demand and CCS incentives. US CCS incentives neglect to motivate greenhouse gas mitigation from all supply chain emission sources, which leverage spatial interactions between CCS, electricity prices and the biomass landscape.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A biomass pretreatment using cellulose-derived solvent Cyrene

Despite only recently becoming available in the quantities required for solvent usage, the cellulose-derived solvent, named Cyrene, has gained significant attention in green chemistry in recent years. To fulfill the sustainability criteria of future biorefineries, a novel renewable biomass pretreatment using Cyrene and water was developed for the first time. Results showed that Cyrene has high potential as a green pretreatment solvent in terms of lignin fractionation/recovery and sugar release in the follow-up enzymatic hydrolysis. The mechanism of this pretreatment was revealed by investigating the structural characteristics of pretreated biomass, and the recovered lignin was also fully characterized to assess its valorization potential. Results indicated that Cyrene pretreatment could be performed at a mild condition (120 °C) to reduce the lignin condensation and the cleavage of β-O-4 linkages without compromising lignin removal and the following sugar platform. The successful utilization of this cellulose-derived solvent in pretreatment will further contribute to the realization of a “closed-loop” biorefinery process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Synthesis of (hemi)cellulosic lubricant base oils via catalytic coupling and deoxygenation pathways

The past decade has witnessed a significant growth in bioproduct development due to the strong interest in creating a more diverse energy supply, environmental sustainability, and a carbon neutral bioeconomy. The initial biorefinery strategy, which focused mainly on the production of low carbon number drop-in bioproducts, has recently shifted its focus on the production of high carbon number and high performance bioproducts with unique properties and value propositions. One such product is lubricant base oil (LBO), which represents over $150 billion global lubricant market and is used for various industrial, automotive, marine, metal-working, consumer, and specialized applications. The application landscape of lubricants has changed significantly over the past decade because of environmental regulations and the growing demand for sustainable lubricants to mitigate regulatory challenges and improve carbon footprint. Currently, only 3% LBOs are produced from bio-based triglycerides/fatty acids. Because of low oxidation stability and high hydrolytic susceptibility, these bio-based LBOs have limited applications. Thus, research and development and commercialization efforts for (hemi)cellulosic LBOs to meet the market demand have received momentum over the past few years. This review describes strategies to produce (hemi)cellulosic LBOs via carbon–carbon coupling and hydrodeoxygenation chemistries. We emphasize the coupling strategies to create LBOs with a branched architecture to surrogate petroleum-based poly-α-olefins. Here, a structure–property relationship for tuning the key specifications of LBOs as a function of molecular architecture is illustrated. Mechanistic understanding and molecular interactions of multi-furan substrates with the active sites of complex multifunctional catalysts are described. Furthermore, techno-economic and life-cycle analysis is summarized along with standing challenges and future opportunities.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Flexible, transparent, and sustainable cellulose-based films for organic solar cell substrates

Cellulose, often considered a highly promising substitute for petroleum-based plastics, offers several compelling advantages, including abundant availability, cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. However, its inherent highly crystalline structure and extensive hydrogen-bonded network pose challenges for processing and recycling. Here, in this study, we introduce the concept of cellulose vitrimers (CVs), wherein dynamic bonds are incorporated to reconfigure the hydrogen-bonded network, resulting in a mechanically robust, highly transparent material. CVs exhibit exceptional malleability, thermal stability, and noteworthy resistance to water and solvents. Due to the dynamic bond disassociation, CVs can be effectively chemically recycled using a well-established “dissolution-and-reforming” process. Moreover, CVs have proven successful as flexible substrate materials for organic solar cells, outperforming traditional petroleum-based polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). Given these advantages, CVs have the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based materials as recyclable and environmentally friendly alternatives, particularly within the realm of electronic devices and displays.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗