Synthesis and characterization of cationic carbon black pigment with quaternary ammonium groups and its dyeing properties for wool fabrics

Features correlated to improved enzymatic digestibility of corn stover subjected to alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment

As one of the leading pretreatment approaches, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment can enhance the enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulose significantly. In this study, the glucan conversion of AHP pretreated corn stover (CS) without and with water-wash were 28.4% and 50.0% higher than that of raw material, respectively. In order to systematically understand its mechanism, analyses of the features of AHP pretreated and raw CS, such as specific surface area, crystallinity, zeta potential, water holding capacity and swelling capacity and others were performed. The weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the sugars in the hydrolysate and the particle size distribution of the hydrolysis residue were also analyzed. These results explained why AHP-CS was more conducive to enzymatic hydrolysis. The deeper reason was that the removal of lignin and the destruction of hydrogen bonds within cellulose and hemicellulose increased the accessibility of cellulose and reduced the non-productive adsorption of cellulase, which significantly improved the enzymatic digestibility.

Preparation and Characterization of Self-Dispersing Phthalocyanine Blue 15:4 Pigment for Dyeing of Wool Textiles

A self-dispersing pigment was produced by a diazonium coupling reaction; the pigment reacted with aromatic diazonium salts which were generated by the reaction of p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid and sodium nitrite. The surface of the pigment particles was negatively charged due to sulfonic acid groups on the pigment surface. The pigment particle size and zeta potential were, respectively, 134.5 nm and −45.4 mV at neutral pH. The wool surface was positively charged by adjusting the pH; then the anionic self-dispersing pigment dyed the cationic wool. The results show that self-dispersing pigment can adhere well without a binder, and that the K/S value is closely related to pH, dyeing time, and the amount of pigment. The color fastness of the wool was good and the light fastness of the wool was grade 5, which is better than acid dyes. Self-dispersing pigments are potential candidates for dyeing high-weather-resistance textiles.