Thermal Characteristics and Kinetics of Waste Camellia oleifera Shells by TG-GC/MS

Infrared Spectrum Characteristics and Quantification of OH Groups in Coal

The KBr pellet press method for detecting the infrared spectrum of coal is one of the commonly used methods for analyzing the types and content of functional groups in coal. However, KBr crystalline water or moisture has a significant impact on the peak position, peak shape, and peak area of the organic O-H based stretching vibration wave in coal. In this paper, the theoretical characteristics of infrared spectra of phenols and alcohols have been simulated and analyzed using the Gaussian 16 series of programs. Four infrared spectral analysis techniques, in situ infrared, KBr pellet press, dry KBr pellet press, and paste methods, have been used to detect the infrared spectra of coal. The results show that the stretching vibration peaks of free O-H radicals without hydrogen bonding are located between 3700 and 3600 cm^-1. After the O-H form hydrogen bonds with each other, the O-H stretching vibration frequency moves toward the low frequency direction, and the lower the wavenumber, the more O-H content. The conventional KBr gasket manufacturing process will absorb moisture in the air to interfere with the hydroxyl absorption peak of coal, and the experimental process requires absolute drying. The relative content of hydroxyl in coal can be compared and analyzed based on the peak position, peak shape, and peak area of the hydroxyl stretching vibration wave. Quantitative analysis of hydroxyl groups in coal also requires combination of elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The Simultaneous Production of Two Distinct Types of Cellulose Nanocrystals

We develop a route to prepare two types of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs, CNC1 and CNC2) from a unique biomass resource, the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera Abel (SCOA), by integrating sulfuric acid hydrolysis and high-pressure homogenization and examine the effects of hydrolysis time on characteristics of the CNCs during the process. The CNCs exhibit different evolutions in size, morphology, surface charge, and crystallinity with increasing hydrolysis time. While both the CNCs have high crystallinity, CNC1 is of rod-like character with a relatively low aspect ratio, and CNC2 exhibits a hairy appearance with a high aspect ratio. We highlight that controlled acid hydrolysis contributes to the formation of weak spots with an increased susceptibility for homogenizing cellulosic solid residues into hairy CNCs. This is a good step toward tailoring CNC properties in a conventional and scalable approach to maximize their potential applications.

Kinetics and Thermodynamic Analysis of Recent and Ancient Buried Phoebe zhennan Wood

Kinetics and thermogravimetric analysis of recent Phoebe zhennan wood (RZ) and ancient buried P. zhennan wood (ABZ) were investigated under a nitrogen atmosphere at different heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 K/min. The activation energy values were estimated based on the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa model-free method, and then, the Coats-Redfern model-fitting method was used to predict the reaction mechanism. The best model of RZ for regions 1 and 2 was based on the diffusional and reaction order (second-order) mechanism, respectively, while a diffusional (Jander equation) mechanism is the best model for ABZ. The change in enthalpy and activation energy of the RZ was lower than that of the ABZ at different conversion rates. When the conversion rate was less than 0.4, the RZ may require lower thermal decomposition reaction energy, but the overall energy of thermal decomposition reactions and the degree of disorder was not much different.