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Sample records for alkaline direct ethanol

  1. Ethanol tolerant precious metal free cathode catalyst for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimmer, Ilena; Zorn, Paul; Weinberger, Stephan; Grimmer, Christoph; Pichler, Birgit; Cermenek, Bernd; Gebetsroither, Florian; Schenk, Alexander; Mautner, Franz-Andreas

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Selective ORR catalysts are presented for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells. • Perovskite based cathode catalysts show high tolerance toward ethanol. • A membrane-free alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell is presented. - Abstract: La 0.7 Sr 0.3 (Fe 0.2 Co 0.8 )O 3 and La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 −based cathode catalysts are synthesized by the sol-gel method. These perovskite cathode catalysts are tested in half cell configuration and compared to MnO 2 as reference material in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFCs). The best performing cathode is tested in single cell setup using a standard carbon supported Pt 0.4 Ru 0.2 based anode. A backside Luggin capillary is used in order to register the anode potential during all measurements. Characteristic processes of the electrodes are investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Physical characterizations of the perovskite based cathode catalysts are performed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by X-ray diffraction showing phase pure materials. In half cell setup, La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 shows the highest tolerance toward ethanol with a performance of 614 mA cm −2 at 0.65 V vs. RHE in 6 M KOH and 1 M EtOH at RT. This catalyst outperforms the state-of-the-art precious metal-free MnO 2 catalyst in presence of ethanol. In fuel cell setup, the peak power density is 27.6 mW cm −2 at a cell voltage of 0.345 V and a cathode potential of 0.873 V vs. RHE.

  2. Palladium-based electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moraes, Leticia Poras Reis de; Amico, Sandro Campos; Malfatti, Celia de Fraga, E-mail: leticiamoraes@usp.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre (Brazil); Matos, Bruno R.; Santiago, Elisabete Inacio; Fonseca, Fabio Coral [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2016-07-01

    Full text: Direct ethanol fuel cells require adequate electrocatalysts to promote the carbon carbon cleavage of ethanol molecule. Typical electrocatalysts are based on platinum, which have shown improved activity in acidic media. However, Pt-based catalysts have high cost and are easily deactivated by CO poisoning. Therefore, novel catalysts have been developed, and among then, palladium-based materials have shown promising results for the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. The present study reports on the performance of alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC) by using carbon-supported Pd, PdSn, PdNi, and PdNiSn produced by impregnation-reduction of the metallic precursors. The effect of chemical functionalization by acid treatment of the carbon support (Vulcan) was investigated. The electrocatalysts were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-rays diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and ADEFC tests. TGA measurements of functionalized Vulcan evidenced the characteristic weight losses attributed to the presence of surface functional groups due to the acid treatment. A high degree of alloying between Pd and Sn was inferred from XRD data, whereas in both PdNi and PdNiSn, Ni occurs mostly segregated in the oxide form. TEM analyses indicated agglomeration of Pd and PdSn particles, whereas a more uniform particle distribution was observed for PdNi and PdNiSn samples. CV curves showed that the peak potential for the oxidation of ethanol shifts towards negative values for all samples supported on functionalized Vulcan indicating that ethanol oxidation is facilitated. Microstructural and electrochemical features were confirmed by ADEFC tests, which revealed that the highest open circuit voltage and maximum power density were achieved for PdNiSn electrocatalysts supported on functionalized Vulcan with uniform particle distribution and improved triple phase boundaries. (author)

  3. Palladium-based electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, Leticia Poras Reis de; Amico, Sandro Campos; Malfatti, Celia de Fraga; Matos, Bruno R.; Santiago, Elisabete Inacio; Fonseca, Fabio Coral

    2016-01-01

    Full text: Direct ethanol fuel cells require adequate electrocatalysts to promote the carbon carbon cleavage of ethanol molecule. Typical electrocatalysts are based on platinum, which have shown improved activity in acidic media. However, Pt-based catalysts have high cost and are easily deactivated by CO poisoning. Therefore, novel catalysts have been developed, and among then, palladium-based materials have shown promising results for the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. The present study reports on the performance of alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC) by using carbon-supported Pd, PdSn, PdNi, and PdNiSn produced by impregnation-reduction of the metallic precursors. The effect of chemical functionalization by acid treatment of the carbon support (Vulcan) was investigated. The electrocatalysts were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-rays diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and ADEFC tests. TGA measurements of functionalized Vulcan evidenced the characteristic weight losses attributed to the presence of surface functional groups due to the acid treatment. A high degree of alloying between Pd and Sn was inferred from XRD data, whereas in both PdNi and PdNiSn, Ni occurs mostly segregated in the oxide form. TEM analyses indicated agglomeration of Pd and PdSn particles, whereas a more uniform particle distribution was observed for PdNi and PdNiSn samples. CV curves showed that the peak potential for the oxidation of ethanol shifts towards negative values for all samples supported on functionalized Vulcan indicating that ethanol oxidation is facilitated. Microstructural and electrochemical features were confirmed by ADEFC tests, which revealed that the highest open circuit voltage and maximum power density were achieved for PdNiSn electrocatalysts supported on functionalized Vulcan with uniform particle distribution and improved triple phase boundaries. (author)

  4. MONITORING REACTIONS IN ALKALINE DIRECT ETHANOL FUEL CELLS ASSEMBLED WITH NON-PT-CATALYST

    OpenAIRE

    Gülzow, Erich; Beyer, Monique; Friedrich, K. Andreas; Pengel, Stefanie; Fischer, Peter; Bettermann, Hans

    2011-01-01

    This contribution shows how Raman spectroscopy can be used to pursue chemical reactions within fuel cells. For this, the oxidation of ethanol occurring in an alkaline direct ethanolic fuel cell was investigated. The analysis of a sequence of Raman spectra recorded during the reaction shows that ethanol was solely oxidized to acetate in a unique reaction.

  5. Transport phenomena in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells for sustainable energy production

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, L.; Zhao, T. S.

    2017-02-01

    Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFC), which convert the chemical energy stored in ethanol directly into electricity, are one of the most promising energy-conversion devices for portable, mobile and stationary power applications, primarily because this type of fuel cell runs on a carbon-neutral, sustainable fuel and the electrocatalytic and membrane materials that constitute the cell are relatively inexpensive. As a result, the alkaline DEFC technology has undergone a rapid progress over the last decade. This article provides a comprehensive review of transport phenomena of various species in this fuel cell system. The past investigations into how the design and structural parameters of membrane electrode assemblies and the operating parameters affect the fuel cell performance are discussed. In addition, future perspectives and challenges with regard to transport phenomena in this fuel cell system are also highlighted.

  6. A micro alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell with platinum-free catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verjulio, R. W.; Alcaide, F.; Álvarez, G.; Sabaté, N.; Torres-Herrero, N.; Esquivel, J. P.; Santander, J.

    2013-11-01

    This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of a micro alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell. The device has been conceived as a feasibility demonstrator, using microtechnologies for the fabrication of the current collectors and traditional techniques for the membrane electrode assembly production. The fuel cell works in passive mode, as expected for the simplicity required for micro power systems. Non-noble catalysts have been used in order to implement the main advantage of alkaline systems, showing the feasibility of such a device as a potential very-low-cost power device at mini- and micro scales.

  7. A micro alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell with platinum-free catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verjulio, R W; Sabaté, N; Torres-Herrero, N; Esquivel, J P; Santander, J; Alcaide, F; Álvarez, G

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of a micro alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell. The device has been conceived as a feasibility demonstrator, using microtechnologies for the fabrication of the current collectors and traditional techniques for the membrane electrode assembly production. The fuel cell works in passive mode, as expected for the simplicity required for micro power systems. Non-noble catalysts have been used in order to implement the main advantage of alkaline systems, showing the feasibility of such a device as a potential very-low-cost power device at mini- and micro scales. (paper)

  8. Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell performance using alkali-impregnated polyvinyl alcohol/functionalized carbon nano-tube solid electrolytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chien-Yi; Lin, Jia-Shiun; Pan, Wen-Han; Shih, Chao-Ming; Liu, Ying-Ling; Lue, Shingjiang Jessie

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the application of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/functionalized carbon nano-tubes (m-CNTs) composite in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFC). The m-CNTs are functionalized with PVA using the ozone mediation method, and the PVA composite containing the modified CNTs is prepared. Adding m-CNT into the PVA matrix enhances the alkaline uptake and the ionic conductivity of the KOH-doped electrolyte. Meanwhile, the m-CNT-containing membrane exhibited a lower swelling ratio and suppressed ethanol permeability compared to the pristine PVA film. The optimal condition for the ADEFC is determined to be under operation at an anode feed of 3 M ethanol in a 5 M KOH solution (at a flow rate of 5 cm3 min-1) with a cathode feed of moisturized oxygen (with a flow rate of 100 cm3 min-1) and the KOH-doped PVA/m-CNT electrolyte. We achieved a peak power density value of 65 mW cm-2 at 60 °C, which is the highest among the ADEFC literature data and several times higher than the proton-exchange direct ethanol fuel cells using sulfonated membrane electrolytes. Therefore, the KOH-doped PVA/m-CNT electrolyte is a suitable solid electrolyte for ADEFCs and has potential for commercialization in alkaline fuel cell applications.

  9. High performance nano-Ni/Graphite electrode for electro-oxidation in direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soliman, Ahmed B.; Abdel-Samad, Hesham S.; Abdel Rehim, Sayed S.; Ahmed, Mohamed A.; Hassan, Hamdy H.

    2016-09-01

    Ni/Graphite electrocatalysts (Ni/G) are successfully prepared through electrodeposition of Ni from acidic (pH = 0.8) and feebly acidic (pH = 5.5) aqueous Ni (II) baths. The efficiencies of such electrodes are investigated as anodes for direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells through their ethanol electrooxidation cyclic voltammetric (CV) response in alkaline medium. A direct proportionality between the amount of the electrodeposited Ni and its CV response is found. The amounts of the deposited Ni from the two baths are recorded using the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (eQCM). The Ni/G electrodes prepared from the feebly acidic bath show a higher electrocatalytic response than those prepared from the acidic bath. Surface morphology of the Ni particles electrodeposited from feebly acidic bath appears in a nano-scale dimension. Various electrochemical experiments are conducted to confirm that the Ni/G ethanol electrooxidation CV response greatly depends on the pH rather than nickel ion concentration of the deposition bath. The eQCM technique is used to detect the crystalline phases of nickel as α-Ni(OH)2/γ-NiOOH and β-Ni(OH)2/β-NiOOH and their in-situ inter-transformations during the potentiodynamic polarization.

  10. Multi-layer membrane model for mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell using an alkaline anion exchange membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahrami, Hafez; Faghri, Amir

    2012-11-01

    A one-dimensional, isothermal, single-phase model is presented to investigate the mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell incorporating an alkaline anion exchange membrane. The electrochemistry is analytically solved and the closed-form solution is provided for two limiting cases assuming Tafel expressions for both oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation. A multi-layer membrane model is proposed to properly account for the diffusive and electroosmotic transport of ethanol through the membrane. The fundamental differences in fuel crossover for positive and negative electroosmotic drag coefficients are discussed. It is found that ethanol crossover is significantly reduced upon using an alkaline anion exchange membrane instead of a proton exchange membrane, especially at current densities higher than 500 A m

  11. Investigation of an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell with non Pt-catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beyer, M.; Guelzow, E.; Uhm, S. [DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Stuttgart (Germany). Inst. fuer Technische Thermodynamik

    2010-07-01

    This paper focuses on the characterisation of an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC). Ethanol and for comparison also methanol was fed to the anode in a caustic potash solution at different concentrations and temperatures. An anion exchange membrane (Tokuyama) sandwiched between two Hypermec electrodes (Acta SpA.) was investigated in a single cell. Current-voltage-measurements (U(I) characteristics), short term operation under load, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and pH recording were carried out to characterize fuel cell performance. The long term objective is to investigate the mechanism of ethanol electro oxidation reaction (EOR). 18 mW/cm{sup 2} was reached at room temperature with a technically oriented 50 cm{sup 2} cell with ethanol. However, poor long term stability under load of the fuel cell is observed. Furthermore in the U(I) characteristics a negative hysteresis is present in the forward and backward scan at room temperature which indicates poisoning intermediates of electrode reactions. A pH decline appears during operation indicating a development of either acetic acid or acetates or acetaldehyde as main products of the ethanol oxidation, which may be responsible for rate decrease of ethanol oxidation with time. EIS measurement shows an increased membrane resistance. (orig.)

  12. Electrochemical kinetic and mass transfer model for direct ethanol alkaline fuel cell (DEAFC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, S.; Kamarudin, S. K.; Hasran, U. A.; Masdar, M. S.; Daud, W. R. W.

    2016-07-01

    A mathematical model is developed for a liquid-feed DEAFC incorporating an alkaline anion-exchange membrane. The one-dimensional mass transport of chemical species is modelled using isothermal, single-phase and steady-state assumptions. The anode and cathode electrochemical reactions use the Tafel kinetics approach, with two limiting cases, for the reaction order. The model fully accounts for the mixed potential effects of ethanol oxidation at the cathode due to ethanol crossover via an alkaline anion-exchange membrane. In contrast to a polymer electrolyte membrane model, the current model considers the flux of ethanol at the membrane as the difference between diffusive and electroosmotic effects. The model is used to investigate the effects of the ethanol and alkali inlet feed concentrations at the anode. The model predicts that the cell performance is almost identical for different ethanol concentrations at a low current density. Moreover, the model results show that feeding the DEAFC with 5 M NaOH and 3 M ethanol at specific operating conditions yields a better performance at a higher current density. Furthermore, the model indicates that crossover effects on the DEAFC performance are significant. The cell performance decrease from its theoretical value when a parasitic current is enabled in the model.

  13. Carbon supported Pd-Ni and Pd-Ru-Ni nanocatalysts for the alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Modibedi, M

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available be improved by operating DAFCs in alkaline medium. Moreover, catalyst materials that are much cheaper and more abundant than Pt can be used for ethanol electro-oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions in alkaline DAFCs. Furthermore, the alkaline DAFCs use...

  14. Palladium and palladium-tin supported on multi wall carbon nanotubes or carbon for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geraldes, Adriana Napoleão; Furtunato da Silva, Dionisio; Martins da Silva, Júlio César; Antonio de Sá, Osvaldo; Spinacé, Estevam Vitório; Neto, Almir Oliveira; Coelho dos Santos, Mauro

    2015-02-01

    Pd and PdSn (Pd:Sn atomic ratios of 90:10), supported on Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) or Carbon (C), are prepared by an electron beam irradiation reduction method. The obtained materials are characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Transmission electron Microscopy (TEM) and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). The activity for ethanol electro-oxidation is tested in alkaline medium, at room temperature, using Cyclic Voltammetry and Chronoamperometry (CA) and in a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC), in the temperature range of 60-90 °C. CV analysis finds that Pd/MWCNT and PdSn/MWCNT presents onset potentials changing to negative values and high current values, compared to Pd/C and PdSn/C electrocatalysts. ATR-FTIR analysis, performed during the CV, identifies acetate and acetaldehyde as principal products formed during the ethanol electro-oxidation, with low conversion to CO2. In single fuel cell tests, at 85 °C, using 2.0 mol L-1 ethanol in 2.0 mol L-1 KOH solutions, the electrocatalysts supported on MWCNT, also, show higher power densities, compared to the materials supported on carbon: PdSn/MWCNT, presents the best result (36 mW cm-2). The results show that the use of MWCNT, instead of carbon, as support, plus the addition of small amounts of Sn to Pd, improves the electrocatalytic activity for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction (EOR).

  15. Electrooxidation of 2-propanol compared ethanol on Pd electrode in alkaline medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Yuzhi; Xu, Changwei; Liu, Zhaoqing [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Liu, Jianping [Dongguan Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Dongguan 511700 (China)

    2009-10-20

    Here, the oxidation activity of 2-propanol compared ethanol on Pd electrode has been studied in alkaline medium. We have used the amount of coulombs (coulometry) and apparent activation energy (E{sub a}) to measure the activity of alcohol electrooxidation. The amount of coulombs during alcohol electrooxidation for 2-propanol is much higher than that of ethanol showing that 2-propanol is more easily electrochemically oxidized than ethanol. The E{sub a} values of 2-propanol are lower than that of ethanol at the potential from -0.45 to -0.375 V which is usually used in direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) indicating that 2-propanol shows better electrooxidation activity than ethanol. (author)

  16. On the Use of Potential Denaturing Agents for Ethanol in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Domnik Bayer; Florina Jung; Birgit Kintzel; Martin Joos; Carsten Cremers; Dierk Martin; Jörg Bernard; Jens Tübke

    2011-01-01

    Acidic or alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) can be a sustainable alternative for power generation if they are fuelled with bio-ethanol. However, in order to keep the fuel cheap, ethanol has to be exempted from tax on spirits by denaturing. In this investigation the potential denaturing agents fusel oil, tert-butyl ethyl ether, and Bitrex were tested with regard to their compatibility with fuel cells. Experiments were carried out both in sulphuric acid and potassium hydroxide solution...

  17. Methanol and ethanol electrooxidation on Pt and Pd supported on carbon microspheres in alkaline media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Changwei; Cheng, Liqiang; Liu, Yingliang [Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Shen, Peikang [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

    2007-05-15

    Noble metal (Pt, Pd) electrocatalysts supported on carbon microspheres (CMS) are used for methanol and ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. The results show that noble metal electrocatalysts supported on carbon microspheres give better performance than that supported on carbon black. It is well known that palladium is not a good electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation, but it shows excellently higher activity and better steady-state electrolysis than Pt for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The results show a synergistic effect by the interaction between Pd and carbon microspheres. The Pd supported on carbon microspheres in this paper possesses excellent electrocatalytic properties and may be of great potential in direct ethanol fuel cells. (author)

  18. On the Use of Potential Denaturing Agents for Ethanol in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domnik Bayer

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Acidic or alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs can be a sustainable alternative for power generation if they are fuelled with bio-ethanol. However, in order to keep the fuel cheap, ethanol has to be exempted from tax on spirits by denaturing. In this investigation the potential denaturing agents fusel oil, tert-butyl ethyl ether, and Bitrex were tested with regard to their compatibility with fuel cells. Experiments were carried out both in sulphuric acid and potassium hydroxide solution. Beside, basic electrochemical tests, differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS and fuel cell tests were conducted. It was found that fusel oil is not suitable as denaturing agent for DEFC. However, tert-butyl ethyl ether does not seem to hinder the ethanol conversion as much. Finally, a mixture of tert-butyl ethyl ether and Bitrex can be proposed as promising candidate as denaturing agent for use in acidic and alkaline DEFC.

  19. Hydroxide Self-Feeding High-Temperature Alkaline Direct Formate Fuel Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yinshi; Sun, Xianda; Feng, Ying

    2017-05-22

    Conventionally, both the thermal degradation of the anion-exchange membrane and the requirement of additional hydroxide for fuel oxidation reaction hinder the development of the high-temperature alkaline direct liquid fuel cells. The present work addresses these two issues by reporting a polybenzimidazole-membrane-based direct formate fuel cell (DFFC). Theoretically, the cell voltage of the high-temperature alkaline DFFC can be as high as 1.45 V at 90 °C. It has been demonstrated that a proof-of-concept alkaline DFFC without adding additional hydroxide yields a peak power density of 20.9 mW cm -2 , an order of magnitude higher than both alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells and alkaline direct methanol fuel cells, mainly because the hydrolysis of formate provides enough OH - ions for formate oxidation reaction. It was also found that this hydroxide self-feeding high-temperature alkaline DFFC shows a stable 100 min constant-current discharge at 90 °C, proving the conceptual feasibility. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Carbon supported Pd-Ni and Pd-Ru-Ni nanocatalysts for the alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mathe, MK

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Carbon supported Pd-Ni and Pd-Ru-Ni nanocatalysts were prepared by the chemical reduction method, using sodium borohydride and ethylene glycol mixture as the reducing agent. The catalytic activity towards ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium...

  1. Manganese Dioxide Coated Graphene Nanoribbons Supported Palladium Nanoparticles as an Efficient Catalyst for Ethanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Qi; Jiang, Kun; Fan, Jinchen; Lin, Yan; Min, Yulin; Xu, Qunjie; Cai, Wen-Bin

    2016-01-01

    Design of appropriate supporting materials is an alternative route to yield efficient Pt-free catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction, which in practice may determine the conversion efficiency of direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells. In this work, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) coated with MnO_2 are used as a unique supporting material for loading and dispersing Pd nanoparticles. XRD, TEM and XPS are applied to characterize the structure of as-synthesized Pd/MnO_2/GNRs nanocomposite catalyst, revealing a good dispersion as well as a modification of electronic property of Pd nanoparticles. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the as-synthesized nanocomposite displays largely enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability toward ethanol oxidation in alkaline media as compared to the other tested Pd-based catalysts with various supports.

  2. Electrocatalytic activity and operational stability of electrodeposited Pd-Co films towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline electrolytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsui, Lok-kun; Zafferoni, Claudio; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Innocenti, Massimo; Vizza, Francesco; Zangari, Giovanni

    2015-10-01

    Direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are usually run with Pd anodic catalysts, but their performance can be improved by utilizing alloys of Pd and Co. The oxyphilic Co serves to supply ample -OH to the ethanol oxidation reaction, accelerating the rate limiting step at low overpotential under alkaline conditions. Pd-Co films with compositions between 20 and 80 at% Co can be prepared by electrodeposition from a NH3 complexing electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the ethanol oxidation peak exhibits increasing current density with increasing Co content, reaching a maximum at 77% Co. In contrast, potentiostatic measurements under conditions closer to fuel cell operating conditions show that a 50 at% Co alloy has the highest performance. Importantly, the Co-Pd film is also found to undergo phase and morphological transformations during ethanol oxidation, resulting in a change from a compact film to high surface area flake-like structures containing Co3O4 and CoOOH; such a transformation instead is not observed when operating at a constant potential of 0.7 VRHE.

  3. Membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells: An overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakaria, Z.; Kamarudin, S.K.; Timmiati, S.N.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • DEFCs have emerged as alternative energy source. • But many issue need to be addressed. • This paper describes current problem and advancement of membrane in DEFC. - Abstract: Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are attractive as a power source options because ethanol is a nontoxic, leading to ease of handling and a high energy density fuel, leading to high system energy density. However, to provide practical DEFCs power source there are several issues that still must be addressed including low power density, effect of ethanol crossover on efficiency of fuel utilization, electrical, mechanical and thermal stability and water uptake of the DEFCs electrolyte membrane. This paper describes the proton exchange membrane and alkaline exchange membrane for DEFCs, focusing on current problems and advancements in DEFC membranes. It also presents the specifications and performances of the membranes used in DEFC.

  4. Hollow raspberry-like PdAg alloy nanospheres: High electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Cheng; Hu, Yongli; Liu, Mingrui; Zheng, Yixiong

    2015-03-01

    Palladium-silver (PdAg) alloy nanospheres with unique structure were prepared using a one-pot procedure based on the galvanic replacement reaction. Their electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media was evaluated. The morphology and crystal structure of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical characterization techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements were used to analyze the electrochemical performance of the PdAg alloy nanospheres. The SEM and TEM images showed that the PdAg alloy nanospheres exhibit a hierarchical nanostructure with hollow interiors and porous walls. Compared to the commercial Pd/C catalyst, the as-prepared PdAg alloy nanospheres exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity and stability towards ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media, showing its potential as a new non-Pt electro-catalyst for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs).

  5. Ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium using Pd/c and PdRh/C electrocatalysts prepared by electron beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Pino, Eddy Segura; Spinace, Estevam Vitorio; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Linardi, Marcelo

    2013-01-01

    In this study, carbon-supported Pd (Pd/C) and bimetallic PdRh (Pd:Rh 90:10 atomic ratio) (PdRh/C) electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The morphology and composition of the obtained materials were characterized by Cyclic voltammetry (VC), Chronoamperometry (CA), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalytic activities of the electrocatalysts toward the ethanol electro-oxidation were evaluated in alkaline medium in a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC), in a range temperature of 50 to 85 deg C. The best performances were obtained at 85 deg C (25 mW.cm -2 ) and 75 deg C (38 mW.cm -2 ) for Pd/C and PdRh/C electrocatalysts, respectively. The XRD of the PdRh/C electrocatalyst showed the presence of Pd-rich (fcc) phase. CV and CA experiments showed that PdRh/C electrocatalyst demonstrated superior activity toward ethanol electro-oxidation at room temperature, compared to Pd/C electrocatalyst. (author)

  6. An electrochemical method to prepare of Pd/Cu2O/MWCNT nanostructure as an anode electrocatalyst for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostami, Hussein; Rostami, Abbas Ali; Omrani, Abdollah

    2016-01-01

    This study reports an electrochemical method to fabrication of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) promoted with cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) supported on multi-walled carbon nanotube (Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT). First, Cu 2 O is electrodeposited on treated MWCNTs in the optimum deposition conditions. Then, the Pd nanostructure is electrochemically fabricated on Cu 2 O/MWCNT electrode by cycling the potential between +0.5 to −1.0 V in negative direction. The prepared electrodes are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrocatalytic performance of Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is investigated by cyclic voltammetric (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements. The formation of the Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT is confirmed by EDX and XRD techniques. The onset potential of Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT shifts to negative values by 120 mV compared to the onset potential of Pd/MWCNT. Much higher I f /I b value is obtained for Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT compared to other Pd-based catalysts indicating Cu 2 O could significantly enhance the stability and CO poisoning tolerance of the Pd towards ethanol electrooxidation. The results revealed that the prepared Pd/Cu 2 O/MWCNT catalyst can be a promising anode catalyst for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells.

  7. Performance and stability of Pd nanostructures in an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrera-Cerritos, R.; Fuentes-Ramírez, R.; Cuevas-Muñiz, F. M.; Ledesma-García, J.; Arriaga, L. G.

    2014-12-01

    Pd nanopolyhedral, nanobar and nanorod particles were synthesised using the polyol process and evaluated as anodes in a direct ethanol fuel cell. The materials were physico-chemically characterised by high-resolution transmission electronic microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effect of the operation parameters (i.e., temperature and fuel ethanol concentration) on the maximum power density (MPD) and open circuit voltage (OCV) was investigated. In addition, a stability test was performed by applying three current density steps for fifty cycles. The OCV values increased as the temperature increased for all of the catalysts at low ethanol concentration. Although the MPD increased with temperature for all of the catalyst independent of the ethanol concentration, the effect of the temperature on the MPD for each Pd structure results in different slopes due to the different crystal faces. Finally, a loss of electro-catalytic activity after fifty cycles was observed in all of the catalysts evaluated, which may be in response to morphological changes in the nanostructures.

  8. Highly ordered Pd nanowire arrays as effective electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in direct alcohol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, C.W. [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Wang, H. [Departement of Applied Chemistry, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523106 (China); Shen, P.K. [School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yet-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Jiang, S.P.

    2007-12-03

    Pd nanowire arrays (NWAs) with high electrochemically active surface area are successfully fabricated using anodized aluminum oxide electrodeposition. The electrocatalytic activity and stability of the Pd NWAs for ethanol electrooxidation are not only significantly higher that of conventional Pd film electrodes, but also higher than that of well-established commercial PtRu/C electrocatalysts. The Pd NWAs show great potential as electrocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media in direct ethanol fuel cells. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  9. Ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium using Pd/c and PdRh/C electrocatalysts prepared by electron beam irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Pino, Eddy Segura; Spinace, Estevam Vitorio; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Linardi, Marcelo, E-mail: dfsilva@ipen.br, E-mail: drinager@ig.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    In this study, carbon-supported Pd (Pd/C) and bimetallic PdRh (Pd:Rh 90:10 atomic ratio) (PdRh/C) electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The morphology and composition of the obtained materials were characterized by Cyclic voltammetry (VC), Chronoamperometry (CA), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalytic activities of the electrocatalysts toward the ethanol electro-oxidation were evaluated in alkaline medium in a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC), in a range temperature of 50 to 85 deg C. The best performances were obtained at 85 deg C (25 mW.cm{sup -2}) and 75 deg C (38 mW.cm{sup -2}) for Pd/C and PdRh/C electrocatalysts, respectively. The XRD of the PdRh/C electrocatalyst showed the presence of Pd-rich (fcc) phase. CV and CA experiments showed that PdRh/C electrocatalyst demonstrated superior activity toward ethanol electro-oxidation at room temperature, compared to Pd/C electrocatalyst. (author)

  10. Increased ethanol accumulation from glucose via reduction of ATP level in a recombinant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae overexpressing alkaline phosphatase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semkiv, Marta V; Dmytruk, Kostyantyn V; Abbas, Charles A; Sibirny, Andriy A

    2014-05-15

    The production of ethyl alcohol by fermentation represents the largest scale application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in industrial biotechnology. Increased worldwide demand for fuel bioethanol is anticipated over the next decade and will exceed 200 billion liters from further expansions. Our working hypothesis was that the drop in ATP level in S. cerevisiae cells during alcoholic fermentation should lead to an increase in ethanol production (yield and productivity) with a greater amount of the utilized glucose converted to ethanol. Our approach to achieve this goal is to decrease the intracellular ATP level via increasing the unspecific alkaline phosphatase activity. Intact and truncated versions of the S. cerevisiae PHO8 gene coding for vacuolar or cytosolic forms of alkaline phosphatase were fused with the alcohol dehydrogenase gene (ADH1) promoter. The constructed expression cassettes used for transformation vectors also contained the dominant selective marker kanMX4 and S. cerevisiae δ-sequence to facilitate multicopy integration to the genome. Laboratory and industrial ethanol producing strains BY4742 and AS400 overexpressing vacuolar form of alkaline phosphatase were characterized by a slightly lowered intracellular ATP level and biomass accumulation and by an increase in ethanol productivity (13% and 7%) when compared to the parental strains. The strains expressing truncated cytosolic form of alkaline phosphatase showed a prolonged lag-phase, reduced biomass accumulation and a strong defect in ethanol production. Overexpression of vacuolar alkaline phosphatase leads to an increased ethanol yield in S. cerevisiae.

  11. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of alkaline-pretreated corn stover to ethanol using a recombinant yeast strain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Jing; Xia, Liming [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2009-10-15

    Bio-ethanol converted from cheap and abundant lignocellulosic materials is a potential renewable resource to replace depleting fossil fuels. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of alkaline-pretreated corn stover for the production of ethanol was investigated using a recombinant yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae ZU-10. Low cellobiase activity in Trichoderma reesei cellulase resulted in cellobiose accumulation. Supplementing the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation system with cellobiase greatly reduced feedback inhibition caused by cellobiose to the cellulase reaction, thereby increased the ethanol yield. 12 h of enzymatic prehydrolysis at 50 C prior to simultaneous saccharification and fermentation was found to have a negative effect on the overall ethanol yield. Glucose and xylose produced from alkaline-pretreated corn stover could be co-fermented to ethanol effectively by S. cerevisiae ZU-10. An ethanol concentration of 27.8 g/L and the corresponding ethanol yield on carbohydrate in substrate of 0.350 g/g were achieved within 72 h at 33 C with 80 g/L of substrate and enzyme loadings of 20 filter paper activity units (FPU)/g substrate and 10 cellobiase units (CBU)/g substrate. The results are meaningful in co-conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose fraction of lignocellulosic materials to fuel ethanol. (author)

  12. Synthesis and electrocatalytic activity of Au/Pt bimetallic nanodendrites for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xinyi; Wang, Dawei; Liu, Dong; Huang, Jianshe; You, Tianyan

    2012-02-01

    Gold/Platinum (Au/Pt) bimetallic nanodendrites were successfully synthesized through seeded growth method using preformed Au nanodendrites as seeds and ascorbic acid as reductant. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of a series of Au/Pt nanodendrites modified electrodes in 1M KOH solution containing 1M ethanol showed that the electrocatalyst with a molar ratio (Au:Pt) of 3 exhibited the highest peak current density and the lowest onset potential. The peak current density of ethanol electro-oxidation on the Au(3)Pt(1) nanodendrites modified glassy carbon electrode (Au(3)Pt(1) electrode) is about 16, 12.5, and 4.5 times higher than those on the polycrystalline Pt electrode, polycrystalline Au electrode, and Au nanodendrites modified glassy carbon electrode (Au dendrites electrode), respectively. The oxidation peak potential of ethanol electro-oxidation on the Au(3)Pt(1) electrode is about 299 and 276 mV lower than those on the polycrystalline Au electrode and Au dendrites electrode, respectively. These results demonstrated that the Au/Pt bimetallic nanodendrites may find potential application in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFCs). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Ethanol production from bamboo using mild alkaline pre-extraction followed by alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Zhaoyang; Wen, Yangbing; Kapu, Nuwan Sella

    2018-01-01

    A sequential two-stage pretreatment process comprising alkaline pre-extraction and alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP) was investigated to convert bamboo carbohydrates into bioethanol. The results showed that mild alkaline pre-extraction using 8% (w/w) sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 100°C for 180min followed by AHP pretreatment with 4% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was sufficient to generate a substrate that could be efficiently digested with low enzyme loadings. Moreover, alkali pre-extraction enabled the use of lower H 2 O 2 charges in AHP treatment. Two-stage pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with only 9FPU/g cellulose led to the recovery of 87% of the original sugars in the raw feedstock. The use of the pentose-hexose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR8u strain enabled the utilization of 95.7% sugars in the hydrolysate to reach 4.6%w/v ethanol titer. The overall process also enabled the recovery of 62.9% lignin and 93.8% silica at high levels of purity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Preparation and electrochemistry of Pd-Ni/Si nanowire nanocomposite catalytic anode for direct ethanol fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Fengjuan; Tao, Bairui; Chu, Paul K

    2012-04-28

    A new silicon-based anode suitable for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) is described. Pd-Ni nanoparticles are coated on Si nanowires (SiNWs) by electroless co-plating to form the catalytic materials. The electrocatalytic properties of the SiNWs and ethanol oxidation on the Pd-Ni catalyst (Pd-Ni/SiNWs) are investigated electrochemically. The effects of temperature and working potential limit in the anodic direction on ethanol oxidation are studied by cyclic voltammetry. The Pd-Ni/SiNWs electrode exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity and better long-term stability in an alkaline solution. It also yields a larger current density and negative onset potential thus boding well for its application to fuel cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  15. Ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium using Pd/MWCNT and PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalysts prepared by electron beam irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Andrade e Silva, Leonardo Gondin de; Spinace, Estevam Vitorio; Oliveira Neto, Almir, E-mail: drinager@ig.com.br, E-mail: dfsilva@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Santos, Mauro Coelho dos [Universidade Federal do ABC (LEMN/CCNH/UFABC), Santo Andre, SP (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    Environmental problems and the world growing demand for energy has mobilized the scientific community in finding of clean and renewable energy sources. In this context, fuel cells appear as appropriate technology for generating electricity through alcohols electro-oxidation. Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT)-supported Pd and trimetallic PdAuSn (Pd:Au:Sn 50:10:40 atomic ratio) electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The obtained materials were characterized by VC, Chronoamperometry, EDX, TEM and XRD. The catalytic activities of electrocatalysts toward ethanol electro-oxidation were evaluated in alkaline medium in a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC) in a range temperature 60 to 90 deg C. The best performances were obtained at 85 deg C: 33 mW.cm{sup -2} and 31 mW.cm{sup -2} for Pd/ MWCNT and PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalysts, respectively. X-ray diffractograms of electrocatalysts showed the presence of Pd-rich (fcc) and Au-rich (fcc) phases. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry experiments showed that PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalyst demonstrated similar activity toward ethanol electro-oxidation at room temperature, compared to electrocatalyst Pd/MWCNT. (author)

  16. Ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium using Pd/MWCNT and PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalysts prepared by electron beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Andrade e Silva, Leonardo Gondin de; Spinace, Estevam Vitorio; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Santos, Mauro Coelho dos

    2015-01-01

    Environmental problems and the world growing demand for energy has mobilized the scientific community in finding of clean and renewable energy sources. In this context, fuel cells appear as appropriate technology for generating electricity through alcohols electro-oxidation. Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT)-supported Pd and trimetallic PdAuSn (Pd:Au:Sn 50:10:40 atomic ratio) electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The obtained materials were characterized by VC, Chronoamperometry, EDX, TEM and XRD. The catalytic activities of electrocatalysts toward ethanol electro-oxidation were evaluated in alkaline medium in a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC) in a range temperature 60 to 90 deg C. The best performances were obtained at 85 deg C: 33 mW.cm -2 and 31 mW.cm -2 for Pd/ MWCNT and PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalysts, respectively. X-ray diffractograms of electrocatalysts showed the presence of Pd-rich (fcc) and Au-rich (fcc) phases. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry experiments showed that PdAuSn/MWCNT electrocatalyst demonstrated similar activity toward ethanol electro-oxidation at room temperature, compared to electrocatalyst Pd/MWCNT. (author)

  17. PdRu/C catalysts for ethanol oxidation in anion-exchange membrane direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Liang; He, Hui; Hsu, Andrew; Chen, Rongrong

    2013-11-01

    Carbon supported PdRu catalysts with various Pd:Ru atomic ratios were synthesized by impregnation method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electrochemical half-cell tests, and the anion-exchange membrane direct ethanol fuel cell (AEM-DEFC) tests. XRD results suggest that the PdRu metal exists on carbon support in an alloy form. TEM study shows that the bimetallic PdRu/C catalysts have slightly smaller average particle size than the single metal Pd/C catalyst. Lower onset potential and peak potential and much higher steady state current for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media were observed on the bimetallic catalysts (PdxRuy/C) than on the Pd/C, while the activity for ethanol oxidation on the pure Ru/C was not noticeable. By using Pd/C anode catalysts and MnO2 cathode catalysts, AEM-DEFCs free from the expensive Pt catalyst were assembled. The AEM DEFC using the bimetallic Pd3Ru/C anode catalyst showed a peak power density as high as 176 mW cm-2 at 80 °C, about 1.8 times higher than that using the single metal Pd/C catalyst. The role of Ru for enhancing the EOR activity of Pd/C catalysts is discussed.

  18. Electrocatalysis of anodic oxidation of ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarasevich, M. R.; Korchagin, O. V.; Kuzov, A. V.

    2013-11-01

    The results of fundamental and applied studies in the field of electrocatalysis of anodic oxidation of ethanol in fuel cells are considered. Features of the mechanism of ethanol electrooxidation are discussed as well as the structure and electrochemical properties of the most widely used catalysts of this process. The prospects of further studies of direct ethanol fuel cells with alkaline and acidic electrolytes are outlined. The bibliography includes 166 references.

  19. Electrocatalysis of anodic oxidation of ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasevich, M R; Korchagin, O V; Kuzov, A V

    2013-01-01

    The results of fundamental and applied studies in the field of electrocatalysis of anodic oxidation of ethanol in fuel cells are considered. Features of the mechanism of ethanol electrooxidation are discussed as well as the structure and electrochemical properties of the most widely used catalysts of this process. The prospects of further studies of direct ethanol fuel cells with alkaline and acidic electrolytes are outlined. The bibliography includes 166 references

  20. Carbon supported Pd-Sn and Pd-Ru-Sn nanocatalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Modibedi, RM

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Carbon supported Pd-Sn and Pd-Ru-Sn nanocatalysts were prepared by the chemical reduction method, using sodium borohydride and ethylene glycol mixture as the reducing agent. The catalytic activity towards ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium...

  1. Ethanol electro-oxidation in an alkaline medium using Pd/C, Au/C and PdAu/C electrocatalysts prepared by electron beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geraldes, Adriana Napoleão; Furtunato da Silva, Dionisio; Pino, Eddy Segura; Martins da Silva, Júlio César; Brambilla de Souza, Rodrigo Fernando; Hammer, Peter; Spinacé, Estevam Vitório; Neto, Almir Oliveira; Linardi, Marcelo; Coelho dos Santos, Mauro

    2013-01-01

    Carbon-supported Pd, Au and bimetallic PdAu (Pd:Au 90:10, 50:50 and 30:70 atomic ratios) electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The obtained materials were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their catalytic activities toward ethanol electro-oxidation were evaluated in an alkaline medium using electrochemical techniques, in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis and a single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC). EDX analyses showed that the actual Pd:Au atomic ratios were very similar to the nominal ones. X-ray diffractograms of PdAu/C electrocatalysts evidenced the presence of Pd-rich (fcc) and Au-rich (fcc) phases. TEM analysis showed a homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles on the carbon support, with an average size in the range of 3–5 nm and broad size distributions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) experiments revealed the superior ambient activity toward ethanol electro-oxidation of PdAu/C electrocatalysts with Pd:Au ratios of 90:10 and 50:50. In situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy measurements have shown that the mechanism for ethanol electro-oxidation is dependent on catalyst composition, leading to different reaction products, such as acetaldehyde and acetate, depending on the number of electrons transferred. Experiments on a single ADEFC were conducted between 50 and 90 °C, and the best performance of 44 mW cm −2 in 2.0 mol L −1 ethanol was obtained at 85 °C for the Pd:Au 90:10 catalysts. This superior performance is most likely associated with enhancement of ethanol adsorption on Pd, oxidation of the intermediates, the presence of gold oxide-hydroxyl species, low mean particle diameters and better distribution of particles on the support

  2. An in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroelectrochemical study on ethanol electrooxidation on Pd in alkaline solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, Xiang; Wang, Lianqin; Shen, Pei Kang [The State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Cui, Guofeng [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Bianchini, Claudio [Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (ICCOM-CNR), via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)

    2010-03-01

    The mechanism of ethanol electrooxidation on a palladium electrode in alkaline solution (from 0.01 to 5 M NaOH) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroelectrochemistry. The electrode performance has been found to depend on the pH of the fuel solution. The best performance was observed in 1 M NaOH solution (pH = 14), while the electrochemical activity decreased by either increasing or decreasing the NaOH concentration. In situ FTIR spectroscopic measurements showed the main oxidation product to be sodium acetate at NaOH concentrations higher than 0.5 M. The C-C bond cleavage of ethanol, put in evidence by the formation of CO{sub 2}, occurred at pH values {<=}13. In these conditions, however, the catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation was quite low. No CO formation was detected along the oxidation of ethanol by FTIR spectroscopy. (author)

  3. Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production from cashew apple bagasse pretreated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Costa, Jessyca Aline; Marques, José Edvan; Gonçalves, Luciana Rocha Barros; Rocha, Maria Valderez Ponte

    2015-03-01

    The effect of combinations and ratios between different enzymes has been investigated in order to assess the optimal conditions for hydrolysis of cashew apple bagasse pretreated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (the solids named CAB-AHP). The separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes were evaluated in the ethanol production. The enzymatic hydrolysis conducted with cellulase complex and β-glucosidase in a ratio of 0.61:0.39, enzyme loading of 30FPU/g(CAB-AHP) and 66CBU/g(CAB-AHP), respectively, using 4% cellulose from CAB-AHP, turned out to be the most effective conditions, with glucose and xylose yields of 511.68 mg/g(CAB-AHP) and 237.8 mg/g(CAB-AHP), respectively. Fermentation of the pure hydrolysate by Kluyveromyces marxianus ATCC 36907 led to an ethanol yield of 61.8kg/ton(CAB), corresponding to 15 g/L ethanol and productivity of 3.75 g/( Lh). The ethanol production obtained for SSF process using K. marxianus ATCC 36907 was 18 g/L corresponding to 80% yield and 74.2kg/ton(CAB). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Rapid, general synthesis of PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges and their enhanced catalytic performance for ethanol/methanol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Chengzhou; Guo, Shaojun; Dong, Shaojun

    2013-01-14

    We have demonstrated a rapid and general strategy to synthesize novel three-dimensional PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges in the absence of a capping agent. Significantly, the as-prepared PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges exhibited greatly enhanced activity and stability towards ethanol/methanol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium, which demonstrates the potential of applying these PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges as effective electrocatalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells. In addition, this simple method has also been applied for the synthesis of AuPt, AuPd bimetallic, and AuPtPd trimetallic alloy nanosponges. The as-synthesized three-dimensional bimetallic/trimetallic alloy nanosponges, because of their convenient preparation, well-defined sponge-like network, large-scale production, and high electrocatalytic performance for ethanol/methanol electrooxidation, may find promising potential applications in various fields, such as formic acid oxidation or oxygen reduction reactions, electrochemical sensors, and hydrogen-gas sensors. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Use of Pd-Pt loaded graphene aerogel on nickel foam in direct ethanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsang, Chi Him A.; Leung, D. Y. C.

    2018-01-01

    A size customized binder-free bimetallic Pd-Pt loaded graphene aerogel deposited on nickel foam plate (Pd-Pt/GA/NFP) was prepared and used as an electrode for an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) under room temperature. The effect of fuel concentration and metal composition on the output power density of the DEFC was systematically investigated. Under the optimum fuel concentration, the cell could achieve a value of 3.6 mW cm-2 at room temperature for the graphene electrode with Pd/Pt ratio approaching 1:1. Such results demonstrated the possibility of producing a size customized metal loaded GA/NFP electrode for fuel cell with high performance.

  6. Anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells utilizing directly solar light illumination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Daobao; Wang, Shuxi; Zheng, Peng; Wang, Jian; Zha, Longwu; Hou, Yuanyuan; He, Jianguo; Xiao, Ying; Lin, Huashui; Tian, Zhaowu

    2009-01-01

    Shine a light: A PtNiRu/TiO(2) anode catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells shows photocatalytic activity. The peak current density for ethanol oxidation under solar light illumination is 2-3 times greater than that in the absence of solar light. Ethanol is oxidized by light-generated holes, and the electrons are collected by the TiO(2) support to generate the oxidation current.Novel PtNiRu/TiO(2) anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) were prepared from PtNiRu nanoparticles (1:1:1 atomic ratios) and a nanoporous TiO(2) film by a sol-gel and electrodeposition method. The performances of the catalysts for ethanol oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate a remarkable enhancement of activity for ethanol oxidation under solar light illumination. Under solar light illumination, the generated oxidation peak current density is 24.6 mA cm(-2), which is about 2.5 times higher than that observed without solar light (9.9 mA cm(-2)). The high catalytic activity of the PtNiRu/TiO(2) complex catalyst for the electrooxidation of ethanol may be attributed to the modified metal/nanoporous TiO(2) film, and the enhanced electrooxidation of ethanol under solar light may be due to the photogeneration of holes in the modified nanoporous TiO(2) film.

  7. Small-sized PdCu nanocapsules on 3D graphene for high-performance ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    HuThese Authors Contributed Equally To This Work., Chuangang; Zhai, Xiangquan; Zhao, Yang; Bian, Ke; Zhang, Jing; Qu, Liangti; Zhang, Huimin; Luo, Hongxia

    2014-02-01

    A one-pot solvothermal process has been developed for direct preparation of PdCu nanocapsules (with a size of ca. 10 nm) on three-dimensional (3D) graphene. Due to the 3D pore-rich network of graphene and the unique hollow structure of PdCu nanocapsules with a wall thickness of ca. 3 nm, the newly-prepared PdCu/3D graphene hybrids activated electrochemically have great electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline media, much better than single-phase Pd and commercial E-TEK 20% Pt/C catalysts promising for application in direct ethanol fuel cells.A one-pot solvothermal process has been developed for direct preparation of PdCu nanocapsules (with a size of ca. 10 nm) on three-dimensional (3D) graphene. Due to the 3D pore-rich network of graphene and the unique hollow structure of PdCu nanocapsules with a wall thickness of ca. 3 nm, the newly-prepared PdCu/3D graphene hybrids activated electrochemically have great electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline media, much better than single-phase Pd and commercial E-TEK 20% Pt/C catalysts promising for application in direct ethanol fuel cells. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05722d

  8. Pd nanowire arrays as electrocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hong; Cheng, Faliang [Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523106 (China); Xu, Changwei; Jiang, Sanping [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2007-05-15

    Highly ordered Pd nanowire arrays were prepared by template-electrodeposition method using anodic aluminum oxide template. The Pd nanowire arrays, in this paper, have high electrochemical active surface and show excellent catalytic properties for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The activity of Pd nanowire arrays for ethanol oxidation is not only higher that of Pd film, but also higher than that of commercial E-TEK PtRu(2:1 by weight)/C. The micrometer sized pores and channels in nanowire arrays act as structure units. They make liquid fuel diffuse into and products diffuse out of the catalysts layer much easier, therefore, the utilization efficiency of catalysts gets higher. Pd nanowire arrays are stable catalysts for ethanol oxidation. The nanowire arrays may be a great potential in direct ethanol fuel cells and ethanol sensors. (author)

  9. Study of poly(vinyl alcohol)/titanium oxide composite polymer membranes and their application on alkaline direct alcohol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chun-Chen; Chiu, Shwu-Jer; Lee, Kuo-Tong; Chien, Wen-Chen; Lin, Che-Tseng; Huang, Ching-An

    The novel poly(vinyl alcohol)/titanium oxide (PVA/TiO 2) composite polymer membrane was prepared using a solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the PVA/TiO 2 composite polymer membrane were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a micro-Raman spectroscopy, a methanol permeability measurement and the AC impedance method. An alkaline direct alcohol (methanol, ethanol and isopropanol) fuel cell (DAFC), consisting of an air cathode based on MnO 2/C inks, an anode based on PtRu (1:1) black and a PVA/TiO 2 composite polymer membrane, was assembled and examined for the first time. The results indicate that the alkaline DAFC comprised of a cheap, non-perfluorinated PVA/TiO 2 composite polymer membrane shows an improved electrochemical performances. The maximum power densities of alkaline DAFCs with 4 M KOH + 2 M CH 3OH, 2 M C 2H 5OH and 2 M isopropanol (IPA) solutions at room temperature and ambient air are 9.25, 8.00, and 5.45 mW cm -2, respectively. As a result, methanol shows the highest maximum power density among three alcohols. The PVA/TiO 2 composite polymer membrane with the permeability values in the order of 10 -7 to 10 -8 cm 2 s -1 is a potential candidate for use on alkaline DAFCs.

  10. Study on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell (Micro-DEFC) performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saisirirat, Penyarat; Joommanee, Bordindech

    2018-01-01

    The direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is selected for this research. DEFC uses ethanol in the fuel cell instead of the more toxic methanol. Ethanol is more attractive than methanol by many reasons. Ethanol is a hydrogen-rich liquid and it has a higher specific energy (8.0 kWh/kg) compared to that of methanol (6.1 kWh/kg). Ethanol can be obtained in great quantity from biomass through a fermentation process from renewable resources such as sugar cane, wheat, corn, and even straw. The use of ethanol would also overcome both the storage and infrastructure challenge of hydrogen for fuel cell applications. The experimental apparatus on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell for measuring the cell performance has been set for this research. The objective is to study the micro direct ethanol fuel cell performance for applying with the portable electronic devices. The cell performance is specified in the terms of cell voltage, cell current and power of the cell at room operating temperature and 1 atm for the pressure and also includes the ethanol fuel consumption. The effect of operating temperature change on the electrical production performance is also studied. The steady-state time for collecting each data value is about 5-10 minutes. The results show that with the increase of concentrations of ethanol by volume, the reactant concentration at the reaction sites increases so the electrochemical rate also increases but when it reaches the saturated point the performance gradually drops.

  11. Direct conversion of plant biomass to ethanol by engineered Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Daehwan; Cha, Minseok; Guss, Adam M; Westpheling, Janet

    2014-06-17

    Ethanol is the most widely used renewable transportation biofuel in the United States, with the production of 13.3 billion gallons in 2012 [John UM (2013) Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States]. Despite considerable effort to produce fuels from lignocellulosic biomass, chemical pretreatment and the addition of saccharolytic enzymes before microbial bioconversion remain economic barriers to industrial deployment [Lynd LR, et al. (2008) Nat Biotechnol 26(2):169-172]. We began with the thermophilic, anaerobic, cellulolytic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, which efficiently uses unpretreated biomass, and engineered it to produce ethanol. Here we report the direct conversion of switchgrass, a nonfood, renewable feedstock, to ethanol without conventional pretreatment of the biomass. This process was accomplished by deletion of lactate dehydrogenase and heterologous expression of a Clostridium thermocellum bifunctional acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase. Whereas wild-type C. bescii lacks the ability to make ethanol, 70% of the fermentation products in the engineered strain were ethanol [12.8 mM ethanol directly from 2% (wt/vol) switchgrass, a real-world substrate] with decreased production of acetate by 38% compared with wild-type. Direct conversion of biomass to ethanol represents a new paradigm for consolidated bioprocessing, offering the potential for carbon neutral, cost-effective, sustainable fuel production.

  12. Two dimensional visible-light-active Pt-BiOI photoelectrocatalyst for efficient ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Chunyang; Hu, Jiayue; Sun, Mingjuan; Zhu, Mingshan

    2018-02-01

    Two dimensional (2D) BiOI nanoplates were synthesized and used as support for the deposition of Pt nanoparticles. Owing to broad visible light absorption (up to 660 nm), the as-obtained Pt-BiOI electrode was used as effective photoelectrocatalyst in the application of catalytic ethanol oxidation in alkaline media under visible light irradiation. Compared to dark condition, the Pt-BiOI modified electrode displayed 3 times improved catalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation under visible light irradiation. The synergistic effect of electrocatalytic and photocatalytic, and the unique of 2D structures contribute to the improvement of catalytic activity. The mechanism of enhanced photoelectrocatalytic process is proposed. The present results suggest that 2D visible-light-activated BiOI can be served as promising support for the decoration of Pt and applied in the fields of photoelectrochemical and photo-assisted fuel cell applications

  13. Direct ethanol conversion of pretreated straw by Fusarium oxysporum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christakopoulos, P.; Koullas, D.P.; Kekos, D.; Koukios, E.G.; Macris, B.J. (National Technical Univ., Athens (GR). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)

    1991-01-01

    Factors affecting the direct conversion of alkali pretreated straw to ethanol by Fusarium oxysporum F3 were investigated and the alkali level used for pretreatment and the degree of delignification of straw were found to be the most important. A linear correlation between ethanol yield and both the degree of straw delignification and the alkali level was observed. At optimum delignified straw concentration (4% w/v), a maximum ethanol yield of 0.275 g ethanol g{sup -1} of straw was obtained corresponding to 67.8% of the theoretical yield. (author).

  14. Increased liver alkaline phosphatase and aminotransferase ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of daily, oral administration of ethanolic extract of Khaya senegalensis stem bark (2mg/kg body weight) for 18days on the alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities of rat liver and serum were investigated. Compared with the control, the activities of liver alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ...

  15. Lever conditioned stimulus-directed autoshaping induced by saccharin-ethanol unconditioned stimulus solution: effects of ethanol concentration and trial spacing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomie, Arthur; Festa, Eugene D; Sparta, Dennis R; Pohorecky, Larissa A

    2003-05-01

    Two experiments were designed to evaluate whether brief access to a saccharin-ethanol solution would function as an effective unconditioned stimulus (US) in Pavlovian-autoshaping procedures. In these experiments, the insertion of a lever conditioned stimulus (CS) was followed by the brief presentation of a sipper tube containing saccharin-ethanol US solution. Experience with this Pavlovian-autoshaping procedure engendered lever CS-directed autoshaping conditioned responses (CRs) in all rats. In Experiment 1, the concentration of ethanol [0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, or 8% (vol./vol.)] in 0.1% saccharin was systematically increased within subjects across autoshaping sessions to evaluate the relation between a rat's drinking and lever pressing. In Experiment 2, the mean intertrial interval (ITI) duration (60, 90, 120 s) was systematically increased within subjects across autoshaping sessions to evaluate the effect of ITI duration on drinking and lever pressing. A pseudoconditioning control group received lever CS randomly with respect to the saccharin-ethanol US solution. In Experiment 1, lever-press autoshaping CRs developed in all rats, and the tendency of a rat to drink an ethanol concentration was predictive of the performance of lever-press autoshaping CRs. In Experiment 2, longer ITIs induced more lever CS-directed responding, and CS-US paired procedures yielded more lever CS-directed responding than that observed in CS-US random procedures. Saccharin-ethanol is an effective US in Pavlovian-autoshaping procedures, inducing more CS-directed responding than in pseudoconditioning controls receiving CS-US random procedures. More lever CS-directed responding was observed when there was more drinking of the saccharin-ethanol US solution (Experiment 1); when the CS and US were paired, rather than random (Experiment 2); and with longer mean ITI durations (Experiment 2). This pattern of results is consistent with the hypothesis that lever CS-directed responding reflects performance

  16. Highly active carbon supported ternary PdSnPtx (x=0.1-0.7) catalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline and acid media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoguang; Zhu, Fuchun; He, Yongwei; Wang, Mei; Zhang, Zhonghua; Ma, Zizai; Li, Ruixue

    2016-04-15

    A series of trimetallic PdSnPtx (x=0.1-0.7)/C catalysts with varied Pt content have been synthesized by co-reduction method using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. These catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). The electrochemical results show that, after adding a minor amount of Pt dopant, the resultant PdSnPtx/C demonstrated more superior catalytic performance toward ethanol oxidation as compared with that of mono-/bi-metallic Pd/C or PdSn/C in alkaline solution and the PdSnPt0.2/C with optimal molar ratio reached the best. In acid solution, the PdSnPt0.2/C also depicted a superior catalytic activity relative to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The possible enhanced synergistic effect between Pd, Sn/Sn(O) and Pt in an alloyed state should be responsible for the as-revealed superior ethanol electro-oxidation performance based upon the beneficial electronic effect and bi-functional mechanism. It implies the trimetallic PdSnPt0.2/C with a low Pt content has a promising prospect as anodic electrocatalyst in fields of alkali- and acid-type direct ethanol fuel cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Performance of a passive direct ethanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, J. P.; Falcão, D. S.; Oliveira, V. B.; Pinto, A. M. F. R.

    2014-06-01

    Ethanol emerges as an attractive fuel since it is less toxic and has higher energy density than methanol and can be produced from biomass. Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) appear as a good choice for producing sustainable energy for portable applications. However, they are still far from attaining acceptable levels of power output, since their performance is affected by the slow electrochemical ethanol oxidation and water and ethanol crossover. In the present work, an experimental study on the performance of a passive DEFC is described. Tailored MEAs (membrane electrode assembly) with different catalyst loadings, anode diffusion layers and membranes were tested in order to select optimal working conditions at high ethanol concentrations and low ethanol crossover. The performance increased with an increase of membrane and anode diffusion layer thicknesses and anode catalyst loading. A maximum power density of 1.33 mW cm-2, was obtained using a Nafion 117 membrane, 4 mg cm-2 of Pt-Ru and 2 mg cm-2 of Pt on the anode and cathode catalyst layers, ELAT as anode diffusion layer, carbon cloth as cathode diffusion layer and an ethanol concentration of 2 M. As far as the authors are aware this is the first work reporting an experimental optimization of passive DEFCs.

  18. Novel palladium-lead (Pd-Pb/C) bimetallic catalysts for electrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yi; Nguyen, Truong Son; Wang, Xin [School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Liu, Xuewei [School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2010-05-01

    Carbon-supported bimetallic palladium-lead (Pd-Pb/C) catalysts with different amounts of lead are prepared using a co-reduction method. The catalysts are characterized by various techniques, which reveal the formation of an alloy nanoparticle structure. The electrochemical activities of the catalysts towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline media are examined by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry methods. The results show that the Pd-Pb(4:1)/C catalyst exhibits a better catalytic activity than the Pd/C catalyst. From carbon monoxide (CO) stripping results, the addition of lead also facilitates the oxidative removal of adsorbed CO. The promoting effect of lead is explained by a bi-functional mechanism and d-band theory. (author)

  19. Modified SPEEK membranes for direct ethanol fuel cell

    KAUST Repository

    Maab, Husnul

    2010-07-01

    Membranes with low ethanol crossover were prepared aiming their application for direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC). They were based on (1) sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) coated with carbon molecular sieves (CMS) and (2) on SPEEK/PI homogeneous blends. The membranes were characterized concerning their water and ethanol solution uptake, water and ethanol permeability in pervaporation experiments and their performance in DEFC tests. The ethanol permeabilities for the CMS-coated (180 nm and 400 nm thick layers) SPEEK were 8.5 and 3.1 x 10(-10) kg m s(-1) m(-2) and for the homogeneous SPEEK/PI blends membranes with 10, 20 and 30 wt.% of PI were 4.4, 1.0 and 0.4 x 10(-10) kg m s(-1) m(-2) respectively, which is 2- to 50-fold lower than that for plain SPEEK (19 x 10(-10) kg m s(-1) m(-2)). Particularly the SPEEK/PI membranes had substantially better performance than Nafion 117 membranes in DEFC tests at 60 degrees C and 90 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Preparation and characterization of electrocatalysts based on palladium for electro-oxidation of alcohols in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandalise, Michele

    2012-01-01

    In this study Pd/C, Au/C, PdAu/C, PdAuPt/C, PdAuBi/C and PdAuIr/C electrocatalysts were prepared by the sodium borohydride reduction method for the electrochemical oxidation of methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol. This methodology consists in mix an alkaline solution of sodium borohydride to a mixture containing water/isopropyl alcohol, metallic precursors and the Vulcan XC 72 carbon support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical oxidation of the alcohols was studied by chronoamperometry using a thin porous coating technique. The mechanism of ethanol electro-oxidation was studied by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) in situ. The most effective electrocatalysts were tested in alkaline single cells directly fed with methanol, ethanol or ethylene glycol. Preliminary studies showed that the most suitable atomic composition for preparing the ternary catalysts is 50:45:05. Electrochemical data in alkaline medium show that the electrocatalysts PdAuPt/C (50:45:05) showed the better activity for methanol electro oxidation, while PdAuIr/C was the most active for ethanol oxidation and PdAuBi/C (50:45:05) was the most effective for ethylene glycol oxidation in alkaline medium. These results show that the addition of gold in the composition of electrocatalysts increases their catalytic activities. The spectroelectrochemical FTIR in situ data permitted to conclude that C-C bond is not broken and the acetate is formed. (author)

  1. Carbon supported ultrafine gold phosphorus nanoparticles as highly efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline ethanol oxidation reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Tongfei; Fu, Gengtao; Su, Jiahui; Wang, Yi; Lv, Yinjie; Zou, Xiuyong; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Xu, Lin; Sun, Dongmei; Tang, Yawen

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: We develop a new kind of carbon supported gold-phosphorus (Au-P/C) electrocatalyst by a facile and novel phosphorus reduction method, and demonstrate the Au-P/C is a highly active and stable electrocatalyst for the ethanol oxidation reaction. - Highlights: • Au-P/C catalyst is synthesized by a facile and novel white-phosphorus reduce method. • AuP particles with ultrafine particle-size are uniformly dispersed on carbon support. • Au-P/C catalyst exhibits much higher content of P 0 than reported metal/P catalysts. • Au-P/C catalysts show excellent catalytic properties for ethanol oxidation reaction. - Abstract: Herein, we develop a new kind of carbon supported gold-phosphorus (Au-P/C) electrocatalyst for the alkaline ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The Au-P/C catalysts with different Au/P ratio (i.e., AuP/C, Au 3 P 2 /C and Au 4 P 3 /C) can be obtained by a facile and novel hot-reflux method with white phosphorus (P 4 ) as reductant and ethanol as solvent. The crystal structure, composition and particle-size of the Au-P/C catalysts are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The results demonstrate that Au-P/C catalysts present an alloy phase with the high content of P, ultrafine particle-size and high dispersity on carbon support, which results in excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability towards the EOR compared with that of the free-phosphorus Au/C catalyst. In addition, among the various Au-P/C catalysts with different Au/P ratio, the AuP/C sample exhibits the best electrocatalytic performance in comparison with other Au 3 P 2 /C and Au 4 P 3 /C samples.

  2. Electrochemical oxidation of ethanol using PtRh/C electrocatalysts in alkaline medium and synthesized by sodium borohydride and alcohol reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontes, Eric Hossein

    2017-01-01

    PtRh/C were prepared by the following atomic proportions: (100,0), (0,100), (90,10), (70,30) and (50,50). The methods employed in the synthesis of these materials were reduction by sodium borohydride and reduction by alcohol. The metal salts used were H 2 PtCl 6 3•6H 2 0 and (RhNO 3 ) 3 , the support used was Carbon black XC72 and the bulk metal composition was 20% and 80% of support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy. The ethanol electrochemical oxidation mechanism was investigated by in situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy couple to an Attenuated Total Reflection technique. The electrocatalytic activity were evaluated by Cyclic Voltammetry, Linear Sweep Voltammetry and Chronoamperometry techniques. The Fuel Cells tests were made in a single direct alcohol fuel cell with alkaline membrane. The working electrodes were prepared by a thin porous coating technique. X-ray diffraction allowed to verify metallic alloys, segregate phases and to calculate the percentage of metallic alloys. It was else possible to identify crystallographic phases. Infrared Spectroscopy allowed to verify that the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol was carried out by an incomplete mechanism. PtRh(70:30)/C prepared by sodium borohydride produced large amounts of carbon dioxide and acetaldehyde. Rh/C showed electrocatalytic activity when compared with other materials studied.

  3. Comparison and Optimization of Saccharification Conditions of Alkaline Pre-Treated Triticale Straw for Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Followed by Ethanol Fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafał Łukajtis

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper concerns the comparison of the efficiency of two-stage hydrolysis processes, i.e., alkaline pre-treatment and acid hydrolysis, as well as alkaline pre-treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis, carried out in order to obtain reducing sugars from triticale straw. For each of the analyzed systems, the optimization of the processing conditions was carried out with respect to the glucose yield. For the alkaline pre-treatment, an optimal catalyst concentration was selected for constant values of temperature and pre-treatment time. For enzymatic hydrolysis, optimal process time and concentration of the enzyme preparation were determined. For the acidic hydrolysis, performed with 85% phosphoric acid, the optimum temperature and hydrolysis time were determined. In the hydrolysates obtained after the two-stage treatment, the concentration of reducing sugars was determined using HPLC. The obtained hydrolysates were subjected to ethanol fermentation. The concentrations of fermentation inhibitors are given and their effects on the alcoholic fermentation efficiency are discussed.

  4. Kinetics of ethanol electrooxidation at Pd electrodeposited on Ti

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jianping; Ye, Jianqing; Tong, Yexiang [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Xu, Changwei [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Jiang, San Ping [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2007-09-15

    Pd nanoparticles dispersed well on Ti were successfully prepared by the electrodeposition method used in this study. The results show that Pd has no activity for ethanol oxidation in acid media and is a good electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media when the OH{sup -} concentration is greater than 0.001 M. The pH and ethanol concentration affects the ethanol oxidation. The reaction orders for OH{sup -} and ethanol are 0.2 and 1. The anodic transfer coefficient ({alpha}) is 0.1. The diffusion coefficient (D) of ethanol is calculated as 9.3 x 10{sup -5} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1} (298 K) when the concentration of KOH and ethanol is both 1.0 M. The overall rate equation for ethanol oxidation on Pd/Ti electrode in alkaline media is given as j=1.4 x 10{sup -4}C{sub KOH}{sup 0.2}C{sub ethanol} exp ((0.28F)/(RT){eta}). (author)

  5. Scale-up and integration of alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and ethanolic fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Goutami; Car, Suzana; Liu, Tongjun; Williams, Daniel L; Meza, Sarynna López; Walton, Jonathan D; Hodge, David B

    2012-04-01

    Alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) has several attractive features as a pretreatment in the lignocellulosic biomass-to-ethanol pipeline. Here, the feasibility of scaling-up the AHP process and integrating it with enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation was studied. Corn stover (1 kg) was subjected to AHP pretreatment, hydrolyzed enzymatically, and the resulting sugars fermented to ethanol. The AHP pretreatment was performed at 0.125 g H(2) O(2) /g biomass, 22°C, and atmospheric pressure for 48 h with periodic pH readjustment. The enzymatic hydrolysis was performed in the same reactor following pH neutralization of the biomass slurry and without washing. After 48 h, glucose and xylose yields were 75% and 71% of the theoretical maximum. Sterility was maintained during pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis without the use of antibiotics. During fermentation using a glucose- and xylose-utilizing strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, all of the Glc and 67% of the Xyl were consumed in 120 h. The final ethanol titer was 13.7 g/L. Treatment of the enzymatic hydrolysate with activated carbon prior to fermentation had little effect on Glc fermentation but markedly improved utilization of Xyl, presumably due to the removal of soluble aromatic inhibitors. The results indicate that AHP is readily scalable and can be integrated with enzyme hydrolysis and fermentation. Compared to other leading pretreatments for lignocellulosic biomass, AHP has potential advantages with regard to capital costs, process simplicity, feedstock handling, and compatibility with enzymatic deconstruction and fermentation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:922-931. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Proton conductive montmorillonite-Nafion composite membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiu-Wen; Wu, Nan; Shi, Chun-Qing; Zheng, Zhi-Yuan; Qi, Hong-Bin; Wang, Ya-Fang

    2016-12-01

    The preparation of Nafion membranes modified with montmorillonites is less studied, and most relative works mainly applied in direct methanol fuel cells, less in direct ethanol fuel cells. Organic/inorganic composite membranes are prepared with different montmorillonites (Ca-montmorillonite, Na-montmorillonite, K-montmorillonite, Mg-montmorillonite, and H-montmorillonite) and Nafion solution via casting method at 293 K in air, and with balance of their proton conductivity and ethanol permeability. The ethanol permeability and proton conductivity of the membranes are comparatively studied. The montmorillonites can well decrease the ethanol permeability of the membranes via inserted them in the membranes, while less decrease the proton conductivities of the membranes depending on the inserted amount and type of montmorillonites. The proton conductivities of the membranes are between 36.0 mS/cm and 38.5 mS/cm. The ethanol permeability of the membranes is between 0.69 × 10-6 cm2/s and 2.67 × 10-6 cm2/s.

  7. Carbon Supported Oxide-Rich Pd-Cu Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Media Enhanced by Cu/CuOx

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zengfeng Guo

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Different proportions of oxide-rich PdCu/C nanoparticle catalysts were prepared by the NaBH4 reduction method, and their compositions were tuned by the molar ratios of the metal precursors. Among them, oxide-rich Pd0.9Cu0.1/C (Pd:Cu = 9:1, metal atomic ratio exhibits the highest electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR in alkaline media. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM confirmed the existence of both Cu and CuOx in the as-prepared Pd0.9Cu0.1/C. About 74% of the Cu atoms are in their oxide form (CuO or Cu2O. Besides the synergistic effect of Cu, CuOx existed in the Pd-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles works as a promoter for the EOR. The decreased Pd 3d electron density disclosed by XPS is ascribed to the formation of CuOx and the spill-over of oxygen-containing species from CuOx to Pd. The low Pd 3d electron density will decrease the adsorption of CH3COads intermediates. As a result, the electrocatalytic activity is enhanced. The onset potential of oxide-rich Pd0.9Cu0.1/C is negative shifted 150 mV compared to Pd/C. The oxide-rich Pd0.9Cu0.1/C also exhibited high stability, which indicated that it is a candidate for the anode of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs.

  8. Performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed methanol/ethanol solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wongyao, N. [The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Therdthianwong, A., E-mail: apichai.the@kmutt.ac.t [Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research and Engineering Center, Clean Energy System Group, PDTI, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Therdthianwong, S. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand)

    2011-07-15

    Research highlights: {yields} We examined the performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol. {yields} PtRu-PtSn/C and PtRu/C as catalysts for mixed alcohol electrooxidation reaction. {yields} Misplace adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C caused the cell performance drop. {yields} PtRu/C showed higher performance than PtRu-PtSn/C for mixed alcohol fuel. -- Abstract: In combining the advantages of both methanol and ethanol, direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol solutions (1 M methanol and 1 M ethanol in varying volume ratios) were tested for performance. Employing a PtRu-PtSn/C catalyst as anode, cell performance was found to diminish rapidly even at 2.5% by volume ethanol mixture. Further increase of ethanol exceeded 10%, the cell performance gradually decreased and finally approached that of direct ethanol fuel cells. The causes of the decrease in the cell performance were the slow electro-oxidation of ethanol and the misplaced adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C. By comparing the PtRu-PtSn/C cell with the PtRu/C cell operated with mixed alcohol solutions, the cell using PtRu/C as an anode catalyst provided higher power density since more PtRu/C surface was available for methanol oxidation reaction and less ohmic resistance of PtRu/C than that of PtRu-PtSn/C. In order to reach optimization of DAFC performance fed with mixed alcohol, the electrocatalyst used for the anode must selectively adsorb an alcohol, especially ethanol.

  9. Performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed methanol/ethanol solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wongyao, N.; Therdthianwong, A.; Therdthianwong, S.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We examined the performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol. → PtRu-PtSn/C and PtRu/C as catalysts for mixed alcohol electrooxidation reaction. → Misplace adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C caused the cell performance drop. → PtRu/C showed higher performance than PtRu-PtSn/C for mixed alcohol fuel. -- Abstract: In combining the advantages of both methanol and ethanol, direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol solutions (1 M methanol and 1 M ethanol in varying volume ratios) were tested for performance. Employing a PtRu-PtSn/C catalyst as anode, cell performance was found to diminish rapidly even at 2.5% by volume ethanol mixture. Further increase of ethanol exceeded 10%, the cell performance gradually decreased and finally approached that of direct ethanol fuel cells. The causes of the decrease in the cell performance were the slow electro-oxidation of ethanol and the misplaced adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C. By comparing the PtRu-PtSn/C cell with the PtRu/C cell operated with mixed alcohol solutions, the cell using PtRu/C as an anode catalyst provided higher power density since more PtRu/C surface was available for methanol oxidation reaction and less ohmic resistance of PtRu/C than that of PtRu-PtSn/C. In order to reach optimization of DAFC performance fed with mixed alcohol, the electrocatalyst used for the anode must selectively adsorb an alcohol, especially ethanol.

  10. Noncatalytic Direct Liquefaction of Biorefinery Lignin by Ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Joachim Bachmann; Jensen, Anders; Madsen, Line Riis

    2017-01-01

    There is a growing interest in lignin valorization to biofuels and chemicals. Here, we propose a novel and simple noncatalytic process to directly liquefy lignin rich solid residual from second generation bioethanol production by solvolysis with ethanol. Through an extensive parameter study...... in batch autoclaves assessing the effects of varying reaction temperature, reaction time, and solvent:lignin ratio, it is shown that hydrothermally pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis lignin solvolysis in supercritical ethanol can produce a heptane soluble bio-oil without the need for exhaustive deoxygenation....... The process does not require addition of catalyst or a reducing agent such as hydrogen. The process is advantageously carried out with a low reaction period ((ethanol:lignin (w/w) ratio of 2:1) which is a previously unexplored domain for lignin...

  11. Fumed Silica Nanoparticles Incorporated in Quaternized Poly(Vinyl Alcohol Nanocomposite Membrane for Enhanced Power Densities in Direct Alcohol Alkaline Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selvaraj Rajesh Kumar

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A nanocomposite polymer membrane based on quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol/fumed silica (QPVA/FS was prepared via a quaternization process and solution casting method. The physico-chemical properties of the QPVA/FS membrane were investigated. Its high ionic conductivity was found to depend greatly on the concentration of fumed silica in the QPVA matrix. A maximum conductivity of 3.50 × 10−2 S/cm was obtained for QPVA/5%FS at 60 °C when it was doped with 6 M KOH. The permeabilities of methanol and ethanol were reduced with increasing fumed silica content. Cell voltage and peak power density were analyzed as functions of fumed silica concentration, temperature, methanol and ethanol concentrations. A maximum power density of 96.8 mW/cm2 was achieved with QPVA/5%FS electrolyte using 2 M methanol + 6 M KOH as fuel at 80 °C. A peak power density of 79 mW/cm2 was obtained using the QPVA/5%FS electrolyte with 3 M ethanol + 5 M KOH as fuel. The resulting peak power densities are higher than the majority of published reports. The results confirm that QPVA/FS exhibits promise as a future polymeric electrolyte for use in direct alkaline alcoholic fuel cells.

  12. Ethanol electrooxidation on Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts promoted with oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Changwei [Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Shen, Pei kang [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Liu, Yingliang [Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

    2007-02-10

    This research aims to investigate Pd-based catalysts as a replacement for Pt-based catalysts for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The results show that Pd/C has a higher catalytic activity and better steady-state behaviour for ethanol oxidation than that of Pt/C. The effect of the addition of CeO{sub 2} and NiO to the Pt/C and Pd/C electrocatalysts on ethanol oxidation is also studied in alkaline media. The electrocatalysts with a weight ratio of noble metal (Pt, Pd) to CeO{sub 2} of 2:1 and a noble metal to NiO ration 6:1 show the highest catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation. The oxide promoted Pt/C and Pd/C electrocatalysts show a higher activity than the commercial E-TEK PtRu/C electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. (author)

  13. Effect of the Ethanol Injection Moment During Compression Stroke on the Combustion of Ethanol - Diesel Dual Direct Injection Engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yu; Zhou, Liying; Huang, Haomin; Xu, Mingfei; Guo, Mei; Chen, Xin

    2018-01-01

    A set of GDI system is installed on a F188 single-cylinder, air-cooled and direct injection diesel engine, which is used for ethanol injection, with the injection time controlled by the crank angle signal collected by AVL angle encoder. The injection of ethanol amounts to half of the thermal equivalent of an original diesel fuel. A 3D combustion model is established for the ethanol - diesel dual direct injection engine. Diesel was injected from the original fuel injection system, with a fuel supply advance angle of 20°CA. The ethanol was injected into the cylinder during compression process. Diesel injection began after the completion of ethanol injection. Ethanol injection starting point of 240°CA, 260°CA, 280°CA, 300°CA and 319.4°CA were simulated and analyzed. Due to the different timing of ethanol injection, the ignition of the ethanol mixture when diesel fires, results in non-uniform ignition distribution and flame propagation rate, since the distribution and concentration gradients of the ethanol mixture in the cylinder are different, thus affecting the combustion process. The results show that, when ethanol is injected at 319.4°CA, the combustion heat release rate and the pressure rise rate during the initial stage are the highest. Also, the maximum combustion pressure, with a relatively advance phase, is the highest. In case of later initial ethanol injection, the average temperature in the cylinder during the initial combustion period will have a faster rise. In case of initial injection at 319.4°CA, the average temperature in the cylinder is the highest, followed by 240°CA ethanol injection. In the post-combustion stage, the earlier ethanol injection will result in higher average temperature in the cylinder and more complete fuel combustion. The injection of ethanol at 319.4°CA produces earlier and highest NOX emissions.

  14. One-step electrosynthesis of ethylene and ethanol from CO2 in an alkaline electrolyzer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Sichao; Sadakiyo, Masaaki; Luo, Raymond; Heima, Minako; Yamauchi, Miho; Kenis, Paul J. A.

    2016-01-01

    Electroreduction of CO2 has potential for storing otherwise wasted intermittent renewable energy, while reducing emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. Identifying robust and efficient electrocatalysts and associated optimum operating conditions to produce hydrocarbons at high energetic efficiency (low overpotential) remains a challenge. In this study, four Cu nanoparticle catalysts of different morphology and composition (amount of surface oxide) are synthesized and their activities towards CO2 reduction are characterized in an alkaline electrolyzer. Use of catalysts with large surface roughness results in a combined Faradaic efficiency (46%) for the electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene and ethanol in combination with current densities of ∼200 mA cm-2, a 10-fold increase in performance achieved at much lower overpotential (only catalysts bring electrochemical reduction processes such as presented here closer to practical application.

  15. Small-sized PdCu nanocapsules on 3D graphene for high-performance ethanol oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chuangang; Zhai, Xiangquan; Zhao, Yang; Bian, Ke; Zhang, Jing; Qu, Liangti; Zhang, Huimin; Luo, Hongxia

    2014-03-07

    A one-pot solvothermal process has been developed for direct preparation of PdCu nanocapsules (with a size of ca. 10 nm) on three-dimensional (3D) graphene. Due to the 3D pore-rich network of graphene and the unique hollow structure of PdCu nanocapsules with a wall thickness of ca. 3 nm, the newly-prepared PdCu/3D graphene hybrids activated electrochemically have great electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline media, much better than single-phase Pd and commercial E-TEK 20% Pt/C catalysts promising for application in direct ethanol fuel cells.

  16. Facile solvothermal synthesis of highly active and robust Pd1.87Cu0.11Sn electrocatalyst towards direct ethanol fuel cell applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jana, Rajkumar; Dhiman, Shikha; Peter, Sebastian C.

    2016-08-01

    Ordered intermetallic Pd1.87Cu0.11Sn ternary electrocatalyst has been synthesized by sodium borohydride reduction of precursor salts Pd(acac)2, CuCl2.2H2O and SnCl2 using one-pot solvothermal synthesis method at 220 °C with a reaction time of 24 h. To the best of our knowledge, here for the first time we report surfactant free synthesis of a novel ordered intermetallic ternary Pd1.87Cu0.11Sn nanoparticles. The ordered structure of the catalyst has been confirmed by powder x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Composition and morphology of the nanoparticles have been confirmed through field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry and TEM. The electrocatalytic activity and stability of the ternary electrocatalyst towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. The catalyst is proved to be highly efficient and stable upto 500th cycle and even better than commercially available Pd/C (20 wt%) electrocatalysts. The specific and mass activity of the as synthesized ternary catalyst are found to be ∼4.76 and ∼2.9 times better than that of commercial Pd/C. The enhanced activity and stability of the ordered ternary Pd1.87Cu0.11Sn catalyst can make it as a promising candidate for the alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell application.

  17. Preparation, characterisation and application of Pd/C nanocatalyst in passive alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFC)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Modibedi, RM

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Pd nanocatalysts showed the dominant fcc structure. The catalytic activity towards ethanol electrooxidation in various concentrations of KOH was evaluated in the half-cell tests by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Improved performance...

  18. Tuning of platinum nano-particles by Au usage in their binary alloy for direct ethanol fuel cell: Controlled synthesis, electrode kinetics and mechanistic interpretation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Abhijit; Mondal, Achintya; Datta, Jayati

    2015-06-01

    Understanding of the electrode-kinetics and mechanism of ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is of considerable interest for optimizing electro-catalysis in direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC). This work attempts to design Pt based electro-catalyst on carbon support, tuned with gold nano-particles (NPs), for their use in DEFC operating in alkaline medium. The platinum-gold alloyed NPs are synthesized at desired compositions and size (2-10 nm) by controlled borohydride reduction method and successfully characterized by XRD, TEM, EDS and XPS techniques. The kinetic parameters along with the activation energies for the EOR are evaluated over the temperature range 20-80 °C and the oxidation reaction products estimated through ion chromatographic analysis. Compared to single Pt/C catalyst, the over potential of EOR is reduced by ca. 500 mV, at the onset during the reaction, for PtAu/C alloy with only 23% Pt content demonstrating the ability of Au and/or its surface oxides providing oxygen species at much lower potentials compared to Pt. Furthermore, a considerable increase in the peak power density (>191%) is observed in an in-house fabricated direct ethanol anion exchange membrane fuel cell, DE(AEM)FC using the best performing Au covered Pt electrode (23% Pt) compared to the monometallic Pt catalyst.

  19. Towards an efficient conversion of ethanol in low temperature fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, Vineet [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Physik Department E19, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85747 Garching (Germany); Stimming, Ulrich [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Physik Department E19, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85747 Garching (Germany); ZAE Bayern, Abteilung 1, Walther-Meissner-Str. 6, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    Direct conversion of ethanol in low temperature fuel cells is a major goal in the development of fuel cells. Advantages of ethanol are its availability from biomass and the high energy density of such liquid fuel. Nevertheless, a major drawback is the incomplete oxidation of ethanol. Recent research focused mainly on novel catalyst materials for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) based on e.g. Pt-Sn. Furthermore, some groups have carried out tests on solid OH- ion exchange membrane fuel cells. Better kinetics of fuel cell processes in such exchange membrane fuel cells could allow using also higher alcohols as fuel. Ethanol has slower kinetics of oxidation in acidic media and several by-products are formed because of incomplete oxidation. In our studies we investigated EOR in alkaline membrane electrode assemblies (MEA). Here, ethanol undergoes significantly more complete electro-oxidation to CO{sub 2} than in case of acidic MEA with same Pt anode.

  20. Microwave-assisted pechini synthesis of Pd-Ni nanocatalyst for ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Rohwer, M

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Fuel cells provide a means for the direct conversion of fuels to electricity. Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are particularly attractive because liquid fuels such as methanol or ethanol have a relatively low cost, a high volumetric energy density...

  1. Determination of the average number of electrons released during the oxidation of ethanol in a direct ethanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

    2015-01-01

    The energy efficiency of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is directly proportional to the average number of electrons released per ethanol molecule (n-value) at the anode. An approach to measuring n-values in DEFC hardware is presented, validated for the oxidation of methanol, and shown to provide n-values for ethanol oxidation that are consistent with trends and estimates from full product analysis. The method is based on quantitative oxidation of fuel that crosses through the membrane to avoid the errors that would otherwise result from crossover. It will be useful for rapid screening of catalysts, and allows performances (polarization curves) and n-values to be determined simultaneously under well controlled transport conditions.

  2. Alkaline/peracetic acid as a pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol fuel production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Lincoln Cambraia

    Peracetic acid is a lignin oxidation pretreatment with low energy input by which biomass can be treated in a silo type system for improving enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulosic materials for ethanol production. Experimentally, ground hybrid poplar wood and sugar cane bagasse are placed in plastic bags and a peracetic acid solution is added to the biomass in different concentrations based on oven-dry biomass. The ratio of solution to biomass is 6:1; after initial mixing of the resulting paste, a seven-day storage period at about 20°C is used in this study. As a complementary method, a series of pre-pretreatments using stoichiometric amounts of sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide based on 4-methyl-glucuronic acid and acetyl content in the biomass is been performed before addition of peracetic acid. The alkaline solutions are added to the biomass in a ratio of 14:1 solution to biomass; the slurry is mixed for 24 hours at ambient temperature. The above procedures give high xylan content substrates. Consequently, xylanase/beta-glucosidase combinations are more effective than cellulase preparations in hydrolyzing these materials. The pretreatment effectiveness is evaluated using standard enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) procedures. Hybrid poplar wood pretreated with 15 and 21% peracetic acid based on oven-dry weight of wood gives glucan conversion yields of 76.5 and 98.3%, respectively. Sugar cane bagasse pretreated with the same loadings gives corresponding yields of 85.9 and 93.1%. Raw wood and raw bagasse give corresponding yields of 6.8 and 28.8%, respectively. The combined 6% NaOH/15% peracetic acid pretreatments increase the glucan conversion yields from 76.5 to 100.0% for hybrid poplar wood and from 85.9 to 97.6% for sugar cane bagasse. Respective ethanol yields of 92.8 and 91.9% are obtained from 6% NaOH/15% peracetic acid pretreated materials using recombinant Zymomonas mobilis CP4/pZB5. Peracetic acid

  3. Proton conductive montmorillonite-Nafion composite membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Xiu-Wen; Wu, Nan; Shi, Chun-Qing; Zheng, Zhi-Yuan; Qi, Hong-Bin; Wang, Ya-Fang

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Composite membranes are prepared with different montmorillonites and nafion solution. • Proton conductivities of the composite membranes are between 36.0 mS/cm and 38.5 mS/cm. • Ethanol permeability is between 0.69 × 10"−"6 cm"2/s and 2.67 × 10"−"6 cm"2/s. • Water uptake is approximately 24.30 mass%. - Abstract: The preparation of Nafion membranes modified with montmorillonites is less studied, and most relative works mainly applied in direct methanol fuel cells, less in direct ethanol fuel cells. Organic/inorganic composite membranes are prepared with different montmorillonites (Ca-montmorillonite, Na-montmorillonite, K-montmorillonite, Mg-montmorillonite, and H-montmorillonite) and Nafion solution via casting method at 293 K in air, and with balance of their proton conductivity and ethanol permeability. The ethanol permeability and proton conductivity of the membranes are comparatively studied. The montmorillonites can well decrease the ethanol permeability of the membranes via inserted them in the membranes, while less decrease the proton conductivities of the membranes depending on the inserted amount and type of montmorillonites. The proton conductivities of the membranes are between 36.0 mS/cm and 38.5 mS/cm. The ethanol permeability of the membranes is between 0.69 × 10"−"6 cm"2/s and 2.67 × 10"−"6 cm"2/s.

  4. Pt based anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Weijiang; Zhou, Zhenhua; Song, Shuqin; Li, Wenzhen; Sun, Gongquan; Xin, Qin [Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Laboratory, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, P.O. Box 110, Dalian 116023 (China); Tsiakaras, Panagiotis [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Thessalia, Pedion Areos, GR 38334 Volos (Greece) 7

    2003-11-10

    In the present work several Pt-based anode catalysts supported on carbon XC-72R were prepared with a novel method and characterized by means of XRD, TEM and XPS analysis. It was found that all these catalysts are consisted of uniform nanosized particles with sharp distribution and Pt lattice parameter decreases with the addition of Ru or Pd and increases with the addition of Sn or W. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements and single direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) tests jointly showed that the presence of Sn, Ru and W enhances the activity of Pt towards ethanol electro-oxidation in the following order: Pt{sub 1}Sn{sub 1}/C>Pt{sub 1}Ru{sub 1}/C>Pt{sub 1}W{sub 1}/C>Pt{sub 1}Pd{sub 1}/C>Pt/C. Moreover, Pt{sub 1}Ru{sub 1}/C further modified by W and Mo showed improved ethanol electro-oxidation activity, but its DEFC performance was found to be inferior to that measured for Pt{sub 1}Sn{sub 1}/C. Under this respect, several PtSn/C catalysts with different Pt/Sn atomic ratio were also identically prepared and characterized and their direct ethanol fuel cell performances were evaluated. It was found that the single direct ethanol fuel cell having Pt{sub 1}Sn{sub 1}/C or Pt{sub 3}Sn{sub 2}/C or Pt{sub 2}Sn{sub 1}/C as anode catalyst showed better performances than those with Pt{sub 3}Sn{sub 1}/C or Pt{sub 4}Sn{sub 1}/C. It was also found that the latter two cells exhibited higher performances than the single cell using Pt{sub 1}Ru{sub 1}/C, which is exclusively used in PEMFC as anode catalyst for both methanol electro-oxidation and CO-tolerance. This distinct difference in DEFC performance between the catalysts examined here would be attributed to the so-called bifunctional mechanism and to the electronic interaction between Pt and additives. It is thought that an amount of -OH{sub ads}, an amount of surface Pt active sites and the conductivity effect of PtSn/C catalysts would determine the activity of PtSn/C with different Pt/Sn ratios. At lower temperature values or at low

  5. Direct conversion of sorghum carbohydrates to ethanol by a mixed microbial culture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christakopoulos, Paul; Lianwu Li; Kekos, Dimitris; Macris, B.J. (National Technical Univ. of Athens (Greece). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)

    1993-01-01

    The carbohydrates of sweet sorghum were directly converted to ethanol by a mixed culture of Fusarium oxysporum F3 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2541. A number of factors affecting this bioconversion was studied. Optimum ethanol yields of 33.2 g/100 g of total sorghum carbohydrates, corresponding to 10.3 g/100 g of fresh stalks, were obtained. These values represented 68.6% of the theoretical yield based on total polysaccharides and exceeded that based on oligosaccharides of sorghum by 53.7%. The results demonstrated that more than half of the sorghum polysaccharides were directly fermented to ethanol, thus making the process worthy of further investigation. (author)

  6. Bioconversion of corn stover hydrolysate to ethanol by a recombinant yeast strain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Jing; Xia, Liming

    2010-12-15

    Three corn stover hydrolysates, enzymatic hydrolysates prepared from acid and alkaline pretreatments separately and hemicellulosic hydrolysate prepared from acid pretreatment, were evaluated in composition and fermentability. For enzymatic hydrolysate from alkaline pretreatment, ethanol yield on fermentable sugars and fermentation efficiency reached highest among the three hydrolysates; meanwhile, ethanol yield on dry corn stover reached 0.175 g/g, higher than the sum of those of two hydrolysates from acid pretreatment. Fermentation process of the enzymatic hydrolysate from alkaline pretreatment was further investigated using free and immobilized cells of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae ZU-10. Concentrated hydrolysate containing 66.9 g/L glucose and 32.1 g/L xylose was utilized. In the fermentation with free cells, 41.2 g/L ethanol was obtained within 72 h with an ethanol yield on fermentable sugars of 0.416 g/g. Immobilized cells greatly enhanced the ethanol productivity, while the ethanol yield on fermentable sugars of 0.411 g/g could still be reached. Repeated batch fermentation with immobilized cells was further attempted up to six batches. The ethanol yield on fermentable sugars maintained above 0.403 g/g with all glucose and more than 92.83% xylose utilized in each batch. These results demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of ethanol production from corn stover hydrolysates. (author)

  7. One-Pot Synthesis of Hierarchical Flower-Like Pd-Cu Alloy Support on Graphene Towards Ethanol Oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jingyi; Feng, Anni; Bai, Jie; Tan, Zhibing; Shao, Wenyao; Yang, Yang; Hong, Wenjing; Xiao, Zongyuan

    2017-09-01

    The synergetic effect of alloy and morphology of nanocatalysts play critical roles towards ethanol electrooxidation. In this work, we developed a novel electrocatalyst fabricated by one-pot synthesis of hierarchical flower-like palladium (Pd)-copper (Cu) alloy nanocatalysts supported on reduced graphene oxide (Pd-Cu(F)/RGO) for direct ethanol fuel cells. The structures of the catalysts were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The as-synthesized Pd-Cu(F)/RGO nanocatalyst was found to exhibit higher electrocatalytic performances towards ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline medium in contrast with RGO-supported Pd nanocatalyst and commercial Pd black catalyst in alkaline electrolyte, which could be attributed to the formation of alloy and the morphology of nanoparticles. The high performance of nanocatalyst reveals the great potential of the structure design of the supporting materials for the future fabrication of nanocatalysts.

  8. Direct conversion of straw to ethanol by Fusarium oxysporum: effect of cellulose crystallinity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christakopoulos, P.; Koullas, D.P.; Kekos, D.; Koukios, E.G.; Macris, B.J. (Ethnikon Metsovion Polytechneion, Athens (Greece))

    1991-03-01

    Wheat straw was successfully fermented to ethanol by Fusarium oxysporum F3 in a one-step process. Cellulose crystallinity was found to be a major factor in the bioconversion process. Ethanol yields increased linearly with decreasing crystallinity index. Approximately 80% of straw carbohydrates were converted directly to ethanol with a yield of 0.28 g ethanol/g{sup -1} of straw when the crystallinity index was reduced to 23.6%. (author).

  9. Direct ethanol fuel cells with catalysed metal mesh anodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chetty, Raghuram; Scott, Keith

    2007-01-01

    Platinum based binary and ternary catalysts prepared by thermal decomposition on titanium mesh were characterised and compared in terms of the electrochemical activity for ethanol oxidation. An enhancement in the catalytic activity was observed for the binary catalyst containing tin and ruthenium in their compositions with platinum. The catalysts were tested in single direct ethanol fuel cells and the result obtained with PtRu and PtSn showed that the mesh based electrodes show competitive performance in comparison to the conventional carbon based anodes

  10. Matlab Source Code for Species Transport through Nafion Membranes in Direct Ethanol, Direct Methanol, and Direct Glucose Fuel Cells

    OpenAIRE

    JH, Summerfield; MW, Manley

    2016-01-01

    A simple simulation of chemical species movement is presented. The species traverse a Nafion membrane in a fuel cell. Three cells are examined: direct methanol, direct ethanol, and direct glucose. The species are tracked using excess proton concentration, electric field strength, and voltage. The Matlab computer code is provided.

  11. Proton conductive montmorillonite-Nafion composite membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Xiu-Wen, E-mail: wuxw2008@163.com [School of Science, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China); National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Wu, Nan; Shi, Chun-Qing; Zheng, Zhi-Yuan; Qi, Hong-Bin; Wang, Ya-Fang [School of Science, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • Composite membranes are prepared with different montmorillonites and nafion solution. • Proton conductivities of the composite membranes are between 36.0 mS/cm and 38.5 mS/cm. • Ethanol permeability is between 0.69 × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/s and 2.67 × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/s. • Water uptake is approximately 24.30 mass%. - Abstract: The preparation of Nafion membranes modified with montmorillonites is less studied, and most relative works mainly applied in direct methanol fuel cells, less in direct ethanol fuel cells. Organic/inorganic composite membranes are prepared with different montmorillonites (Ca-montmorillonite, Na-montmorillonite, K-montmorillonite, Mg-montmorillonite, and H-montmorillonite) and Nafion solution via casting method at 293 K in air, and with balance of their proton conductivity and ethanol permeability. The ethanol permeability and proton conductivity of the membranes are comparatively studied. The montmorillonites can well decrease the ethanol permeability of the membranes via inserted them in the membranes, while less decrease the proton conductivities of the membranes depending on the inserted amount and type of montmorillonites. The proton conductivities of the membranes are between 36.0 mS/cm and 38.5 mS/cm. The ethanol permeability of the membranes is between 0.69 × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/s and 2.67 × 10{sup −6} cm{sup 2}/s.

  12. Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) based membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    OpenAIRE

    Roelofs, K.S.

    2010-01-01

    The decreasing availability of fossil fuels and the increasing impact of greenhouse gases on the environment lead to an extensive development of more efficient or renewable energy sources. The direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) as a portable energy source is a promising and fast growing technology which meets these demands. Up to now, methanol is mostly studied as a fuel for these devices, however, applying ethanol has some evident advantages over methanol. The major challenges in direct ethanol...

  13. Palladium-based electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction in DEFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, L.P.R. de; Elsheikh, A.; Silva, E. L. da; Radtke, C.; Amico, S.C.; Malfatti, C.F.

    2014-01-01

    Direct ethanol fuel cells require the use of electrocatalysts to promote bond cleavage of the ethanol molecule in an efficient way. Currently, most electrocatalysts contain platinum, which enables improved catalytic activity and stability in acidic media. However platinum presents high cost and low availability. Based on that, novel catalysts have been developed, such as those based on palladium and its alloys, which have attained excellent results in the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. In this work, Pd, PdSn and PdNiSn catalysts supported on Vulcan XC72R carbon were synthesized via impregnation/reduction. The electrocatalysts were characterized by RBS, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The X-ray diffraction results showed the formation of an alloy and not the deposition of isolated elements. The synthesized catalysts displayed good catalytic activity, as observed by cyclic voltammetry, being the best electrochemical performance achieved by the ternary alloy. (author)

  14. Poly (p-phenylendiamine/TiO2) nanocomposite promoted Pt/C catalyst for methanol and ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostami, Hussein; Rostami, Abbas Ali; Omrani, Abdollah

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, poly (p-phenylendiamine/titanium dioxide) (PpPDA/TiO 2 ) nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared by in situ polymerization of p-phenylenediamine monomer with of different TiO 2 loading. A facile method was developed to promote the electrocatalytic activity of commercial Pt/C catalyst by ultrasonically mixing Pt/C catalyst and PpPDA/TiO 2 NCs. The PpPDA/TiO 2 NC, Pt/C catalyst and composite catalyst of Pt/C + PpPDA/TiO 2 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The surface morphology of Pt/C is significantly influenced by the presence of PpPDA/TiO 2 NC as confirmed by SEM observations. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed that the PpPDA/TiO 2 NC leads to a significant improvement in the activity and stability of Pt/C for alcohol oxidation especially for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium. For Pt/C + PpPDA/TiO 2 , the onset potentials shift to negative values by 30 and 160 mV compared to the onset potentials of Pt/C for methanol and ethanol oxidation, respectively. Chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results also confirmed that this composite catalyst has superior catalytic performance towards ethanol oxidation compared to the pure Pt/C catalyst.

  15. Direct bioconversion of brown algae into ethanol by thermophilic bacterium Defluviitalea phaphyphila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Shi-Qi; Wang, Bing; Lu, Ming; Li, Fu-Li

    2016-01-01

    Brown algae are promising feedstocks for biofuel production with inherent advantages of no structural lignin, high growth rate, and no competition for land and fresh water. However, it is difficult for one microorganism to convert all components of brown algae with different oxidoreduction potentials to ethanol. Defluviitalea phaphyphila Alg1 is the first characterized thermophilic bacterium capable of direct utilization of brown algae. Defluviitalea phaphyphila Alg1 can simultaneously utilize mannitol, glucose, and alginate to produce ethanol, and high ethanol yields of 0.47 g/g-mannitol, 0.44 g/g-glucose, and 0.3 g/g-alginate were obtained. A rational redox balance system under obligate anaerobic condition in fermenting brown algae was revealed in D. phaphyphila Alg1 through genome and redox analysis. The excess reducing equivalents produced from mannitol metabolism were equilibrated by oxidizing forces from alginate assimilation. Furthermore, D. phaphyphila Alg1 can directly utilize unpretreated kelp powder, and 10 g/L of ethanol was accumulated within 72 h with an ethanol yield of 0.25 g/g-kelp. Microscopic observation further demonstrated the deconstruction process of brown algae cell by D. phaphyphila Alg1. The integrated biomass deconstruction system of D. phaphyphila Alg1, as well as its high ethanol yield, provided us an excellent alternative for brown algae bioconversion at elevated temperature.

  16. A Development of Ethanol/Percarbonate Membraneless Fuel Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Priya

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on membraneless sodium percarbonate fuel cell using platinum electrodes in alkaline-acidic media is investigated. In this cell, ethanol is used as the fuel and sodium percarbonate is used as an oxidant for the first time in an alkaline-acidic media. Sodium percarbonate generates hydrogen peroxide in aqueous medium. At room temperature, the laminar-flow-based microfluidic membraneless fuel cell can reach a maximum power density of 18.96 mW cm−2 with a fuel mixture flow rate of 0.3 mL min−2. The developed fuel cell features no proton exchange membrane. The simple planar structured membraneless ethanol fuel cell presents with high design flexibility and enables easy integration of the microscale fuel cell into actual microfluidic systems and portable power applications.

  17. Preparation of Pt Au/C and Pt Au Bi/C electrocatalysts using electron beam irradiation for ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Dionisio F.; Geraldes, Adriana N.; Cardoso, Elisangela S.Z.; Gomes, Thiago B.; Linardi, Marcelo; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Spinace, Estevam V.

    2011-01-01

    Pt Au/C (50:50) and PtAuBi/C electrocatalysts with Pt:Au:Bi atomic ratios of 50:40:10, 50:30:20 and 50:10:40 were prepared in water/2-propanol using electron beam irradiation. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the electro-oxidation of ethanol was studied by chronoamperometry at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction measurements for all electrocatalysts prepared showed four peaks, which are associated with the planes of the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure characteristic of Pt and Pt alloys. For PtAuBi/C it was also observed the presence of a mixture of BiPt alloys and bismuth phases. The average crystallite sizes for Pt/C, PtAu/C, PtAuBi/C (50:40:10), PtAuBi/C (50:30:20) and PtAuBi/C (50:10:40) were in the range of 2.0 - 4.0 nm. The activity of the electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium showed that PtAuBi/C (50:40:10) had a higher performance for ethanol oxidation compared to others electrocatalysts prepared. (author)

  18. Preparation of Pt Au/C and Pt Au Bi/C electrocatalysts using electron beam irradiation for ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Dionisio F.; Geraldes, Adriana N.; Cardoso, Elisangela S.Z.; Gomes, Thiago B.; Linardi, Marcelo; Oliveira Neto, Almir; Spinace, Estevam V., E-mail: dfsilva@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    Pt Au/C (50:50) and PtAuBi/C electrocatalysts with Pt:Au:Bi atomic ratios of 50:40:10, 50:30:20 and 50:10:40 were prepared in water/2-propanol using electron beam irradiation. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the electro-oxidation of ethanol was studied by chronoamperometry at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction measurements for all electrocatalysts prepared showed four peaks, which are associated with the planes of the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure characteristic of Pt and Pt alloys. For PtAuBi/C it was also observed the presence of a mixture of BiPt alloys and bismuth phases. The average crystallite sizes for Pt/C, PtAu/C, PtAuBi/C (50:40:10), PtAuBi/C (50:30:20) and PtAuBi/C (50:10:40) were in the range of 2.0 - 4.0 nm. The activity of the electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium showed that PtAuBi/C (50:40:10) had a higher performance for ethanol oxidation compared to others electrocatalysts prepared. (author)

  19. Characterization and ethanol potential from giant cassava (Manihot esculenta) stem waste biomass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Septia, E.; Supriadi; Suwinarti, W.; Amirta, R.

    2018-04-01

    Manihot esculenta stem waste biomass is promising material for ethanol production since it is unutilized substance from cassava production. Nowadays, cassava is the most common food in Indonesian society. The aims of this study were to identify availability and characteristic of giant cassava (M. esculenta) stem waste biomass for ethanol feedstock. In term of that, four plots with the size of 5m x 5m were made to calculate the total stem biomass obtained after harvesting process. In this study, various concentrations of alkaline were used to degrade lignin from the substrate. The effects of alkaline pretreatment were investigated using TAPPI method and the ethanol yield was estimated using modified NREL protocol. The results showed that the potential dry stem waste biomass from harvesting of M. esculenta was approximately 10.5 ton/ha. Further, alkaline pretreatment of stem waste biomass with 2% of NaOH coupled with the enzymatic saccharification process using meicelase was showed the highest production of sugar to reach of 38.49 % of total reduction sugar and estimated potentially converted to 2,62 L/ha of ethanol. We suggested M. esculenta stem waste biomass could be used as sustainable feedstock for ethanol production in Indonesia.

  20. In situ FTIRS study of ethanol electro-oxidation on anode catalysts in direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Q.; Sun, G.; Jiang, L.; Zhu, M.; Yan, S.; Wang, G.; Xin, Q. [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian (China). Dalian Inst. of Chemical Physics; Chen, Q.; Li, J.; Jiang, Y.; Sun, S. [Xiamen Univ., Xiamen (China). State Key Lab. for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces

    2006-07-01

    The low activation of ethanol oxidation at lower temperatures is an obstacle to the development of cost-effective direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). This study used a modified polyol method to prepare carbon-supported platinum (Pt) based catalysts. Carbon supported Pt-based catalysts were fabricated by a modified polyol method and characterized through transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results of the study showed that the particles in the Pt/C and PtRu/C and PtSn/C catalysts were distributed on the carbon support uniformly. Diffraction peaks of the Pt shifted positively in the PtRu/C catalysts and negatively in the PtSn/C catalysts. In situ Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the adsorption and oxidation process of ethanol on the catalysts. Results showed that the electrocatalytic activity of ethanol oxidation on the materials was enhanced. Linear bonded carbon monoxide (CO) was the most strongly absorbed species, and the main products produced by the catalysts were carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), acetaldehyde, and acetic acid. Results showed that the PtRu/C catalyst broke the C-C bond more easily than the Pt/C and PtSn/C compounds. However, the results of a linear sweep voltammogram analysis showed that ethanol oxidation of the PtSn/C was enhanced. Bands observed on the compound indicated the formation of acetic acid and acetaldehyde. It was concluded that the enhancement of PtSn/C for ethanol oxidation was due to the formation of acetic acid and acetaldehyde at lower potentials. 4 refs., 1 fig.

  1. Pd-Au/C catalysts with different alloying degrees for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin, Yuan-Hang; Li, Yunfeng; Lv, Ren-Liang; Wang, Tie-Lin; Wang, Wei-Guo; Wang, Cun-Wen

    2014-01-01

    High alloyed Pd-Au/C catalyst is prepared through a rate-limiting strategy in water/ethylene glycol solution. Pd/C and low alloyed Pd-Au/C catalysts are prepared with trisodium citrate and sodium borohydride as stabilizing and reducing agents, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the synthesized Pd(Au) particles are well dispersed on the catalysts. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that the high alloyed Pd-Au/C catalyst presents a relatively homogenous structure while the low alloyed Pd-Au/C catalyst presents a Pd-rich shell/Au-rich core structure. Electrochemical characterization shows that the low alloyed Pd-Au/C catalyst exhibits the best catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media, which could be attributed to its relatively large exposed Pd surface area as compared with the high alloyed Pd-Au/C catalyst due to its Pd-rich shell structure and its enhanced adsorption of OH ads as compared with Pd/C catalyst due to its core-shell structure

  2. Pd supported on carbon containing nickel, nitrogen and sulfur for ethanol electrooxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zi-Rui; Wang, Shang-Qing; Wang, Jing; Zhou, Ai-Ju; Xu, Chang-Wei

    2017-11-13

    Carbon material containing nickel, nitrogen and sulfur (Ni-NSC) has been synthesized using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursor by annealing treatment with a size from 200 to 300 nm. Pd nanoparticles supported on the Ni-NSC (Pd/Ni-NSC) are used as electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. Due to the synergistic effect between Pd and Ni, S, N, free OH radicals can form on the surface of Ni, N and S atoms at lower potentials, which react with CH 3 CO intermediate species on the Pd surface to produce CH 3 COO - and release the active sites. On the other hand, the stronger binding force between Pd and co-doped N and S is responsible for enhancing dispersion and preventing agglomeration of the Pd nanoparticles. The Pd(20 wt%)/Ni-NSC shows better electrochemical performance of ethanol oxidation than the traditional commercial Pd(20 wt%)/C catalyst. Onset potential on the Pd(20 wt%)/Ni-NSC electrode is 36 mV more negative compared with that on the commercial Pd(20 wt%)/C electrode. The Pd(20 wt%)/Ni-NSC in this paper demonstrates to have excellent electrocatalytic properties and is considered as a promising catalyst in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells.

  3. Ni hollow spheres as catalysts for methanol and ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Changwei [Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Hu, Yonghong; Rong, Jianhua; Liu, Yingliang [Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanochemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Jiang, San Ping [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2007-08-15

    In this paper, we successfully synthesized Ni hollow spheres consisting of needle-like nickel particles by using silica spheres as template with gold nanoparticles seeding method. The Ni hollow spheres are applied to methanol and ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The results show that the Ni hollow spheres give a very high activity for alcohol electrooxidation at a very low nickel loading of 0.10 mg cm{sup -2}. The current on Ni hollow spheres is much higher than that on Ni particles. The onset potential and peak potential on Ni hollow spheres are more negative than that on Ni particles for methanol and ethanol electrooxidation. The Ni hollow spheres may be of great potential in alcohol sensor and direct alcohol fuel cells. (author)

  4. A high selectivity quaternized polysulfone membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Abuin, GC

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available polysulfone membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells Graciela C. Abuina, Esteban A. Franceschinib, Patrick Nonjolac, Mkhulu K. Mathec, Mmalewane Modibedic, Horacio R. Cortib,* aCentro de Procesos Superficiales, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología...

  5. Effect of flocculation on performance of arming yeast in direct ethanol fermentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khaw Teik Seong; Katakura, Yoshio; Ninomiya, Kazuaki; Shioya, Suteaki [Osaka Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Biotechnology; Bito, Yohei; Katahira, Satoshi; Kondo, Akihiko [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Science and Engineering; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Div. of Applied Life Sciences

    2006-11-15

    In the direct ethanol fermentation of raw starch by arming yeast with {alpha}-amylase and glucoamylase, it is preferable to use a flocculent yeast because it can be recovered without centrifugation. Three types of arming yeast system, I (nonflocculent), II (mildly flocculent), and III (heavily flocculent), were constructed and their fermentation performances were compared. With an increase in the degree of flocculation, specific ethanol production rate for soluble starch decreased (0.19, 0.17, and 0.12 g g-dry-cell{sup -1} h{sup -1} for systems I, II, and III, respectively), but that for raw starch did not decrease as much as expected (0.06, 0.06, and 0.04 g g-dry-cell{sup -1} h{sup -1} for systems I, II and III, respectively). Microscopic observation revealed that many starch granules were captured in the yeast flocs in system III during the direct ethanol fermentation of raw starch. It was suggested that the capture of starch granules increases apparent substrate concentration for amylolytic enzymes in arming yeast cell flocs; thus, the specific ethanol production rate of system III was kept at a level comparable to those of the other systems. (orig.)

  6. Direction of glucose fermentation towards hydrogen or ethanol production through on-line pH control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karadag, Dogan; Puhakka, Jaakko A. [Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere (Finland)

    2010-10-15

    The present study investigated the production of hydrogen (H{sub 2}) and ethanol from glucose in an Anaerobic Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (ACSTR). Effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and pH on the preference of producing H{sub 2} and/or ethanol and other soluble metabolic products in an open anaerobic enriched culture were studied. Production rates of H{sub 2} and ethanol increased with the increase of biomass concentration. Open anaerobic fermentation was directed and managed through on-line pH control for the production of H{sub 2} or ethanol. Hydrogen was produced by ethanol and acetate-butyrate type fermentations. pH has strong effect on the H{sub 2} or ethanol production by changing fermentation pathways. ACSTR produced mainly ethanol at over pH 5.5 whereas highest H{sub 2} production was obtained at pH 5.0. pH 4.9 favored the lactate production and accumulation of lactate inhibited the biomass concentration in the reactor and the production of H{sub 2} and ethanol. The microbial community structure quickly responded to pH changes and the Clostridia dominated in ACSTR during the study. H{sub 2} production was maintained mainly by Clostridium butyricum whereas in the presence of Bacillus coagulans glucose oxidation was directed to lactate production. (author)

  7. Direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cell operating in gradual internal reforming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobrega, S. D.; Galesco, M. V.; Girona, K.; de Florio, D. Z.; Steil, M. C.; Georges, S.; Fonseca, F. C.

    2012-09-01

    An electrolyte supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using standard electrodes, doped-lanthanum manganite cathode and Ni-cermet anode, was operated with direct (anhydrous) ethanol for more than 100 h, delivering essentially the same power output as running on hydrogen. A ceria-based layer provides the catalytic activity for the gradual internal reforming, which uses the steam formed by the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen for the decomposition of ethanol. Such a concept opens up the way for multi-fuel SOFCs using standard components and a catalytic layer.

  8. Nanostructured Polyelectrolytes Based on SPEEK/TiO2 for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs)

    OpenAIRE

    Dutra Filho, José Carlos; Santos, Tamirys Rodrigues dos; Gomes, Aílton de Souza

    2014-01-01

    Proton-conducting hybrid membranes consisting of poly(ether ether ketone) sulfonated (SPEEK) and titanium oxide (TiO2) were prepared using the sol-gel technique for application in direct ethanol fuel cells. The effect from TiO2 incorporation on membrane properties such as ethanol uptake, pervaporation and proton conductivity was investigated. The uptake and permeated flux decreased with increasing content of TiO2. The ethanol permeability was about one order of magnitude smaller than Nafion® ...

  9. Pd/Co bimetallic nanoparticles: coelectrodeposition under protection of PVP and enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Z.S.; Wu, J.J. [College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo-Biosensing, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000 (China)

    2012-06-15

    A series of Pd-Co bimetallic nanostructures with Co compositions ranging from 0 to 13 at.% were fabricated on glassy carbon electrode by one step electrodeposition in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The roles of PVP and Co have been systematically investigated by using combined techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray diffraction, and chronoamperograms. PVP was used as an additive to stabilize the Pd nanoparticles and inhibit agglomeration during their formation. The prepared Pd{sub 100}Co{sub 10} bimetallic nanostructures exhibited great catalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline, which implies that low Co doping can be a convenient way to enhance the electrocatalytic property of Pd. The present study shows that the Pd/Co bimetallic nanoparticulate can be a promising catalyst for portable applications in direct ethanol fuel cell in alkaline solution. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  10. Towards 40% efficiency with BMEP exceeding 30 bar in directly injected, turbocharged, spark ignition ethanol engines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boretti, Alberto

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The main advantages of ethanol vs. gasoline are higher knock resistance and heat of vaporization. ► Direct injection and turbo charging are the key features of high efficiency and high power density ethanol engines. ► Advanced ethanol engines are enablers of vehicle fuel energy economy similar to Diesel engines. ► Waste bio mass ethanol may cut the nonrenewable energy costs of fossil fuels passenger cars by almost 90%. - Abstract: Current flexi fuel gasoline and ethanol engines have efficiencies generally lower than dedicated gasoline engines. Considering ethanol has a few advantages with reference to gasoline, namely the higher octane number and the larger heat of vaporization, the paper explores the potentials of dedicated pure ethanol engines using the most advanced techniques available for gasoline engines, specifically direct injection, turbo charging and variable valve actuation. Computations are performed with state-of-the-art, well validated, engine and vehicle performance simulations packages, generally accepted to produce accurate results when targeting major trends in engine developments. The higher compression ratio and the higher boost permitted by ethanol allows larger than gasoline top engine brake thermal efficiencies and peak power and torque, while the variable valve actuation produces smaller penalties in efficiency changing the load than in conventional throttle controlled engines.

  11. Effect of the ethanol concentration in the anode on the direct ethanol fuel cell performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belchor, Pablo Martins; Loeser, Neiva; Forte, Maria Madalena de Camargo [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Carpenter, Deyse [Fundacao Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), Blumenau, SC (Brazil)], Email: rafarstv@hotmail.com

    2010-07-01

    Changes in the climate, sources and development of renewable energy are issues that have gain greater importance, and fuel cells have been investigated as an alternative source to produce energy through electrochemical reactions. Among the fuel cells types the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEMFC), fed with pure hydrogen at the anode and oxygen at the cathode, seen be the more promising ones as an electrolyte for portable, mobile and stationary applications due to its low emissions, low operating temperature, high power density and quick configuration. To avoid inconvenience of storage and transportation of pure hydrogen a PEMFC fed with alcohols has been developed, named Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells (DAFC). One way to increase the performance of DAFC is added water in the alcohol inserted into the anode, because the water keeps the membrane hydrated. In this work, the performance of a DAFC was evaluated by following the loss in the polarization curve and cell power by varying the ethanol/water ratio. The aim of this study was determine the optimal water/ethanol ratio to be feed in a DEFC prototype mounted in the lab. By the results it was possible to point that the best concentration of ethanol aqueous solution for the DEFC tested was around 1 mol.L-1. (author)

  12. Direct ethanol production from starch, wheat bran and rice straw by the white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Kenji; Nitta, Yasuyuki; Maekawa, Nitaro; Yanase, Hideshi

    2011-03-07

    The white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta produced ethanol from a variety of hexoses: glucose, mannose, cellobiose and maltose, with yields of 0.49, 0.48, 0.47 and 0.47 g/g of ethanol per sugar utilized, respectively. In addition, this fungus showed relatively favorable xylose consumption and ethanol production with a yield of 0.44 g/g. T. hirsuta was capable of directly fermenting starch, wheat bran and rice straw to ethanol without acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. Maximum ethanol concentrations of 9.1, 4.3 and 3.0 g/l, corresponding to 89.2%, 78.8% and 57.4% of the theoretical yield, were obtained when the fungus was grown in a medium containing 20 g/l starch, wheat bran or rice straw, respectively. The fermentation of rice straw pretreated with ball milling led to a small improvement in the ethanol yield: 3.4 g ethanol/20 g ball-milled rice straw. As T. hirsuta is an efficient microorganism capable of hydrolyzing biomass to fermentable sugars and directly converting them to ethanol, it may represent a suitable microorganism in consolidated bioprocessing applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Ru-assisted synthesis of Pd/Ru nanodendrites with high activity for ethanol electrooxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ke; Bin, Duan; Yang, Beibei; Wang, Caiqin; Ren, Fangfang; Du, Yukou

    2015-07-01

    Due to the specific physical and chemical properties of a highly branched noble metal, the controllable synthesis has attracted much attention. This article reports the synthesis of Pd/Ru nanodendrites by a facile method using an oil bath in the presence of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, potassium bromide and ascorbic acid. The morphology, structure, and composition of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In the electrochemical measurement, the as-prepared Pd7/Ru1 bimetallic nanodendrites provide a large electrochemically active surface area and exhibit high peak current density in the forward scan toward ethanol electrooxidation, which is nearly four times higher than those of a pure Pd catalyst. The as-prepared Pd7/Ru1 catalysts also exhibit significantly enhanced cycling stability toward ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium, which are mainly ascribed to the synergetic effect between Pd and Ru. This indicates that the Pd7/Ru1 catalysts should have great potential applications in direct ethanol fuel cells.Due to the specific physical and chemical properties of a highly branched noble metal, the controllable synthesis has attracted much attention. This article reports the synthesis of Pd/Ru nanodendrites by a facile method using an oil bath in the presence of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, potassium bromide and ascorbic acid. The morphology, structure, and composition of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In the electrochemical measurement, the as-prepared Pd7/Ru1 bimetallic nanodendrites provide a large electrochemically active surface area and exhibit high peak current density in the forward scan toward ethanol electrooxidation, which is nearly four times higher than those of a pure Pd catalyst. The as-prepared Pd7/Ru1 catalysts also exhibit significantly

  14. Analysis of performance losses of direct ethanol fuel cells with the aid of a reference electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guangchun; Pickup, Peter G.

    The performances of direct ethanol fuel cells with different anode catalysts, different ethanol concentrations, and at different operating temperatures have been studied. The performance losses of the cell have been separated into individual electrode performance losses with the aid of a reference electrode, ethanol crossover has been quantified, and CO 2 and acetic acid production have been measured by titration. It has been shown that the cell performance strongly depends on the anode catalyst, ethanol concentration, and operating temperature. It was found that the cathode and anode exhibit different dependences on ethanol concentration and operating temperature. The performance of the cathode is very sensitive to the rate of ethanol crossover. Product analysis provides insights into the mechanisms of electro-oxidation of ethanol.

  15. Analysis of performance losses of direct ethanol fuel cells with the aid of a reference electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Guangchun; Pickup, Peter G. [Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Elizabeth Avenue, St. John' s, Newfoundland (Canada A 1B 3X7)

    2006-10-20

    The performances of direct ethanol fuel cells with different anode catalysts, different ethanol concentrations, and at different operating temperatures have been studied. The performance losses of the cell have been separated into individual electrode performance losses with the aid of a reference electrode, ethanol crossover has been quantified, and CO{sub 2} and acetic acid production have been measured by titration. It has been shown that the cell performance strongly depends on the anode catalyst, ethanol concentration, and operating temperature. It was found that the cathode and anode exhibit different dependences on ethanol concentration and operating temperature. The performance of the cathode is very sensitive to the rate of ethanol crossover. Product analysis provides insights into the mechanisms of electro-oxidation of ethanol. (author)

  16. Study of PtNi/C catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, L.P.R. de; Silva, E.L. da; Amico, S.C.; Malfatti, C.F.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, PtNi binary catalyst and pure platin catalyst were synthesized by the impregnation-reduction method, using Vulcan XC72R as support, for direct ethanol fuel cells. The composition and structure of the catalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, the electrochemical behavior was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and morphology of the catalysts was studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the addition of Ni to Pt led to the contraction of the crystal lattice, increased the catalytic activity compared to pure Pt and initiated the electrooxidation of ethanol at lower potential. (author)

  17. Nanoporous palladium anode for direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells with nanoscale proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yong; Wong, Lai Mun; Xie, Hanlin; Wang, Shijie; Su, Pei-Chen

    2017-02-01

    In this work, we demonstrate the operation of micro-solid oxide fuel cells (μ-SOFCs) with nanoscale proton-conducting Y-BaZrO3 (BZY) electrolyte to avoid the fuel crossover problem for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). The μ-SOFCs are operated with the direct utilisation of ethanol vapour as a fuel and Pd as anode at the temperature range of 300-400 °C. The nanoporous Pd anode is achieved by DC sputtering at high Ar pressure of 80 mTorr. The Pd-anode/BYZ-electrolyte/Pt-cathode cell show peak power densities of 72.4 mW/cm2 using hydrogen and 15.3 mW/cm2 using ethanol at 400 °C. No obvious carbon deposition is seen from XPS analysis after fuel cell test with ethanol fuel.

  18. Novel inorganic materials for polymer electrolyte and alkaline fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadanaga, Kiyoharu

    2012-06-01

    Inorganic materials with high ionic conductivity must have big advantages for the thermal and long term stability when the materials are used as the electrolyte of fuel cells. In the present paper, novel ionic conductive inorganic materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and all solid state alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) that have been developed by our group have been reviewed. PEFCs which can operate in temperature range from 100 to 200 °C are intensively studied because of some advantages such as reduction of CO poisoning of Pt catalyst and acceleration of electrode reactions. We showed that the fuel cells using the composite membranes prepared from phosphosilicate gel powder and polyimide precursor can operate in the temperature range from 30 to 180 °C. We also found that the inorganic-organic hybrid membranes with acid-base pairs from 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane and H2SO4 or H3PO4 show high proton conductivity under dry atmosphere, and the membranes are thermally stable at intermediate temperatures. On the other hand, because the use of noble platinum is the serious problem for the commercialization of PEFCs and because oxidation reactions are usually faster than those of acid-type fuel cells, alkaline type fuel cells, in which a nonplatinum catalyst can be used, are attractive. Recently, we have proposed an alkaline-type direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) using a natural clay electrolyte with non-platinum catalysts. So-called hydrotalcite clay, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with CO32- (Mg-Al CO32- LDH), has been proved to be a hydroxide ion conductor. An alkalinetype DEFC using Mg-Al CO32- LDH as the electrolyte and aqueous solution of ethanol and potassium hydroxide as a source of fuel exhibited excellent electrochemical performance.

  19. Pt -based anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoyos, Bibian; Sanchez, Carlos; Gonzalez, Javier

    2007-01-01

    In this work it is studied the electro-catalytic behavior of pure platinum and platinum-based alloys with Ru, Sn, Ir, and Os supported on carbon to the ethanol electro-oxidation in aims to develop anodic catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells, additionally, porous electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies were built for proton exchange membrane fuel cells in which the electrodes were tested. Catalysts characterization was made by cyclic voltammetry whereas the fuel cells behavior tests were made by current-potential polarization curves. in general, all alloys show a lower on-set reaction potential and a higher catalytic activity than pure platinum. However, in the high over potential zone, pure platinum has higher catalytic activity than the alloys. In agreement with these results, the alloys studied here could be useful in fuel cells operating on moderated and low current

  20. Feasibility of reusing the black liquor for enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen; Chen, Xiaoyan; Tan, Xuesong; Wang, Qiong; Liu, Yunyun; He, Minchao; Yu, Qiang; Qi, Wei; Luo, Yu; Zhuang, Xinshu; Yuan, Zhenhong

    2017-03-01

    The black liquor (BL) generated in the alkaline pretreatment process is usually thought as the environmental pollutant. This study found that the pure alkaline lignin hardly inhibited the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose (EHC), which led to the investigation on the feasibility of reusing BL as the buffer via pH adjustment for the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. The pH value of BL was adjusted from 13.23 to 4.80 with acetic acid, and the alkaline lignin was partially precipitated. It deposited on the surface of cellulose and negatively influenced the EHC via blocking the access of cellulase to cellulose and adsorbing cellulase. The supernatant separated from the acidified BL scarcely affected the EHC, but inhibited the ethanol fermentation. The 4-times diluted supernatant and the last-time waste wash water of the alkali-treated sugarcane bagasse didn't inhibit the EHC and ethanol production. This work gives a clue of saving water for alkaline pretreatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Modified SPEEK membranes for direct ethanol fuel cell

    KAUST Repository

    Maab, Husnul; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2010-01-01

    /PI homogeneous blends. The membranes were characterized concerning their water and ethanol solution uptake, water and ethanol permeability in pervaporation experiments and their performance in DEFC tests. The ethanol permeabilities for the CMS-coated (180 nm

  2. Electrocatalytic activity of ZnS nanoparticles in direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bredol, Michael; Kaczmarek, Michał; Wiemhöfer, Hans-Dieter

    2014-06-01

    Low temperature fuel cells consuming ethanol without reformation would be a major step toward the use of renewable energy sources from biomass. However, the necessary electrodes and electrocatalysts still are far from being perfect and suffer from various poisoning and deactivation processes. This work describes investigations on systems using carbon/ZnS-based electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation in complete membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). MEAs were built on Nafion membranes with active masses prepared from ZnS nanoparticles and Vulcan carbon support. Under operation, acetic acid and acetaldehyde were identified and quantified as soluble oxidation products, whereas the amount of CO2 generated could not be quantified directly. Overall conversion efficiencies of up to 25% were estimated from cells operated over prolonged time. From polarization curves, interrupt experiments and analysis of reaction products, mass transport problems (concentration polarization) and breakthrough losses were found to be the main deficiencies of the ethanol oxidation electrodes fabricated so far.

  3. Preparation and characterization of electrocatalysts based on palladium for electro-oxidation of alcohols in alkaline medium; Preparacao e caracterizacao de eletrocatalisadores a base de paladio para oxidacao eletroquimica de alcoois em meio alcalino

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandalise, Michele

    2012-07-01

    In this study Pd/C, Au/C, PdAu/C, PdAuPt/C, PdAuBi/C and PdAuIr/C electrocatalysts were prepared by the sodium borohydride reduction method for the electrochemical oxidation of methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol. This methodology consists in mix an alkaline solution of sodium borohydride to a mixture containing water/isopropyl alcohol, metallic precursors and the Vulcan XC 72 carbon support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical oxidation of the alcohols was studied by chronoamperometry using a thin porous coating technique. The mechanism of ethanol electro-oxidation was studied by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) in situ. The most effective electrocatalysts were tested in alkaline single cells directly fed with methanol, ethanol or ethylene glycol. Preliminary studies showed that the most suitable atomic composition for preparing the ternary catalysts is 50:45:05. Electrochemical data in alkaline medium show that the electrocatalysts PdAuPt/C (50:45:05) showed the better activity for methanol electro oxidation, while PdAuIr/C was the most active for ethanol oxidation and PdAuBi/C (50:45:05) was the most effective for ethylene glycol oxidation in alkaline medium. These results show that the addition of gold in the composition of electrocatalysts increases their catalytic activities. The spectroelectrochemical FTIR in situ data permitted to conclude that C-C bond is not broken and the acetate is formed. (author)

  4. Electrocatalytic activity of carbon-supported catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez Varela, F.J. [CINVESTAV-Unidad Saltillo, Coahuila, (Mexico). Grupo de Investigacion en Energia; Savadogo, O. [Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Laboratoire de nouveaux materiaux pour l' energie et l' electrochimie

    2008-07-01

    Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can be fueled with hydrogen, alcohols, hydrocarbons and acetals. Ethanol is an important fuel candidate because it can be electro-oxidized to carbon dioxide on platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts in a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at relatively low temperatures. This study investigated the electrocatalytic activity of some carbon-supported electrocatalysts towards the ethanol oxidation (EOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the presence of ethanol. Compared to other anode catalysts such as Pt, PtRu and Pt oxide, anodes based on PtSn alloys have a higher catalytic activity for the EOR. When tested in a DEFC, the current density at 0.4V and 90 degrees C based on a PtSn/C anode and a Pt/C cathode was 2 times higher than that of a cell based on a PtRu/C-Pt/C membrane electrode assembly (MEA) configuration. In addition, cathode catalysts based on Ru/C had good catalytic activity for the ORR and exhibited high selectivity for this reaction in the presence of ethanol. The results showed that in the presence of 0.125, 0.25 or 0.5 M ethanol concentrations, a decrease in onset potential of about 60, 62 and 68 mV emerged, respectively. These values were about 10 times lower than those measured for some Pt-based cathode catalysts tested in this study in the presence of 0.125 M EtOH. 20 refs., 5 figs.

  5. Potentiality of Yeasts in the Direct Conversion of Starchy Materials to Ethanol and Its Relevance in the New Millennium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, L. V. A.; Reddy, O. V. S.; Basappa, S. C.

    In recent years, the use of renewable and abundantly available starchy and cellulosic materials for industrial production of ethanol is gaining importance, in view of the fact, that ethanol is one of the most prospective future motor fuels, that can be expected to replace fossil fuels, which are fast depleting in the world scenario. Although, the starch and the starchy substrates could be converted successfully to ethanol on industrial scales by the use of commercial amylolytic enzymes and yeast fermentation, the cost of production is rather very high. This is mainly due to the non-enzymatic and enzymatic conversion (gelatinization, liquefaction and saccharification) of starch to sugars, which costs around 20 % of the cost of production of ethanol from starch. In this context, the use of amylolytic yeasts, that can directly convert starch to ethanol by a single step, are potentially suited to reduce the cost of production of ethanol from starch. Research advances made in this direction have shown encouraging results, both in terms of identifying the potentially suited yeasts for the purpose and also their economic ethanol yields. This chapter focuses on the types of starch and starchy substrates and their digestion to fermentable sugars, optimization of fermentation conditions to ethanol from starch, factors that affect starch fermentation, potential amylolytic yeasts which can directly convert starch to ethanol, genetic improvement of these yeasts for better conversion efficiency and their future economic prospects in the new millennium.

  6. Direct ethanol production from lignocellulosic sugars and sugarcane bagasse by a recombinant Trichoderma reesei strain HJ48.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jun; Chen, Dong; Wei, Yutuo; Wang, Qingyan; Li, Zhenchong; Chen, Ying; Huang, Ribo

    2014-01-01

    Trichoderma reesei can be considered as a candidate for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) microorganism. However, its ethanol yield needs to be improved significantly. Here the ethanol production of T. reesei CICC 40360 was improved by genome shuffling while simultaneously enhancing the ethanol resistance. The initial mutant population was generated by nitrosoguanidine treatment of the spores, and an improved population producing more than fivefold ethanol than wild type was obtained by genome shuffling. The results show that the shuffled strain HJ48 can efficiently convert lignocellulosic sugars to ethanol under aerobic conditions. Furthermore, it was able to produce ethanol directly from sugarcane bagasse, demonstrating that the shuffled strain HJ48 is a suitable microorganism for consolidated bioprocessing.

  7. Palladium-alloy catalysts as ethanol tolerant cathodes for direct alcohol fuel cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savadogo, O. [Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Laboratoire de nouveaux materiaux pour l' energie et l' electrochimie; Varela, F.J.R. [Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Coahuila (Mexico). Unidad Saltillo

    2008-07-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated that electroactive palladium (Pd) and Pd-alloy catalysts prepared using a sputtering technique possess a similar degree of activity as platinum (Pt) electrodes. This study demonstrated that Pd and Pd-alloys show a high degree of tolerance to ethanol during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) processes. The onset potential of the ORR process in the presence of 0.5M of ethanol decreased by only 33 mV and 18 mV on Pd and Pd-cobalt (Co) catalysts. Linear sweep voltammetry experiments showed that no peak current density caused by the electro-oxidation of ethanol was observed in the Pd-based catalysts. The selective behaviour of the Pd and Pd-Co catalysts was attributed to a slow rate of adsorption of the ethanol as well as the presence of reaction intermediates on the catalytic surface. Results suggested that the Pd and Pd-Co catalysts are suitable candidates for direct alcohol fuel cell applications. 10 refs., 2 figs.

  8. High catalytic activity of ultrafine nanoporous palladium for electro-oxidation of methanol, ethanol, and formic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Xiaoguang; Wang, Weimin; Qi, Zhen; Zhao, Changchun; Ji, Hong; Zhang, Zhonghua [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials (MOE), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061 (China)

    2009-10-15

    Nanoporous palladium (NPPd) with ultrafine ligament size of 3-6 nm was fabricated by dealloying of an Al-Pd alloy in an alkaline solution. Electrochemical measurements indicate that NPPd exhibits significantly high electrochemical active specific surface area (23 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}), and high catalytic activity for electro-oxidation of methanol, ethanol, and formic acid. Mass activities can reach 149, 148, 262 mA mg{sup -1} for the oxidation of methanol, ethanol and formic acid, respectively. Moreover, superior steady-state activities can be observed for all the electro-oxidation processes. NPPd will be a promising candidate for the anode catalyst for direct alcohol or formic acid fuel cells. (author)

  9. Characterization of an anionic-exchange membranes for direct methanol alkaline fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abuin, Graciela C. [Centro de Procesos Superficiales, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Industrial (INTI), Av. Gral. Paz 5445, B1650KNA, San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Nonjola, Patrick; Mathe, Mkhulu K. [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Material Science and Manufacturing, PO Box 395, Brumeria, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Franceschini, Esteban A.; Izraelevitch, Federico H.; Corti, Horacio R. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA), Av. Gral. Paz 1499, B1650KNA, San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2010-06-15

    Ammonium quaternized polymers such as poly (arylene ether sulfones) are being developed and studied as candidates of ionomeric materials for application in alkaline fuel cells, due to their low cost and promising electrochemical properties. In this work, a quaternary ammonium polymer was synthesized by chloromethylation of a commercial polysulfone followed by amination process. Quaternized polysulfone membrane properties such us water and water-methanol uptake, electrical conductivity and Young's modulus were evaluated and compared to Nafion 117, commonly employed in direct methanol fuel cells. The anionic polysulfone membrane sorbs more water than Nafion all over the whole range of water activities, but it uptakes much less methanol as compared to Nafion. The specific conductivity of the fully hydrated polysulfone membrane equilibrated with KOH solutions at ambient temperature increases with the KOH concentration, reaching a maximum of 0.083 S cm{sup -1} for 2 M KOH, slightly less conductive than Nafion 117. The elastic modulus of the polysulfone membranes inmersed in water is similar to that reported for Nafion membranes under the same conditions. We concluded that quaternized polysulfone membrane are good candidates as electrolytes in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells. (author)

  10. Ethanol modulates cortical activity: direct evidence with combined TMS and EEG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kähkönen, S; Kesäniemi, M; Nikouline, V V; Karhu, J; Ollikainen, M; Holi, M; Ilmoniemi, R J

    2001-08-01

    The motor cortex of 10 healthy subjects was stimulated by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) before and after ethanol challenge (0.8 g/kg resulting in blood concentration of 0.77 +/- 0.14 ml/liter). The electrical brain activity resulting from the brief electromagnetic pulse was recorded with high-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) and located using inversion algorithms. Focal magnetic pulses to the left motor cortex were delivered with a figure-of-eight coil at the random interstimulus interval of 1.5-2.5 s. The stimulation intensity was adjusted to the motor threshold of abductor digiti minimi. Two conditions before and after ethanol ingestion (30 min) were applied: (1) real TMS, with the coil pressed against the scalp; and (2) control condition, with the coil separated from the scalp by a 2-cm-thick piece of plastic. A separate EMG control recording of one subject during TMS was made with two bipolar platinum needle electrodes inserted to the left temporal muscle. In each condition, 120 pulses were delivered. The EEG was recorded from 60 scalp electrodes. A peak in the EEG signals was observed at 43 ms after the TMS pulse in the real-TMS condition but not in the control condition or in the control scalp EMG. Potential maps before and after ethanol ingestion were significantly different from each other (P = 0.01), but no differences were found in the control condition. Ethanol changed the TMS-evoked potentials over right frontal and left parietal areas, the underlying effect appearing to be largest in the right prefrontal area. Our findings suggest that ethanol may have changed the functional connectivity between prefrontal and motor cortices. This new noninvasive method provides direct evidence about the modulation of cortical connectivity after ethanol challenge. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  11. Temperature effect on the electrode kinetics of ethanol oxidation on Pd modified Pt electrodes and the estimation of intermediates formed in alkali medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, S.S.; Dutta, A.; Datta, J.

    2010-01-01

    Ethanol has been recognized as the ideal fuel for direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) systems due to its high energy density, non-toxicity and its bio-generation. However the complete conversion of ethanol to CO 2 is still met with challenges, due to dearth of suitable catalysts for the electro-oxidation. In the present work the effect of temperature on the catalytic oxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium over electrodeposited Pt and Pt-Pd alloyed nano particles on carbon support and also on the product formation during the course of reaction have been studied within the temperature range of 20-80 o C. The information on surface morphology, structural characteristics and bulk composition of the catalyst was obtained using SEM, XRD and EDX. BET surface area and pore widths of the catalyst particles were calculated by applying the BET equation to the adsorption isotherms. The electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and impedance spectroscopy were employed to investigate the electrochemical parameters related to electro-oxidation of ethanol in alkaline pH on the catalyst surfaces under the influence of temperature. The results show that the oxidation kinetics of ethanol on the alloyed Pt-Pd/C catalysts is significantly improved compared to that on Pt alone. The observations were interpreted in terms of the synergistic effect of higher electrochemical surface area, preferred OH - adsorption on the surface and the ad-atom contribution of the alloyed matrix. A pronounced influence of temperature on the reaction kinetics was manifested in the diminution of charge transfer resistance and activation energy of the ethanol oxidation with Pd incorporation into the Pt matrix, ensuring greater tolerance of the alloyed catalyst towards ethanolic residues. The higher yield of the reaction products like acetate and CO 3 -2 on the alloyed catalyst compared to Pt alone in alkaline medium, as estimated by ion chromatography, further substantiates the

  12. Temperature effect on the electrode kinetics of ethanol oxidation on Pd modified Pt electrodes and the estimation of intermediates formed in alkali medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, S.S.; Dutta, A. [Department of Chemistry, Bengal Engineering and Science University, PO-B. Garden, Shibpur, Howrah 711 103, West Bengal (India); Datta, J., E-mail: jayati_datta@rediffmail.co [Department of Chemistry, Bengal Engineering and Science University, PO-B. Garden, Shibpur, Howrah 711 103, West Bengal (India)

    2010-12-01

    Ethanol has been recognized as the ideal fuel for direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) systems due to its high energy density, non-toxicity and its bio-generation. However the complete conversion of ethanol to CO{sub 2} is still met with challenges, due to dearth of suitable catalysts for the electro-oxidation. In the present work the effect of temperature on the catalytic oxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium over electrodeposited Pt and Pt-Pd alloyed nano particles on carbon support and also on the product formation during the course of reaction have been studied within the temperature range of 20-80 {sup o}C. The information on surface morphology, structural characteristics and bulk composition of the catalyst was obtained using SEM, XRD and EDX. BET surface area and pore widths of the catalyst particles were calculated by applying the BET equation to the adsorption isotherms. The electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and impedance spectroscopy were employed to investigate the electrochemical parameters related to electro-oxidation of ethanol in alkaline pH on the catalyst surfaces under the influence of temperature. The results show that the oxidation kinetics of ethanol on the alloyed Pt-Pd/C catalysts is significantly improved compared to that on Pt alone. The observations were interpreted in terms of the synergistic effect of higher electrochemical surface area, preferred OH{sup -} adsorption on the surface and the ad-atom contribution of the alloyed matrix. A pronounced influence of temperature on the reaction kinetics was manifested in the diminution of charge transfer resistance and activation energy of the ethanol oxidation with Pd incorporation into the Pt matrix, ensuring greater tolerance of the alloyed catalyst towards ethanolic residues. The higher yield of the reaction products like acetate and CO{sub 3}{sup -2} on the alloyed catalyst compared to Pt alone in alkaline medium, as estimated by ion chromatography, further

  13. Porous carbon as electrode material in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) synthesized by the direct carbonization of MOF-5

    KAUST Repository

    Khan, Inayatali

    2014-01-12

    Porous carbon (PC-900) was prepared by direct carbonization of porous metal-organic framework (MOF)-5 (Zn4O(bdc)3, bdc=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) at 900 °C. The carbon material was deposited with PtM (M=Fe, Ni, Co, and Cu (20 %) metal loading) nanoparticles using the polyol reduction method, and catalysts PtM/PC-900 were designed for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). However, herein, we are reporting PtFe/PC-900 catalyst combination which has exhibited superior performance among other options. This catalyst was characterized by powder XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) technique. The electrocatalytic capability of the catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and direct ethanol single cell testing. The results were compared with those of PtFe and Pt supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon catalysts (PFe/CX-72 and Pt/XC-72) prepared via the same method. It has been observed that the catalyst PtFe/PC-900 developed in this work showed an outstanding normalized activity per gram of Pt (6.8 mA/g Pt) and superior power density (121 mW/cm2 at 90 °C) compared to commercially available carbon-supported catalysts. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.

  14. Porous carbon as electrode material in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) synthesized by the direct carbonization of MOF-5

    KAUST Repository

    Khan, Inayatali; Badshah, Amin; Haider, Naghma; Ullah, Shafiq; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Nadeem, Muhammad Arif

    2014-01-01

    Porous carbon (PC-900) was prepared by direct carbonization of porous metal-organic framework (MOF)-5 (Zn4O(bdc)3, bdc=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) at 900 °C. The carbon material was deposited with PtM (M=Fe, Ni, Co, and Cu (20 %) metal loading) nanoparticles using the polyol reduction method, and catalysts PtM/PC-900 were designed for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). However, herein, we are reporting PtFe/PC-900 catalyst combination which has exhibited superior performance among other options. This catalyst was characterized by powder XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) technique. The electrocatalytic capability of the catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and direct ethanol single cell testing. The results were compared with those of PtFe and Pt supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon catalysts (PFe/CX-72 and Pt/XC-72) prepared via the same method. It has been observed that the catalyst PtFe/PC-900 developed in this work showed an outstanding normalized activity per gram of Pt (6.8 mA/g Pt) and superior power density (121 mW/cm2 at 90 °C) compared to commercially available carbon-supported catalysts. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.

  15. Rescuing ethanol photosynthetic production of cyanobacteria in non-sterilized outdoor cultivations with a bicarbonate-based pH-rising strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Zhi; Luan, Guodong; Tan, Xiaoming; Zhang, Haocui; Lu, Xuefeng

    2017-01-01

    Ethanol photosynthetic production based on cyanobacteria cell factories utilizing CO 2 and solar energy provides an attractive solution for sustainable production of green fuels. However, the scaling up processes of cyanobacteria cell factories were usually threatened or even devastated by biocontaminations, which restricted biomass or products accumulations of cyanobacteria cells. Thus it is of great significance to develop reliable biocontamination-controlling strategies for promoting ethanol photosynthetic production in large scales. The scaling up process of a previously developed Synechocystis strain Syn-HZ24 for ethanol synthesis was severely inhibited and devastated by a specific contaminant, Pannonibacter phragmitetus , which overcame the growths of cyanobacteria cells and completely consumed the ethanol accumulation in the cultivation systems. Physiological analysis revealed that growths and ethanol-consuming activities of the contaminant were sensitive to alkaline conditions, while ethanol-synthesizing cyanobacteria strain Syn-HZ24 could tolerate alkaline pH conditions as high as 11.0, indicating that pH-increasing strategy might be a feasible approach for rescuing ethanol photosynthetic production in outdoor cultivation systems. Thus, we designed and evaluated a Bicarbonate-based Integrated Carbon Capture System (BICCS) derived pH-rising strategy to rescue the ethanol photosynthetic production in non-sterilized conditions. In lab scale artificially simulated systems, pH values of BG11 culture medium were maintained around 11.0 by 180 mM NaHCO 3 and air steam, under which the infection of Pannonibacter phragmitetus was significantly restricted, recovering ethanol production of Syn-HZ24 by about 80%. As for outdoor cultivations, ethanol photosynthetic production of Syn-HZ24 was also successfully rescued by the BICCS-derived pH-rising strategy, obtaining a final ethanol concentration of 0.9 g/L after 10 days cultivation. In this work, a novel product

  16. Nanostructured Polyelectrolytes Based on SPEEK/TiO2 for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Carlos Dutra Filho

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Proton-conducting hybrid membranes consisting of poly(ether ether ketone sulfonated (SPEEK and titanium oxide (TiO2 were prepared using the sol-gel technique for application in direct ethanol fuel cells. The effect from TiO2 incorporation on membrane properties such as ethanol uptake, pervaporation and proton conductivity was investigated. The uptake and permeated flux decreased with increasing content of TiO2. The ethanol permeability was about one order of magnitude smaller than Nafion® 117. FTIR spectra indicated that PEEK was sulfonated and the second degradation temperature of SPEEK58 samples confirmed the titanium oxide incorporation. The proton conductivity in ethanol solution was of the order of 10-3 S cm-1 when 4 or 8 wt% TiO2 were added, and generally increased with addition of TiO2.

  17. Direct conversion of wet algae to crude biodiesel under supercritical ethanol conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reddy, Harvind K. [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Chemical Engineering Dept.; Muppaneni, Tapaswy [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Chemical Engineering Dept.; Patil, Prafulla D. [American Refining Group, Inc., Bradford, PA (United States); Ponnusamy, Sundaravadivelnathan [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Chemical Engineering Dept.; Cooke, Peter [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Core University Research Resource Lab.; Schaub, Tanner [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Bio Security and Food Safety Center; Deng, Shuguang [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States). Chemical Engineering Dept.

    2013-08-06

    This paper presents a single-step, environmentally friendly approach for the direct conversion of wet algae to crude biodiesel under supercritical ethanol conditions. Ethanol was used for the simultaneous extraction and transesterification of lipids in algae to produce fatty acid ethyl esters at supercritical conditions. In this work the effects of process parameters dry algae to ethanol (wt./vol.) ratio (1:6-1:15), reaction temperature (245-270 C), and reaction time (2-30 min.) on the yield of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) were studied. 67% conversion was achieved at 265 C and 20 min of reaction time. The calorific value of a purified biodiesel sample produced at optimum conditions was measured to be 43 MJ/kg, which is higher than that of fatty acid methyl esters produced from the same biomass. The purified fatty acid ethyl esters were analyzed using GC-MS and FTIR. TGA analysis of algal biomass and purified FAEE was presented along with TEM images of the biomass captured before and after supercritical ethanol transesterification. This green conversion process has the potential to provide an energy-efficient and economical route for the production of renewable biodiesel production.

  18. A comparative investigation of metal-support interactions on the catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoi, Denis R. M.; Villullas, Hebe M.; Zhu, Fu-Chun; Jiang, Yan-Xia; Sun, Shi-Gang; Guo, Junsong; Sun, Lili; Chen, Rongrong

    2016-04-01

    The effects of interactions of Pt nanoparticles with hybrid supports on reactivity towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution are investigated. Studies involve catalysts with identical Pt nanoparticles on six hybrid supports containing carbon powder and transition metal oxides (TiO2, ZrO2, SnO2, CeO2, MoO3 and WO3). In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results evidence that metal-support interactions produce changes in the Pt 5d band vacancy, which appears to determine the catalytic activity. The highest and lowest activities are observed for Pt nanoparticles on hybrid supports containing TiO2 and CeO2, respectively. Further studies are presented for these two catalysts. In situ FTIR reflection spectroscopy measurements, taken using both multi-stepped FTIR spectroscopy (MS-FTIR) and single potential alteration FTIR spectroscopy (SPA-FTIR), evidence that the main product of ethanol oxidation is acetate, although signals attributed to carbonate and CO2 indicate some differences in CO2 production. Fuel cell performances of these catalysts, tested in a 4.5 cm2 single cell at different temperatures (40-90 °C) show good agreement with data obtained by electrochemical techniques. Results of this comprehensive study point out the possibility of compensating a reduction of noble metal load with an increase in activity promoted by interactions between metallic nanoparticles and a support.

  19. Monodispersed porous flowerlike PtAu nanocrystals as effective electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shumin; Xu, Hui; Xiong, Zhiping; Zhang, Ke; Wang, Caiqin; Yan, Bo; Guo, Jun; Du, Yukou

    2017-11-01

    Designing and tuning the bimetallic nanoparticles with desirable morphology and structure can embody them with greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability towards liquid fuel oxidation. We herein reported a facile one-pot method for the controlled synthesis of monodispersed binary PtAu nanoflowers with abundant exposed surface area. Owing to its fantastic structure, synergistic and electronic effect, such as-prepared PtAu nanoflowers exhibited outstandingly high electrocatalytic activity with the mass activity of 6482 mA mg-1 towards ethanol oxidation, which is 28.3 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C (227 mA mg-1). More interesting, the present PtAu nanoflower catalysts are more stable for the ethanol oxidation reaction in the alkaline with lower current density decay and retained a much higher current density after successive CVs of 500 cycles than that of commercial Pt/C. This work may open a new way for maximizing the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts towards ethanol oxidation by synthesizing shape-controlled alloy nanoparticles with more surface active sites to enhance the performances of direct fuel cells reaction, chemical conversion, and beyond.

  20. A genetically optimized kinetic model for ethanol electro-oxidation on Pt-based binary catalysts used in direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Monreal, Juan; García-Salaberri, Pablo A.; Vera, Marcos

    2017-09-01

    A one-dimensional model is proposed for the anode of a liquid-feed direct ethanol fuel cell. The complex kinetics of the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction is described using a multi-step reaction mechanism that considers free and adsorbed intermediate species on Pt-based binary catalysts. The adsorbed species are modeled using coverage factors to account for the blockage of the active reaction sites on the catalyst surface. The reaction rates are described by Butler-Volmer equations that are coupled to a one-dimensional mass transport model, which incorporates the effect of ethanol and acetaldehyde crossover. The proposed kinetic model circumvents the acetaldehyde bottleneck effect observed in previous studies by incorporating CH3CHOHads among the adsorbed intermediates. A multi-objetive genetic algorithm is used to determine the reaction constants using anode polarization and product selectivity data obtained from the literature. By adjusting the reaction constants using the methodology developed here, different catalyst layers could be modeled and their selectivities could be successfully reproduced.

  1. Fabrication of Te@Au core-shell hybrids for efficient ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Huile; Wang, Demeng; Zhao, Yuewu; Zhou, Huan; Wang, Shun; Wang, Jichang

    2012-10-01

    Using Au nanoparticles to catalyze the oxidation of alcohols has garnered increasing attention due to its potential application in direct alcohol fuel cells. In this research Te@Au core-shell hybrids were fabricated for the catalytic oxidation of ethanol, where the preparation procedure involved the initial production of Te crystals with different microstructures and the subsequent utilization of the Te crystal as a template and reducing agent for the production of Te@Au hybrids. The as-prepared core-shell hybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Electrochemical measurements illustrate that the hybrids have great electrocatalytic activity and stability toward ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. The enhanced electrocatalytic property may be attributed to the cooperative effects between the metal and semiconductor and the presence of a large number of active sites on the hybrids surface.

  2. Influence of alkaline hydrothermal pretreatment on shrub wood Tamarix ramosissima: Characteristics of degraded lignin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, Ling-Ping; Bai, Yuan-Yuan; Shi, Zheng-Jun; Lu, Qiang; Sun, Run-Cang

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of alkaline hydrothermal (AH) pretreatment on the physicochemical properties of the degraded lignins, attempt to upgrade the potential of lignin for value-added chemicals and fuel production. For this purpose, shrub wood Tamarix ramosissima lignin was fractionated using a two-stage process based on an AH pretreatment followed by an alkaline ethanol post-treatment. The recovered lignin fractions were investigated by comparison with milled wood lignin (MWL) in terms of fractionation yield, carbohydrate composition, gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13 C and 2D heteronuclear single quantum correlation nuclear magnetic resonance, as well as pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The result showed that AH pretreatment led to the degradation of β-O-4 linkages and consequently the increased severity caused a release of more S-units lignin fractions with molecular weights between 1300 and 2500 g/mol in the liquid but higher molecular weights (3000–4400 g/mol) in the residues. Moreover, it was found that the lignin syringyl-to-guaiacyl (S/G) ratios from analytical pyrolysis slightly changed after AH pretreatment (S/G, 1.8–2.3) but higher than those of MWL (S/G, 1.7). Overall, the present study demonstrates that these lignins dissolved during AH pretreatment and those recovered from the solid residues isolated with alkaline ethanol post-treatment could be profitably exploited as feedstock in integrated forest biorefineries, rather than traditional use as low-value energy sources.- Highlights: • Alkaline hydrothermal pretreatment and alkaline ethanol post-treatment were proposed. • The influence of AH pretreatment on the lignin structural changes was characterized. • Aryl-O-ether linkages of lignin were extensively cleaved. • Lignin recovered from solid residue is a potential resource for the production of value-added chemicals

  3. Adsorption of Water and Ethanol in MFI-Type Zeolites

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Ke; Lively, Ryan P.; Noel, James D.; Dose, Michelle E.; McCool, Benjamin A.; Chance, Ronald R.; Koros, William J.

    2012-01-01

    Water and ethanol vapor adsorption phenomena are investigated systematically on a series of MFI-type zeolites: silicalite-1 samples synthesized via both alkaline (OH -) and fluoride (F -) routes, and ZSM-5 samples with different Si/Al ratios as well

  4. Synergetic effect of yeast cell-surface expression of cellulase and expansin-like protein on direct ethanol production from cellulose

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Numerous studies have examined the direct fermentation of cellulosic materials by cellulase-expressing yeast; however, ethanol productivity in these systems has not yet reached an industrial level. Certain microorganisms, such as the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei, produce expansin-like proteins, which have a cellulose-loosening effect that may increase the breakdown of cellulose. Here, to improve the direct conversion of cellulose to ethanol, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-displaying cellulase and expansin-like protein on the cell surface were constructed and examined for direct ethanol fermentation performance. Results The cellulase and expansin-like protein co-expressing strain showed 246 mU/g-wet cell of phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC) degradation activity, which corresponded to 2.9-fold higher activity than that of a cellulase-expressing strain. This result clearly demonstrated that yeast cell-surface expressed cellulase and expansin-like protein act synergistically to breakdown cellulose. In fermentation experiments examining direct ethanol production from PASC, the cellulase and expansin-like protein co-expressing strain produced 3.4 g/L ethanol after 96 h of fermentation, a concentration that was 1.4-fold higher than that achieved by the cellulase-expressing strain (2.5 g/L). Conclusions The PASC degradation and fermentation ability of an engineered yeast strain was markedly improved by co-expressing cellulase and expansin-like protein on the cell surface. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the synergetic effect of co-expressing cellulase and expansin-like protein on a yeast cell surface, which may be a promising strategy for constructing direct ethanol fermenting yeast from cellulose. PMID:23835302

  5. High-performance alkaline direct methanol fuel cell using a nitrogen-postdoped anode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joghee, Prabhuram; Pylypenko, Svitlana; Wood, Kevin; Bender, Guido; O'Hayre, Ryan

    2014-07-01

    A commercial PtRu/C catalyst postdoped with nitrogen demonstrates a significantly higher performance (~10-20% improvement) in the anode of an alkaline direct methanol fuel cell than an unmodified commercial PtRu/C catalyst control. The enhanced performance shown herein is attributed at least partially to the increased electrochemical surface area of the PtRu/C after postdoping with nitrogen. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Principles and Materials Aspects of Direct Alkaline Alcohol Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen Hao Yu

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Direct alkaline alcohol fuel cells (DAAFCs have attracted increasing interest over the past decade because of their favourable reaction kinetics in alkaline media, higher energy densities achievable and the easy handling of the liquid fuels. In this review, principles and mechanisms of DAAFCs in alcohol oxidation and oxygen reduction are discussed. Despite the high energy densities available during the oxidation of polycarbon alcohols they are difficult to oxidise. Apart from methanol, the complete oxidation of other polycarbon alcohols to CO2 has not been achieved with current catalysts. Different types of catalysts, from conventional precious metal catalyst of Pt and Pt alloys to other lower cost Pd, Au and Ag metal catalysts are compared. Non precious metal catalysts, and lanthanum, strontium oxides and perovskite-type oxides are also discussed. Membranes like the ones used as polymer electrolytes and developed for DAAFCs are reviewed. Unlike conventional proton exchange membrane fuel cells, anion exchange membranes are used in present DAAFCs. Fuel cell performance with DAAFCs using different alcohols, catalysts and membranes, as well as operating parameters are summarised. In order to improve the power output of the DAAFCs, further developments in catalysts, membrane materials and fuel cell systems are essential.

  7. Electrooxidation of methanol and ethylene glycol mixture on platinum and palladium in alkaline medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Z.Y.; Liang, Y.J.; Shan, X.D.; Lin, M.L.; Xu, C.W. [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou (China); Jiang, S.P. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA (Australia)

    2012-08-15

    The performance of mixture of methanol and ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation has been studied on both Pt and Pd electrodes in alkaline medium. The activity of EG oxidation is better than that of methanol oxidation and the stability of EG oxidation is better than that of methanol and ethanol oxidation on the Pd electrode. The onset potential for ethanol oxidation is more negative 200 mV than that of EG, however the stability of EG oxidation on the Pd electrode is better than that of ethanol oxidation. The performance of methanol oxidation improves pronouncedly by adding a small amount of EG on both Pt and Pd electrodes. The onset potential and peak potential of mixture of methanol and EG oxidation are close to or more negative than that of sole methanol and EG oxidation on the Pd electrode. The mixture of methanol and EG is more easily to be electrochemically oxidized and gives a better performance than sole methanol and EG on the Pd electrode. The results show that the mixture of methanol and EG is a promising candidate as fuel in direct alcohol fuel cells. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  8. Improved enzymatic saccharification of steam exploded cotton stalk using alkaline extraction and fermentation of cellulosic sugars into ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshav, Praveen K; Naseeruddin, Shaik; Rao, L Venkateswar

    2016-08-01

    Cotton stalk, a widely available and cheap agricultural residue lacking economic alternatives, was subjected to steam explosion in the range 170-200°C for 5min. Steam explosion at 200°C and 5min led to significant hemicellulose solubilization (71.90±0.10%). Alkaline extraction of steam exploded cotton stalk (SECOH) using 3% NaOH at room temperature for 6h led to 85.07±1.43% lignin removal with complete hemicellulose solubilization. Besides, this combined pretreatment allowed a high recovery of the cellulosic fraction from the biomass. Enzymatic saccharification was studied between steam exploded cotton stalk (SECS) and SECOH using different cellulase loadings. SECOH gave a maximum of 785.30±8.28mg/g reducing sugars with saccharification efficiency of 82.13±0.72%. Subsequently, fermentation of SECOH hydrolysate containing sugars (68.20±1.16g/L) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced 23.17±0.84g/L ethanol with 0.44g/g yield. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Autoshaping induces ethanol drinking in nondeprived rats: evidence of long-term retention but no induction of ethanol preference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomie, Arthur; Kuo, Teresa; Apor, Khristine R; Salomon, Kimberly E; Pohorecky, Larissa A

    2004-04-01

    The effects of autoshaping procedures (paired vs. random) and sipper fluid (ethanol vs. water) on sipper-directed drinking were evaluated in male Long-Evans rats maintained with free access to food and water. For the paired/ethanol group (n=16), autoshaping procedures consisted of presenting the ethanol sipper (containing 0% to 28% unsweetened ethanol) conditioned stimulus (CS) followed by the response-independent presentation of food unconditioned stimulus (US). The random/ethanol group (n=8) received the sipper CS and food US randomly with respect to one another. The paired/water group (n=8) received only water in the sipper CS. The paired/ethanol group showed higher grams per kilogram ethanol intake than the random/ethanol group did at ethanol concentrations of 8% to 28%. The paired/ethanol group showed higher sipper CS-directed milliliter fluid consumption than the paired/water group did at ethanol concentrations of 1% to 6%, and 15%, 16%, 18%, and 20%. Following a 42-day retention interval, the paired/ethanol group showed superior retention of CS-directed drinking of 18% ethanol, relative to the random/ethanol group, and superior retention of CS-directed milliliter fluid drinking relative to the paired/water group. When tested for home cage ethanol preference using limited access two-bottle (28% ethanol vs. water) procedures, the paired/ethanol and random/ethanol groups did not differ on any drinking measures.

  10. Sodium borohydride as an additive to enhance the performance of direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Lianqin; Fang, Xiang; Shen, Pei Kang [The Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Chemistry and Energy Conservation of Guangdong Province, The State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Bambagioni, Valentina; Bevilacqua, Manuela; Bianchini, Claudio; Filippi, Jonathan; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Marchionni, Andrea; Vizza, Francesco [Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici (ICCOM-CNR), via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)

    2010-12-15

    The effect of adding small quantities (0.1-1 wt.%) of sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) to the anolyte solution of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) with membrane-electrode assemblies constituted by nanosized Pd/C anode, Fe-Co cathode and anion-exchange membrane (Tokuyama A006) was investigated by means of various techniques. These include cyclic voltammetry, in situ FTIR spectroelectrochemistry, a study of the performance of monoplanar fuel cells and an analysis of the ethanol oxidation products. A comparison with fuel cells fed with aqueous solutions of ethanol proved unambiguously the existence of a promoting effect of NaBH{sub 4} on the ethanol oxidation. Indeed, the potentiodynamic curves of the ethanol-NaBH{sub 4} mixtures showed higher power and current densities, accompanied by a remarkable increase in the fuel consumption at comparable working time of the cell. A {sup 13}C and {sup 11}B {l_brace}{sup 1}H{r_brace}NMR analysis of the cell exhausts and an in situ FTIR spectroelectrochemical study showed that ethanol is converted selectively to acetate while the oxidation product of NaBH{sub 4} is sodium metaborate (NaBO{sub 2}). The enhancement of the overall cell performance has been explained in terms of the ability of NaBH{sub 4} to reduce the PdO layer on the catalyst surface. (author)

  11. Ethanol seeking by Long Evans rats is not always a goal-directed behavior.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina A Mangieri

    Full Text Available Two parallel and interacting processes are said to underlie animal behavior, whereby learning and performance of a behavior is at first via conscious and deliberate (goal-directed processes, but after initial acquisition, the behavior can become automatic and stimulus-elicited (habitual. With respect to instrumental behaviors, animal learning studies suggest that the duration of training and the action-outcome contingency are two factors involved in the emergence of habitual seeking of "natural" reinforcers (e.g., sweet solutions, food or sucrose pellets. To rigorously test whether behaviors reinforced by abused substances such as ethanol, in particular, similarly become habitual was the primary aim of this study.Male Long Evans rats underwent extended or limited operant lever press training with 10% sucrose/10% ethanol (10S10E reinforcement (variable interval (VI or (VR ratio schedule of reinforcement, or with 10% sucrose (10S reinforcement (VI schedule only. Once training and pretesting were complete, the impact of outcome devaluation on operant behavior was evaluated after lithium chloride injections were paired with the reinforcer, or unpaired 24 hours later. After limited, but not extended instrumental training, lever pressing by groups trained under VR with 10S10E and under VI with 10S was sensitive to outcome devaluation. In contrast, responding by both the extended and limited training 10S10E VI groups was not sensitive to ethanol devaluation during the test for habitual behavior.Operant behavior by rats trained to self-administer an ethanol-sucrose solution showed variable sensitivity to a change in the value of ethanol, with relative insensitivity developing sooner in animals that received time-variable ethanol reinforcement during training sessions. One important implication, with respect to substance abuse in humans, is that initial learning about the relationship between instrumental actions and the opportunity to consume ethanol

  12. Catalytic dehydration of ethanol to ethylene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Ying; Jin, Zhaosheng; Shen, Wei [SINOPEC Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Shanghai (China)

    2011-07-01

    The different routes of ethylene production were briefly introduced and the advantage of ethanol to ethylene (ETE) route was explained. Followed by that, the upgraded catalyst applied in this route developed by SINOPEC Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology (SRIPT) was introduced together with the development of the ethanol to ethylene process. The core technologies involved in this process development were discussed, such as isothermal fixed-bed reactor, water scrubber and alkaline wash column, two columns of low-temperature separation as well as process heat integration. Furthermore, the performance of one of ethanol industrial plants licensed by SRIPT was reviewed. It is as follows, conversion of ethanol reaches 99% while selectivity of ethylene is over 96% at the reaction temperature of 350{approx}450 C, the liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV)of 0.5{approx}1.0 h{sup -1} and atmosphere pressure. Meanwhile, the catalyst shows its life time of one year. This route is considered not only as an economical and practical process but also as an environmentfriendly path to ethylene production. (orig.)

  13. Introducing catalyst in alkaline membrane for improved performance direct borohydride fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Haiying; Lin, Longxia; Chu, Wen; Jiang, Wei; He, Yan; Shi, Qiao; Deng, Yonghong; Ji, Zhenguo; Liu, Jiabin; Tao, Shanwen

    2018-01-01

    A catalytic material is introduced into the polymer matrix to prepare a novel polymeric alkaline electrolyte membrane (AEM) which simultaneously increases ionic conductivity, reduces the fuel cross-over. In this work, the hydroxide anion exchange membrane is mainly composed of poly(vinylalcohol) and alkaline exchange resin. CoCl2 is added into the poly(vinylalcohol) and alkaline exchange resin gel before casting the membrane to introduce catalytic materials. CoCl2 is converted into CoOOH after the reaction with KOH solution. The crystallinity of the polymer matrix decreases and the ionic conductivity of the composite membrane is notably improved by the introduction of Co-species. A direct borohydride fuel cell using the composite membrane exhibits an open circuit voltage of 1.11 V at 30 °C, which is notably higher than that of cells using other AEMs. The cell using the composite membrane achieves a maximum power density of 283 mW cm-2 at 60 °C while the cell using the membrane without Co-species only reaches 117 mW cm-2 at the same conditions. The outstanding performance of the cell using the composite membrane benefits from impregnation of the catalytic Co-species in the membrane, which not only increases the ionic conductivity but also reduces electrode polarization thus improves the fuel cell performance. This work provides a new approach to develop high-performance fuel cells through adding catalysts in the electrolyte membrane.

  14. A One-compartment direct glucose alkaline fuel cell with methyl viologen as electron mediator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xianhua; Hao, Miaoqing; Feng, Mengnan; Zhang, Lin; Zhao, Yong; Du, Xiwen; Wang, Guangyi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A glucose–air alkaline fuel cell without using noble metal catalysts has been developed. ► The rudimentary fuel cell generates a maximum power density of 0.62 mW m −2 . ► The high performance is attributed to the use of MV and nickel foam. ► Main oxidation products are small organic acids indicating deep oxidation of glucose. - Abstract: Glucose is abundant, renewable, non-toxic and convenient as a fuel for fuel cells, but current technologies are unavailable for us to directly oxidize it to obtain energy. Fuel cells using enzymes and micro-organisms as catalysts are limited by their extremely low power output and rather short durability. Fuel cells using precious metal catalyst are expensive for large-scale use. In this work, a one-compartment direct glucose alkaline fuel cell has been developed that use methyl viologen (MV) as electron mediator and nickel foam as the anode. The rudimentary fuel cell generates a maximum power density of 0.62 mW cm −2 , while the maximum current density is 5.03 mA cm −2 . Electro-catalytic activities of MV and the nickel foam in alkaline conditions were studied by cyclic voltammetry. It is indicated that the high performance of the fuel cell is attributed to the combined use of MV and nickel foam. 13 C-NMR and HPLC were used to analyze oxidation products of glucose. The result shows that the principal oxidation products are short-chain organic acids indicating deep oxidation of glucose is achieved

  15. Second Generation Ethanol Production from Brewers’ Spent Grain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rossana Liguori

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomasses raises a global interest because it represents a good alternative to petroleum-derived energies and reduces the food versus fuel conflict generated by first generation ethanol. In this study, alkaline-acid pretreated brewers’ spent grain (BSG was evaluated for ethanol production after enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes. The obtained hydrolysate containing a glucose concentration of 75 g/L was adopted, after dilution up to 50 g/L, for fermentation by the strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae NRRL YB 2293 selected as the best producer among five ethanologenic microorganims. When the hydrolysate was supplemented with yeast extract, 12.79 g/L of ethanol, corresponding to 0.28 g of ethanol per grams of glucose consumed (55% efficiency, was obtained within 24 h, while in the non-supplemented hydrolysate, a similar concentration was reached within 48 h. The volumetric productivity increased from 0.25 g/L·h in the un-supplemented hydrolysate to 0.53 g/L h in the yeast extract supplemented hydrolysate. In conclusion, the strain S. cerevisiae NRRL YB 2293 was shown able to produce ethanol from BSG. Although an equal amount of ethanol was reached in both BSG hydrolysate media, the nitrogen source supplementation reduced the ethanol fermentation time and promoted glucose uptake and cell growth.

  16. Experimental and theoretical study on spray behaviors of modified bio-ethanol fuel employing direct injection system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghahremani Amirreza

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the key solutions to improve engine performance and reduce exhaust emissions of internal combustion engines is direct injection of bio-fuels. A new modified bio-ethanol is produced to be substituted by fossil fuels in gasoline direct injection engines. The key advantages of modified bio-ethanol fuel as an alternative fuel are higher octane number and oxygen content, a long-chain hydro-carbon fuel, and lower emissions compared to fossil fuels. In the present study spray properties of a modified bio-ethanol and its atomization behaviors have been studied experimentally and theoretically. Based on atomization physics of droplets dimensional analysis has been performed to develop a new non-dimensional number namely atomization index. This number determines the atomization level of the spray. Applying quasi-steady jet theory, air entrainment and fuel-air mixing studies have been performed. The spray atomization behaviors such as atomization index number, Ohnesorge number, and Sauter mean diameter have been investigated employing atomization model. The influences of injection and ambient conditions on spray properties of different blends of modified bio-ethanol and gasoline fuels have been investigated performing high-speed visualization technique. Results indicate that decreasing the difference of injection and ambient pressures increases spray cone angle and projected area, and decreases spray tip penetration length. As expected, increasing injection pressure improves atomization behaviors of the spray. Increasing percentage of modified bio-ethanol in the blend, increases spray tip penetration and decreases the projected area as well.

  17. Ethanol extracts of Newbouldia laevis stem and leaves modulate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The ethanol extracts of N. laevis leaves and stem possessed antioxidant activity as shown by increased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and glutathione levels of the diabetic rats after treatment. High levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), which are typical of oxidative ...

  18. Dihydrogenimidazole modified silica-sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) hybrid materials as electrolyte membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roelofs, Kimball S.; Hirth, Thomas [Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, Nobelstr. 12, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Schiestel, Thomas, E-mail: Thomas.Schiestel@igb.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, Nobelstr. 12, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

    2011-05-25

    The present study reports on dihydrogenimidazole modified inorganic-organic mixed matrix membranes for possible application as a proton exchange membrane in direct ethanol fuel cells. The polymeric phase consisted mainly of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) with a sulfonation degree of 55%. The inorganic phase was built up from hydrophilic fumed silica particles interconnected with partially hydrolyzed and condensed tetraethoxysilane with a total inorganic loading of 27.3%. This inorganic phase was further modified with N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazole (DHIM), which consists of an hydrolyzable inorganic part and a functional organic group. The influence of the modifier on the mixed matrix system was studied by means of various modifier concentrations in various aqueous-ethanolic systems (water, 2 M and 4 M ethanol). Modifier concentration and ethanol concentration of the ethanol-water mixture exhibited significant but opposite effects on the liquid uptake of the mixed matrix membranes. The proton conductivity as well as the proton diffusion coefficient as a function of modifier content showed a linear decrease. The proton conductivity as a function of temperature showed Arrhenius behavior and the activation energy of the mixed matrix membranes was 43.9 {+-} 2.6 kJ mol{sup -1}. High selectivity of proton diffusion coefficient to ethanol permeability coefficient was obtained with high modifier concentrations. At low modifier concentrations, this selectivity was dominated by ethanol permeation and at high modifier concentrations by proton diffusion. The main electrolyte properties can be optimized by setting the DHIM content in mixed matrix membrane. With this approach, tailor-made membranes can be prepared for possible application in direct ethanol fuel cells.

  19. Dihydrogenimidazole modified silica-sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) hybrid materials as electrolyte membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roelofs, Kimball S.; Hirth, Thomas; Schiestel, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    The present study reports on dihydrogenimidazole modified inorganic-organic mixed matrix membranes for possible application as a proton exchange membrane in direct ethanol fuel cells. The polymeric phase consisted mainly of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) with a sulfonation degree of 55%. The inorganic phase was built up from hydrophilic fumed silica particles interconnected with partially hydrolyzed and condensed tetraethoxysilane with a total inorganic loading of 27.3%. This inorganic phase was further modified with N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazole (DHIM), which consists of an hydrolyzable inorganic part and a functional organic group. The influence of the modifier on the mixed matrix system was studied by means of various modifier concentrations in various aqueous-ethanolic systems (water, 2 M and 4 M ethanol). Modifier concentration and ethanol concentration of the ethanol-water mixture exhibited significant but opposite effects on the liquid uptake of the mixed matrix membranes. The proton conductivity as well as the proton diffusion coefficient as a function of modifier content showed a linear decrease. The proton conductivity as a function of temperature showed Arrhenius behavior and the activation energy of the mixed matrix membranes was 43.9 ± 2.6 kJ mol -1 . High selectivity of proton diffusion coefficient to ethanol permeability coefficient was obtained with high modifier concentrations. At low modifier concentrations, this selectivity was dominated by ethanol permeation and at high modifier concentrations by proton diffusion. The main electrolyte properties can be optimized by setting the DHIM content in mixed matrix membrane. With this approach, tailor-made membranes can be prepared for possible application in direct ethanol fuel cells.

  20. The effect of ethanol concentration on the direct ethanol fuel cell performance and products distribution: A study using a single fuel cell/attenuated total reflectance - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assumpção, M. H. M. T.; Nandenha, J.; Buzzo, G. S.; Silva, J. C. M.; Spinacé, E. V.; Neto, A. O.; De Souza, R. F. B.

    2014-05-01

    The effect of ethanol concentration on the direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) performance and products distribution were studied in situ using a single fuel cell/ATR-FTIR setup. The experiments were performed at 80 °C using commercial Pt3Sn/C as anodic catalyst and the concentrations of ethanol solution were varied from 0.1 to 2.0 mol L-1. An increase in power density was observed with the increase of ethanol concentration to 1.0 mol L-1, while the band intensities analysis in the FTIR spectra revealed an increase of acetic acid/acetaldehyde ratio with the increase of ethanol concentration. Also, from FTIR spectra results, it could be concluded that the acetic acid production follow parallel mechanisms; that is, it does not require the presence of acetaldehyde as an intermediate.

  1. Sinusoidal potential cycling operation of a direct ethanol fuel cell to improving carbon dioxide yields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

    2014-12-01

    A direct ethanol fuel cell has been operated under sinusoidal (AC) potential cycling conditions in order to increase the yield of carbon dioxide and thereby increase cell efficiency relative to operation at a fixed potential. At 80 °C, faradaic yields of CO2 as high as 25% have been achieved with a PtRu anode catalyst, while the maximum CO2 production at constant potential was 13%. The increased yields under cycling conditions have been attributed to periodic oxidative stripping of adsorbed CO. These results will be important in the optimization of operating conditions for direct ethanol fuel cells, where the benefits of potential cycling are projected to increase as catalysts that produce CO2 more efficiently are implemented.

  2. Tin-oxide-coated single-walled carbon nanotube bundles supporting platinum electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Ryan S; Higgins, Drew; Chen Zhongwei

    2010-01-01

    Novel tin-oxide (SnO 2 )-coated single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles supporting platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation were developed for direct ethanol fuel cells. SnO 2 -coated SWNT (SnO 2 -SWNT) bundles were synthesized by a simple chemical-solution route. SnO 2 -SWNT bundles supporting Pt (Pt/SnO 2 -SWNTs) electrocatalysts and SWNT-supported Pt (Pt/SWNT) electrocatalysts were prepared by an ethylene glycol reduction method. The catalysts were physically characterized using TGA, XRD and TEM and electrochemically evaluated through cyclic voltammetry experiments. The Pt/SnO 2 -SWNTs showed greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in acid medium, compared to the Pt/SWNT. The optimal SnO 2 loading of Pt/SnO 2 -SWNT catalysts with respect to specific catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation was also investigated.

  3. Tin-oxide-coated single-walled carbon nanotube bundles supporting platinum electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Ryan S; Higgins, Drew; Chen, Zhongwei

    2010-04-23

    Novel tin-oxide (SnO(2))-coated single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles supporting platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation were developed for direct ethanol fuel cells. SnO(2)-coated SWNT (SnO(2)-SWNT) bundles were synthesized by a simple chemical-solution route. SnO(2)-SWNT bundles supporting Pt (Pt/SnO(2)-SWNTs) electrocatalysts and SWNT-supported Pt (Pt/SWNT) electrocatalysts were prepared by an ethylene glycol reduction method. The catalysts were physically characterized using TGA, XRD and TEM and electrochemically evaluated through cyclic voltammetry experiments. The Pt/SnO(2)-SWNTs showed greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in acid medium, compared to the Pt/SWNT. The optimal SnO(2) loading of Pt/SnO(2)-SWNT catalysts with respect to specific catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation was also investigated.

  4. DPPH RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS FRACTION FROM ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF TALOK FRUIT (Muntingia calabura L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatang Irianti

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The investigation of talok fruits (Muntingia calabura L. was shown the antioxidant activity of aqueous fraction of the ethanolic extract is relatively low. Hydrolysis treatment has increased the antioxidant activity by releasing the flavonoid aglycone from glycoside form. This study aims to determine the effect of acid and alkaline hydrolysis, and hydrolysis time on the antioxidant activity of aqueous fraction of calabura fruits ethanolic extract. The antioxidant activity of acid hydrolyzed aqueous fractions in 1 and 3h hydrolysis, respectively 9.5 and 1.5 times more potent than the aqueous fraction, while the alkaline in 1 and 3h hydro-lysis were 2.5 and 6.5 times. Flavonoid aglycone liberated on acid hydrolysis and alkaline had different anti-oxidant activity. The value of IC50 by acid hydrolyzed aqueous fraction in 1h and 3h hydrolysis of 20.55 and 97.88μg/mL, while the alkaline in 1h and 3h hydrolysis of 66.64 and 25.53μg/mL. One hour acid hydrolysis had antioxidant activity greater than 3h whereas in alkaline the greatest antioxidant activity is shown in 3h.

  5. Hydrolysis of alkaline pretreated banana peel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatmawati, A.; Gunawan, K. Y.; Hadiwijaya, F. A.

    2017-11-01

    Banana peel is one of food wastes that are rich in carbohydrate. This shows its potential as fermentation substrate including bio-ethanol. This paper presented banana peel alkaline pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. The pretreatment was intended to prepare banana peel in order to increase hydrolysis performance. The alkaline pretreatment used 10, 20, and 30% w/v NaOH solution and was done at 60, 70 and 80°C for 1 hour. The hydrolysis reaction was conducted using two commercial cellulose enzymes. The reaction time was varied for 3, 5, and 7 days. The best condition for pretreatment process was one conducted using 30% NaOH solution and at 80°C. This condition resulted in cellulose content of 90.27% and acid insoluble lignin content of 2.88%. Seven-day hydrolysis time had exhibited the highest reducing sugar concentration, which was7.2869 g/L.

  6. Direct ethanol production from barley beta-glucan by sake yeast displaying Aspergillus oryzae beta-glucosidase and endoglucanase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotaka, Atsushi; Bando, Hiroki; Kaya, Masahiko; Kato-Murai, Michiko; Kuroda, Kouichi; Sahara, Hiroshi; Hata, Yoji; Kondo, Akihiko; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi

    2008-06-01

    Three beta-glucosidase- and two endoglucanase-encoding genes were cloned from Aspergillus oryzae, and their gene products were displayed on the cell surface of the sake yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae GRI-117-UK. GRI-117-UK/pUDB7 displaying beta-glucosidase AO090009000356 showed the highest activity against various substrates and efficiently produced ethanol from cellobiose. On the other hand, GRI-117-UK/pUDCB displaying endoglucanase AO090010000314 efficiently degraded barley beta-glucan to glucose and smaller cellooligosaccharides. GRI-117-UK/pUDB7CB codisplaying both beta-glucosidase AO090009000356 and endoglucanase AO090010000314 was constructed. When direct ethanol fermentation from 20 g/l barley beta-glucan as a model substrate was performed with the codisplaying strain, the ethanol concentration reached 7.94 g/l after 24 h of fermentation. The conversion ratio of ethanol from beta-glucan was 69.6% of the theoretical ethanol concentration produced from 20 g/l barley beta-glucan. These results showed that sake yeast displaying A. oryzae cellulolytic enzymes can be used to produce ethanol from cellulosic materials. Our constructs have higher ethanol production potential than the laboratory constructs previously reported.

  7. Pavlovian conditioning with ethanol: sign-tracking (autoshaping), conditioned incentive, and ethanol self-administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krank, Marvin D

    2003-10-01

    Conditioned incentive theories of addictive behavior propose that cues signaling a drug's reinforcing effects activate a central motivational state. Incentive motivation enhances drug-taking and drug-seeking behavior. We investigated the behavioral response to cues associated with ethanol and their interaction with operant self-administration of ethanol. In two experiments, rats received operant training to press a lever for a sweetened ethanol solution. After operant training, the animals were given Pavlovian pairings of a brief and localized cue light with the sweetened ethanol solution (no lever present). Lever pressing for ethanol was then re-established, and the behavioral effects of the cue light were tested during an ethanol self-administration session. The conditioned responses resulting from pairing cue lights with the opportunity to ingest ethanol had three main effects: (1) induction of operant behavior reinforced by ethanol, (2) stimulation of ethanol-seeking behavior (magazine entries), and (3) signal-directed behavior (i.e., autoshaping, or sign-tracking). Signal-directed behavior interacted with the other two effects in a manner predicted by the location of the cue light. These conditioned responses interact with operant responding for ethanol reinforcement. These findings demonstrate the importance of Pavlovian conditioning effects on ethanol self-administration and are consistent with conditioned incentive theories of addictive behavior.

  8. Carbon-supported ternary PtSnIr catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribeiro, J.; Kokoh, K.B.; Coutanceau, C.; Leger, J.-M. [Equipe Electrocatalyse, UMR 6503 CNRS, Universite de Poitiers, 40 avenue du Recteur Pineau 86022 Poitiers Cedex (France); Dos Anjos, D.M. [Equipe Electrocatalyse, UMR 6503 CNRS, Universite de Poitiers, 40 avenue du Recteur Pineau 86022 Poitiers Cedex (France); Instituto de Quimica de Sao Carlos, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 780, 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Olivi, P.; De Andrade, A.R. [Departamento de Quimica da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil); Tremiliosi-Filho, G. [Instituto de Quimica de Sao Carlos, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 780, 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil)

    2007-08-01

    Binary PtIr, PtSn and ternary PtSnIr electrocatalysts were prepared by the Pechini-Adams modified method on carbon Vulcan XC-72, and these materials were characterized by TEM and XRD. The XRD results showed that the electrocatalysts consisted of the Pt displaced phase, suggesting the formation of solid solutions between the metals Pt/Ir and Pt/Sn. However, the increase in Sn loading promoted phase separation, with the formation of peaks typical of cubic Pt{sub 3}Sn. The electrochemical investigation of these different electrode materials was carried out as a function of the electrocatalyst composition, in a 0.5 mol dm{sup -3} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution, with either the presence or the absence of ethanol. Cyclic voltammetric measurements and chronoamperometric results obtained at room temperature showed that PtSn/C and PtSnIr/C displayed better electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation compared to PtIr/C and Pt/C, mainly at low potentials. The oxidation process was also investigated by in situ infrared reflectance spectroscopy, to identify the adsorbed species. Linearly adsorbed CO and CO{sub 2} were found, indicating that the cleavage of the C-C bond in the ethanol substrate occurred during the oxidation process. At 90 C, the Pt{sub 89}Sn{sub 11}/C and Pt{sub 68}Sn{sub 9}Ir{sub 23}/C electrocatalysts displayed higher current and power performances as anode materials in a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC). (author)

  9. Evaluation of acute and subacute toxicities of aqueous ethanolic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Evaluation of acute and subacute toxicities of aqueous ethanolic extract of leaves of Senna alata (L.) Roxb (Ceasalpiniaceae) ... Significant variation (P<0.05) of the body weight was observed after 26 days of treatment, in some biochemicals index of serum and 20% liver homogenates (glutathione , alkaline phosphatase ...

  10. Hybrid NiCoOx adjacent to Pd nanoparticles as a synergistic electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Yang, Yan; Liu, Yanqin; Zhang, Zhe; Dong, Wenkui; Lei, Ziqiang

    2015-01-01

    To improve the electrocatalytic activity of Pd for ethanol oxidation, hybrid NiCoOx adjacent to Pd catalyst (Pd-NiCoOx/C) is successfully synthesized. Physical characterization shows NiCoOx is closely adjacent to Pd nanoparticles in Pd-NiCoOx/C catalyst, which leads to Strong Metal-Support Interactions (SMSI) between the NiCoOx and Pd nanoparticles, in favor of the electrocatalytic properties. The Pd-NiCoOx/C catalyst is estimated to own larger electrochemically active surface area than Pd/C and Pd-NiO/C catalysts. Moreover, compared to Pd/C catalyst, the onset potential of Pd-NiCoOx/C catalyst is negative 40 mV for ethanol oxidation. Noticeably, the current density of Pd-NiCoOx/C catalyst is 2.05 and 1.43 times higher contrasted to Pd/C and Pd-NiO/C catalysts accordingly. Importantly, the Pd-NiCoOx/C catalyst exhibits better stability during ethanol oxidation, which is a promising electrocatalyst for application in direct alkaline alcohol fuel cells.

  11. Lube-oil dilution of gasoline direct-injection engines with ethanol fuels; Schmieroelverduennung von direkteinspritzenden Ottomotoren unter Kaltstartrandbedingungen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuepper, Carsten; Pischinger, Stefan [RWTH Aachen Univ. (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Verbrennungskraftmaschinen (VKA); Artmann, Chrsitina; Rabl, Hans-Peter [Hochschule Regensburg (Germany). Labor fuer Verbrennungsmotoren und Abgasnachbehandlung

    2013-09-15

    Ethanol fuel mixtures account for the majority of biofuels used worldwide. However, their properties make these fuels more difficult to use in cold conditions and especially when starting a cold engine. As part of the FVV research project 'Lubricant Dilution with Ethanol Fuels under Cold Start Conditions', the Institute for Combustion Engines (VKA) at RWTH Aachen University and the Combustion Engines and Emission Control Laboratory at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences have investigated the influence of the ethanol content in fuels on the dilution of the lubricating oil in modern direct-injection gasoline engines. (orig.)

  12. The direct transformation of ethanol to ethyl acetate over Cu/SiO2 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Cu/SiO2 catalysts that contain copper phyllosilicate, were successfully ... of attention because both components are simple, non- .... bate on a Micromeritics ASAP 2010 system at liquid- ... The reactor was. Page 3. Direct transformation of ethanol to ethyl acetate. 1015 connected to gas chromatography using a six-port high.

  13. Palladium-based electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction in DEFC; Eletrocatalisadores de paladio para reacao de oxidacao do etanol em DEFC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moraes, L.P.R. de; Elsheikh, A.; Silva, E. L. da; Radtke, C.; Amico, S.C.; Malfatti, C.F., E-mail: leticiaprm@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

    2014-07-01

    Direct ethanol fuel cells require the use of electrocatalysts to promote bond cleavage of the ethanol molecule in an efficient way. Currently, most electrocatalysts contain platinum, which enables improved catalytic activity and stability in acidic media. However platinum presents high cost and low availability. Based on that, novel catalysts have been developed, such as those based on palladium and its alloys, which have attained excellent results in the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. In this work, Pd, PdSn and PdNiSn catalysts supported on Vulcan XC72R carbon were synthesized via impregnation/reduction. The electrocatalysts were characterized by RBS, XRD and cyclic voltammetry. The X-ray diffraction results showed the formation of an alloy and not the deposition of isolated elements. The synthesized catalysts displayed good catalytic activity, as observed by cyclic voltammetry, being the best electrochemical performance achieved by the ternary alloy. (author)

  14. Investigation of the effect of heated ethanol fuel on combustion and emissions of an ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port injection (EDI + GPI) engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Yuhan; Hong, Guang

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of EDI heating on the EDI + GPI engine performance was investigated. • CO and HC were significantly reduced and NO was slightly increased by EDI heating. • IMEP and combustion speed were slightly reduced by EDI heating. • EDI heating is effective to address the evaporation and over-cooling issues of EDI + GPI engine. - Abstract: Ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port injection (EDI + GPI) is a new technology to utilise ethanol fuel more efficiently and flexibly in spark ignition engines. One issue needs to be addressed in the development of EDI + GPI is the ethanol fuel’s low vapour pressure and large latent heat which slow down the ethanol’s evaporation and result in the mixture unready for combustion by the time of spark ignition and the consequent increase of CO and HC emissions. Heating the ethanol fuel to be directly injected (EDI heating) has been proposed to address this issue. This paper reports the investigation of the effect of EDI heating on the combustion and emissions of a research engine equipped with EDI + GPI. The results showed that EDI heating effectively reduced the CO and HC emissions of the engine due to the increase of evaporation rate and reduced fuel impingement and local over-cooling. The reduction of CO and HC became more significant with the increase of ethanol ratio. When the temperature of the ethanol fuel was increased by 40 °C, the CO and HC were reduced by as much as 43% and 51% respectively in EDI only condition at the original spark timing of 15 CAD BTDC, and 15% and 47% respectively at the minimum spark advance for best torque (MBT) timing of 19 CAD BTDC. On the other hand, the NO emission was slightly increased, but still much smaller than that in GPI only condition due to the strong cooling effect and low combustion temperature of EDI. The IMEP and combustion speed were slightly reduced by EDI heating due to the decrease of injector fuel flow rate and spray collapse of flash-boiling. The

  15. Spillover effect induced Pt-TiO2/C as ethanol tolerant oxygen reduction reaction catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meenakshi, S.; Nishanth, K.G.; Sridhar, P.; Pitchumani, S.

    2014-01-01

    Hypo-hyper-d-electronic interactive nature is used to develop a new carbon supported HT-Pt-TiO 2 composite catalyst comprising Pt and Ti in varying atomic ratio, namely 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1. The electro-catalysts are characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM-EDAX, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) techniques. HT-Pt-TiO 2 /C catalysts exhibit significant improvement in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) over Pt/C. The effect of composition towards ORR with and without ethanol has been studied. The direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) with HT-Pt-TiO 2 /C cathode catalyst exhibits an enhanced peak power density of 41 mW cm −2 , whereas 21 mW cm −2 is obtained for the DEFCs with carbon-supported Pt catalyst operating under identical conditions

  16. Overliming detoxification of pyrolytic sugar syrup for direct fermentation of levoglucosan to ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Zhanyou; Rover, Marjorie; Jun, Erin; Deaton, Mark; Johnston, Patrick; Brown, Robert C; Wen, Zhiyou; Jarboe, Laura R

    2013-12-01

    The application of pyrolytic sugars for biofuel production through fermentation is challenged by inhibitory contaminant compounds. Inhibition is so severe that only 0.25% sugar syrup can be used. In this study, overliming was tested as a simple detoxification method, using the Escherichia coli KO11+ lgk to directly convert levoglucosan into ethanol. After treatment with at least 14.8 g/L of Ca(OH)2, fermentation with 2% (w/v) pyrolytic sugar syrup was observed with no inhibition of ethanol production. Further investigation of treatment time and temperature showed that 8-16 h of treatment at 20°C, and 1-4 h of treatment at 60°C are necessary to obtain consistent ethanol production. The samples treated with 18.5 g/L Ca(OH)2 at 60°C for 4 h showed no inhibition at 2.5%. Multiple contaminants removed by the overliming treatment were identified. This study demonstrates that overliming is a promising method for detoxification of pyrolytic sugars for fermentation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Autoshaping of ethanol drinking in rats: effects of ethanol concentration and trial spacing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomie, Arthur; Wong, Karlvin; Apor, Khristine; Patterson-Buckendahl, Patricia; Pohorecky, Larissa A

    2003-11-01

    In two studies, we evaluated the effects of ethanol concentration and trial spacing on Pavlovian autoshaping of ethanol drinking in rats. In these studies, the brief insertion of an ethanol sipper conditioned stimulus (CS) was followed by the response-independent presentation of food unconditioned stimulus (US), inducing sipper CS-directed drinking conditioned responses (CRs) in all rats. In Experiment 1, the ethanol concentration in the sipper CS [0%-16% volume/volume (vol./vol.), in increments of 1%] was systematically increased within subjects across autoshaping sessions. Groups of rats received sipper CS-food US pairings (Paired/Ethanol), a CS-US random procedure (Random/Ethanol), or water sipper CS paired with food US (Paired/Water). In Experiment 2, saccharin-fading procedures were used to initiate, in the Ethanol group, drinking of 6% (vol./vol.) ethanol in 0.1% saccharin or, in the Water group, drinking of tap water in 0.1% saccharin. After elimination of saccharin, and across days, the duration of access to the sipper CS during each autoshaping trial was increased (5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20 s), and subsequently, across days, the duration of the mean intertrial interval (ITI) was increased (60, 90, 120, and 150 s). In Experiment 1, Paired/Ethanol and Random/Ethanol groups showed higher intake of ethanol, in terms of grams per kilogram of body weight, at higher ethanol concentrations, with more ethanol intake recorded in the Paired/Ethanol group. In Experiment 2, the Ethanol group drank more than was consumed by the Water group, and, for both groups, fluid intake increased with longer ITIs. Results support the suggestion that autoshaping contributes to sipper CS-directed ethanol drinking.

  18. Alkaline peroxide pretreatment of rapeseed straw for enhancing bioethanol production by Same Vessel Saccharification and Co-Fermentation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karagöz, Pinar; Vaitkeviciute-Rocha, Indre; Özkan, Melek

    2012-01-01

    Alkaline peroxide pretreatment of rapeseed straw was evaluated for conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to fermentable sugars. After pretreatment, a liquid phase called pretreatment liquid and a solid phase were separated by filtration. The neutralized pretreatment liquids were used in a co...... pretreatment combination with respect to overall ethanol production. At this condition, 5.73g ethanol was obtained from pretreatment liquid and 14.07g ethanol was produced by co-fermentation of solid fraction with P. stipitis. Optimum delignification was observed when 0.5M MgSO4 was included...... in the pretreatment mixture, and it resulted in 0.92% increase in ethanol production efficiency....

  19. Facile synthesis of dendritic gold nanostructures with hyperbranched architectures and their electrocatalytic activity toward ethanol oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jianshe; Han, Xinyi; Wang, Dawei; Liu, Dong; You, Tianyan

    2013-09-25

    Gold dendritic nanostructures with hyperbranched architectures were synthesized by the galvanic replacement reaction between nickel wire and HAuCl4 in aqueous solution. The study revealed that the morphology of the obtained nanostructures strongly depended on experimental parameters such as the HAuCl4 solution concentration, reaction temperature, and time, as well as stirring or not. According to the investigation of the growth process, it was proposed that gold nanoparticles with rough surfaces were first deposited on the nickel substrate and that subsequent growth preferentially occurred on the preformed gold nanoparticles, finally leading to the formation of hyperbranched gold dendrites via a self-organization process under nonequilibrium conditions. The electrochemical experiment results demonstrated that the as-obtained gold dendrites exhibited high catalytic activity toward ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline solution, indicating that this nanomaterial may be a potential catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells.

  20. Direct Conversion of Cellulose into Ethyl Lactate in Supercritical Ethanol-Water Solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lisha; Yang, Xiaokun; Tian, Elli; Lin, Hongfei

    2016-01-08

    Biomass-derived ethyl lactate is a green solvent with a growing market as the replacement for petroleum-derived toxic organic solvents. Here we report, for the first time, the production of ethyl lactate directly from cellulose with the mesoporous Zr-SBA-15 silicate catalyst in a supercritical mixture of ethanol and water. The relatively strong Lewis and weak Brønsted acid sites on the catalyst, as well as the surface hydrophobicity, were beneficial to the reaction and led to synergy during consecutive reactions, such as depolymerization, retro-aldol condensation, and esterification. Under the optimum reaction conditions, ∼33 % yield of ethyl lactate was produced from cellulose with the Zr-SBA-15 catalyst at 260 °C in supercritical 95:5 (w/w) ethanol/water. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Rapid synthesis of platinum-ruthenium bimetallic nanoparticles dispersed on carbon support as improved electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Zhulan; Li, Shumin; Xiong, Zhiping; Xu, Hui; Gao, Fei; Du, Yukou

    2018-07-01

    Bimetallic nanocatalysts with small particle size benefit from markedly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability during small molecule oxidation. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize binary Pt-Ru nanoparticles dispersed on a carbon support at an optimum temperature. Because of its monodispersed nanostructure, synergistic effects were observed between Pt and Ru and the PtRu/C electrocatalysts showed remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation. The peak current density of the Pt 1 Ru 1 /C electrocatalyst is 3731 mA mg -1 , which is 9.3 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C (401 mA mg -1 ). Furthermore, the synthesized Pt 1 Ru 1 /C catalyst exhibited higher stability during ethanol oxidation in an alkaline medium and maintained a significantly higher current density after successive cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of 500 cycles than commercial Pt/C. Our work highlights the significance of the reaction temperature during electrocatalyst synthesis, leading to enhanced catalytic performance towards ethanol oxidation. The Pt 1 Ru 1 /C electrocatalyst has great potential for application in direct ethanol fuel cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Coprecipitation of trace amounts of 137Cs and 85Sr with [Na(18-Crown-6]BPh4 from neutral and alkaline solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulyukhin, S.A.; Konovalova, N.A.; Rumer, I.A.; Kamenskaya, A.N.; Mikheev, N.B.

    2005-01-01

    Coprecipitation of 137 Cs and 85 Sr with [Na(18-crown-6]BPh 4 solid phase from aqueous, aqueous-ethanolic, and alkaline solutions is studied. 137 C s and 85 Sr co-crystallize with [Na(18-crown-6]BPh 4 from aqueous and aqueous-ethanolic solutions. The cocrystallization coefficients D of 137 Cs and 85 Sr from aqueous solutions are 2.6 ± 0.5 and 3.3 ± 0.3, respectively. For aqueous-ethanolic solutions, the corresponding values are 4.4 ± 0.5 and 3.4 ± 0.4. In the alkaline solutions (0.1 and 1 M NaOH), 54-74% of 137 Cs and 37-51% of 85 Sr pass into the [Na(18-crown-6)]BPh 4 solid phase, depending on the crown ether concentration in the system [ru

  3. Carbon-supported PdM (M = Au and Sn) nanocatalysts for the electrooxidation of ethanol in high pH media

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Qinggang; Chen, Wei; Mukerjee, Sanjeev; Chen, Shaowei; Laufek, František

    Carbon-supported Pd 4Au- and Pd 2.5Sn-alloyed nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical reduction method, and characterized by a wide array of experimental techniques including mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Ethanol electrooxidation on the as-synthesized catalysts and commercial Pt/C was then investigated and compared in alkaline media by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies at room temperature. Voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements showed higher current density and longer term stability in ethanol oxidation with the palladium alloy nanocatalysts than with the commercial one. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel plots were employed to examine the charge-transfer kinetics of ethanol electrooxidation. The results suggest that whereas the reaction kinetics might be somewhat more sluggish on the Pd-based alloy catalysts than on commercial Pt/C, the former appeared to have a higher tolerance to surface poisoning. Overall, the Pd-based alloy catalysts represent promising candidates for the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol, and Pd 4Au/C displays the best catalytic activity among the series for the ethanol oxidation in alkaline media.

  4. Facile synthesis of highly active PdAu nanowire networks as self-supported electrocatalyst for ethanol electrooxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Wei; Wang, Jin; Wang, Erkang

    2014-06-25

    In recent years, direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are attracting increasing attention owing to their wide applications. However, a significant challenge in the development of DEFC technology is the urgent need for highly active anode catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction. In this work, a facile and reproducible method for the high-yield synthesis of PdAu nanowire networks is demonstrated. The whole synthetic process is very simple, just mixing Na2PdCl4, HAuCl4, and KBr in an aqueous solution and using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a protective reagent while sodium borohydride as a reductant. The whole synthetic process can be simply performed at room temperature and completed in 30 min, which can greatly simplify the synthetic process and lower the preparation cost. Electrochemical catalytic measurement results prove that the as-prepared catalysts exhibit dramatically enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline solution. The facile synthetic process and excellent catalytic performance of the as-prepared catalysts demonstrate that they can be used as a promising catalyst for DEFCs.

  5. High level extracellular production of a recombinant alkaline catalase in E. coli BL21 under ethanol stress and its application in hydrogen peroxide removal after cotton fabrics bleaching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Zhenxiao; Zheng, Hongchen; Zhao, Xingya; Li, Shufang; Xu, Jianyong; Song, Hui

    2016-08-01

    The effects of induction parameters, osmolytes and ethanol stress on the productivity of the recombinant alkaline catalase (KatA) in Escherichia coli BL21 (pET26b-KatA) were investigated. The yield of soluble KatA was significantly enhanced by 2% ethanol stress. And a certain amount of Triton X-100 supplementation could markedly improved extracellular ratio of KatA. A total soluble catalase activity of 78,762U/mL with the extracellular ratio of 92.5% was achieved by fed-batch fermentation in a 10L fermentor, which was the highest yield so far. The purified KatA showed high stability at 50°C and pH 6-10. Application of KatA for elimination of H2O2 after cotton fabrics bleaching led to less consumption of water, steam and electric power by 25%, 12% and 16.7% respectively without productivity and quality losing of cotton fabrics. Thus, the recombinant KatA is a promising candidate for industrial production and applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of subchronic administration of ethanolic leaf extract of croton ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The biochemical effcts of ethanolic leaf extract of Croton zambesicus on serum alkaline phosphatase(SAP),aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ,alanine aminotransferase(ALT),serum total protein and albumin were studied.The levels of these enzymes and that of total protein and albumin in the extract treated rats were not ...

  7. Lesions of the lateral habenula increase voluntary ethanol consumption and operant self-administration, block yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking, and attenuate ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew K Haack

    Full Text Available The lateral habenula (LHb plays an important role in learning driven by negative outcomes. Many drugs of abuse, including ethanol, have dose-dependent aversive effects that act to limit intake of the drug. However, the role of the LHb in regulating ethanol intake is unknown. In the present study, we compared voluntary ethanol consumption and self-administration, yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking, and ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion in rats with sham or LHb lesions. In rats given home cage access to 20% ethanol in an intermittent access two bottle choice paradigm, lesioned animals escalated their voluntary ethanol consumption more rapidly than sham-lesioned control animals and maintained higher stable rates of voluntary ethanol intake. Similarly, lesioned animals exhibited higher rates of responding for ethanol in operant self-administration sessions. In addition, LHb lesion blocked yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol seeking after extinction. Finally, LHb lesion significantly attenuated an ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. Our results demonstrate an important role for the LHb in multiple facets of ethanol-directed behavior, and further suggest that the LHb may contribute to ethanol-directed behaviors by mediating learning driven by the aversive effects of the drug.

  8. Cold alkaline extraction as a pretreatment for bioethanol production from eucalyptus, sugarcane bagasse and sugarcane straw

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, Danila Morais de; Sevastyanova, Olena; Queiroz, José Humberto de; Colodette, Jorge Luiz

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Mathematical approach to optimize the process of cold alkaline extraction. • Hemicelluloses and lignin removal from biomasses by cold alkaline extraction. • Higher xylan and lignin removal for straw during pretreatment. • Formation of pseudo-extractives for eucalyptus during pretreatment. • Higher ethanol production for pretreated sugarcane straw. - Abstract: Optimal conditions for the cold alkaline extraction (CAE) pretreatment of eucalyptus, sugarcane bagasse and sugarcane straw are proposed in view of their subsequent bioconversion into ethanol through the semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSSF) process (with presaccharification followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, or SSF). The optimum conditions, which are identified based on an experiment with a factorial central composite design, resulted in the removal of 46%, 52% and 61% of the xylan and 15%, 37% and 45% of the lignin for eucalyptus, bagasse and straw, respectively. The formation of pseudo-extractives was observed during the CAE of eucalyptus. Despite the similar glucose concentration and yield for all biomasses after 12 h of presaccharification, the highest yield (0.065 g_e_t_h_a_n_o_l/g_b_i_o_m_a_s_s), concentrations (5.74 g L"−"1) and volumetric productivity for ethanol (0.57 g L"−"1 h"−"1) were observed for the sugarcane straw. This finding was most likely related to the improved accessibility of cellulose that resulted from the removal of the largest amount of xylan and lignin.

  9. Spray and evaporation characteristics of ethanol and gasoline direct injection in non-evaporating, transition and flash-boiling conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Yuhan; Huang, Sheng; Huang, Ronghua; Hong, Guang

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Sprays can be considered as non-evaporating when vapour pressure is lower than 30 kPa. • Ethanol direct injection should only be applied in high temperature engine environment. • Gasoline spray collapses at lower fuel temperature (350 K) than ethanol spray does (360 K). • Flash-boiling does not occur when fuel temperature reaches boiling point until ΔT is 14 K. • Not only spray evaporation mode but also breakup mechanism change with fuel temperature. - Abstract: Ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port injection (EDI + GPI) represents a more efficient and flexible way to utilize ethanol fuel in spark ignition engines. To exploit the potentials of EDI, the mixture formation characteristics need to be investigated. In this study, the spray and evaporation characteristics of ethanol and gasoline fuels injected from a multi-hole injector were investigated by high speed Shadowgraphy imaging technique in a constant volume chamber. The experiments covered a wide range of fuel temperature from 275 K (non-evaporating) to 400 K (flash-boiling) which corresponded to cold start and running conditions in an engine. The spray transition process from normal-evaporating to flash-boiling was investigated in greater details than the existed studies. Results showed that ethanol and gasoline sprays demonstrated the same patterns in non-evaporating conditions. The sprays could be considered as non-evaporating when vapour pressure was lower than 30 kPa. Ethanol evaporated more slowly than gasoline did in low temperature environment, but they reached the similar evaporation rates when temperature was higher than 375 K. This suggested that EDI should only be applied in high temperature engine environment. For both ethanol and gasoline sprays, when the excess temperature was smaller than 4 K, the sprays behaved the same as the subcooled sprays did. The sprays collapsed when the excess temperature was 9 K. Flash-boiling did not occur until the excess temperature

  10. Direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) - A thermodynamic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima da Silva, Aline; De Fraga Malfatti, Celia; Heck, Nestor Cesar; Melo Halmenschlager, Cibele

    2003-01-01

    Among the various types of fuel cells, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has attracted considerable interest due to the possibility for operation with an internal reformer and higher system efficiency. In SOFC, high operative temperature allows the direct conversion of ethanol into H 2 and CO to take place in the electrochemical cell. Ethanol is considered to be an attractive fuel because it is a renewable energy source and presents some advantages over other green fuels such as safety in storage and handling. Direct internal reforming of ethanol, however, can produce undesirable products that diminish system efficiency and, in the case of carbon deposition over the anode, promote the growth of carbon filaments attached to the anode crystallites which generate massive forces within the electrode structure leading to its rapid breakdown. In this context, a thermodynamic analysis is fundamental to predict the product distribution as well as the conditions favorable for carbon to precipitate inside the cell. Despite of such importance, there are few works in literature dealing with thermodynamic analysis of the direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in fuel cell systems. Hence, the aim of this work is to find appropriate ranges for operating conditions where carbon deposition in SOFC with direct internal reforming operation is not feasible, in temperature range of 500- 1200K. The calculation here is more complicated than that for a reformer because the disappearance of hydrogen and the generation of H 2 O from electrochemical reaction must be taken into account. In the present study, the effects of hydrogen consumption on anode components and on carbon formation are investigated. Equilibrium determinations are performed by the Gibbs energy minimization method, considering the following species: H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , CO, CO 2 and C gr . (graphite). The effect of the type of solid electrolyte (oxygen-conducting and hydrogen-conducting) on carbon formation is also

  11. Direct ethanol production from cassava pulp using a surface-engineered yeast strain co-displaying two amylases, two cellulases, and β-glucosidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apiwatanapiwat, Waraporn; Murata, Yoshinori; Kosugi, Akihiko; Yamada, Ryosuke; Kondo, Akihiko; Arai, Takamitsu; Rugthaworn, Prapassorn; Mori, Yutaka

    2011-04-01

    In order to develop a method for producing fuel ethanol from cassava pulp using cell surface engineering (arming) technology, an arming yeast co-displaying α-amylase (α-AM), glucoamylase, endoglucanase, cellobiohydrase, and β-glucosidase on the surface of the yeast cells was constructed. The novel yeast strain, possessing the activities of all enzymes, was able to produce ethanol directly from soluble starch, barley β-glucan, and acid-treated Avicel. Cassava is a major crop in Southeast Asia and used mainly for starch production. In the starch manufacturing process, large amounts of solid wastes, called cassava pulp, are produced. The major components of cassava pulp are starch (approximately 60%) and cellulose fiber (approximately 30%). We attempted simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation of cassava pulp with this arming yeast. During fermentation, ethanol concentration increased as the starch and cellulose fiber substrates contained in the cassava pulp decreased. The results clearly showed that the arming yeast was able to produce ethanol directly from cassava pulp without addition of any hydrolytic enzymes.

  12. Direct ethanol production from cassava pulp using a surface-engineered yeast strain co-displaying two amylases, two cellulases, and {beta}-glucosidase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Apiwatanapiwat, Waraporn; Rugthaworn, Prapassorn [Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan). Post-Harvest Science and Technology Div.; Kasetsart Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Nanotechnology and Biotechnology Div.; Murata, Yoshinori; Kosugi, Akihiko; Arai, Takamitsu; Mori, Yutaka [Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan). Post-Harvest Science and Technology Div.; Yamada, Ryosuke; Kondo, Akihiko [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Science and Engineering

    2011-04-15

    In order to develop a method for producing fuel ethanol from cassava pulp using cell surface engineering (arming) technology, an arming yeast co-displaying {alpha}-amylase ({alpha}-AM), glucoamylase, endoglucanase, cellobiohydrase, and {beta}-glucosidase on the surface of the yeast cells was constructed. The novel yeast strain, possessing the activities of all enzymes, was able to produce ethanol directly from soluble starch, barley {beta}-glucan, and acid-treated Avicel. Cassava is a major crop in Southeast Asia and used mainly for starch production. In the starch manufacturing process, large amounts of solid wastes, called cassava pulp, are produced. The major components of cassava pulp are starch (approximately 60%) and cellulose fiber (approximately 30%). We attempted simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation of cassava pulp with this arming yeast. During fermentation, ethanol concentration increased as the starch and cellulose fiber substrates contained in the cassava pulp decreased. The results clearly showed that the arming yeast was able to produce ethanol directly from cassava pulp without addition of any hydrolytic enzymes. (orig.)

  13. Development of nanosized electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohamedi, M. [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, PQ (Canada). Centre de l' Energie, Materiaux et Telecommunications

    2008-07-01

    Fuel cells have been touted as a promising power supply for automotive, portable or stationary use. Although methanol is a strong contender as an alternative fuel, the extensive use of this toxic compound is not practical due to environmental hazards. Ethanol is a good substitute because it has a very positive environmental, health, and safety footprint with no major uncertainties or hazards. Ethanol is a hydrogen-rich liquid which has more energy density than methanol. The C-C bond has a determining effect on fuel cell efficiency and the theoretical energy yield. Therefore, a good electrocatalyst towards the complete oxidation of ethanol must activate the C-C bond breaking while avoiding the poisoning of the catalytic surface by carbon monoxide species that occurs with methanol oxidation. The objective of this study was to develop new catalyst nanoparticles of well-controlled shape, size, and composition with excellent stability and better electrocatalytic activity. This paper described the recent achievements regarding the development of a series of PtxSn100-x catalysts prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). It reported on the effect of several deposition parameters on the structure and properties of the deposited catalysts. It also described how these deposition conditions affect the electrocatalytic response of the resulting materials toward ethanol oxidation. Some interesting periodic oscillations were observed at some catalysts during ethanol electrooxidation. 7 refs., 1 fig.

  14. Direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene on nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxides with balanced acid-base sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Junming; Zhu, Kake; Gao, Feng; Wang, Chongmin; Liu, Jun; Peden, Charles H F; Wang, Yong

    2011-07-27

    We report the design and synthesis of nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxides for direct and high-yield conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene (~83%). ZnO is addded to ZrO(2) to selectively passivate zirconia's strong Lewis acidic sites and weaken Brönsted acidic sites, while simultaneously introducing basicity. As a result, the undesired reactions of bio-ethanol dehydration and acetone polymerization/coking are suppressed. Instead, a surface basic site-catalyzed ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde to acetone conversion via a complex pathway including aldol-condensation/dehydrogenation, and a Brönsted acidic site-catalyzed acetone-to-isobutene reaction pathway dominates on the nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxide catalyst, leading to a highly selective process for direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene.

  15. Palladium nanoparticles anchored on graphene nanosheets: Methanol, ethanol oxidation reactions and their kinetic studies

    KAUST Repository

    Nagaraju, Doddahalli H.; Devaraj, Sappani; Balaya, Palani

    2014-01-01

    nanosheets. The electro-catalytic activity of Gra/Pd nanocomposites toward methanol and ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium was evaluated by cyclic voltammetric studies. 1:1 Gra/Pd nanocomposite exhibited good electro-catalytic activity and efficient

  16. Direct ethanol production from cellulosic materials at high temperature using the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus displaying cellulolytic enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yanase, Shuhei; Yamada, Ryosuke; Ogino, Chiaki; Kondo, Akihiko [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Science and Engineering; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Fukuda, Hideki [Kobe Univ. (Japan). Organization of Advanced Science and Technology

    2010-09-15

    To exploit cellulosic materials for fuel ethanol production, a microorganism capable of high temperature and simultaneous saccharification-fermentation has been required. However, a major drawback is the optimum temperature for the saccharification and fermentation. Most ethanol-fermenting microbes have an optimum temperature for ethanol fermentation ranging between 28 C and 37 C, while the activity of cellulolytic enzymes is highest at around 50 C and significantly decreases with a decrease in temperature. Therefore, in the present study, a thermotolerant yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus, which has high growth and fermentation at elevated temperatures, was used as a producer of ethanol from cellulose. The strain was genetically engineered to display Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase and Aspergillus aculeatus {beta}-glucosidase on the cell surface, which successfully converts a cellulosic {beta}-glucan to ethanol directly at 48 C with a yield of 4.24 g/l from 10 g/l within 12 h. The yield (in grams of ethanol produced per gram of {beta}-glucan consumed) was 0.47 g/g, which corresponds to 92.2% of the theoretical yield. This indicates that high-temperature cellulose fermentation to ethanol can be efficiently accomplished using a recombinant K. marxianus strain displaying thermostable cellulolytic enzymes on the cell surface. (orig.)

  17. Process optimization of ultrasound-assisted alcoholic-alkaline treatment for granular cold water swelling starches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Bo; Liu, Jianli; Gao, Weidong

    2017-09-01

    This paper reports on the process optimization of ultrasonic assisted alcoholic-alkaline treatment to prepare granular cold water swelling (GCWS) starches. In this work, three statistical approaches such as Plackett-Burman, steepest ascent path analysis and Box-Behnken design were successfully combined to investigate the effects of major treatment process variables including starch concentration, ethanol volume fraction, sodium hydroxide dosage, ultrasonic power and treatment time, and drying operation, that is, vacuum degree and drying time on cold-water solubility. Results revealed that ethanol volume fraction, sodium hydroxide dosage, applied power and ultrasonic treatment time were significant factors that affected the cold-water solubility of GCWS starches. The maximum cold-water solubility was obtained when treated at 400W of applied power for 27.38min. Optimum volume fraction of ethanol and sodium hydroxide dosage were 66.85% and 53.76mL, respectively. The theoretical values (93.87%) and the observed values (93.87%) were in reasonably good agreement and the deviation was less than 1%. Verification and repeated trial results indicated that the ultrasound-assisted alcoholic-alkaline treatment could be successfully used for the preparation of granular cold water swelling starches at room temperatures and had excellent improvement on the cold-water solubility of GCWS starches. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Carbon-supported PdM (M = Au and Sn) nanocatalysts for the electrooxidation of ethanol in high pH media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Qinggang; Mukerjee, Sanjeev [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Chen, Wei; Chen, Shaowei [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Laufek, Frantisek [Czech Geological Survey (Czech Republic)

    2009-02-15

    Carbon-supported Pd{sub 4}Au- and Pd{sub 2.5}Sn-alloyed nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical reduction method, and characterized by a wide array of experimental techniques including mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Ethanol electrooxidation on the as-synthesized catalysts and commercial Pt/C was then investigated and compared in alkaline media by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies at room temperature. Voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements showed higher current density and longer term stability in ethanol oxidation with the palladium alloy nanocatalysts than with the commercial one. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel plots were employed to examine the charge-transfer kinetics of ethanol electrooxidation. The results suggest that whereas the reaction kinetics might be somewhat more sluggish on the Pd-based alloy catalysts than on commercial Pt/C, the former appeared to have a higher tolerance to surface poisoning. Overall, the Pd-based alloy catalysts represent promising candidates for the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol, and Pd{sub 4}Au/C displays the best catalytic activity among the series for the ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. (author)

  19. The viability of MCM-41 as separator in secondary alkaline cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meskon, S. R.; Othman, R.; Ani, M. H.

    2018-01-01

    The viability of MCM-41 membrane as a separator material in secondary alkaline cell is investigated. The inorganic membrane was employed in an alkaline nickel-zinc system. MCM-41 mesoporous material consists of arrays of hexagonal nano-pore channels. The membrane was synthesized using sol-gel route from parent solution comprising of quarternary ammonium surfactant, cethyltrimethylammonium bromide C16H33(CH3)3NBr (CTAB), hydrochloric acid (HCl), deionized water (H2O), ethanol (C2H5OH), and tetraethylortosilicate (TEOS). Both the anodic zinc/zinc oxide and cathodic nickel hydroxide electrodeposited film were coated with MCM-41 membrane. The Ni/MCM-41/Zn alkaline cell was then subjected to 100-cycle durability test and the structural stability of MCM-41 separator throughout the progression of the charge-discharge cycles is studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis on the dismantled cell shows that MCM-41 began to transform to lamellar MCM-50 on the 5th cycle and transformed almost completely on the 25th cycle. The phase transformation of MCM-41 hexagonal structure into gel-like MCM-50 prevents the mesoporous cell separator from diminished in the caustic alkaline surround. This work has hence demonstrated MCM-41 membrane is viable to be employed in secondary alkaline cells.

  20. Performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell using Nafion composites with high volume fraction of titania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matos, B. R.; Isidoro, R. A.; Santiago, E. I.; Fonseca, F. C.

    2014-12-01

    The present study reports on the performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at 130 °C with Nafion-titania composite electrolytes prepared by sol-gel technique and containing high volume fractions of the ceramic phase. It is found that for high volume fractions of titania (>10 vol%) the ethanol uptake of composites is largely reduced while the proton conductivity at high-temperatures is weakly dependent on the titania content. Such tradeoff between alcohol uptake and conductivity resulted in a boost of DEFC performance at high temperatures using Nafion-titania composites with high fraction of the inorganic phase.

  1. Valorization of lignin and cellulose in acid-steam-exploded corn stover by a moderate alkaline ethanol post-treatment based on an integrated biorefinery concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Sheng; Zhang, Yue; Yue, Wen; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yun-Yan; Yuan, Tong-Qi; Sun, Run-Cang

    2016-01-01

    Due to the unsustainable consumption of fossil resources, great efforts have been made to convert lignocellulose into bioethanol and commodity organic compounds through biological methods. The conversion of cellulose is impeded by the compactness of plant cell wall matrix and crystalline structure of the native cellulose. Therefore, appropriate pretreatment and even post-treatment are indispensable to overcome this problem. Additionally, an adequate utilization of coproduct lignin will be important for improving the economic viability of modern biorefinery industries. The effectiveness of moderate alkaline ethanol post-treatment on the bioconversion efficiency of cellulose in the acid-steam-exploded corn stover was investigated in this study. Results showed that an increase of the alcoholic sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration from 0.05 to 4% led to a decrease in the lignin content in the post-treated samples from 32.8 to 10.7%, while the cellulose digestibility consequently increased. The cellulose conversion of the 4% alcoholic NaOH integrally treated corn stover reached up to 99.3% after 72 h, which was significantly higher than that of the acid steam exploded corn stover without post-treatment (57.3%). In addition to the decrease in lignin content, an expansion of cellulose I lattice induced by the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treatment played a significant role in promoting the enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover. More importantly, the lignin fraction (AL) released during the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treatment and the lignin-rich residue (EHR) remained after the enzymatic hydrolysis of the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treated acid-steam-exploded corn stover were employed to synthesize lignin-phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resins. The plywoods prepared with the resins exhibit satisfactory performances. An alkaline ethanol system with an appropriate NaOH concentration could improve the removal of lignin and modification of the crystalline structure of cellulose in acid

  2. One - Step synthesis of nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide with NiCo nanoparticles for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakaei, Karim; Marzang, Kamaran

    2016-01-15

    Development of anode catalysts and catalyst supporting carbonaceous material containing non-precious metal have attracted tremendous attention in the field of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Herein, we report the synthesis and electrochemical properties of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO) supported Co, Ni and NiCo nanocomposites. The metal NRGO nanocomposites, in which metal nanoparticles are embedded in the highly porous nitrogen-doped graphene matrix, have been synthesized by simply and one-pot method at a mild temperature using GO, urea choline chloride and urea as reducing and doping agent. The fabricated NiCo/NRGO exhibit remarkable electrocatalytic activity (with Tafel slope of 159.1mVdec(-1)) and high stability for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The superior performance of the alloy based NRGO is attributed to high surface area, well uniform distribution of high-density nitrogen, metal active sites and synergistic effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol)/alumina composite polymer membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chun-Chen; Chiu, Shwu-Jer; Chien, Wen-Chen; Chiu, Sheng-Shin

    The quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol)/alumina (designated as QPVA/Al 2O 3) nanocomposite polymer membrane was prepared by a solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membranes were investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and AC impedance method. Alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) comprised of the QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membrane were assembled and examined. Experimental results indicate that the DMFC employing a cheap non-perfluorinated (QPVA/Al 2O 3) nanocomposite polymer membrane shows excellent electrochemical performances. The peak power densities of the DMFC with 4 M KOH + 1 M CH 3OH, 2 M CH 3OH, and 4 M CH 3OH solutions are 28.33, 32.40, and 36.15 mW cm -2, respectively, at room temperature and in ambient air. The QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membranes constitute a viable candidate for applications on alkaline DMFC.

  4. Effect of fumigation methanol and ethanol on the gaseous and particulate emissions of a direct-injection diesel engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Z. H.; Tsang, K. S.; Cheung, C. S.; Chan, T. L.; Yao, C. D.

    2011-02-01

    Experiments were conducted on a four-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with methanol or ethanol injected into the air intake of each cylinder, to compare their effect on the engine performance, gaseous emissions and particulate emissions of the engine under five engine loads at the maximum torque speed of 1800 rev/min. The methanol or ethanol was injected to top up 10% and 20% of the engine loads under different engine operating conditions. The experimental results show that both fumigation methanol and fumigation ethanol decrease the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) at low engine load but improves it at high engine load; however the fumigation methanol has higher influence on the BTE. Compared with Euro V diesel fuel, fumigation methanol or ethanol could lead to reduction of both NOx and particulate mass and number emissions of the diesel engine, with fumigation methanol being more effective than fumigation ethanol in particulate reduction. The NOx and particulate reduction is more effective with increasing level of fumigation. However, in general, fumigation fuels increase the HC, CO and NO 2 emissions, with fumigation methanol leading to higher increase of these pollutants. Compared with ethanol, the fumigation methanol has stronger influence on the in-cylinder gas temperature, the air/fuel ratio, the combustion processes and hence the emissions of the engine.

  5. Social opportunity and ethanol drinking in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomie, Arthur; Burger, Kelly M; Di Poce, Jason; Pohorecky, Larissa A

    2004-11-01

    Two experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of pairings of ethanol sipper conditioned stimulus (CS) with social opportunity unconditioned stimulus (US) on ethanol sipper CS-directed drinking in rats. In both experiments, rats were deprived of neither food nor water, and initiation of drinking of unsweetened 3% ethanol was evaluated, as were the effects of increasing the concentration of unsweetened ethanol (3-10%) across sessions. In Experiment 1, Group Paired (n=8) received 35 trials per session wherein the ethanol sipper CS was presented for 10 s immediately prior to 15 s of social opportunity US. All rats initiated sipper CS-directed drinking of 3% ethanol. Increasing the concentration of ethanol in the sipper CS [(3%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% (vol./vol.)] across sessions induced escalation of daily g/kg ethanol intake. To evaluate the hypothesis that the drinking in Group Paired was due to autoshaping, Experiment 2 included a pseudoconditioning control that received sipper CS and social opportunity US randomly with respect to one another. All rats in Group Paired (n=6) and in Group Random (n=6) initiated sipper CS-directed drinking of 3% ethanol and daily mean g/kg ethanol intake in the two groups was comparable. Also comparable was daily g/kg ethanol intake, which increased for both groups with the availability of higher concentrations of ethanol in the sipper CS, up to a maximum of approximately 0.8 g/kg ethanol intake of 10% ethanol. Results indicate that random presentations of ethanol sipper CS and social opportunity US induced reliable initiation and escalation of ethanol intake, and close temporally contiguous presentations of CS and US did not induce still additional ethanol intake. This may indicate that autoshaping CR performance is not induced by these procedures, or that high levels of ethanol intake induced by factors related to pseudoconditioning produces a ceiling effect. Implications for ethanol drinking in humans are discussed.

  6. Size distribution, chemical composition and oxidation reactivity of particulate matter from gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine fueled with ethanol-gasoline fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Yueqi; Zhu, Lei; Fang, Junhua; Zhuang, Zhuyue; Guan, Chun; Xia, Chen; Xie, Xiaomin; Huang, Zhen

    2015-01-01

    Ethanol-gasoline blended fuels have been widely applied in markets recently, as ethanol reduces life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and improves anti-knock performance. However, its effects on particulate matter (PM) emissions from gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine still need further investigation. In this study, the effects of ethanol-gasoline blended fuels on particle size distributions, number concentrations, chemical composition and soot oxidation activity of GDI engine were investigated. It was found that ethanol-gasoline blended fuels increased the particle number concentration in low-load operating conditions. In higher load conditions, the ethanol-gasoline was effective for reducing the particle number concentration, indicating that the chemical benefits of ethanol become dominant, which could reduce soot precursors such as large n-alkanes and aromatics in gasoline. The volatile organic mass fraction in ethanol-gasoline particulates matter was higher than that in gasoline particulate matter because ethanol reduced the amount of soot precursors during combustion and thereby reduced the elemental carbon proportions in PM. Ethanol addition also increased the proportion of small particles, which confirmed the effects of ethanol on organic composition. Ethanol-gasoline reduced the concentrations of most PAH species, except those with small aromatic rings, e.g., naphthalene. Soot from ethanol-gasoline has lower activation energy of oxidation than that from gasoline. The results in this study indicate that ethanol-gasoline has positive effects on PM emissions control, as the soot oxidation activity is improved and the particle number concentrations are reduced at moderate and high engine loads. - Highlights: • Ethanol-gasoline reduces elemental carbon in PM. • Ethanol-gasoline increases volatile organic fraction in PM. • Soot generated from ethanol-gasoline has higher oxidation activity.

  7. Ultrasmall PdmMn1-mOx binary alloyed nanoparticles on graphene catalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Mohammad Shamsuddin; Park, Dongchul; Jeon, Seungwon

    2016-03-01

    A rare combination of graphene (G)-supported palladium and manganese in mixed-oxides binary alloyed catalysts (BACs) have been synthesized with the addition of Pd and Mn metals in various ratios (G/PdmMn1-mOx) through a facile wet-chemical method and employed as an efficient anode catalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline fuel cells. The as prepared G/PdmMn1-mOx BACs have been characterized by several instrumental techniques; the transmission electron microscopy images show that the ultrafine alloyed nanoparticles (NPs) are excellently monodispersed onto the G. The Pd and Mn in G/PdmMn1-mOx BACs have been alloyed homogeneously, and Mn presents in mixed-oxidized form that resulted by X-ray diffraction. The electrochemical performances, kinetics and stability of these catalysts toward EOR have been evaluated using cyclic voltammetry in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Among all G/PdmMn1-mOx BACs, the G/Pd0.5Mn0.5Ox catalyst has shown much superior mass activity and incredible stability than that of pure Pd catalysts (G/Pd1Mn0Ox, Pd/C and Pt/C). The well dispersion, ultrafine size of NPs and higher degree of alloying are the key factor for enhanced and stable EOR electrocatalysis on G/Pd0.5Mn0.5Ox.

  8. Atomic Layer Deposition of Pd Nanoparticles on TiO₂ Nanotubes for Ethanol Electrooxidation: Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assaud, Loïc; Brazeau, Nicolas; Barr, Maïssa K S; Hanbücken, Margrit; Ntais, Spyridon; Baranova, Elena A; Santinacci, Lionel

    2015-11-11

    Palladium nanoparticles are grown on TiO2 nanotubes by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and the resulting three-dimensional nanostructured catalysts are studied for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The morphology, the crystal structure, and the chemical composition of the Pd particles are fully characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The characterization revealed that the deposition proceeds onto the entire surface of the TiO2 nanotubes leading to the formation of well-defined and highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles. The electrooxidation of ethanol on Pd clusters deposited on TiO2 nanotubes shows not only a direct correlation between the catalytic activity and the particle size but also a steep increase of the response due to the enhancement of the metal-support interaction when the crystal structure of the TiO2 nanotubes is modified by annealing at 450 °C in air.

  9. High solid simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of wet oxidized corn stover to ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varga, E.; Klinke, H.B.; Reczey, K.

    2004-01-01

    In this study ethanol was produced from corn stover pretreated by alkaline and acidic wet oxidation (WO) (195 degreesC, 15 min, 12 bar oxygen) followed by nonisothermal simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). In the first step of the SSF, small amounts of cellulases were added at 50...... increase of substrate concentration reduced the ethanol yield significant as a result of insufficient mass transfer. It was also shown that the fermentation could be followed with an easy monitoring system based on the weight loss of the produced CO2. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc....

  10. Activity of platinum/carbon and palladium/carbon catalysts promoted by Ni2 P in direct ethanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guoqiang; Feng, Ligang; Chang, Jinfa; Wickman, Björn; Grönbeck, Henrik; Liu, Changpeng; Xing, Wei

    2014-12-01

    Ethanol is an alternative fuel for direct alcohol fuel cells, in which the electrode materials are commonly based on Pt or Pd. Owing to the excellent promotion effect of Ni2 P that was found in methanol oxidation, we extended the catalyst system of Pt or Pd modified by Ni2 P in direct ethanol fuel cells. The Ni2 P-promoted catalysts were compared to commercial catalysts as well as to reference catalysts promoted with only Ni or only P. Among the studied catalysts, Pt/C and Pd/C modified by Ni2 P (30 wt %) showed both the highest activity and stability. Upon integration into the anode of a homemade direct ethanol fuel cell, the Pt-Ni2 P/C-30 % catalyst showed a maximum power density of 21 mW cm(-2) , which is approximately two times higher than that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The Pd-Ni2 P/C-30 % catalyst exhibited a maximum power density of 90 mW cm(-2) . This is approximately 1.5 times higher than that of a commercial Pd/C catalyst. The discharge stability on both two catalysts was also greatly improved over a 12 h discharge operation. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Synergistic effect of tungsten carbide and palladium on graphene for promoted ethanol electrooxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jun; Xie, Ying; Wang, Ruihong; Jiang, Baojiang; Tian, Chungui; Mu, Guang; Yin, Jie; Wang, Bo; Fu, Honggang

    2013-07-24

    The synergistic effect of WC and Pd has large benefit for ethanol electrooxidation. The small-sized Pd nanoparticles (NPs) decorated tungsten carbide on graphene (Pd-WC/GN) will be a promising anode catalyst for the direct ethanol fuel cells. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the strong interaction exists at the interface between Pd and WC, which induces the electron transfer from WC to Pd. Fortunately, the nanoscale architecture of Pd-WC/GN has been successfully fabricated in our experiments. X-ray photoelectron spectrum further confirms the existence of electron transfer from WC to Pd in a Pd-WC/GN nanohybrid. Notably, electrochemical tests show that the Pd-WC/GN catalyst exhibits low onset potential, a large electrochemical surface area, high activity, and stability for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline solution compared with Pd/graphene and Pd/commercial Vulcan 72R carbon catalysts. The enhancement can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Pd and WC on graphene. At the interface between Pd and WC, the electron transfer from WC to Pd leads to the increased electron densities of surface Pd, which is available for weakening adsorption of intermediate oxygen-containing species such as CO and activating catalyst. Meanwhile, the increased tungsten oxide induced by electron transfer can facilitate the effective removal of intermediate species adsorbed on the Pd surface through a bifunctional mechanism or hydrogen spillover effect.

  12. Alternative scenarios for implementing the E U bio fuels directive in Italy: the potential of bio ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Tucci, F.; Lodi, A.; Massarutto, A.

    2008-01-01

    This article discusses the perspective scenarios of the Italian market for bi oethanol, face to the Eu 2003/30 directive and more generally to the world market for oil and fuels. We examine first the convenience of substituting bio ethanol for gasoline; we discuss alternative scenarios for gathering ethanol to the Italian market, comparing import with internal production. We finally try to forecast the impact on the final price of gasoline for final consumption. We show that rising oil prices, more than the internalization of environmental cost, is the main driver that increases the convenience of introducing bio fuels. We also argue that for the Italian market imports are actually cheaper than internal product, although this judgment might change in the future in case the world price of agricultural commodities increases and/or tropical ethanol from sugar cane will not be sufficient to satisfy demand. [it

  13. Alkaline and Organosolv Lignins from Furfural Residue: Structural Features and Antioxidant Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue-Fei Cao

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Furfural residue (FR, composed mainly of cellulose and lignin, is an industrial waste produced during furfural manufacture. In this study, dioxane, alkali, ethanol, alkali-ethanol, and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP were used to extract lignins from FR. The structural features of these lignins obtained were characterized by sugar analysis, GPC, UV, FT-IR, and HSQC spectra. As compared to dioxane lignin (DL, other lignins showed lower molecular weights (Mw owing to the partial cleavage of the linkages between lignin units. Results from HSQC spectra revealed that β-O-4' and β-5' were still the major linkages of the FR lignin. Moreover, p-coumaric and ferulic acids were released and co-precipitated in the lignin preparations extracted with alkali and AHP, whereas part of the esters in DL were preserved during the dioxane extraction. Antioxidant activity investigation indicated that the antioxidant property of the alkali and alkali-ethanol lignins was higher than that of the commercial antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene.

  14. Study on genotypic variation for ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ratnavathi, C.V.; Suresh, K.; Kumar, B.S. Vijay; Pallavi, M.; Komala, V.V.; Seetharama, N. [Directorate of Sorghum Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, Andhra Pradesh (India)

    2010-07-15

    Sugarcane molasses is the main source for ethanol production in India. Sweet sorghum with its juicy stem containing sugars equivalent to that of sugarcane is a very good alternative for bio-ethanol production to meet the energy needs of the country. Sweet sorghum is drought resistant, water logging resistant and saline-alkaline tolerant. Growing sweet sorghum for ethanol production is relatively easy and economical and ethanol produced from sweet sorghum is eco-friendly. In view of this, it is important to identify superior genotypes for ethanol production in terms of percent juice brix, juice extractability, total fermentable sugars, ethanol yield and fermentation efficiency. This paper presents the study on the variability observed for the production of ethanol by various sweet sorghum genotypes in a laboratory fermentor. Five Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes were evaluated for ethanol production from stalk juice (Keller, SSV 84, Wray, NSSH 104 and BJ 248). Sweet sorghum juice differs from cane juice mainly in its higher content of starch and aconitic acid. Data were collected for biomass yield; stalk sugar yield and ethanol production in five genotypes. Maximum ethanol production of 9.0%w/v ethanol was obtained with Keller variety (20% sugar concentration was used), and decreased for other genotypes. A distiller's strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (gifted by Seagram Distilleries Ltd.) was employed for fermentation. The fermentation efficiency (FE) was 94.7% for this strain. High biomass of yeast was obtained with BJ 248 variety. When the similar experiments were conducted with unsterile sweet sorghum juice (15% sugar concentration) 6.47%w/v ethanol was produced. (author)

  15. Effect of the Reduction Temperature of PdAg Nanoparticles during the Polyol Process in the Ethanol Electrooxidation Reaction

    OpenAIRE

    Carrera-Cerritos, R.; Salazar-Hernandez, C.; Galindo-Esquivel, I. R.; Fuentes-Ramirez, R.

    2018-01-01

    This work reports the effect of reduction temperature during the synthesis of PdAg catalysts through the polyol process and their evaluation in the ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR). The characterization was performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical evaluation for the ethanol electrooxidation reaction was implemented in alkaline medium using chronoamperometry (CA) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). An important effect of the reduct...

  16. Improved coking resistance of direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells with a Ni-Sx anode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Ning; Luo, Jing-Li; Chuang, Karl T.

    2014-03-01

    In this study, the coking resistance of anode supported direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cell with a Ni-Sx anode was investigated comparatively with the conventional cell using pure Ni catalyst. The surface catalytic properties of Ni were manipulated via depositing a layer of S atoms. It was confirmed that on the surface of Ni, a combination of S monolayer and elemental S was formed without producing Ni3S2 phase. The developed Ni-Sx cell exhibited a significantly improved coke resistivity in ethanol feed while maintaining an adequately high performance. The S species on Ni enabled the suppression of the coke formation as well as the alleviation of the metal dusting effect of the anode structure. After operating in ethanol fuel for identical period of time at 850 °C, a maximum power density of 400 mW cm-2 was sustained whereas the conventional cell performance decreased to less than 40 mW cm-2 from the original 704 mW cm-2. In an optimized stability test, the Ni-Sx cell operated at 750 °C for more than 22 h until the fuel drained without any degradation.

  17. Investigation of ethanol electrooxidation on a Pt-Ru-Ni/C catalyst for a direct ethanol fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhen-Bo; Yin, Ge-Ping; Zhang, Jian; Sun, Ying-Chao; Shi, Peng-Fei [Department of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin (China 150001)

    2006-09-29

    This research is aimed to improve the utilization and activity of anodic alloy catalysts and thus to lower the contents of noble metals and the catalyst loading on anodes for ethanol electrooxidation. The DEFC anodic catalysts, Pt-Ru-Ni/C and Pt-Ru/C, were prepared by a chemical reduction method. Their performances were tested by using a glassy carbon working electrode and cyclic voltammetric curves, chronoamperometric curves and half cell measurement in a solution of 0.5molL{sup -1} CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}OH and 0.5molL{sup -1} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. The composition of the Pt-Ru-Ni and Pt-Ru surface particles were determined by EDAX analysis. The particle size and lattice parameter of the catalysts were determined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis showed that both of the catalysts exhibited face centered cubic structures and had smaller lattice parameters than a Pt-alone catalyst. Their particle sizes were small, about 4.5nm. No significant differences in the ethanol electrooxidation on both electrodes were found using cyclic voltammetry, especially regarding the onset potential for ethanol electrooxidation. The electrochemically active specific areas of the Pt-Ru-Ni/C and Pt-Ru/C catalysts were almost the same. But, the catalytic activity of the Pt-Ru-Ni/C catalyst was higher for ethanol electrooxidation than that of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst. Their tolerance to CO formed as one of the intermediates of ethanol electrooxidation, was better than that of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst. (author)

  18. Numerical investigation to the dual-fuel spray combustion process in an ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port injection (EDI + GPI) engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Yuhan; Hong, Guang; Huang, Ronghua

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A 5D PDF table was used to model the dual-fuel turbulence–chemistry interactions. • The cooling effect of ethanol direct injection (EDI) was examined. • The higher flame speed of ethanol in EDI + GPI increased the thermal efficiency. • The partially premixed combustion in EDI + GPI reduced the combustion temperature. • Ethanol’s low evaporation rate in low temperature led to incomplete combustion. - Abstract: Ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port injection (EDI + GPI) is a new technology to make the use of ethanol fuel more effective and efficient in spark ignition engines. Multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modelling was conducted on an EDI + GPI engine in both single and dual fuelled conditions. The in-cylinder flow field was solved in the realizable k−ε turbulence model with detailed engine geometry. The temporal and spatial distributions of the liquid and vapour fuels were simulated with the spray breakup and evaporation models. The combustion process was modelled with the partially premixed combustion concept in which both mixture fraction and progress variable were solved. The three-dimensional and five-dimensional presumed Probability Density Function (PDF) look-up tables were used to model the single-fraction-mixture and two-fraction-mixture turbulence–chemistry interactions respectively. The model was verified by comparing the numerical and experimental results of spray pattern and cylinder pressure. The simulation results showed that the combustion process of EDI + GPI dual-fuelled condition was partially premixed combustion because of the low evaporation rate of ethanol spray in low temperature environment before combustion. Compared with GPI only, the higher flame speed of ethanol fuel contributed to the greater pressure rise rate and maximum cylinder pressure in EDI + GPI condition, which consequently resulted in higher power output and thermal efficiency. The lower adiabatic flame temperature of

  19. Modelling and simulation of a direct ethanol fuel cell considering multistep electrochemical reactions, transport processes and mixed potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, Marco; Melke, Julia; Gerteisen, Dietmar

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → A DEFC model considering the mixed potential formation at cathode and anode. → The low cell voltage at open circuit is due to the parasitic reaction of ethanol and oxygen. → Under load, only the parasitic oxidation of ethanol is significant. → Inhibiting the parasitic reactions can approximately double the current density. - Abstract: In this work a one-dimensional mathematical model of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is presented. The electrochemical oxidation of ethanol in the catalyst layers is described by several reaction steps leading to surface coverage with adsorbed intermediates (CH 3 CO, CO, CH 3 and OH) and to the final products acetaldehyde, acetic acid and CO 2 . A bifunctional reaction mechanism is assumed for the activation of water on a binary catalyst favouring the further oxidation of adsorbates blocking active catalyst sites. The chemical reactions are highly coupled with the charge and reactant transport. The model accounts for crossover of the reactants through the membrane leading to the phenomenon of cathode and anode mixed potentials due to the parasitic oxidation and reduction of ethanol and oxygen, respectively. Polarisation curves of a DEFC were recorded for various ethanol feed concentrations and were used as reference data for the simulation. Based on one set of model parameters the characteristic of electronic and protonic potential, the relative surface coverage and the parasitic current densities in the catalyst layers were studied.

  20. Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haryadi,; Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

    2015-01-01

    Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for about 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm −1 and 3300 cm −1 respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10 −2 S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant

  1. Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haryadi, Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

    2015-12-01

    Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for about 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm-1 and 3300 cm-1 respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10-2 S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.

  2. Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haryadi,, E-mail: haryadi@polban.ac.id; Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Bandung Jl. Gegerkalong Hilir, Ds. Ciwaruga, Bandung West Java (Indonesia)

    2015-12-29

    Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for about 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm{sup −1} and 3300 cm{sup −1} respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10{sup −2} S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.

  3. Ethanol: the promise and the peril : Should Manitoba expand ethanol subsidies?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopuck, R.D.

    2002-01-01

    Ethanol is produced through the fermentation of wheat. Blending ethanol with gasoline results in an ethanol-blended gasoline (EBG). Manitoba has already established an ethanol industry in the province and the government of the province is studying the feasibility of expansion. Every year in Manitoba, approximately 90 million litres of EBG are consumed, and the province's ethanol facility also produces a high protein cattle feed called distillers dry grain. Controversies surround the ethanol industry over both the economics and the environmental benefits and impacts. At issue is the economic efficiency of the production of ethanol, where opponents claim that the final product contains less energy than that required to produce it. A small gain is obtained, as revealed by a recent study. It is difficult to quantify the environmental effects of the ethanol industry, whether they be negative or positive. The author indicates that no matter what happens, the gasoline market in Manitoba is so small when compared to the rest of the world that the effect will not be significant. The three methods for the production of ethanol are: (1) the most risky and expensive method is the stand alone ethanol production facility, (2) integrated facilities where other products are produced, such as wet mash or nutraceuticals, and (3) integrated facilities where dry mash can be exported as a high protein feed. The production of a wide range of products is clearly the best option to be considered during the design of an ethanol facility. Price collapse and the capitalizing of subsidies into prices are the main risks facing the expansion of ethanol production in Manitoba. The author states that direct subsidies and price supports should be avoided, since subsidies would encourage the conversion of more feed grain into ethanol. The feed shortage would worsen especially as Manitoba does not currently produce enough feed to support its growing livestock industry. The author concludes that

  4. Performance of carbon nanofiber supported Pd-Ni catalysts for electro-oxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiyalagan, T.; Scott, Keith

    Carbon nanofibers (CNF) supported Pd-Ni nanoparticles have been prepared by chemical reduction with NaBH 4 as a reducing agent. The Pd-Ni/CNF catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical voltammetry analysis. TEM showed that the Pd-Ni particles were quite uniformly distributed on the surface of the carbon nanofiber with an average particle size of 4.0 nm. The electro-catalytic activity of the Pd-Ni/CNF for oxidation of ethanol was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The onset potential was 200 mV lower and the peak current density four times higher for ethanol oxidation for Pd-Ni/CNF compared to that for Pd/C. The effect of an increase in temperature from 20 to 60 °C had a great effect on increasing the ethanol oxidation activity.

  5. Effect of operating conditions on direct liquefaction of low-lipid microalgae in ethanol-water co-solvent for bio-oil production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji, Changhao; He, Zhixia; Wang, Qian; Xu, Guisheng; Wang, Shuang; Xu, Zhixiang; Ji, Hengsong

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Low-lipid microalgae was selected as feedstock for DL in ethanol-water co-solvent. • Operating conditions had great influence on product yields and conversion rate. • Bio-oil could be obtained from all three main components. • Ethanol and water showed obviously synergistic effect during the DL of microalgae. • Bio-oil composition from DL of microalgae was different from lignocellulose biomass. - Abstract: In this work, the direct liquefaction (DL) of low-lipid microalgae Spirulina was investigated in a 50 ml autoclave reactor with ethanol and water as co-solvent. The objective of this research was carried out to examine the effect of operating conditions such as reaction temperature, reaction time, solvent/microalgae (S/M) ratio and ethanol-water co-solvent (EWCS) composition on product distribution and bio-oil characterization. The results revealed that the optimal operating conditions for bio-oil yield and conversion rate were reaction temperature of 300 °C, reaction time of 45 min, ethanol content of 50 vol.% and S/M ratio of 40/4 ml/g, which gave the bio-oil yield of 59.5% and conversion rate of 94.73%. Conversion rate in EWCS was significantly higher than that in pure water or ethanol, suggesting the synergistic effect between ethanol and water during microalgae DL. Distinct difference in composition and relative content of compound among bio-oils in different solvents were observed by GC–MS and FT-IR. Compared with hydrothermal liquefaction, the most abundant compounds in bio-oil from both EWCS and pure ethanol were esters. The presence of ethanol could enhance the bio-oil yield and improve bio-oil quality by promoting the formation of esters.

  6. Acute effects of ethanol and ethanol plus furosemide on pancreatic capillary blood flow in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dib, J A; Cooper-Vastola, S A; Meirelles, R F; Bagchi, S; Caboclo, J L; Holm, C; Eisenberg, M M

    1993-07-01

    The effects of intravenous ethanol and ethanol plus furosemide on pancreatic capillary blood flow (PCBF) were investigated using a laser-Doppler flowmeter. Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 4 groups: (1) control, (2) 80% ethanol, (3) 80% ethanol plus furosemide, and (4) furosemide. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Levels of serum amylase, calcium, electrolytes, ethanol, and furosemide (groups 3 and 4) were measured, and samples of pancreatic tissue were obtained. The ethanol and furosemide levels were statistically different (p 0.05) between groups 1 and 4. Histopathologic analysis revealed swollen acini in group 2 and sparse focal necrosis without acinar swelling in group 3. The depressant effect of ethanol on PCBF may be the result of its direct action on pancreatic cells causing edema and capillary compression rather than on primary vascular control mechanisms that adjust blood flow. Furosemide counters this effect.

  7. Effect of Ethanol on Germination and Enzyme Activities in Finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn. Seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.S. Kulkarni

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Influence of ethanol the end product of alcoholic fermentation on the growth of finger millet (var. GPU-28, CO-9 seedlings of two finger millet was studied as a means of evaluating growth responses under anoxia. The germination was delayed by ethanol treatment in case of both the cultivars. Ethanol treatment affected the growth of both radicle and coleoptile of seedlings. In this respect the radicle growth is more sensitive to ethanol than the coleoptile in both varieties of finger millet. The activities of enzymes nitrate reductase, ATPase, acid phosphatase, amylase were reduced by alcohol treatment in germinating seeds of both the cultivars. However, lower concentration of alcohol (1% caused stimulation of peroxidase in var. CO-9. In case of var. GPU-28 showed stimulation of enzyme alkaline phosphatase in both concentration of alcohol.

  8. Direct synthesis of ethanol from dimethyl ether and syngas over combined H-Mordenite and Cu/ZnO catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xingang; San, Xiaoguang; Zhang, Yi; Ichii, Takashi; Meng, Ming; Tan, Yisheng; Tsubaki, Noritatsu

    2010-10-25

    Ethanol was directly synthesized from dimethyl ether (DME) and syngas with the combined H-Mordenite and Cu/ZnO catalysts that were separately loaded in a dual-catalyst bed reactor. Methyl acetate (MA) was formed by DME carbonylation over the H-Mordenite catalyst. Thereafter, ethanol and methanol were produced by MA hydrogenation over the Cu/ZnO catalyst. With the reactant gas containing 1.0% DME, the optimized temperature for the reaction was at 493 K to reach 100% conversion. In the products, the yield of methanol and ethanol could reach 46.3% and 42.2%, respectively, with a small amount of MA, ethyl acetate, and CO(2). This process is environmentally friendly as the main byproduct methanol can be recycled to DME by a dehydration reaction. In contrast, for the physically mixed catalysts, the low conversion of DME and high selectivity of methanol were observed.

  9. Microwave activation of palladium nanoparticles for enhanced ethanol electrocatalytic oxidation reaction in alkaline medium

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Rohwer, MB

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available in alkaline medium (in terms of high mass activity stability and fast reaction kinetics). The remarkable microwave-induced properties on the Pd catalyst promise to revolutionize the use of microwave for catalyst activation for enhanced heterogeneous catalysis...

  10. Performance of carbon nanofiber supported Pd-Ni catalysts for electro-oxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maiyalagan, T.; Scott, Keith [School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

    2010-08-15

    Carbon nanofibers (CNF) supported Pd-Ni nanoparticles have been prepared by chemical reduction with NaBH{sub 4} as a reducing agent. The Pd-Ni/CNF catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical voltammetry analysis. TEM showed that the Pd-Ni particles were quite uniformly distributed on the surface of the carbon nanofiber with an average particle size of 4.0 nm. The electro-catalytic activity of the Pd-Ni/CNF for oxidation of ethanol was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The onset potential was 200 mV lower and the peak current density four times higher for ethanol oxidation for Pd-Ni/CNF compared to that for Pd/C. The effect of an increase in temperature from 20 to 60 C had a great effect on increasing the ethanol oxidation activity. (author)

  11. The Effect of Ethanol-Diesel Blends on The Performance of A Direct Injection Diesel Engine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arifin Nur

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The experiment was conducted on a conventional direct injection diesel engine. Performance test was carried out to evaluate the performance and emission characteristics of a conventional diesel engine that operates on ethanol-diesel blends. The test procedure was performed by coupling the diesel engine on the eddy current dynamometer. Fuel consumption was measured using the AVL Fuel Balance, and a hotwire anemometer was used to measure the air consumption. Some of the emission test devices were mounted on the exhaust pipe. The test of fuel variations started from 100% diesel fuel (D100 to 2.5% (DE2.5, 5% (DE5, 7.5% (DE7.5, and 10% (DE10 ethanol additions. Performance test was conducted at 1500 rpm with load variations from 0 to 60 Nm by increasing the load on each level by 10 Nm. The addition of 5% ethanol to diesel (DE5 increased the average pressure of combustion chamber indication to 48% as well as reduced the specific fuel consumption to 9.5%. There were better exhaust emission characteristics at this mixture ratio than diesel engine which used pure diesel fuel (D100, the reduction of CO to 37%, HC to 44% and opacity to 15.9%.

  12. SPEEK-MO{sub 2} (M = Zr, Sn) composite membranes for direct ethanol fuel cell: an inorganic modification of proton conductive

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawaguti, Carla A.; Gomes, Ailton S. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Macromoleculas Eloisa Mano], e-mail: kawagutica@gmail.com

    2007-07-01

    Organic-inorganic composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) for application in the direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) were synthesized. Particle of sulfated zirconia/tin oxide (SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}/ZrO{sub 2}, SnO{sub 2}, SO{sub 3}-/SnO{sub 2}) was synthesized by sol-gel method, and composite membranes with different oxide and different oxide contents were prepared from a mixture of SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}/ZrO{sub 2} or SnO{sub 2} or SO{sub 3}-/SnO{sub 2} powder and SPEEK solution. The physico-chemical properties of the membranes were studied by water or ethanol solution uptake measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the membrane's water and ethanol permeabilities were evaluated in pervaporation experiments and the conductivity determined by impedance spectroscopy. The ethanol permeabilities were decreased by inorganic modification. At several temperatures analysed, all SPEEK-MO{sub 2} composite exhibited better ethanol solution uptake than water uptake and this sorption is decreased when inorganic particles are add. A reduction of the proton conductivity by the inorganic modification was observed. (author)

  13. Graphene-cobaltite-Pd hybrid materials for use as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Chandra Shekhar; Awasthi, Rahul; Singh, Ravindra Nath; Sinha, Akhoury Sudhir Kumar

    2013-12-14

    Hybrid materials comprising of Pd, MCo2O4 (where M = Mn, Co or Ni) and graphene have been prepared for use as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells. Structural and electrochemical characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chronoamperometry and cyclic, CO stripping, and linear sweep voltammetries. The study revealed that all the three hybrid materials are active for both methanol oxidation (MOR) and oxygen reduction (ORR) reactions in 1 M KOH. However, the Pd-MnCo2O4/GNS hybrid electrode exhibited the greatest MOR and ORR activities. This active hybrid electrode has also outstanding stability under both MOR and ORR conditions, while Pt- and other Pd-based catalysts undergo degradation under similar experimental conditions. The Pd-MnCo2O4/GNS hybrid catalyst exhibited superior ORR activity and stability compared to even Pt in alkaline solutions.

  14. Modeling and simulation of a direct ethanol fuel cell: An overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, S.; Kamarudin, S. K.; Hasran, U. A.; Masdar, M. S.; Daud, W. R. W.

    2014-09-01

    The commercialization of Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs) is still hindered because of economic and technical reasons. Fundamental scientific research is required to more completely understanding the complex electrochemical behavior and engineering technology of DEFCs. To use the DEFC system in real-world applications, fast, reliable, and cost-effective methods are needed to explore this complex phenomenon and to predict the performance of different system designs. Thus, modeling and simulation play an important role in examining the DEFC system as well as in designing an optimized DEFC system. The current DEFC literature shows that modeling studies on DEFCs are still in their early stages and are not able to describe the DEFC system as a whole. Potential DEFC applications and their current status are also presented.

  15. Synthesis of ethanol {sup 14}C-1; Synthese d'ethanol {sup 14}C-1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolff, R E; Pichat, L [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1958-07-01

    The direct reduction by LiAlH{sub 4}, of a suspension of anhydrous sodium acetate in tetra-hydro-furfuryl-oxy-tetra-hydro-pyran is described. This study has shown that the ethanol thus obtained is impure and that the yields are erratic. On the contrary the reduction of acetyl chloride 1-{sup 14}C by LiAlH{sub 4}, in 'diethyl carbitol' leads to ethanol 1-{sup 14}C of satisfactory purity with a yield of about 71 percent. (author) [French] Une etude de la reduction directe par LiAlH{sub 4}, de l'acetate de soude anhydre en suspension dans le tetrahydrofurfuryloxytetrahydropyrane est decrite. Cette etude a montre que l'on obtient de l'ethanol souille d'impuretes, avec un rendement variable. Par contre, la reduction du chlorure d'acetyle {sup 14}C-1 par LiAlH{sub 4}, dans le 'diethyl carbitol' conduit a l'ethanol {sup 14}C-1 de purete convenable avec un rendement de l'ordre de 71 pour cent. (auteur)

  16. Optimal level of Au nanoparticles on Pd nanostructures providing remarkable electro-catalysis in direct ethanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Abhijit; Mondal, Achintya; Broekmann, Peter; Datta, Jayati

    2017-09-01

    The designing and fabrication of economically viable electro-catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) has been one of the challenging issues over the decades. The present work deals with controlled synthesis of Pd coupled Au nano structure, as the non Pt group of catalysts for DEFC. The catalytic proficiency of bimetallic NPs (2-10 nm) are found to be strongly dependent on the Pd:Au ratio. The over voltage of EOR is considerably reduced by ∼260 mV with 33% of Au content in PdAu composition compared to Pd alone, demonstrating the beneficial role of Au and/or its surface oxides providing oxygen species at much lower potentials compared to Pd. The catalysts are further subjected to electrochemical analysis through voltammetry along with the temperature study on activation parameters. The quantitative determination of EOR products during the electrolysis is carried out by ion chromatographic analysis; vis-a-vis the coulombic efficiency of the product yield were derived from each of the compositions. Furthermore, a strong correlation among catalytic performances and bimetallic composition is established by screening the catalysts in an in-house fabricated direct ethanol anion exchange membrane fuel cell, DE(AEM)FC. The performance testing demonstrates outstanding increase of peak power density (∼40 mWcm-2, 93%) for the best accomplishment Au (33%) covered Pd (67%) catalyst in comparison with the monometallic Pd.

  17. Chronic intermittent ethanol inhalation increases ethanol self-administration in both C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCool, Brian A; Chappell, Ann M

    2015-03-01

    Inbred mouse strains provide significant opportunities to understand the genetic mechanisms controlling ethanol-directed behaviors and neurobiology. They have been specifically employed to understand cellular mechanisms contributing to ethanol consumption, acute intoxication, and sensitivities to chronic effects. However, limited ethanol consumption by some strains has restricted our understanding of clinically relevant endpoints such as dependence-related ethanol intake. Previous work with a novel tastant-substitution procedure using monosodium glutamate (MSG or umami flavor) has shown that the procedure greatly enhances ethanol consumption by mouse strains that express limited drinking phenotypes using other methods. In the current study, we employ this MSG-substitution procedure to examine how ethanol dependence, induced with passive vapor inhalation, modifies ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. These strains represent 'high' and 'low' drinking phenotypes, respectively. We found that the MSG substitution greatly facilitates ethanol drinking in both strains, and likewise, ethanol dependence increased ethanol consumption regardless of strain. However, DBA/2J mice exhibited greater sensitivity dependence-enhanced drinking, as represented by consumption behaviors directed at lower ethanol concentrations and relative to baseline intake levels. DBA/2J mice also exhibited significant withdrawal-associated anxiety-like behavior while C57BL/6J mice did not. These findings suggest that the MSG-substitution procedure can be employed to examine dependence-enhanced ethanol consumption across a range of drinking phenotypes, and that C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice may represent unique neurobehavioral pathways for developing dependence-enhanced ethanol consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Sodium citrate assisted facile synthesis of AuPd alloy networks for ethanol electrooxidation with high activity and durability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yanling; Zhu, Zhijun; Lu, Xiaolin; Zhou, H. Susan

    2016-10-01

    The direct ethanol fuel cell is an emerging energy conversion device for which palladium is considered as the one of the most effective components for anode catalyst, however, its widespread application has been still limited by the activity and durability of the anode catalyst. In this work, AuPd alloy networks (NWs) are synthesized using H2PdCl4 and HAuCl4 as precursors reduced by NaBH4 in the presence of sodium citrate (SC). The results reveal that SC plays significant role in network structure, resulting in the enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the catalyst. This self-supported AuPd NWs catalyst exhibits much higher electrochemical catalytic activity than commercial Pd/C catalyst toward ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline solution. Significantly, AuPd NWs catalyst shows extremely high durability at the beginning of the chronoamperometry test, and as high as 49% of the mass current density (1.41 A/mgPd) remains after 4000 s current-time test at -0.3 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in N2-saturated KOH-ethanol solution. This strategy provides a facile method for the preparation of alloy networks with high electrochemical activity, and can be potentially expanded to a variety of electrochemical applications.

  19. A two step method to synthesize palladium-copper nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide and their extremely high electrocatalytic activity for the electrooxidation of methanol and ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, HeYa; Zhang, Lei; Qiu, HaiXia; Wu, Tao; Chen, MingXi; Yang, Nian; Li, LingZhi; Xing, FuBao; Gao, JianPing

    2015-08-01

    Palladium-copper nanoparticles (Pd-Cu NPs) supported on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with different Pd/Cu ratios (Pd-Cu/RGO) were prepared by a two step method. The Pd-Cu/RGO hybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to investigate the electrochemical activities and stabilities of the Pd-Cu/RGO catalysts for the electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol in alkaline media. The Pd-Cu/RGO catalysts exhibited high catalytic activities and good stabilities. This is because the catalysts have a bimetallic structure consisting of a small Pd-Cu core surrounded by a thin Pd-rich shell which improves the catalytic activities of the Pd-Cu/RGO hybrids. Thus they should be useful in direct methanol and ethanol fuel cells.

  20. Gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: analysis of methanol, ethanol and acetic acid by direct injection of aqueous alcoholic and acetic acid samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ai, Guomin; Sun, Tong; Dong, Xiuzhu

    2014-08-15

    Methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid are not easily extracted from aqueous samples and are susceptible to isotope fractionation in gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) analysis. Developing a direct dilution GC/IRMS method for aqueous samples, by adjusting the sample concentrations in common solvents to be similar to each other and using a fixed GC split ratio, is very convenient and important because any linearity effects caused by amount-dependent isotope fractionation can be avoided. The suitability of acetonitrile and acetone solvents for the GC/IRMS analysis of pure methanol, ethanol and acetic acid, and commercial liquor and vinegar samples was evaluated using n-hexane and water as control solvents. All the solvents including water were separated from the analyte on a HP-INNOWAX column and were diverted away from the combustion interface. The influence of liquor matrix on the ethanol GC/IRMS analyses was evaluated by adding pure ethanol to liquor samples. Acetonitrile and acetone gave similar δ(13) C values for pure ethanol and pure acetic acid to those obtained in water and n-hexane, and also gave similar δ(13) C values of ethanol in liquor and acetic acid in white vinegar to that obtained in water. For methanol analysis, acetonitrile and refined acetone gave similar δ(13) C values to that obtained in water, but n-hexane was not a suitable solvent. In addition, isotopic fractionation caused by solvent and solute interactions was observed. We recommend using acetonitrile for the GC/IRMS analysis of aqueous alcoholic samples, and acetone for the analysis of aqueous acetic acid samples. This direct dilution method can provide high accurate and precise GC/IRMS analysis of the relative changes in δ(13) C values of methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Xylose fermentation to ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McMillan, J.D.

    1993-01-01

    The past several years have seen tremendous progress in the understanding of xylose metabolism and in the identification, characterization, and development of strains with improved xylose fermentation characteristics. A survey of the numerous microorganisms capable of directly fermenting xylose to ethanol indicates that wild-type yeast and recombinant bacteria offer the best overall performance in terms of high yield, final ethanol concentration, and volumetric productivity. The best performing bacteria, yeast, and fungi can achieve yields greater than 0.4 g/g and final ethanol concentrations approaching 5%. Productivities remain low for most yeast and particularly for fungi, but volumetric productivities exceeding 1.0 g/L-h have been reported for xylose-fermenting bacteria. In terms of wild-type microorganisms, strains of the yeast Pichia stipitis show the most promise in the short term for direct high-yield fermentation of xylose without byproduct formation. Of the recombinant xylose-fermenting microorganisms developed, recombinant E. coli ATTC 11303 (pLOI297) exhibits the most favorable performance characteristics reported to date.

  2. Recovery of manganese oxides from spent alkaline and zinc–carbon batteries. An application as catalysts for VOCs elimination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gallegos, María V., E-mail: plapimu@yahoo.com.ar [Pla.Pi.Mu-Planta Piloto Multipropósito, (CICPBA-UNLP) Cno. Centenario y 505, M.B. Gonnet, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Falco, Lorena R., E-mail: mlfalco@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [Pla.Pi.Mu-Planta Piloto Multipropósito, (CICPBA-UNLP) Cno. Centenario y 505, M.B. Gonnet, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Peluso, Miguel A., E-mail: apelu@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas, “Dr. J. Ronco” CINDECA (CONICET CCT La Plata), 47 N°257, La Plata, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Sambeth, Jorge E., E-mail: sambeth@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas, “Dr. J. Ronco” CINDECA (CONICET CCT La Plata), 47 N°257, La Plata, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Thomas, Horacio J. [Pla.Pi.Mu-Planta Piloto Multipropósito, (CICPBA-UNLP) Cno. Centenario y 505, M.B. Gonnet, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2013-06-15

    Highlights: • Manganese oxides were synthesized using spent batteries as raw materials. • Spent alkaline and zinc–carbon size AA batteries were used. • A biohydrometallurgical process was employed to bio-lixiviate batteries. • Manganese oxides were active in the oxidation of VOCs (ethanol and heptane). - Abstract: Manganese, in the form of oxide, was recovered from spent alkaline and zinc–carbon batteries employing a biohydrometallurgy process, using a pilot plant consisting in: an air-lift bioreactor (containing an acid-reducing medium produced by an Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans bacteria immobilized on elemental sulfur); a leaching reactor (were battery powder is mixed with the acid-reducing medium) and a recovery reactor. Two different manganese oxides were recovered from the leachate liquor: one of them by electrolysis (EMO) and the other by a chemical precipitation with KMnO{sub 4} solution (CMO). The non-leached solid residue was also studied (RMO). The solids were compared with a MnO{sub x} synthesized in our laboratory. The characterization by XRD, FTIR and XPS reveal the presence of Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the EMO and the CMO samples, together with some Mn{sup 4+} cations. In the solid not extracted by acidic leaching (RMO) the main phase detected was Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}. The catalytic performance of the oxides was studied in the complete oxidation of ethanol and heptane. Complete conversion of ethanol occurs at 200 °C, while heptane requires more than 400 °C. The CMO has the highest oxide selectivity to CO{sub 2}. The results show that manganese oxides obtained using spent alkaline and zinc–carbon batteries as raw materials, have an interesting performance as catalysts for elimination of VOCs.

  3. Effect of dilute alkaline pretreatment on the conversion of different parts of corn stalk to fermentable sugars and its application in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Di; Li, Ping; Luo, Zhangfeng; Qin, Peiyong; Chen, Changjing; Wang, Yong; Wang, Zheng; Tan, Tianwei

    2016-07-01

    To investigate the effect of dilute alkaline pretreatment on different parts of biomass, corn stalk was separated into flower, leaf, cob, husk and stem, which were treated by NaOH in range of temperature and chemical loading. The NaOH-pretreated solid was then enzymatic hydrolysis and used as the substrate for batch acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. The results demonstrated the five parts of corn stalk could be used as potential feedstock separately, with vivid performances in solvents production. Under the optimized conditions towards high product titer, 7.5g/L, 7.6g/L, 9.4g/L, 7g/L and 7.6g/L of butanol was obtained in the fermentation broth of flower, leaf, cob, husk and stem hydrolysate, respectively. Under the optimized conditions towards high product yield, 143.7g/kg, 126.3g/kg, 169.1g/kg, 107.7g/kg and 116.4g/kg of ABE solvent were generated, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The Effect of Ethanol-Diesel Blends on The Performance of A Direct Injection Diesel Engine

    OpenAIRE

    Arifin Nur; Yanuandri Putrasari; Iman Kartolaksono Reksowardojo

    2012-01-01

    The experiment was conducted on a conventional direct injection diesel engine. Performance test was carried out to evaluate the performance and emission characteristics of a conventional diesel engine that operates on ethanol-diesel blends. The test procedure was performed by coupling the diesel engine on the eddy current dynamometer. Fuel consumption was measured using the AVL Fuel Balance, and a hotwire anemometer was used to measure the air consumption. Some of the emission test devices we...

  5. Fact sheet: Ethanol from corn

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-05-31

    This fact sheet is intended to provide an overview of the advantages of ethanol from corn, emphasizing ethanol`s contribution to environmental protection and sustainable agriculture. Ethanol, an alternative fuel used as an octane enhancer is produced through the conversion of starch to sugars by enzymes, and fermentation of these sugars to ethanol by yeast. The production process may involve wet milling or dry milling. Both these processes produce valuable by-products, in addition to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol contains about 32,000 BTU per litre. It is commonly believed that using state-of-the-art corn farming and corn processing processes, the amount of energy contained in ethanol and its by-products would be more than twice the energy required to grow and process corn into ethanol. Ethanol represents the third largest market for Ontario corn, after direct use as animal feed and wet milling for starch, corn sweetener and corn oil. The environmental consequences of using ethanol are very significant. It is estimated that a 10 per cent ethanol blend in gasoline would result in a 25 to 30 per cent decrease in carbon monoxide emissions, a 6 to 10 per cent decrease in net carbon dioxide, a slight increase in nitrous oxide emissions which, however, would still result in an overall decrease in ozone formation, since the significant reduction in carbon monoxide emissions would compensate for any slight increase in nitrous oxide. Volatile organic compounds emission would also decrease by about 7 per cent with a 10 per cent ethanol blend. High level blends could reduce VOCs production by as much as 30 per cent. 7 refs.

  6. Synthesis and characterization of Pt-Sn-Ni alloys to application as catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, E.L. da; Correa, P.S.; Oliveira, E.L. de; Takimi, A.S.; Malfatti, C.F.; Radtke, C.

    2010-01-01

    Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) have been the focus of recent research due its application in mobile energy sources. In order to obtain the maximum efficiency from these systems, it is necessary the total ethanol oxidation, which implies in C-C bond break. Different catalysts described in literature are employed with this intent. This work consists in studying PtSnNi catalysts supported on carbon Vulcan XC72R, to application in DEFCs. Thus, it was used the impregnation/reduction method, varying the atomic proportion among Pt, Sn and Ni. The alloys were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, Cyclic Voltammetry and Transmission Microscopy. Preliminary results show that predominant structure on the catalysts is the face centered cubic platinum and the densities currents are dependent on the platinum amount. (author)

  7. Hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract of Ziziphus oenoplia (L.) Mill roots against antitubercular drugs induced hepatotoxicity in experimental models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Ch V; Rawat, A K S; Singh, Anil P; Singh, Arpita; Verma, Neeraj

    2012-04-01

    To evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic (50%) extract of Ziziphus oenoplia (L.) Mill (Z. oenoplia) root against isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) induced liver damage in animal models. Five groups of six rats each were selected for the study. Ethanolic extract at a dose of 150 and 300 mg/kg as well as silymarin (100 mg/kg) were administered orally once daily for 21 d in INH + RIF treated groups. The serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (SALP), and bilirubin were estimated along with activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and hepatic melondialdehyde formation. Histopathological analysis was carried out to assess injury to the liver. The considerably elevated serum enzymatic activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin due to INH + RIF treatment were restored towards normal in a dose dependent manner after the treatment with ethanolic extract of Z. oenoplia roots. Meanwhile, the decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase were also restored towards normal dose dependently. In addition, ethanolic extract also significantly prevented the elevation of hepatic melondialdehyde formation in the liver of INH + RIF intoxicated rats in a dose dependent manner. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. The results of this study strongly indicate that ethanolic extract of Z. oenoplia has a potent hepatoprotective action against INH + RIF induced hepatic damage in rats. Copyright © 2012 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Ethanol production from cellulose, lactose and xylose using yeasts and enzymes. Gewinnung von Ethanol aus Cellulose, Lactose, und Xylose mit Hilfe von Hefen und Enzymen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwank, U

    1986-07-03

    Experiments with mixtures of whey and corn showed that more than 85% of the lactose was degraded into ethanol. The applicability of cellulose was investigated by means of potatoes. Cellulase is inhibited by glucose, which is a fermentation intermediate, as well as by the end product ethanol. A cellulase inhibitor in potatoes was detected and stabilized; this inhibitor could be degraded into neutral components by a suitable enzyme. Saccharification and fermentation experiments showed that the cellulose fraction of potatoes can be reduced efficiently. The effects of non-enzymatic pretreatment on enzymatic degradation of cellulose, combined with fermentation of the degradation products, are illustrated by the example of cellulose treated with acid and alkaline substances. A continuous fermentation system was developed from which the ethanol is withdrawn in vapour form. The system made better use of the cellulase activity and increased the efficiency of a xylose-fermenting yeast. The new method is compared with batch experiments in order to assess its efficiency. The advantages of the continuous process are proved for two yeasts of the species Pachysolu and Pichia. Specific fermentation rates up to 0.08 g/(g x h) and fermentation yields up to 0.42 g ethanol/g xylose were achieved with Pichia stipitis.

  9. Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Wastes to Improve Ethanol and Biogas Production: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keikhosro Karimi

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Lignocelluloses are often a major or sometimes the sole components of different waste streams from various industries, forestry, agriculture and municipalities. Hydrolysis of these materials is the first step for either digestion to biogas (methane or fermentation to ethanol. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses with no pretreatment is usually not so effective because of high stability of the materials to enzymatic or bacterial attacks. The present work is dedicated to reviewing the methods that have been studied for pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes for conversion to ethanol or biogas. Effective parameters in pretreatment of lignocelluloses, such as crystallinity, accessible surface area, and protection by lignin and hemicellulose are described first. Then, several pretreatment methods are discussed and their effects on improvement in ethanol and/or biogas production are described. They include milling, irradiation, microwave, steam explosion, ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX, supercritical CO2 and its explosion, alkaline hydrolysis, liquid hot-water pretreatment, organosolv processes, wet oxidation, ozonolysis, dilute- and concentrated-acid hydrolyses, and biological pretreatments.

  10. Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide as a novel oxygen storage material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Qiang, E-mail: dong@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Yin, Shu; Yoshida, Mizuki; Wu, Xiaoyong; Liu, Bin [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Miura, Akira; Takei, Takahiro; Kumada, Nobuhiro [Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Miyamae cho-7, Kofu 400-8511 (Japan); Sato, Tsugio [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2015-09-15

    Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 50 nm have been synthesized successfully via a facial solvothermal route in a very simple system composed of only ethanol, acetic acid, SnCl{sub 4}·5H{sub 2}O and A(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·xH{sub 2}O (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). The synthesized undoped SnO{sub 2} and A-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres were characterized by the oxygen storage capacity (OSC), X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) technique. The OSC values of all samples were measured using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The incorporation of alkaline earth metal ion into tin oxide greatly enhanced the thermal stability and OSC. Especially, Ba-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres calcined at 1000 °C for 20 h with a BET surface area of 61 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} exhibited the considerably high OSC of 457 μmol-O g{sup −1} and good thermal stability. Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide has the potential to be a novel oxygen storage material.

  11. Adsorption of Water and Ethanol in MFI-Type Zeolites

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Ke

    2012-06-12

    Water and ethanol vapor adsorption phenomena are investigated systematically on a series of MFI-type zeolites: silicalite-1 samples synthesized via both alkaline (OH -) and fluoride (F -) routes, and ZSM-5 samples with different Si/Al ratios as well as different charge-balancing cations. Full isotherms (0.05-0.95 activity) over the range 25-55 °C are presented, and the lowest total water uptake ever reported in the literature is shown for silicalite-1 made via a fluoride-mediated route wherein internal silanol defects are significantly reduced. At a water activity level of 0.95 (35 °C), the total water uptake by silicalite-1 (F -) was found to be 0.263 mmol/g, which was only 12.6%, 9.8%, and 3.3% of the capacity for silicalite-1 (OH -), H-ZSM-5 (Si/Al:140), and H-ZSM-5 (Si/Al:15), respectively, under the same conditions. While water adsorption shows distinct isotherms for different MFI-type zeolites due to the difference in the concentration, distribution, and types of hydrophilic sites, the ethanol adsorption isotherms present relatively comparable results because of the overall organophilic nature of the zeolite framework. Due to the dramatic differences in the sorption behavior with the different sorbate-sorbent pairs, different models are applied to correlate and analyze the sorption isotherms. An adsorption potential theory was used to fit the water adsorption isotherms on all MFI-type zeolite adsorbents studied. The Langmuir model and Sircar\\'s model are applied to describe ethanol adsorption on silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 samples, respectively. An ideal ethanol/water adsorption selectivity (α) was estimated for the fluoride-mediated silicalite-1. At 35 °C, α was estimated to be 36 for a 5 mol % ethanol solution in water increasing to 53 at an ethanol concentration of 1 mol %. The adsorption data demonstrate that silicalite-1 made via the fluoride-mediated route is a promising candidate for ethanol extraction from dilute ethanol-water solutions. © 2012

  12. Comparison of the effect of biodiesel-diesel and ethanol-diesel on the gaseous emission of a direct-injection diesel engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di, Yage; Cheung, C. S.; Huang, Zuohua

    Experiments were conducted on a 4-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine using ultralow sulfur diesel blended with biodiesel and ethanol to investigate the gaseous emissions of the engine under five engine loads at the maximum torque engine speed of 1800 rev min -1. Four biodiesel blended fuels and four ethanol blended fuels with oxygen concentrations of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% were used. With the increase of oxygen content in the blended fuels, the brake thermal efficiency improves slightly. For the diesel-biodiesel fuels, the brake specific HC and CO emissions decrease while the brake specific NO x and NO 2 emissions increase. The emissions of formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, toluene, xylene and overall BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene) in general decrease, however, acetaldehyde and benzene emissions increase. For the diesel-ethanol fuels, the brake specific HC and CO emissions increase significantly at low engine load, NO x emission decreases at low engine load but increases at high engine load. The emissions of benzene and BTX vary with engine load and ethanol content. Similar to the biodiesel-diesel fuels, the formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, toluene and xylene emissions decrease while the acetaldehyde and NO 2 emissions increase. Despite having the same oxygen contents in the blended fuels, there are significant differences in the gaseous emissions between the biodiesel-diesel blends and the ethanol-diesel blends.

  13. Isolation of radioactive strontium from natural samples. Separation of strontium from alkaline and alkaline earth elements by means of mixed solvent anion exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grahek, Z.; Kosutic, K.; Lulic, S.; Kvastek, K.; Eskinja, I.

    1999-01-01

    This paper presents the results of studies which led to the procedures for the chromatographic separation of radioactive strontium from alkaline, earth-alkaline and other elements in natural samples, on columns filled with strong base anion exchangers using alcoholic solutions of nitric acid as eluents. It has been shown that potassium, caesium, calcium, barium, yttrium and strontium can be adsorbed on strong base anion exchangers of the Dowex and Amberlite type, which contain the quaternary ammonium group with nitrate as counter-ion, from solutions of nitric acid in alcohol. Adsorption strength increases in the order methanol 3 in methanol, while they are adsorbed from ethanol and propanol. The adsorption strength is influenced by the polarity of alcohol, by the concentration of nitrate and by pH. The strength with which strontium adsorbs on the exchangers increases in the interval from 0 to 0.25M NH 4 NO 3 in methanol, after which it starts to decrease. Strontium adsorbs to the exchangers from the alcoholic solution of ammonium nitrate twice as strongly as from the alcoholic solution of nitric acid, while a fraction of water in pure alcohol exceeding 10% prevents adsorption. In the mixture of alcohol and nitric acid, the adsorption strength for calcium and strontium increases with the increase of the volume fraction of alcohol with a lower dielectric constant. The rate and strength of adsorption of ions on the exchanger also increase in the series 0.25M HNO 3 in methanol 3 in ethanol 3 in 1-propanol for each individual ion, as well as in the Ca 3 in methanol, 0.25M HNO 3 in ethanol and 0.25M HNO 3 in propanol. Separation is also possible from alcohol mixtures. Strontium separation is most difficult from calcium, while the efficiency of separation increases with a decrease of the polarity of the used alcohol or alcohol mixture. The first group elements of the periodic table are not separated from each other in this way, while the elements of the second group are

  14. Evaluation of Pt-Ru-Ni and Pt-Sn-Ni catalysts as anodes in direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribadeneira, Esteban; Hoyos, Bibian A. [Escuela de Procesos y Energia, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin (Colombia)

    2008-05-15

    In this study, the electrooxidation of ethanol on carbon supported Pt-Ru-Ni and Pt-Sn-Ni catalysts is electrochemically studied through cyclic voltammetry at 50 C in direct ethanol fuel cells. All electrocatalysts are prepared using the ethylene glycol-reduction process and are chemically characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). For fuel cell evaluation, electrodes are prepared by the transfer-decal method. Nickel addition to the anode improves DEFC performance. When Pt{sub 75}Ru{sub 15}Ni{sub 10}/C is used as an anode catalyst, the current density obtained in the fuel cell is greater than that of all other investigated catalysts. Tri-metallic catalytic mixtures have a higher performance relative to bi-metallic catalysts. These results are in agreement with CV results that display greater activity for PtRuNi at higher potentials. (author)

  15. A Comparison between Lime and Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide Pretreatments of Sugarcane Bagasse for Ethanol Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabelo, Sarita C.; Filho, Rubens Maciel; Costa, Aline C.

    Pretreatment procedures of sugarcane bagasse with lime (calcium hydroxide) or alkaline hydrogen peroxide were evaluated and compared. Analyses were performed using 2 × 2 × 2 factorial designs, with pretreatment time, temperature, and lime loading and hydrogen peroxide concentration as factors. The responses evaluated were the yield of total reducing sugars (TRS) and glucose released from pretreated bagasse after enzymatic hydrolysis. Experiments were performed using the bagasse as it comes from an alcohol/ sugar factory and bagasse in the size range of 0.248 to 1.397 mm (12-60 mesh). The results show that when hexoses and pentoses are of interest, lime should be the pretreatment agent chosen, as high TRS yields are obtained for nonscreened bagasse using 0.40 g lime/g dry biomass at 70 °C for 36 h. When the product of interest is glucose, the best results were obtained with lime pretreatment of screened bagasse. However, the results for alkaline peroxide and lime pretreatments of nonscreened bagasse are not very different.

  16. PdCo porous nanostructures decorated on polypyrrole @ MWCNTs conductive nanocomposite-Modified glassy carbon electrode as a powerful catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fard, Leyla Abolghasemi; Ojani, Reza; Raoof, Jahan Bakhsh; Zare, Ehsan Nazarzadeh; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour

    2017-04-01

    In the current study, well-defined PdCo porous nanostructure (PdCo PNS) is prepared by a simple one-pot wet-chemical method and polypyrrole@multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPy@MWCNTs) nanocomposite is used as a catalyst support. The morphology and the structural properties of the prepared catalyst were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalytic performance of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs on glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm-2) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. Also, PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs catalyst represented higher electrocatalytic activity, better long-term stability and high level of poisoning tolerance to the carbonaceous oxidative intermediates for ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. Furthermore, the presence of PPY@MWCNTs on the surface of GCE produce a high activity to electrocatalyst, which might be due to the easier charge transfer at polymer/carbon nanotubes interfaces, higher electrochemically accessible surface areas and electronic conductivity. The superior catalytic activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs suggests it to be as a promising electrocatalyst for future direct ethanol fuel cells.

  17. Investigation of a Pt3Sn/C Electro-Catalyst in a Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell Operating at Low Temperatures for Portable Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Zignani, S. C.; Gonzalez, E. R.; Baglio, V.; Siracusano, S.; Arico, A. S.

    2012-01-01

    A 20% Pt3Sn/C catalyst was prepared by reduction with formic acid and used in a direct ethanol fuel cell at low temperatures. The electro-catalytic activity of this bimetallic catalyst was compared to that of a commercial 20% Pt/C catalyst. The PtSn catalyst showed better results in the investigated temperature range (30 degrees-70 degrees C). Generally, Sn promotes ethanol oxidation by adsorption of OH species at considerably lower potentials compared to Pt, allowing the occurrence of a bifu...

  18. Direct conversion of starch to ethanol using recombınant Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing glucoamylase gene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purkan, P.; Baktir, A.; Puspaningsih, N. N. T.; Ni'mah, M.

    2017-09-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known for its high fermentative capacity, high ethanol yield and its high ethanol tolerance. The yeast is inability converting starch (relatively inexpensive substrate) into biofuel ethanol. Insertion of glucoamylase gene in yeast cell of Saccharomyces cerevisiae had been done to increase the yeast function in ethanol fermentation from starch. Transformation of yeast of S. cerevisiae with recombinant plasmid yEP-GLO1 carrying gene encoding glucoamylase (GLO1) produced the recombinant yeast which enable to degrade starch. Optimizing of bioconversion process of starch into ethanol by the yeast of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae [yEP-GLO1] had been also done. Starch concentration which could be digested by recombinant yeast of S. cerevisiae [yEP-GLO1] was 10% (w/v). Bioconversion of starch having concentration 10% (b/v) using recombinant yeast of S. cerevisiae BY5207 [yEP-GLO1] could result ethanol as 20% (v/v) to alcoholmeter and 19,5% (v/v) to gas of chromatography. Otherwise, using recombinant yeast S. cerevisiae S. cerevisiae AS3324 [yEP-GLO1] resulted ethanol as 17% (v/v) to alcoholmeter and 17,5% (v/v) to gas of chromatography. The highest ethanol in starch bioconversion using both recombinant yeasts BY5207 and AS3324 could be resulted on 144 hours of fermentation time as well as in pH 5.

  19. Early life ethanol exposure causes long-lasting disturbances in rat mesenchymal stem cells via epigenetic modifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leu, Yu-Wei; Chu, Pei-Yi; Chen, Chien-Min; Yeh, Kun-Tu; Liu, Yu Ming; Lee, Yen-Hui; Kuo, Shan-Tsu; Hsiao, Shu-Huei

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Ethanol exposure alters proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. • Ethanol exposure suppresses osteogenesis and adipogenesis of MSCs. • H3K27me3-associated genes/pathways are affected in ethanol-exposed MSCs. • Expression of lineage-specific genes is dysregulated in ethanol-exposed MSCs. - Abstract: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect due to maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Because mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the main somatic stem cells in adults and may contribute to tissue homeostasis and repair in adulthood, we investigated whether early life ethanol exposure affects MSCs and contributes to the propensity for disease onset in later life. Using a rodent model of FAS, we found that ethanol exposure (5.25 g/kg/day) from postnatal days 4 to 9 in rat pups (mimic of human third trimester) caused long-term anomalies in bone marrow-derived MSCs. MSCs isolated from ethanol-exposed animals were prone to neural induction but resistant to osteogenic and adipogenic inductions compared to their age-matched controls. The altered differentiation may contribute to the severe trabecular bone loss seen in ethanol-exposed animals at 3 months of age as well as overt growth retardation. Expression of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, aP2, and PPARγ were substantially inhibited, but BDNF was up-regulated in MSCs isolated from ethanol-exposed 3 month-old animals. Several signaling pathways were distorted in ethanol-exposed MSCs via altered trimethylation at histone 3 lysine 27. These results demonstrate that early life ethanol exposure can have long-term impacts in rat MSCs by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms

  20. Early life ethanol exposure causes long-lasting disturbances in rat mesenchymal stem cells via epigenetic modifications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leu, Yu-Wei [Department of Life Science and Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan (China); Chu, Pei-Yi [Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan (China); Chen, Chien-Min [Division of Neurosurgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan (China); Yeh, Kun-Tu [Department of Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan (China); Liu, Yu Ming; Lee, Yen-Hui; Kuo, Shan-Tsu [Department of Life Science and Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Shu-Huei, E-mail: bioshh@ccu.edu.tw [Department of Life Science and Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan (China)

    2014-10-24

    Highlights: • Ethanol exposure alters proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. • Ethanol exposure suppresses osteogenesis and adipogenesis of MSCs. • H3K27me3-associated genes/pathways are affected in ethanol-exposed MSCs. • Expression of lineage-specific genes is dysregulated in ethanol-exposed MSCs. - Abstract: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect due to maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Because mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the main somatic stem cells in adults and may contribute to tissue homeostasis and repair in adulthood, we investigated whether early life ethanol exposure affects MSCs and contributes to the propensity for disease onset in later life. Using a rodent model of FAS, we found that ethanol exposure (5.25 g/kg/day) from postnatal days 4 to 9 in rat pups (mimic of human third trimester) caused long-term anomalies in bone marrow-derived MSCs. MSCs isolated from ethanol-exposed animals were prone to neural induction but resistant to osteogenic and adipogenic inductions compared to their age-matched controls. The altered differentiation may contribute to the severe trabecular bone loss seen in ethanol-exposed animals at 3 months of age as well as overt growth retardation. Expression of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, aP2, and PPARγ were substantially inhibited, but BDNF was up-regulated in MSCs isolated from ethanol-exposed 3 month-old animals. Several signaling pathways were distorted in ethanol-exposed MSCs via altered trimethylation at histone 3 lysine 27. These results demonstrate that early life ethanol exposure can have long-term impacts in rat MSCs by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms.

  1. Net alkalinity and net acidity 2: Practical considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirby, C.S.; Cravotta, C.A.

    2005-01-01

    The pH, alkalinity, and acidity of mine drainage and associated waters can be misinterpreted because of the chemical instability of samples and possible misunderstandings of standard analytical method results. Synthetic and field samples of mine drainage having various initial pH values and concentrations of dissolved metals and alkalinity were titrated by several methods, and the results were compared to alkalinity and acidity calculated based on dissolved solutes. The pH, alkalinity, and acidity were compared between fresh, unoxidized and aged, oxidized samples. Data for Pennsylvania coal mine drainage indicates that the pH of fresh samples was predominantly acidic (pH 2.5-4) or near neutral (pH 6-7); ??? 25% of the samples had pH values between 5 and 6. Following oxidation, no samples had pH values between 5 and 6. The Standard Method Alkalinity titration is constrained to yield values >0. Most calculated and measured alkalinities for samples with positive alkalinities were in close agreement. However, for low-pH samples, the calculated alkalinity can be negative due to negative contributions by dissolved metals that may oxidize and hydrolyze. The Standard Method hot peroxide treatment titration for acidity determination (Hot Acidity) accurately indicates the potential for pH to decrease to acidic values after complete degassing of CO2 and oxidation of Fe and Mn, and it indicates either the excess alkalinity or that required for neutralization of the sample. The Hot Acidity directly measures net acidity (= -net alkalinity). Samples that had near-neutral pH after oxidation had negative Hot Acidity; samples that had pH mine drainage treatment can lead to systems with insufficient Alkalinity to neutralize metal and H+ acidity and is not recommended. The use of net alkalinity = -Hot Acidity titration is recommended for the planning of mine drainage treatment. The use of net alkalinity = (Alkalinitymeasured - Aciditycalculated) is recommended with some cautions

  2. The origin of high activity but low CO(2) selectivity on binary PtSn in the direct ethanol fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Jia-Mei; Sheng, Tian; Lin, Xiao; Kavanagh, Richard; Hamer, Philip; Hu, Peijun; Hardacre, Christopher; Martinez-Bonastre, Alex; Sharman, Jonathan; Thompsett, David; Lin, Wen-Feng

    2014-05-28

    The most active binary PtSn catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell applications has been studied at 20 °C and 60 °C, using variable temperature electrochemical in situ FTIR. In comparison with Pt, binary PtSn inhibits ethanol dissociation to CO(a), but promotes partial oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Increasing the temperature from 20 °C to 60 °C facilitates both ethanol dissociation to CO(a) and then further oxidation to CO2, leading to an increased selectivity towards CO2; however, acetaldehyde and acetic acid are still the main products. Potential-dependent phase diagrams for surface oxidants of OH(a) formation on Pt(111), Pt(211) and Sn modified Pt(111) and Pt(211) surfaces have been determined using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is shown that Sn promotes the formation of OH(a) with a lower onset potential on the Pt(111) surface, whereas an increase in the onset potential is found upon modification of the (211) surface. In addition, Sn inhibits the Pt(211) step edge with respect to ethanol C-C bond breaking compared with that found on the pure Pt, which reduces the formation of CO(a). Sn was also found to facilitate ethanol dehydrogenation and partial oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetic acid which, combined with the more facile OH(a) formation on the Pt(111) surface, gives us a clear understanding of the experimentally determined results. This combined electrochemical in situ FTIR and DFT study provides, for the first time, an insight into the long-term puzzling features of the high activity but low CO2 production found on binary PtSn ethanol fuel cell catalysts.

  3. Direct Solar Charging of an Organic-Inorganic, Stable, and Aqueous Alkaline Redox Flow Battery with a Hematite Photoanode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedege, Kristina; Azevedo, João; Khataee, Amirreza; Bentien, Anders; Mendes, Adélio

    2016-06-13

    The intermittent nature of the sunlight and its increasing contribution to electricity generation is fostering the energy storage research. Direct solar charging of an auspicious type of redox flow battery could make solar energy directly and efficiently dispatchable. The first solar aqueous alkaline redox flow battery using low cost and environmentally safe materials is demonstrated. The electrolytes consist of the redox couples ferrocyanide and anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonate in sodium hydroxide solution, yielding a standard cell potential of 0.74 V. Photovoltage enhancement strategies are demonstrated for the ferrocyanide-hematite junction by employing an annealing treatment and growing a layer of a conductive polyaniline polymer on the electrode surface, which decreases electron-hole recombination. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Separate direct injection of diesel and ethanol: A numerical analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burnete Nicolae V.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the theoretical possibility of using a pilot diesel injection for the auto-ignition of a main ethanol injection in a compression ignition engine. To this effect a predictive simulation model has been built based on experimental results for a diesel cycle (pilot and main injection at 1500 and 2500 min–1, respectively. For every engine speed, in addition to the diesel reference cycle, two more simulations were done: one with the same amount of fuel injected into the cylinder and one with the same amount of energy, which required an increase in the quantity of ethanol proportional to the ratio of its lower heating value and that of diesel. The simulations showed that in all cases the pilot diesel led to the auto-ignition of ethanol. The analysis of the in-cylinder traces at 1500 min–1 showed that combustion efficiency is improved, the peak temperature value decrease with approximately 240 K and, as a result, the NO emissions are 3.5-4 times lower. The CO and CO2 values depend on the amount of fuel injected into the cylinder. At 2500 min–1 there are similar trends but with the following observations: the ignition delay increases, while the pressure and temperature are lower.

  5. A facile synthesis of palladium nanoparticles supported on functional carbon nanotubes and its novel catalysis for ethanol electrooxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-mei; Lin, Zhi-jie; Jia, Tian-tian; Cai, Zhi-min; Huang, Xiao-li; Jiang, Ya-qi; Chen, Xi; Chen, Guo-nan

    2009-09-14

    In this study, a novel material, palladium nanoparticles-carboxylic functional carbon nanotubes (PdNPs-CFCNTs), based on PdNPs supported on CFCNTs was synthesized by a facile spontaneous redox method. The material reveals high electrochemical activity and excellent catalytic characteristic for alcohol electrooxidation on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in an alkaline medium. The preparation mechanism was studied by the galvanic cell effect between PdCl(4)(2-) and functional defect sites on CFCNTs. Results from UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the reduction of PdCl(4)(2-) to metallic Pd was successfully achieved. Morphologies of PdNPs supporting on CFCNTs (PdNPs-CFCNTs) were also characterized by transmission electron micrograph. PdNPs-CFCNTs with the best electrocatalytic characteristics were obtained under the condition as: the weight ratio of Pd to CFCNTs was kept at 2:1, the temperature was kept at 70 degrees C in the synthesis, and the scan rate of the applied potential was selected at 60 mV s(-1). The results indicate that PdNPs-CFCNTs could be a great potential material in direct ethanol fuel cells and ethanol sensors.

  6. A facile synthesis of palladium nanoparticles supported on functional carbon nanotubes and its novel catalysis for ethanol electrooxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xiaomei; Lin Zhijie; Jia Tiantian; Cai Zhimin; Huang Xiaoli; Jiang Yaqi; Chen Xi; Chen Guonan

    2009-01-01

    In this study, a novel material, palladium nanoparticles-carboxylic functional carbon nanotubes (PdNPs-CFCNTs), based on PdNPs supported on CFCNTs was synthesized by a facile spontaneous redox method. The material reveals high electrochemical activity and excellent catalytic characteristic for alcohol electrooxidation on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in an alkaline medium. The preparation mechanism was studied by the galvanic cell effect between PdCl 4 2- and functional defect sites on CFCNTs. Results from UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the reduction of PdCl 4 2- to metallic Pd was successfully achieved. Morphologies of PdNPs supporting on CFCNTs (PdNPs-CFCNTs) were also characterized by transmission electron micrograph. PdNPs-CFCNTs with the best electrocatalytic characteristics were obtained under the condition as: the weight ratio of Pd to CFCNTs was kept at 2:1, the temperature was kept at 70 o C in the synthesis, and the scan rate of the applied potential was selected at 60 mV s -1 . The results indicate that PdNPs-CFCNTs could be a great potential material in direct ethanol fuel cells and ethanol sensors.

  7. A facile synthesis of palladium nanoparticles supported on functional carbon nanotubes and its novel catalysis for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Xiaomei; Lin Zhijie; Jia Tiantian; Cai Zhimin; Huang Xiaoli; Jiang Yaqi [Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Chen Xi, E-mail: xichen@xmu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Chen Guonan [Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection Technology for Food Safety (Fuzhou University), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002 (China)

    2009-09-14

    In this study, a novel material, palladium nanoparticles-carboxylic functional carbon nanotubes (PdNPs-CFCNTs), based on PdNPs supported on CFCNTs was synthesized by a facile spontaneous redox method. The material reveals high electrochemical activity and excellent catalytic characteristic for alcohol electrooxidation on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in an alkaline medium. The preparation mechanism was studied by the galvanic cell effect between PdCl{sub 4}{sup 2-} and functional defect sites on CFCNTs. Results from UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the reduction of PdCl{sub 4}{sup 2-} to metallic Pd was successfully achieved. Morphologies of PdNPs supporting on CFCNTs (PdNPs-CFCNTs) were also characterized by transmission electron micrograph. PdNPs-CFCNTs with the best electrocatalytic characteristics were obtained under the condition as: the weight ratio of Pd to CFCNTs was kept at 2:1, the temperature was kept at 70 {sup o}C in the synthesis, and the scan rate of the applied potential was selected at 60 mV s{sup -1}. The results indicate that PdNPs-CFCNTs could be a great potential material in direct ethanol fuel cells and ethanol sensors.

  8. [Insights into engineering of cellulosic ethanol].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Guojun; Wu, Guoqing; Lin, Xin

    2014-06-01

    For energy security, air pollution concerns, coupled with the desire to sustain the agricultural sector and revitalize the rural economy, many countries have applied ethanol as oxygenate or fuel to supplement or replace gasoline in transportation sector. Because of abundant feedstock resources and effective reduction of green-house-gas emissions, the cellulosic ethanol has attracted great attention. With a couple of pioneers beginning to produce this biofuel from biomass in commercial quantities around the world, it is necessary to solve engineering problems and complete the economic assessment in 2015-2016, gradually enter the commercialization stage. To avoid "competing for food with humans and competing for land with food", the 1st generation fuel ethanol will gradually transit to the 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol. Based on the overview of cellulosic ethanol industrialization from domestic and abroad in recent years, the main engineering application problems encountered in pretreatment, enzymes and enzymatic hydrolysis, pentose/hexose co-fermentation strains and processes, equipment were discussed from chemical engineering and biotechnology perspective. The development direction of cellulosic ethanol technology in China was addressed.

  9. Steam direct re compression and energy recovery in ethanol-water distillation; Recompressao direta de vapor e recuperacao de energia na destilacao do sistema etanol-agua

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ravagnani, T M.K.; Pereira, J A.F.R. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica

    1985-12-31

    Steam re compression has been presented as the most promising and economical substitute for conventional distillation. The present work describes and analyze the application of the direct vapour re compression technique to ethanol-water distillation columns, when the azeotrope is the top product. Results shows that energy savings up to 80% can be obtained. The study takes in account the effects of the column operation conditions, addition of inert gas in the re compression circuit and compressor efficiency (assumed to be polytropic). Analysis of the results permits to obtain the optimum conditions for the use of the direct steam re compression in the ethanol-water distillation. (author). 5 figs., 7 refs

  10. The impact of anode design on fuel crossover of direct ethanol fuel cell

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    than methanol due to the higher molecular weight of ethanol compared with methanol .... converted in the cathode side, hydrogen ions were then sent from the cathode to .... retard the ethanol crossover and possibly improve the dura- bility. ... [4] Wan C-H and Chen C-L 2009 Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 34. 9515. [5] Pethaiah ...

  11. Energy efficiency enhancement of ethanol electrooxidation on Pd-CeO(2)/C in passive and active polymer electrolyte-membrane fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bambagioni, Valentina; Bianchini, Claudio; Chen, Yanxin; Filippi, Jonathan; Fornasiero, Paolo; Innocenti, Massimo; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Marchionni, Andrea; Oberhauser, Werner; Vizza, Francesco

    2012-07-01

    Pd nanoparticles have been generated by performing an electroless procedure on a mixed ceria (CeO(2))/carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) support. The resulting material, Pd-CeO(2)/C, has been characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Electrodes coated with Pd-CeO(2)/C have been scrutinized for the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media in half cells as well as in passive and active direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Membrane electrode assemblies have been fabricated using Pd-CeO(2)/C anodes, proprietary Fe-Co cathodes, and Tokuyama anion-exchange membranes. The monoplanar passive and active DEFCs have been fed with aqueous solutions of 10 wt% ethanol and 2 M KOH, supplying power densities as high as 66 mW cm(-2) at 25 °C and 140 mW cm(-2) at 80 °C. A comparison with a standard anode electrocatalyst containing Pd nanoparticles (Pd/C) has shown that, at even metal loading and experimental conditions, the energy released by the cells with the Pd-CeO(2)/C electrocatalyst is twice as much as that supplied by the cells with the Pd/C electrocatalyst. A cyclic voltammetry study has shown that the co-support ceria contributes to the remarkable decrease of the onset oxidation potential of ethanol. It is proposed that ceria promotes the formation at low potentials of species adsorbed on Pd, Pd(I)-OH(ads), that are responsible for ethanol oxidation. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanmei; Fang, Jun; Wu, Yongbin; Xu, Hankun; Chi, Xianjun; Li, Wei; Yang, Yixu; Yan, Ge; Zhuang, Yongze

    2012-09-01

    A series of novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes based on the copolymer of vinylbenzyl chloride, butyl methacrylate, and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate has been prepared. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis techniques are used to study the chemical structure and chemical composition of the membranes. The water uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), conductivity, methanol permeability, and chemical stability of the membranes are also determined. The membranes exhibit high anionic conductivity in deionized water at 65 °C ranging from 3.86×10(-2) S cm(-1) to 4.36×10(-2) S cm(-1). The methanol permeability coefficients of the membranes are in the range of 4.21-5.80×10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) at 65 °C. The novel membranes also show good chemical and thermal stability. An open-circuit voltage of 0.7 V and a maximum power density of 53.2 mW cm(-2) of alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) with the membrane C, 1 M methanol, 1 M NaOH, and humidified oxygen are achieved at 65 °C. Therefore, these membranes have great potential for applications in fuel cell systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Exploring the limits of a down-sized ethanol direct injection spark ignited engine in different configurations in order to replace high-displacement gasoline engines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baêta, José Guilherme Coelho; Pontoppidan, Michael; Silva, Thiago R.V.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The limits of a highly boosted down-sized ethanol engine was investigated. • 28% of fuel consumption reduction was achieved by means of an extreme down-sizing. • 53% of down-sizing was reached by means of cutting-edge technologies implementation. • Engine efficiency at partial load was also investigated. • A significant decrease in engine-out emissions was achieved. - Abstract: The paper presents a layout of a highly boosted Ethanol Direct Injected engine in order to explore the limits of down-sizing for replacing high-displacement gasoline engines, which represents a powerful means of reducing fuel consumption and engine-out emissions at reduced production costs. The substitution of high-displacement engines (2.4- or 3.0-l) by a down-sized turbocharged Ethanol Direct Injected engine is studied. This document describes the detailed layout of all engine hardware and in particular, the cylinder head structure including the optimized intake and exhaust manifolds as well as implemented direct injection injectors. The work continues with a presentation of the experimental data obtained at the engine test rig. A series of experimental data is also presented for the down-sized engine mounted in a car as a replacement for its original high-displacement engine. Substantial fuel consumption gains are obtained as well as values of engine torque for the down-sized, down-speeded prototype engine, which makes it possible to replace engines with much higher displacements. As a result the maximum obtained efficiency of the 1.4 l prototype engine with twin-stage compressor reaches a value of 3250 kPa brake pressure at 44% efficiency. The present work is a very new and different approach compared to previous published studies on ethanol and down-sized engines due to the fact that the Brazilian hydrated ethanol fuel (7% water content) has a major charge effect compared to North American and European Gasoline and alcohol fuels (consult Table 1). This means that

  14. Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium surface-coating on porous platinum catalysts for high-performance direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Heon Jae; Kim, Jun Woo; Jang, Dong Young; Shim, Joon Hyung

    2015-09-01

    Pt-Ru bi-metallic catalysts are synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Ru surface-coating on sputtered Pt mesh. The catalysts are evaluated in direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells (DESOFCs) in the temperature range of 300-500 °C. Island-growth of the ALD Ru coating is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The performance of the DESOFCs is evaluated based on the current-voltage output and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Genuine reduction of the polarization impedance, and enhanced power output with improved surface kinetics are achieved with the optimized ALD Ru surface-coating compared to bare Pt. The chemical composition of the Pt/ALD Ru electrode surface after fuel cell operation is analyzed via XPS. Enhanced cell performance is clearly achieved, attributed to the effective Pt/ALD Ru bi-metallic catalysis, including oxidation of Cdbnd O by Ru, and de-protonation of ethanol and cleavage of C-C bonds by Pt, as supported by surface morphology analysis which confirms formation of a large amount of carbon on bare Pt after the ethanol-fuel-cell test.

  15. The Protective Role of Zinc Sulphate on Ethanol -Induced Liver and Kidney Damages in Rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Damegh, Mona Abdalla

    2007-01-01

    Around the world more and more people suffer from alcoholism. Addiction problems, alcoholism and excessive use of drugs both medical and nonmedical, are major causes of liver and kidney damage in adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate on the protective role of zinc sulphate on liver and kidney in rats with acute alcoholism. Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Group I; control group, group 2; given only Zinc Sulphate (100 mg/kg/day for 3days), group 3; rats given absolute ethanol (1 ml of absolute ethanol administrated by gavage technique to each rat), group 4 given Zinc sulphate prior to the administration of absolute ethanol. The results of this study revealed that acute ethanol exposure caused degenerative morphological changes in the liver and kidney. Significant difference were found in the levels of serum, liver, kidney super oxide dismutase(SOD), catalase (CAT), nitric oxide(NO), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the ethanol group compared to the control group. Moreover ,serum urea, creatnine, uric acid, alkaline phoshpatase and transaminases activities (GOTand GPT) were increased in the ethanol group compared to the control group. On the other hand,administration of zinc sulphate in the ethanol group caused a significant decrease in the degenerative changes, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes, and nitric oxide in serum, liver, and kidney. It can be concluded that zinc Sulphate has a protective role on the ethanol induced liver and kidney injury. In addition ,nitric oxide is involved in the mechanism of acute alcohol intoxication. (author)

  16. Impact of acid and alkaline pretreatments on the molecular network of wheat gluten and on the mechanical properties of compression-molded glassy wheat gluten bioplastics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansens, Koen J A; Lagrain, Bert; Brijs, Kristof; Goderis, Bart; Smet, Mario; Delcour, Jan A

    2013-10-02

    Wheat gluten can be converted into rigid biobased materials by high-temperature compression molding at low moisture contents. During molding, a cross-linked protein network is formed. This study investigated the effect of mixing gluten with acid/alkali in 70% ethanol at ambient temperature for 16 h followed by ethanol removal, freeze-drying, and compression molding at 130 and 150 °C on network formation and on types of cross-links formed. Alkaline pretreatment (0-100 mmol/L sodium hydroxide or 25 mmol/L potassium hydroxide) strongly affected gluten cross-linking, whereas acid pretreatment (0-25 mmol/L sulfuric acid or 25 mmol/L hydrochloric acid) had limited effect on the gluten network. Molded alkaline-treated gluten showed enhanced cross-linking but also degradation when treated with high alkali concentrations, whereas acid treatment reduced gluten cross-linking. β-Elimination of cystine and lanthionine formation occurred more pronouncedly at higher alkali concentrations. In contrast, formation of disulfide and nondisulfide cross-links during molding was hindered in acid-pretreated gluten. Bioplastic strength was higher for alkali than for acid-pretreated samples, whereas the flexural modulus was only slightly affected by either alkaline or acid pretreatment. Apparently, the ratio of disulfide to nondisulfide cross-links did not affect the mechanical properties of rigid gluten materials.

  17. Industrial-scale steam explosion pretreatment of sugarcane straw for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose for production of second generation ethanol and value-added products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Fernando M V; Pinheiro, Irapuan O; Souto-Maior, Ana M; Martin, Carlos; Gonçalves, Adilson R; Rocha, George J M

    2013-02-01

    Steam explosion at 180, 190 and 200°C for 15min was applied to sugarcane straw in an industrial sugar/ethanol reactor (2.5m(3)). The pretreated straw was delignificated by sodium hydroxide and hydrolyzed with cellulases, or submitted directly to enzymatic hydrolysis after the pretreatment. The pretreatments led to remarkable hemicellulose solubilization, with the maximum (92.7%) for pretreatment performed at 200°C. Alkaline treatment of the pretreated materials led to lignin solubilization of 86.7% at 180°C, and only to 81.3% in the material pretreated at 200°C. All pretreatment conditions led to high hydrolysis conversion of cellulose, with the maximum (80.0%) achieved at 200°C. Delignification increase the enzymatic conversion (from 58.8% in the cellulignin to 85.1% in the delignificated pulp) of the material pretreated at 180°C, but for the material pretreated at 190°C, the improvement was less remarkable, while for the pretreated at 200°C the hydrolysis conversion decreased after the alkaline treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Chronic ethanol exposure inhibits distraction osteogenesis in a mouse model: Role of the TNF signaling axis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahl, Elizabeth C.; Aronson, James; Liu, Lichu; Liu, Zhendong; Perrien, Daniel S.; Skinner, Robert A.; Badger, Thomas M.; Ronis, Martin J.J.; Lumpkin, Charles K.

    2007-01-01

    Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an inflammatory cytokine that modulates osteoblastogenesis. In addition, the demonstrated inhibitory effects of chronic ethanol exposure on direct bone formation in rats are hypothetically mediated by TNF-α signaling. The effects in mice are unreported. Therefore, we hypothesized that in mice (1) administration of a soluble TNF receptor 1 derivative (sTNF-R1) would protect direct bone formation during chronic ethanol exposure, and (2) administration of recombinant mouse TNF-α (rmTNF-α) to ethanol naive mice would inhibit direct bone formation. We utilized a unique model of limb lengthening (distraction osteogenesis, DO) combined with liquid diets to measure chronic ethanol's effects on direct bone formation. Chronic ethanol exposure resulted in increased marrow TNF, IL-1, and CYP 2E1 RNA levels in ethanol-treated vs. control mice, while no significant weight differences were noted. Systemic administration of sTNF-R1 during DO (8.0 mg/kg/2 days) to chronic ethanol-exposed mice resulted in enhanced direct bone formation as measured radiologically and histologically. Systemic rmTNF-α (10 μg/kg/day) administration decreased direct bone formation measures, while no significant weight differences were noted. We conclude that chronic ethanol-associated inhibition of direct bone formation is mediated to a significant extent by the TNF signaling axis in a mouse model

  19. Techno-economic comparison of centralized versus decentralized biorefineries for two alkaline pretreatment processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoklosa, Ryan J; Del Pilar Orjuela, Andrea; da Costa Sousa, Leonardo; Uppugundla, Nirmal; Williams, Daniel L; Dale, Bruce E; Hodge, David B; Balan, Venkatesh

    2017-02-01

    In this work, corn stover subjected to ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX™) 1 pretreatment or alkaline pre-extraction followed by hydrogen peroxide post-treatment (AHP pretreatment) were compared for their enzymatic hydrolysis yields over a range of solids loadings, enzymes loadings, and enzyme combinations. Process techno-economic models were compared for cellulosic ethanol production for a biorefinery that handles 2000tons per day of corn stover employing a centralized biorefinery approach with AHP or a de-centralized AFEX pretreatment followed by biomass densification feeding a centralized biorefinery. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) of these scenarios shows that the AFEX process resulted in the highest capital investment but also has the lowest minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) at $2.09/gal, primarily due to good energy integration and an efficient ammonia recovery system. The economics of AHP could be made more competitive if oxidant loadings were reduced and the alkali and sugar losses were also decreased. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Xylose fermentation to ethanol. A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McMillan, J D

    1993-01-01

    The past several years have seen tremendous progress in the understanding of xylose metabolism and in the identification, characterization, and development of strains with improved xylose fermentation characteristics. A survey of the numerous microorganisms capable of directly fermenting xylose to ethanol indicates that wild-type yeast and recombinant bacteria offer the best overall performance in terms of high yield, final ethanol concentration, and volumetric productivity. The best performing bacteria, yeast, and fungi can achieve yields greater than 0.4 g/g and final ethanol concentrations approaching 5%. Productivities remain low for most yeast and particularly for fungi, but volumetric productivities exceeding 1.0 g/L-h have been reported for xylose-fermenting bacteria. In terms of wild-type microorganisms, strains of the yeast Pichia stipitis show the most promise in the short term for direct high-yield fermentation of xylose without byproduct formation. Of the recombinant xylose-fermenting microorganisms developed, recombinant E. coli ATTC 11303 (pLOI297) exhibits the most favorable performance characteristics reported to date.

  1. Hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata on paracetamol-induced liver toxicity in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajasekaran Aiyalu

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Trichosanthes lobata (family cucurbitaceae is used to treat malarial fever and liver disorders. This study aims to investigate possible hepatoprotective activities of ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods Hepatotoxicity was induced in Wistar male rats by oral administration, 2 g/kg body weight on 7th day after the administration of ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata and silymarin (100 mg/kg. Ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata was administered orally at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight daily for 7 days. Several serum markers, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, total protein was measured to assess the effect of the extract on paracetamol (acetaminophen-induced hepatic damage. The study included histopathological examination of liver sections. Results Blood samples from rats treated with ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata (200 mg/kg body weight and 400 mg/kg body weight had significant reductions in serum markers in paracetamol administered animals, indicating the effect of the extract in restoring the normal functional ability of hepatocytes. Silymarin (100 mg/kg, p.o. was used as a reference drug. Conclusion The ethanolic extract of Trichosanthes lobata exhibits protective effects against paracetamol‒induced hepatotoxicity.

  2. Anaerobic digestion of thin stillage for energy recovery and water reuse in corn-ethanol plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkan-Ozkaynak, A; Karthikeyan, K G

    2011-11-01

    Recycling of anaerobically-digested thin stillage within a corn-ethanol plant may result in the accumulation of nutrients of environmental concern in animal feed coproducts and inhibitory organic materials in the fermentation tank. Our focus is on anaerobic digestion of treated (centrifugation and lime addition) thin stillage. Suitability of digestate from anaerobic treatment for reuse as process water was also investigated. Experiments conducted at various inoculum-to-substrate ratios (ISRs) revealed that alkalinity is a critical parameter limiting digestibility of thin stillage. An ISR level of 2 appeared optimal based on high biogas production level (763 mL biogas/g volatile solids added) and organic matter removal (80.6% COD removal). The digester supernatant at this ISR level was found to contain both organic and inorganic constituents at levels that would cause no inhibition to ethanol fermentation. Anaerobic digestion of treated-thin stillage can be expected to improve the water and energy efficiencies of dry grind corn-ethanol plants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Model-based analysis of water management in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinzierl, C.; Krewer, U.

    2014-12-01

    Mathematical modelling is used to analyse water management in Alkaline Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (ADMFCs) with an anion exchange membrane as electrolyte. Cathodic water supply is identified as one of the main challenges and investigated at different operation conditions. Two extreme case scenarios are modelled to study the feasible conditions for sufficient water supply. Scenario 1 reveals that water supply by cathodic inlet is insufficient and, thus, water transport through membrane is essential for ADMFC operation. The second scenario is used to analyse requirements on water transport through the membrane for different operation conditions. These requirements are influenced by current density, evaporation rate, methanol cross-over and electro-osmotic drag of water. Simulations indicate that water supply is mainly challenging for high current densities and demands on high water diffusion are intensified by water drag. Thus, current density might be limited by water transport through membrane. The presented results help to identify important effects and processes in ADMFCs with a polymer electrolyte membrane and to understand these processes. Furthermore, the requirements identified by modelling show the importance of considering water transport through membrane besides conductivity and methanol cross-over especially for designing new membrane materials.

  4. Development of PdM (M = Ni, Cu, Ag) electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline medium in the absence and presence of alcohol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isidoro, Roberta Alvarenga

    2015-01-01

    Pd/C, Pd Cu/C, Pd Ni/C and Pd Ag/C electrocatalysts were produced by microwave method to be used as cathode in alkaline fuel cell in the absence and presence of alcohol. This method showed to be effective for the materials production, the particles exhibited good dispersion in carbon support and it produced electrocatalysts with a particle size of about 3.5 nm, according to XRD and TEM analysis. In cyclic voltammetry is observed that Pd Cu/C and Pd Ni/C electrocatalysts has higher active area with higher amount of Cu and Ni, respectively. Rotating ring disk analysis in the electrocatalysts showed that the amount of peroxide produced was at most 4%. This data is similar to Koutecky-Levich analysis, once for both the ORR occurs via 4 electrons. Materials stability analysis showed that they kept or improve performance in ORR, comparing the data before and after 1000 voltammetric cycles. Tolerance tests in methanol and ethanol were performed in a half cell in all electrocatalysts compositions. In presence of methanol and ethanol the compositions 50:50, to all materials studied, showed less influence in the presence of alcohol in ORR linear scan. In alkaline fuel cell Pd Ag/C 70:30 showed better performance for ORR in presence of methanol and Pd Ni/C 70:30 showed better performance for ORR in ethanol presence. (author)

  5. Volatility spillovers in China’s crude oil, corn and fuel ethanol markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haixia, Wu; Shiping, Li

    2013-01-01

    Price volatility spillovers among China’s crude oil, corn and fuel ethanol markets are analyzed based on weekly price data from September 5, 2003 to August 31, 2012, employing the univariate EGARCH model and the BEKK-MVGARCH model, respectively. The empirical results indicate a higher interaction among crude oil, corn and fuel ethanol markets after September, 2008. In the overall sample period, the results simultaneously provide strong evidence that there exist unidirectional spillover effects from the crude oil market to the corn and fuel ethanol markets, and double-directional spillovers between the corn market and the fuel ethanol market. However, the spillover effects from the corn and fuel ethanol markets to the crude oil market are not significant. -- Highlights: •Employing univariate EGARCH model and BEKK-MVGARCH model, respectively. Unidirectional spillover effects from crude oil market to corn and fuel ethanol markets. •Double-directional spillovers between corn market and fuel ethanol market. •The spillover effects from corn and fuel ethanol markets to crude oil market are not significant. •The empirical results indicate a higher interaction among crude oil, corn and fuel ethanol markets after September, 2008

  6. Direct Fungal Production of Ethanol from High-Solids Pulps by the Ethanol-fermenting White-rot Fungus Phlebia sp. MG-60

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ichiro Kamei

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available A white-rot fungus, Phlebia sp. MG-60, was applied to the fermentation of high-solid loadings of unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (UHKP without the addition of commercial cellulase. From 4.7% UHKP, 19.6 g L-1 ethanol was produced, equivalent to 61.7% of the theoretical maximum. The highest ethanol concentration (25.9 g L-1, or 46.7% of the theoretical maximum was observed in the culture containing 9.1% UHKP. The highest filter paper activity (FPase was observed in the culture containing 4.7% UHKP, while the production of FPase in the 16.5% UHKP culture was very low. Temporarily removing the silicone plug from Erlenmeyer flasks, which relieved the pressure and allowed a small amount of aeration, improved the yield of ethanol produced from the 9.1% UHKP, which reached as high as 37.3 g L-1. These results indicated that production of cellulase and ensuing saccharification and fermentation by Phlebia sp. MG-60 is affected by water content and benefits from a small amount of aeration.

  7. The composition and impact of stakeholders' agendas on US ethanol production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talamini, Edson; Eduardo Caldarelli, Carlos; Wubben, Emiel F.M.; Dewes, Homero

    2012-01-01

    This paper aims to identify the macro-environmental dimensions under which journalists, scientists and policy-makers have framed the liquid biofuels in the US over time. The number of publications concerning liquid biofuels from mass media, scientific community and government with ethanol production are correlated, seeking for causality between ethanol production and those stakeholders' agendas. Text-mining techniques were used to explore 2016 mass-media news sources, 455 scientific papers and 854 government documents published between 1997 and 2006. Granger-causality tests were performed to analyse the causality concerning stakeholders' agendas. The results indicate that scientists emphasise environmental, agronomic and technological matters, while journalists are more interested in covering economic, environmental, geopolitical and political issues. Although policies on this subject appear to be more in line with science, the trend analysis indicates that the mass media are gaining prominence amongst policy-makers. The causation analysis suggests that ethanol production and public policy present a bi-directional causality at t-2 time lag. At t-1 time lag, ethanol production precedes the publication of scientific documents, which present a bi-directional causality with public policy on ethanol and precedes the mass-media news. In conclusion, ethanol production precedes the presence of liquid biofuels on the agendas of scientists, journalists and policy-makers. - Highlights: ► Composition and impact of stakeholders' agendas on ethanol production were analysed. ► 3325 documents published between 1997 and 2006 were text mined. ► Government agenda and ethanol production present a bi-directional causality. ► Science has played an advisory role in policy-making. ► Ethanol production precedes the stakeholders' agendas.

  8. Crude oil–corn–ethanol – nexus: A contextual approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Natanelov, Valeri; McKenzie, Andrew M.; Van Huylenbroeck, Guido

    2013-01-01

    This paper offers a holistic study on the complex relationships between crude oil, corn and ethanol during a turbulent period between 2006 and end of 2011. Through a holistic mapping of the current market situation and a contextual analytical design we show that there exists a strong relationship between crude oil and corn markets on one side, and crude oil and ethanol on the other. However, the price relationship between corn and ethanol was revealed to be less straightforward, and is driven by the US government fuel policy. Furthermore the study indicates that corn markets have became more prone to volatility due to ethanol production, especially when the demand for corn is high and/or the crude oil prices are high enough to create a competitive market for ethanol. - Highlights: • Strong relationship between crude oil–corn and crude oil–ethanol. • Corn–ethanol connected through a by-pass of crude oil markets. • Ethanol market has no direct impact on the price levels of corn. • Corn markets became more prone to volatility due to ethanol production

  9. Co-production of bio-ethanol, electricity and heat from biomass residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reith, J.H.; Den Uil, H.; Van Veen, H. [ECN Biomass, Petten (Netherlands); De Laat, W.T.A.M.; Niessen, J.J. [Royal Nedalco, Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands); De Jong, E.; Elbersen, H.W.; Weusthuis, R. [Agrotechnological Research Institute ATO, BU Renewable Resources, Wageningen (Netherlands); Van Dijken, J.P.; Raamsdonk, L. [Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands)

    2002-07-01

    The use of lignocellulose biomass residues as a feedstock offers good perspectives for large scale production of fuel ethanol at competitive costs. An evaluation was performed to assess the international status of lignocellulose-to-bioethanol technology and the economical and ecological system performance, to identify RandD approaches for further development. Deriving fermentable sugars from the hemicellulose and cellulose fractions of lignocellulose materials via suitable pretreatment and enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis is a critical RandD issue. Further development of pretreatment via mild, low temperature alkaline extraction or weak acid hydrolysis using CO2, dissolved in pressurized hot water ('carbonic acid process') shows good perspectives. Enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis with the currently available industrial cellulases accounts for 36-45% of ethanol production costs. At least a 10-fold increase of cellulase cost-effectiveness is required. Despite substantial RandD efforts, no suitable fermentation system is currently available for the fermentation of pentoses (mainly xylose) from the hemicellulose fraction. Several strains of anaerobic, thermophilic bacteria are able to convert all (hemi)cellulose components into ethanol. Follow-up RandD will focus on isolation of suitable strain(s) from this group. The system evaluation shows a 40-55% energetic efficiency (LHV basis) for conversion of lignocellulose feedstocks to ethanol. Thermal conversion of non-fermentable residues (mainly lignin) in a Biomass-Integrated-Gasifier/Combined Cycle (BIG/CC) system can provide the total steam and electricity requirement for the production process and an electricity surplus for export to the grid, giving a total system efficiency of 56-68%. Water consumption in the process (28-54 liter water/liter ethanol) is much higher than in current ethanol production (lo-15 l/l ethanol). The large amount of process water (used in the pretreatment and cellulose hydrolysis

  10. Preparation and characterization of Pt/C and Pt-Ru/C electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Zhaolin; Ling, Xing Yi; Su, Xiaodi; Lee, Jim Yang; Gan, Leong Ming [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 3 Research Link, Singapore 117602 (Singapore)

    2005-09-26

    Nano-sized Pt and Pt-Ru colloids are prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process, and transferred to a toluene solution of decanthiol. Vulcan XC-72 is then added to the toluene solution to adsorb the thiolated Pt and Pt-Ru colloids. Transmission electron microscopy examinations show nearly spherical particles and narrow size distributions for both supported and unsupported metals. The carbon-supported Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles are activated by thermal treatment to remove the thiol stabilizing shell. All Pt and Pt-Ru catalysts (except Pt{sub 23}-Ru{sub 77}) give the X-ray diffraction pattern of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas the Pt{sub 23}-Ru{sub 77} alloy is more typical of the hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure. The electro-oxidation of liquid ethanol on these catalysts is investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry. The results demonstrate that the alloy catalyst is catalytically more active than pure platinum. Preliminary tests on a single cell of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) indicate that a Pt{sub 52}-Ru{sub 48}/C anode catalyst gives the best electrocatalytic performance among all the carbon-supported Pt and Pt-Ru catalysts. (author)

  11. Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy: Analysis of Two Direct Metabolites of Ethanol in Meconium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanvisens, Arantza; Robert, Neus; Hernández, José María; Zuluaga, Paola; Farré, Magí; Coroleu, Wifredo; Serra, Montserrat; Tor, Jordi; Muga, Robert

    2016-03-22

    Alcohol consumption in young women is a widespread habit that may continue during pregnancy and induce alterations in the fetus. We aimed to characterize prevalence of alcohol consumption in parturient women and to assess fetal ethanol exposure in their newborns by analyzing two direct metabolites of ethanol in meconium. This is a cross-sectional study performed in September 2011 and March 2012 in a series of women admitted to an obstetric unit following childbirth. During admission, socio-demographic and substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, and opiates) during pregnancy were assessed using a structured questionnaire and clinical charts. We also recorded the characteristics of pregnancy, childbirth, and neonates. The meconium analysis was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to detect the presence of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS). Fifty-one parturient and 52 neonates were included and 48 meconium samples were suitable for EtG and EtS detection. The median age of women was 30 years (interquartile range (IQR): 26-34 years); EtG was present in all meconium samples and median concentration of EtG was 67.9 ng/g (IQR: 36.0-110.6 ng/g). With respect to EtS, it was undetectable (alcohol consumption during pregnancy in face-to-face interviews. However, prevalence of fetal exposure to alcohol through the detection of EtG and EtS was 4.2% and 16.7%, respectively. Prevention of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the detection of substance use with markers of fetal exposure are essential components of maternal and child health.

  12. Effects of ethanol on Pavlovian autoshaping in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomie, A; Cunha, C; Mosakowski, E M; Quartarolo, N M; Pohorecky, L A; Benjamin, D

    1998-09-01

    Approach responses, consummatory behaviors, and directed motor responses maintained by food reward resemble autoshaping CRs and are increased by lower doses of ethanol. This study evaluated the effects of presession i.p. injections of ethanol doses (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.70. or 1.00 g/kg) on the acquisition of lever-press autoshaping CR performance in groups of male Long-Evans hooded rats. Paired groups received 15 daily sessions of Pavlovian autoshaping procedures, wherein the insertion of a retractable lever for 5 s (CS) was followed by the response-independent presentation of food (US). Ethanol facilitated lever-press autoshaping CR acquisition, as revealed by dose-related increases in the number of trials on which CRs were performed. The form of the dose-effect curve was inverted U-shaped with maximal responding induced during sessions 1-5 by the 0.70 g/kg ethanol dose. A similar dose-effect curve was observed during sessions 11-15, revealing that the effects of ethanol on autoshaping CR performance were relatively stable. A pseudoconditioning control group injected presession with 0.50 g/kg ethanol received training wherein the food US was presented randomly with respect to the lever CS. Few lever-presses were performed by the Random 0.50 group, indicating that ethanol's effects on autoshaping CR acquisition and maintenance observed in the Paired 0.50 group were not due to its psychomotor activating effects. A non-injection control group performed more autoshaping CRs than did the control group injected presession with saline, indicating that daily presession i.p. injections per se suppress autoshaping CR performance. Results reveal that low doses of ethanol enhance Pavlovian conditioning of directed motor and consummatory-like responding maintained by food reward. Implications for autoshaping accounts of impulsivity and drug abuse are considered.

  13. Vapochromic behavior of MOF for selective sensing of ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhenhua; Chen, Qianwang

    2018-04-01

    A MOF material, Co3[Co(CN)6]2 nanoparticles has been prepared for the effective detection of ethanol in vapor phase. When exposed to ethanol vapor, the material was changed from pink to purple, which is easily observed by naked eyes directly. We propose that the ethanol response is due to ethanol molecules entering the pores of the solid, where they alter the coordination geometry, leading to conversion of their Co centers from octahedral to tetrahedral coordination. Significantly, the change is reversible, which make the material reusable without subjecting to dynamic vacuum or slightly warming.

  14. Development of alkaline fuel cells.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hibbs, Michael R.; Jenkins, Janelle E.; Alam, Todd Michael; Janarthanan, Rajeswari; Horan, James L.; Caire, Benjamin R.; Ziegler, Zachary C.; Herring, Andrew M.; Yang, Yuan; Zuo, Xiaobing; Robson, Michael H.; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Patterson, Wendy; Atanassov, Plamen Borissov

    2013-09-01

    This project focuses on the development and demonstration of anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells for portable power applications. Novel polymeric anion exchange membranes and ionomers with high chemical stabilities were prepared characterized by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories. Durable, non-precious metal catalysts were prepared by Dr. Plamen Atanassovs research group at the University of New Mexico by utilizing an aerosol-based process to prepare templated nano-structures. Dr. Andy Herrings group at the Colorado School of Mines combined all of these materials to fabricate and test membrane electrode assemblies for single cell testing in a methanol-fueled alkaline system. The highest power density achieved in this study was 54 mW/cm2 which was 90% of the project target and the highest reported power density for a direct methanol alkaline fuel cell.

  15. PRENATAL ETHANOL EXPOSURE LEADS TO GREATER ETHANOL-INDUCED APPETITIVE REINFORCEMENT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pautassi, Ricardo M.; Nizhnikov, Michael E.; Spear, Norman E.; Molina, Juan C.

    2012-01-01

    Prenatal ethanol significantly heightens later alcohol consumption, but the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon are poorly understood. Little is known about the basis of this effect of prenatal ethanol on the sensitivity to ethanol’s reinforcing effects. One possibility is that prenatal ethanol exposure makes subjects more sensitive to the appetitive effects of ethanol or less sensitive to ethanol’s aversive consequences. The present study assessed ethanol-induced second-order conditioned place preference (CPP) and aversion and ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in infant rats prenatally exposed to ethanol (2.0 g/kg) or vehicle (water) or left untreated. The involvement of the κ opioid receptor system in ethanol-induced CTA was also explored. When place conditioning occurred during the ascending limb of the blood-ethanol curve (Experiment 1), the pups exposed to ethanol in utero exhibited greater CPP than untreated controls, with a shift to the right of the dose-response curve. Conditioning during a later phase of intoxication (30–45 min post-administration; Experiment 2) resulted in place aversion in control pups exposed to vehicle during late gestation but not in pups that were exposed to ethanol in utero. Ethanol induced a reliable and similar CTA (Experiment 3) in the pups treated with vehicle or ethanol during gestation, and CTA was insensitive to κ antagonism. These results suggest that brief exposure to a moderate ethanol dose during late gestation promotes ethanol-mediated reinforcement and alters the expression of conditioned aversion by ethanol. This shift in the motivational reactivity to ethanol may be an underlying basis of the effect of prenatal ethanol on later ethanol acceptance. PMID:22698870

  16. The Potential of Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Grasses in Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinaporn Wongwatanapaiboon

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The grasses in Thailand were analyzed for the potentiality as the alternative energy crops for cellulosic ethanol production by biological process. The average percentage composition of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the samples of 18 types of grasses from various provinces was determined as 31.85–38.51, 31.13–42.61, and 3.10–5.64, respectively. The samples were initially pretreated with alkaline peroxide followed by enzymatic hydrolysis to investigate the enzymatic saccharification. The total reducing sugars in most grasses ranging from 500–600 mg/g grasses (70–80% yield were obtained. Subsequently, 11 types of grasses were selected as feedstocks for the ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF. The enzymes, cellulase and xylanase, were utilized for hydrolysis and the yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis, were applied for cofermentation at 35°C for 7 days. From the results, the highest yield of ethanol, 1.14 g/L or 0.14 g/g substrate equivalent to 32.72% of the theoretical values was obtained from Sri Lanka ecotype vetiver grass. When the yields of dry matter were included in the calculations, Sri Lanka ecotype vetiver grass gave the yield of ethanol at 1,091.84 L/ha/year, whereas the leaves of dwarf napier grass showed the maximum yield of 2,720.55 L/ha/year (0.98 g/L or 0.12 g/g substrate equivalent to 30.60% of the theoretical values.

  17. Ternary Pt/Rh/SnO2 electrocatalysts for oxidizing ethanol to CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kowal, A; Li, M; Shao, M; Sasaki, K; Vukmirovic, M B; Zhang, J; Marinkovic, N S; Liu, P; Frenkel, A I; Adzic, R R

    2009-04-01

    Ethanol, with its high energy density, likely production from renewable sources and ease of storage and transportation, is almost the ideal combustible for fuel cells wherein its chemical energy can be converted directly into electrical energy. However, commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells has been impeded by ethanol's slow, inefficient oxidation even at the best electrocatalysts. We synthesized a ternary PtRhSnO(2)/C electrocatalyst by depositing platinum and rhodium atoms on carbon-supported tin dioxide nanoparticles that is capable of oxidizing ethanol with high efficiency and holds great promise for resolving the impediments to developing practical direct ethanol fuel cells. This electrocatalyst effectively splits the C-C bond in ethanol at room temperature in acid solutions, facilitating its oxidation at low potentials to CO(2), which has not been achieved with existing catalysts. Our experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate that the electrocatalyst's activity is due to the specific property of each of its constituents, induced by their interactions. These findings help explain the high activity of Pt-Ru for methanol oxidation and the lack of it for ethanol oxidation, and point to the way to accomplishing the C-C bond splitting in other catalytic processes.

  18. Competitiveness of Brazilian sugarcane ethanol compared to US corn ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crago, Christine L.; Khanna, Madhu; Barton, Jason; Giuliani, Eduardo; Amaral, Weber

    2010-01-01

    Corn ethanol produced in the US and sugarcane ethanol produced in Brazil are the world's leading sources of biofuel. Current US biofuel policies create both incentives and constraints for the import of ethanol from Brazil and together with the cost competitiveness and greenhouse gas intensity of sugarcane ethanol compared to corn ethanol will determine the extent of these imports. This study analyzes the supply-side determinants of cost competitiveness and compares the greenhouse gas intensity of corn ethanol and sugarcane ethanol delivered to US ports. We find that while the cost of sugarcane ethanol production in Brazil is lower than that of corn ethanol in the US, the inclusion of transportation costs for the former and co-product credits for the latter changes their relative competitiveness. We also find that the relative cost of ethanol in the US and Brazil is highly sensitive to the prevailing exchange rate and prices of feedstocks. At an exchange rate of US1=R2.15 the cost of corn ethanol is 15% lower than the delivered cost of sugarcane ethanol at a US port. Sugarcane ethanol has lower GHG emissions than corn ethanol but a price of over $113 per ton of CO 2 is needed to affect competitiveness. (author)

  19. Direct ethanol production from starch, wheat bran and rice straw by the white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Okamoto, Kenji; Nitta, Yasuyuki; Maekawa, Nitaro; Yanase, Hideshi

    2011-01-01

    The white rot fungus Trametes hirsuta produced ethanol from a variety of hexoses: glucose, mannose, cellobiose and maltose, with yields of 0.49. 0.48, 0.47 and 0.47 g/g of ethanol per sugar utilized, respectively. In addition, this fungus showed relatively favorable xylose consumption and ethanol

  20. Extreme thermophilic ethanol production from rapeseed straw: using the newly isolated Thermoanaerobacter pentosaceus and combining it with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a two-step process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tomás, Ana Faria; Karagöz, Pınar; Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov

    2013-01-01

    from the liquid fraction of pretreated rapeseed straw, without any dilution or need for additives. However, when the hydrolysate was used undiluted the ethanol yield was only 37% compared to yield of the control, in which pure sugars in synthetic medium were used. The decrease of ethanol yield...... showed that the two strains together could achieve up to 85% of the theoretical ethanol yield based on the sugar composition of the rapeseed straw, which was 14% and 50% higher compared to the yield with the yeast or the bacteria alone, respectively. Biotechnol. Bioeng. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.......The newly isolated extreme thermophile Thermoanaerobacter pentosaceus was used for ethanol production from alkaline-peroxide pretreated rapeseed straw (PRS). Both the liquid and solid fractions of PRS were used. T. pentosaceus was able to metabolize the typical process inhibitors present...

  1. Alkaline Activator Impact on the Geopolymer Binders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Błaszczyński, Tomasz Z.; Król, Maciej R.

    2017-10-01

    Concrete structures are constantly moving in the direction of improving the durability. Durability depends on many factors, which are the composition of concrete mix, the usage of additives and admixtures and the place, where material will work and carry the load. The introduction of new geopolymer binders for geopolymer structures adds a new aspect that is type of used activator. This substance with strongly alkaline reaction is divided because of the physical state, the alkaline degree and above all the chemical composition. Taking into account, that at present the geopolymer binders are made essentially from waste materials or by-products from the combustion of coal or iron ore smelting, unambiguous determination of the effect of the activator on the properties of the geopolymer material requires a number of trials, researches and observation. This paper shows the influence of the most alkaline activators on the basic parameters of the durability of geopolymer binders. In this study there were used highly alkaline hydroxides, water glasses and granules, which are waste materials in a variety of processes taking place in chemical plants. As the substrate of geopolymer binders there were used fly ash which came from coal and high calcareous ash from the burning of lignite.

  2. Ethanol is a strategic raw material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baras Josip K.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The first part of this review article considers general data about ethanol as an industrial product, its qualities and uses. It is emphasized that, if produced from biomass as a renewable raw material, its perspectives as a chemical raw material and energent are brilliant. Starchy grains, such as corn, must be used as the main raw materials for ethanol production. The production of bioethanol by the enzyme-catalyzed conversion of starch followed by (yeast fermentation, distillation is the process of choice. If used as a motor fuel, anhydrous ethanol can be directly blended with gasoline or converted into an oxygenator such as ETBE. Finally, bioethanol production in Yugoslavia and the possibilities for its further development are discussed.

  3. Study of PtNi/C catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell; Estudo do catalisador PtNi/C para celula a combustivel de etanol direto

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moraes, L.P.R. de; Silva, E.L. da; Amico, S.C.; Malfatti, C.F., E-mail: eticiaprm@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

    2014-07-01

    In this work, PtNi binary catalyst and pure platin catalyst were synthesized by the impregnation-reduction method, using Vulcan XC72R as support, for direct ethanol fuel cells. The composition and structure of the catalysts were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, the electrochemical behavior was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and morphology of the catalysts was studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the addition of Ni to Pt led to the contraction of the crystal lattice, increased the catalytic activity compared to pure Pt and initiated the electrooxidation of ethanol at lower potential. (author)

  4. Environmental sustainability assessment of bio-ethanol production in Thailand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silalertruksa, Thapat; Gheewala, Shabbir H.

    2009-01-01

    Bio-ethanol is playing an important role in renewable energy for transport according to Thai government policy. This study aims to evaluate the energy efficiency and renewability of bio-ethanol system and identify the current significant environmental risks and availability of feedstocks in Thailand. Four of the seven existing ethanol plants contributing 53% of the total ethanol fuel production in Thailand have been assessed by the net energy balance method and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A renewability and net energy ratio portfolio has been used to indicate whether existing bio-ethanol production systems have net energy gain and could help reduce dependency on fossil energy. In addition, LCA has been conducted to identify and evaluate the environmental hotspots of 'cradle to gate' bio-ethanol production. The results show that there are significant differences of energy and environmental performance among the four existing production systems even for the same feedstock. The differences are dependent on many factors such as farming practices, feedstock transportion, fuel used in ethanol plants, operation practices and technology of ethanol conversion and waste management practices. Recommendations for improving the overall energy and environmental performance of the bio-ethanol system are suggested in order to direct the bio-ethanol industry in Thailand towards environmental sustainability.

  5. Modifying Yeast Tolerance to Inhibitory Conditions of Ethanol Production Processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caspeta, Luis; Castillo, Tania; Nielsen, Jens

    2015-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains having a broad range of substrate utilization, rapid substrate consumption, and conversion to ethanol, as well as good tolerance to inhibitory conditions are ideal for cost-competitive ethanol production from lignocellulose. A major drawback to directly design S....... cerevisiae tolerance to inhibitory conditions of lignocellulosic ethanol production processes is the lack of knowledge about basic aspects of its cellular signaling network in response to stress. Here, we highlight the inhibitory conditions found in ethanol production processes, the targeted cellular...... functions, the key contributions of integrated -omics analysis to reveal cellular stress responses according to these inhibitors, and current status on design-based engineering of tolerant and efficient S. cerevisiae strains for ethanol production from lignocellulose....

  6. T1r3 taste receptor involvement in gustatory neural responses to ethanol and oral ethanol preference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brasser, Susan M; Norman, Meghan B; Lemon, Christian H

    2010-05-01

    Elevated alcohol consumption is associated with enhanced preference for sweet substances across species and may be mediated by oral alcohol-induced activation of neurobiological substrates for sweet taste. Here, we directly examined the contribution of the T1r3 receptor protein, important for sweet taste detection in mammals, to ethanol intake and preference and the neural processing of ethanol taste by measuring behavioral and central neurophysiological responses to oral alcohol in T1r3 receptor-deficient mice and their C57BL/6J background strain. T1r3 knockout and wild-type mice were tested in behavioral preference assays for long-term voluntary intake of a broad concentration range of ethanol, sucrose, and quinine. For neurophysiological experiments, separate groups of mice of each genotype were anesthetized, and taste responses to ethanol and stimuli of different taste qualities were electrophysiologically recorded from gustatory neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Mice lacking the T1r3 receptor were behaviorally indifferent to alcohol (i.e., ∼50% preference values) at concentrations typically preferred by wild-type mice (5-15%). Central neural taste responses to ethanol in T1r3-deficient mice were significantly lower compared with C57BL/6J controls, a strain for which oral ethanol stimulation produced a concentration-dependent activation of sweet-responsive NTS gustatory neurons. An attenuated difference in ethanol preference between knockouts and controls at concentrations >15% indicated that other sensory and/or postingestive effects of ethanol compete with sweet taste input at high concentrations. As expected, T1r3 knockouts exhibited strongly suppressed behavioral and neural taste responses to sweeteners but did not differ from wild-type mice in responses to prototypic salt, acid, or bitter stimuli. These data implicate the T1r3 receptor in the sensory detection and transduction of ethanol taste.

  7. Electrochemical oxidation of ethanol using PtRh/C electrocatalysts in alkaline medium and synthesized by sodium borohydride and alcohol reduction; Oxidação eletroquímica do etanol utilizando eletrocatalisadores PtRh/C em meio alcalino e sintetizados via borohidreto de sódio e redução por álcool

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fontes, Eric Hossein

    2017-07-01

    PtRh/C were prepared by the following atomic proportions: (100,0), (0,100), (90,10), (70,30) and (50,50). The methods employed in the synthesis of these materials were reduction by sodium borohydride and reduction by alcohol. The metal salts used were H{sub 2}PtCl{sub 6}3•6H{sub 2}0 and (RhNO{sub 3}){sub 3}, the support used was Carbon black XC72 and the bulk metal composition was 20% and 80% of support. The electrocatalysts were characterized by Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy. The ethanol electrochemical oxidation mechanism was investigated by in situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy couple to an Attenuated Total Reflection technique. The electrocatalytic activity were evaluated by Cyclic Voltammetry, Linear Sweep Voltammetry and Chronoamperometry techniques. The Fuel Cells tests were made in a single direct alcohol fuel cell with alkaline membrane. The working electrodes were prepared by a thin porous coating technique. X-ray diffraction allowed to verify metallic alloys, segregate phases and to calculate the percentage of metallic alloys. It was else possible to identify crystallographic phases. Infrared Spectroscopy allowed to verify that the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol was carried out by an incomplete mechanism. PtRh(70:30)/C prepared by sodium borohydride produced large amounts of carbon dioxide and acetaldehyde. Rh/C showed electrocatalytic activity when compared with other materials studied.

  8. Intermediates of radiolytic transformations of 6-aminophenalenone in ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenova, G.V.; Ponomarev, A.V.; Kartasheva, L.I.; Pikaev, A.K.

    1992-01-01

    Pulsed radiolysis method is used to study transformations intermediates of 6-aminophenalenone in ethanol. In alkaline medium the main product is radical-anion of 6-aminophenalenone, which optical absorption spectrum contains two bands with maxima at 355 and 400 nm. The particle precursors are e s , CH 3 CHOH and CH 3 CHO - radicals. In neutral and acid medium radical-anions are protonated in reactions with alcohol and hydrogen ions. The resulting H-adduct of 6-aminophenalenone has optical absorption maxima at 350 and 390 nm. Availability of two maxima is related to two various product structures. Molar extinction coefficients of radical-anions and H-adducts of 6-aminophenalenone and rate constants of reactions with their participation are estimated

  9. The state of autotrophic ethanol production in Cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, J; Armshaw, P; Sheahan, C; Pembroke, J T

    2015-07-01

    Ethanol production directly from CO2 , utilizing genetically engineered photosynthetic cyanobacteria as a biocatalyst, offers significant potential as a renewable and sustainable source of biofuel. Despite the current absence of a commercially successful production system, significant resources have been deployed to realize this goal. Utilizing the pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymomonas species, metabolically derived pyruvate can be converted to ethanol. This review of both peer-reviewed and patent literature focuses on the genetic modifications utilized for metabolic engineering and the resultant effect on ethanol yield. Gene dosage, induced expression and cassette optimizat-ion have been analyzed to optimize production, with production rates of 0·1-0·5 g L(-1) day(-1) being achieved. The current 'toolbox' of molecular manipulations and future directions focusing on applicability, addressing the primary challenges facing commercialization of cyanobacterial technologies are discussed. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  10. Compositional and structural changes in Phoenix canariensis and Opuntia ficus-indica with pretreatment: Effects on enzymatic hydrolysis and second generation ethanol production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udeh, Benard Anayo; Erkurt, Emrah Ahmet

    2017-01-01

    Two different plants namely Phoenix canariensis and Opuntia ficus-indica were used as substrate for reducing sugar generation and ethanol production. Dilute acid, alkaline and steam explosion were used as pretreatment methods in order to depolymerize lignin and/or hemicellulose and recover cellulose. By using alkaline pretreatment with 2.5% NaOH 71.08% for P. canariensis and 74.61% for O. ficus-indica lignin removal and 81.84% for P. canariensis and 72.66% for O. ficus-indica cellulose recovery yields were obtained. Pretreated materials were hydrolyzed by cellulase with high efficiency (87.0% and 84.5% cellulose conversion yields for P. canariensis and O. ficus-indica) and used as substrate for fermentation. Maximum ethanol production of 15.75g/L and 14.71g/L were achieved from P. canariensis and O. ficus-indica respectively. Structural differences were observed by XRD, FTIR and SEM for untreated, pretreated, hydrolyzed and fermented samples and were highly correlated with compositional analysis results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Operant ethanol self-administration in ethanol dependent mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Marcelo F; Becker, Howard C

    2014-05-01

    While rats have been predominantly used to study operant ethanol self-administration behavior in the context of dependence, several studies have employed operant conditioning procedures to examine changes in ethanol self-administration behavior as a function of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal experience in mice. This review highlights some of the advantages of using operant conditioning procedures for examining the motivational effects of ethanol in animals with a history of dependence. As reported in rats, studies using various operant conditioning procedures in mice have demonstrated significant escalation of ethanol self-administration behavior in mice rendered dependent via forced chronic ethanol exposure in comparison to nondependent mice. This paper also presents a summary of these findings, as well as suggestions for future studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Preparation and characterization of Pt/C and Pt sbnd Ru/C electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhaolin; Ling, Xing Yi; Su, Xiaodi; Lee, Jim Yang; Gan, Leong Ming

    Nano-sized Pt and Pt sbnd Ru colloids are prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process, and transferred to a toluene solution of decanthiol. Vulcan XC-72 is then added to the toluene solution to adsorb the thiolated Pt and Pt sbnd Ru colloids. Transmission electron microscopy examinations show nearly spherical particles and narrow size distributions for both supported and unsupported metals. The carbon-supported Pt and Pt sbnd Ru nanoparticles are activated by thermal treatment to remove the thiol stabilizing shell. All Pt and Pt sbnd Ru catalysts (except Pt 23sbnd Ru 77) give the X-ray diffraction pattern of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas the Pt 23sbnd Ru 77 alloy is more typical of the hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure. The electro-oxidation of liquid ethanol on these catalysts is investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry. The results demonstrate that the alloy catalyst is catalytically more active than pure platinum. Preliminary tests on a single cell of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) indicate that a Pt 52sbnd Ru 48/C anode catalyst gives the best electrocatalytic performance among all the carbon-supported Pt and Pt sbnd Ru catalysts.

  13. Ethanol enhances GABA-induced 36Cl-influx in primary spinal cord cultured neurons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ticku, M.K.; Lowrimore, P.; Lehoullier, P.

    1986-01-01

    Ethanol has a pharmacological profile similar to other centrally acting drugs, which facilitate GABAergic transmission. GABA is known to produce its effects by increasing the conductance to Cl- ions. In this study, we have examined the effect of ethanol on GABA-induced 36Cl-influx in primary spinal cord cultured neurons. GABA produces a concentration-dependent, and saturable effect on 36Cl-influx in these neurons. Ethanol potentiates the effect of GABA on 36Cl-influx in these neurons. GABA (20 microM) increased the 36Cl-influx by 75% over the basal value, and in the presence of 50 mM ethanol, the observed increase was 142%. Eadie-Hoffstee analysis of the saturation curves indicated that ethanol decreases the Km value of GABA (10.6 microM to 4.2 microM), and also increases the Vmax. Besides potentiating the effect of GABA, ethanol also appears to have a direct effect in the absence of added GABA. These results suggest that ethanol enhances GABA-induced 36Cl-influx and indicate a role of GABAergic system in the actions of ethanol. These results also support the behavioral and electrophysiological studies, which have implicated GABA systems in the actions of ethanol. The potential mechanism(s) and the role of direct effect of ethanol is not clear at this time, but is currently being investigated

  14. Promotion effect of H2 on ethanol oxidation and NOx reduction with ethanol over Ag/Al2O3 catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yunbo; Li, Yi; Zhang, Xiuli; Deng, Hua; He, Hong; Li, Yuyang

    2015-01-06

    The catalytic partial oxidation of ethanol and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ethanol (ethanol-SCR) over Ag/Al2O3 were studied using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS). The intermediates were identified by PIMS and their photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. The results indicate that H2 promotes the partial oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde over Ag/Al2O3, while the simultaneously occurring processes of dehydration and dehydrogenation were inhibited. H2 addition favors the formation of ammonia during ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3, the occurrence of which creates an effective pathway for NOx reduction by direct reaction with NH3. Simultaneously, the enhancement of the formation of ammonia benefits its reaction with surface enolic species, resulting in producing -NCO species again, leading to enhancement of ethanol-SCR over Ag/Al2O3 by H2. Using VUV-PIMS, the reactive vinyloxy radical was observed in the gas phase during the NOx reduction by ethanol for the first time, particularly in the presence of H2. Identification of such a reaction occurring in the gas phase may be crucial for understanding the reaction pathway of HC-SCR over Ag/Al2O3.

  15. Comparative performance of direct injection diesel engine operating on ethanol, petrol and rapeseed oil blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labeckas, Gvidonas; Slavinskas, Stasys

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the bench testing results of a four stroke, four cylinder, direct injection, unmodified, diesel engine operating on pure rapeseed oil (RO) and its 2.5 vol%, 5 vol%, 7.5 vol% and 10 vol% blends with ethanol (ERO), petrol (PRO) and both improving agents applied in equal proportions as 50:50 vol% (EPRO). The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of ethanol and petrol addition into RO on the biofuel kinematical viscosity, brake mean effective pressure (bmep), brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) of a diesel engine and its brake thermal efficiency (bte). Addition into RO from 2.5 to 7.5 vol% of ethanol and petrol its viscosity at ambient temperature of 20 deg. C diminishes by 9.2-28.3% and 14.1-31.7%, respectively. Heating up to the temperature of 60 deg. C the viscosity of pure RO, blends ERO2.5-7.5 and PRO2.5-10 further diminishes 4.2, 3.9-3.8 and 3.9-3.6 times. At 1800 min -1 speed, the maximum brake mean effective pressure (bmep) higher up to 1.6% comparing with that of pure RO (0.77 MPa) ensure three agent blends EPRO5-7.5, whereas at rated 2200 min -1 speed, the bmep higher by 5.6% can be obtained when fuelling the engine with blend PRO2.5. Brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) at maximum torque (240.2 g/kWh) and rated power (234.0 g/kWh) is correspondingly lower by 3.4% and 5.5% in comparison with pure RO when biofuel blends EPRO5 and PRO2.5 are used. The biggest brake thermal efficiency at maximum torque (0.40-0.41) and rated power (0.42-0.43) relative to that of RO (0.39) suggest blends PRO2.5 and EPRO5-7.5, respectively

  16. Temporal Profiles Dissociate Regional Extracellular Ethanol versus Dopamine Concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    In vivo monitoring of dopamine via microdialysis has demonstrated that acute, systemic ethanol increases extracellular dopamine in regions innervated by dopaminergic neurons originating in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra. Simultaneous measurement of dialysate dopamine and ethanol allows comparison of the time courses of their extracellular concentrations. Early studies demonstrated dissociations between the time courses of brain ethanol concentrations and dopaminergic responses in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) elicited by acute ethanol administration. Both brain ethanol and extracellular dopamine levels peak during the first 5 min following systemic ethanol administration, but the dopamine response returns to baseline while brain ethanol concentrations remain elevated. Post hoc analyses examined ratios of the dopamine response (represented as a percent above baseline) to tissue concentrations of ethanol at different time points within the first 25–30 min in the prefrontal cortex, NAc core and shell, and dorsomedial striatum following a single intravenous infusion of ethanol (1 g/kg). The temporal patterns of these “response ratios” differed across brain regions, possibly due to regional differences in the mechanisms underlying the decline of the dopamine signal associated with acute intravenous ethanol administration and/or to the differential effects of acute ethanol on the properties of subpopulations of midbrain dopamine neurons. This Review draws on neurochemical, physiological, and molecular studies to summarize the effects of acute ethanol administration on dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex and striatal regions, to explore the potential reasons for the regional differences observed in the decline of ethanol-induced dopamine signals, and to suggest directions for future research. PMID:25537116

  17. Effect of adaptation to ethanol on cytoplasmic and membrane protein profiles of Oenococcus oeni

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Silveira, da M.G.; Baumgärtner, M.; Rombouts, F.M.; Abee, T.

    2004-01-01

    The practical application of commercial malolactic starter cultures of Oenococcus oeni surviving direct inoculation in wine requires insight into mechanisms of ethanol toxicity and of acquired ethanol tolerance in this organism. Therefore, the site-specific location of proteins involved in ethanol

  18. New approaches for improving the production of the 1st and 2nd generation ethanol by yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurylenko, Olena; Semkiv, Marta; Ruchala, Justyna; Hryniv, Orest; Kshanovska, Barbara; Abbas, Charles; Dmytruk, Kostyantyn; Sibirny, Andriy

    2016-01-01

    Increase in the production of 1st generation ethanol from glucose is possible by the reduction in the production of ethanol co-products, especially biomass. We have developed a method to reduce biomass accumulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the manipulation of the intracellular ATP level due to overexpression of genes of alkaline phosphatase, apyrase or enzymes involved in futile cycles. The strains constructed accumulated up to 10% more ethanol on a cornmeal hydrolysate medium. Similar increase in ethanol accumulation was observed in the mutants resistant to the toxic inhibitors of glycolysis like 3-bromopyruvate and others. Substantial increase in fuel ethanol production will be obtained by the development of new strains of yeasts that ferment sugars of the abundant lignocellulosic feedstocks, especially xylose, a pentose sugar. We have found that xylose can be fermented under elevated temperatures by the thermotolerant yeast, Hansenula polymorpha. We combined protein engineering of the gene coding for xylose reductase (XYL1) along with overexpression of the other two genes responsible for xylose metabolism in yeast (XYL2, XYL3) and the deletion of the global transcriptional activator CAT8, with the selection of mutants defective in utilizing ethanol as a carbon source using the anticancer drug, 3-bromopyruvate. Resulted strains accumulated 20-25 times more ethanol from xylose at the elevated temperature of 45°C with up to 12.5 g L(-1) produced. Increase in ethanol yield and productivity from xylose was also achieved by overexpression of genes coding for the peroxisomal enzymes: transketolase (DAS1) and transaldolase (TAL2), and deletion of the ATG13 gene.

  19. 2-(2,3-Dihydro-1H-indol-3-yl)ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frydenvang, Karla Andrea; Sommer, Michael Bech; Heckmann, Dieter

    2004-01-01

    The first direct resolution of racemic 2-(2,3-dihydro-lH-indol-3-yl)ethanol-prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of 2-(lH-indol-3-yl)ethanol-has been accomplished by chiral simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography. The single enantiomers were isolated as their dihydrogen phosphate salts. Single......-crystal X-ray analyses were successful, revealing that the (+)-enantiomer of 2-(2,3-dihydro-lH-indol-3-yl)ethanol has the (S) configuration. Chirality 16:126-130, 2004....

  20. Progress of research on the influence of alkaline cation and alkaline solution on bentonite properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Weimin; Zheng Zhenji; Chen Bao; Chen Yonggui

    2011-01-01

    Based on the previous laboratory studies and numerical simulation on bentonite in alkaline environments, the effects of alkaline cation and alkaline solution on mineral composition, microstructure, swelling capacity and hydraulic properties of bentonite are emphasized in this paper, temperature, pH values and concentration are discussed as main affecting factors. When bentonite is exposed to alkaline cation or alkaline solution, microstructure of bentonite will be changed due to the dissolution of montmorillonite and the formation of secondary minerals, which results in the decrease of swelling pressure. The amount of the reduction of swelling pressure depends on the concentration of alkaline solution. Temperature, polyvalent cation, salinity and concentration are the main factors affecting hydraulic properties of bentonite under alkaline conditions. Therefore, future research should focus on the mechanism of coupling effects of weak alkaline solutions on the mineral composition, microstructure, swelling capacity and hydraulic properties of bentonite under different temperatures and different pH values. (authors)

  1. Alkalinity in oil field waters - what alkalinity is and how it is measured

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaasa, B.; Oestvold, T.

    1996-01-01

    The alkalinity is an important parameter in the description of pH-behaviour, buffer capacity and scaling potentials in oil field waters. Although the alkalinity is widely used, it seems to be considerable confusion in connection with the concept. It is often used incorrectly and different authors define the concept in different ways. Several different methods for the determination of alkalinity can be found in the literature. This paper discusses the definition of alkalinity and how to use alkalinity in oil field waters to obtain data of importance for scale and pH predictions. There is also shown how a simple titration of oil field waters can give both the alkalinity and the content of organic acids in these waters. It is obvious from these findings that most of the methods used to day may give considerable errors when applied to oil field waters with high contents of organic acids. 8 refs., 8 figs., 5 tabs

  2. Modifying yeast tolerance to inhibitory conditions of ethanol production processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis eCaspeta

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains having a broad range of substrate utilization, rapid substrate consumption and conversion to ethanol, as well as good tolerance to inhibitory conditions are ideal for cost-competitive ethanol production from lignocellulose. A major drawback to directly design S. cerevisiae tolerance to inhibitory conditions of lignocellulosic ethanol production processes is the lack of knowledge about basic aspects of its cellular signaling network in response to stress. Here we highlight the inhibitory conditions found in ethanol production processes, the targeted cellular functions, the key contributions of integrated –omics analysis to reveal cellular stress responses according to these inhibitors, and current status on design-based engineering of tolerant and efficient S. cerevisiae strains for ethanol production from lignocellulose.

  3. Sustainability of grape-ethanol energy chain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ester Foppa Pedretti

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability, in terms of greenhouse gases emission saving, of a new potential bio-ethanol production chain in comparison with the most common ones. The innovation consists of producing bio-ethanol from different types of no-food grapes, while usually bio-ethanol is obtained from matrices taken away from crop for food destination: sugar cane, corn, wheat, sugar beet. In the past, breeding programs were conducted with the aim of improving grapevine characteristics, a large number of hybrid vine varieties were produced and are nowadays present in the Viticulture Research Centre (CRA-VIT Germplasm Collection. Some of them are potentially interesting for bio-energy production because of their high production of sugar, good resistance to diseases, and ability to grow in marginal lands. Life cycle assessment (LCA of grape ethanol energy chain was performed following two different methods: i using the spreadsheet BioGrace, developed within the Intelligent Energy Europe program to support and to ease the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC implementation; ii using a dedicated LCA software. Emissions were expressed in CO2 equivalent (CO2eq. These two tools gave very similar results. The overall emissions impact of ethanol production from grapes on average is about 33 g CO2eq MJ–1 of ethanol if prunings are used for steam production and 53 g CO2eq MJ–1 of ethanol if methane is used. The comparison with other bio-energy chains points out that the production of ethanol using grapes represents an intermediate situation in terms of general emissions among the different production chains. The results showed that the sustainability limits provided by the normative are respected to this day. On the contrary, from 2017 this production will be sustainable only if the transformation processes will be performed using renewable sources of energy.

  4. The consequence of fetal ethanol exposure and adolescent odor re-exposure on the response to ethanol odor in adolescent and adult rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Molina Juan C

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An epidemiologic predictive relationship exists between fetal ethanol exposure and the likelihood for adolescent use. Further, an inverse relationship exists between the age of first experience and the probability of adult abuse. Whether and how the combined effects of prenatal and adolescent ethanol experiences contribute to this progressive pattern remains unknown. Fetal ethanol exposure directly changes the odor attributes of ethanol important for both ethanol odor preference behavior and ethanol flavor perception. These effects persist only to adolescence. Here we tested whether adolescent ethanol odor re-exposure: (Experiment 1 augments the fetal effect on the adolescent behavioral response to ethanol odor; and/or (Experiment 2 perpetuates previously observed adolescent behavioral and neurophysiological responses into adulthood. Methods Pregnant rats received either an ethanol or control liquid diet. Progeny (observers experienced ethanol odor in adolescence via social interaction with a peer (demonstrators that received an intragastric infusion of either 1.5 g/kg ethanol or water. Social interactions were scored for the frequency that observers followed their demonstrator. Whole-body plethysmography evaluated the unconditioned behavioral response of observers to ethanol odor in adolescence (P37 or adulthood (P90. The olfactory epithelium of adults was also examined for its neural response to five odorants, including ethanol. Results Experiment 1: Relative to fetal or adolescent exposure alone, adolescent re-exposure enhanced the behavioral response to ethanol odor in P37 animals. Compared to animals with no ethanol experience, rats receiving a single experience (fetal or adolescent show an enhanced, yet equivalent, ethanol odor response. Fetal ethanol experience also increased olfactory-guided following of an intoxicated peer. Experiment 2: Combined exposure yielded persistence of the behavioral effects only in adult

  5. Microbial physiology-based model of ethanol metabolism in subsurface sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Qusheng; Roden, Eric E.

    2011-07-01

    A biogeochemical reaction model was developed based on microbial physiology to simulate ethanol metabolism and its influence on the chemistry of anoxic subsurface environments. The model accounts for potential microbial metabolisms that degrade ethanol, including those that oxidize ethanol directly or syntrophically by reducing different electron acceptors. Out of the potential metabolisms, those that are active in the environment can be inferred by fitting the model to experimental observations. This approach was applied to a batch sediment slurry experiment that examined ethanol metabolism in uranium-contaminated aquifer sediments from Area 2 at the U.S. Department of Energy Field Research Center in Oak Ridge, TN. According to the simulation results, complete ethanol oxidation by denitrification, incomplete ethanol oxidation by ferric iron reduction, ethanol fermentation to acetate and H 2, hydrogenotrophic sulfate reduction, and acetoclastic methanogenesis: all contributed significantly to the degradation of ethanol in the aquifer sediments. The assemblage of the active metabolisms provides a frame work to explore how ethanol amendment impacts the chemistry of the environment, including the occurrence and levels of uranium. The results can also be applied to explore how diverse microbial metabolisms impact the progress and efficacy of bioremediation strategies.

  6. Method of cleaning alkaline metal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawakami, Yukio; Naito, Kesahiro; Iizawa, Katsuyuki; Nakasuji, Takashi

    1981-01-01

    Purpose: To prevent scattering of used sodium and aqueous alkaline solution when cleaning used sodium and metallic sodium adhering to equipment with an aqueous alkaline solution. Method: A sodium treating container is filled with an aqueous alkaline solution, and stainless steel gauze is sunk in the container. Equipment to be cleaned such as equipment with sodium adhering to it are retained under the gauze and are thus cleaned. On the other hand, the surface of the aqueous alkaline solution is covered with a fluid paraffin liquid covering material. Thus, the hydrogen produced by the reaction of the sodium and the aqueous alkaline solution will float up, pass through the liquid covering material and be discharged. The sodium will pass through the gauze and float upwardly while reacting with the aqueous alkaline solution in a partic ulate state to the boundary between the aqueous alkaline solution and up to the covering material, and thus the theratment reaction will continue. Thus, the cover material prevents the sodium and the aqueous alkaline solution from scattering. (Kamimura, M.)

  7. High-throughput detection of ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in a microdroplet platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abalde-Cela, Sara; Gould, Anna; Liu, Xin; Kazamia, Elena; Smith, Alison G; Abell, Chris

    2015-05-06

    Ethanol production by microorganisms is an important renewable energy source. Most processes involve fermentation of sugars from plant feedstock, but there is increasing interest in direct ethanol production by photosynthetic organisms. To facilitate this, a high-throughput screening technique for the detection of ethanol is required. Here, a method for the quantitative detection of ethanol in a microdroplet-based platform is described that can be used for screening cyanobacterial strains to identify those with the highest ethanol productivity levels. The detection of ethanol by enzymatic assay was optimized both in bulk and in microdroplets. In parallel, the encapsulation of engineered ethanol-producing cyanobacteria in microdroplets and their growth dynamics in microdroplet reservoirs were demonstrated. The combination of modular microdroplet operations including droplet generation for cyanobacteria encapsulation, droplet re-injection and pico-injection, and laser-induced fluorescence, were used to create this new platform to screen genetically engineered strains of cyanobacteria with different levels of ethanol production.

  8. Effect of the Reduction Temperature of PdAg Nanoparticles during the Polyol Process in the Ethanol Electrooxidation Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Carrera-Cerritos

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This work reports the effect of reduction temperature during the synthesis of PdAg catalysts through the polyol process and their evaluation in the ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR. The characterization was performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD. The electrochemical evaluation for the ethanol electrooxidation reaction was implemented in alkaline medium using chronoamperometry (CA and cyclic voltammetry (CV. An important effect of the reduction temperature on electroactivity and catalytic stability was observed: both the maximum current density and the catalytic stability were higher in the catalyst synthesized at the highest temperature (135°C. This performance was associated with the extent of the interaction between Pd and Ag which was measured in terms of the structural expansion of Pd.

  9. Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy: Analysis of Two Direct Metabolites of Ethanol in Meconium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arantza Sanvisens

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Alcohol consumption in young women is a widespread habit that may continue during pregnancy and induce alterations in the fetus. We aimed to characterize prevalence of alcohol consumption in parturient women and to assess fetal ethanol exposure in their newborns by analyzing two direct metabolites of ethanol in meconium. This is a cross-sectional study performed in September 2011 and March 2012 in a series of women admitted to an obstetric unit following childbirth. During admission, socio-demographic and substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, and opiates during pregnancy were assessed using a structured questionnaire and clinical charts. We also recorded the characteristics of pregnancy, childbirth, and neonates. The meconium analysis was performed by liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS to detect the presence of ethyl glucuronide (EtG and ethyl sulfate (EtS. Fifty-one parturient and 52 neonates were included and 48 meconium samples were suitable for EtG and EtS detection. The median age of women was 30 years (interquartile range (IQR: 26–34 years; EtG was present in all meconium samples and median concentration of EtG was 67.9 ng/g (IQR: 36.0–110.6 ng/g. With respect to EtS, it was undetectable (<0.01 ng/g in the majority of samples (79.1%. Only three (6% women reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy in face-to-face interviews. However, prevalence of fetal exposure to alcohol through the detection of EtG and EtS was 4.2% and 16.7%, respectively. Prevention of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the detection of substance use with markers of fetal exposure are essential components of maternal and child health.

  10. An alternative approach to the bioconversion of sweet sorghum carbohydrates to ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mamma, D.; Christakopoulos, P.; Koullas, D.; Kekos, D.; Macris, B.J.; Koukios, E. [National Technical Univ. of Athens (Greece). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    1995-10-01

    The ethanol fermentation of juice and press case, resulting from the squeezing of sweet sorghum stalks at high pressure was investigated. The juice was fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and yielded 4.8 g ethanol per 100 g of fresh stalks. The press cake was fermented directly to ethanol by a mixed culture of Fusarium oxysporum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and yielded 5.1 g ethanol per 100 g of fresh stalks. An overall ethanol concentration and yield of 5.6% (w/v) and 9.9 g of ethanol per 100 g of fresh stalks respectively was obtained. Based on soluble carbohydrates, the ethanol yield from press cake was doubled while the overall theoretical yield was enhanced by 20.7% due to the bioconversion of a significant portion of cell wall polysaccharides to ethanol. The process was found promising for further investigation. (Author)

  11. Electrospun ZnO Nanowires as Gas Sensors for Ethanol Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Po-Jung

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract ZnO nanowires were produced using an electrospinning method and used in gas sensors for the detection of ethanol at 220 °C. This electrospinning technique allows the direct placement of ZnO nanowires during their synthesis to bridge the sensor electrodes. An excellent sensitivity of nearly 90% was obtained at a low ethanol concentration of 10 ppm, and the rest obtained at higher ethanol concentrations, up to 600 ppm, all equal to or greater than 90%.

  12. Synthesis and characterization of PtRuMo/C nanoparticle electrocatalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhen-Bo; Yin, Ge-Ping [Department of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Lin, Yong-Ge [Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR 00931 (United States)

    2007-07-10

    This research aims at enhancement of the performance of anodic catalysts for the direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC). Two distinct DEFC nanoparticle electrocatalysts, PtRuMo/C and PtRu/C, were prepared and characterized, and one glassy carbon working electrode for each was employed to evaluate the catalytic performance. The cyclic-voltammetric, chronoamperometric, and amperometric current-time measurements were done in the solution 0.5 mol L{sup -1} CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}OH and 0.5 mol L{sup -1} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. The composition, particle sizes, lattice parameters, morphology, and the oxidation states of the metals on nanoparticle catalyst surfaces were determined by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron micrographs (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), respectively. The results of XRD analysis showed that both PtRuMo/C and PtRu/C had a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with smaller lattice parameters than that of pure platinum. The typical particle sizes were only about 2.5 nm. Both electrodes showed essentially the same onset potential as shown in the CV for ethanol electrooxidation. Despite their comparable active specific areas, PtRuMo/C was superior to PtRu/C in respect of the catalytic activity, durability and CO-tolerance. The effect of Mo in the PtRuMo/C nanoparticle catalyst was illustrated with a bifunctional mechanism, hydrogen-spillover effect and the modification on the Pt electronic states. (author)

  13. Aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) protect against sodium arsenite-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gbadegesin, M A; Odunola, O A

    2010-11-25

    We evaluated the effects of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) on sodium arsenite-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. We observed that treatment of the animals with the extracts before or just after sodium arsenite administration significantly (p < 0.05) reduced mean liver and serum γ-Glutamyl transferase (γGT), and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities when compared with the group administered the toxin alone. In addition, treatments of the animals with aqueous or ethanolic extract of O. basilicum before the administration of sodium arsenite resulted in the attenuation of the sodium arsenite-induced aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities: ALT (from 282.6% to 167.7% and 157.8%), AST (from 325.1% to 173.5% and 164.2%) for the group administered sodium arsenite alone, the aqueous extracts plus sodium arsenite, and ethanolic extracts plus sodium arsenite respectively, expressed as percentage of the negative control. These findings support the presence of hepatoprotective activity in the O.basilicum extracts.

  14. Histopathological and Reproductive Evaluation in Male Rats Fed Jatropha curcas Seed Cake with or without Alkaline Hydrolysis and Subjected to Heat Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira Sousa Moura, Laiane; Palomaris Mariano Souza, Domenica; Mendonça, Simone; de Aquino Ribeiro, José Antônio; Fernandes Sousa, Luciano; Tony Ramos, Adriano; Maiorka, Paulo César; de Araújo, Vera Lúcia; Mayumi Maruo, Viviane

    2017-01-01

    Jatropha curcas cake, a by-product of biodiesel production, is rich in protein and has potential to be used in livestock feed; however, the presence of antinutritional factors and phorbol esters limits its use. Thus, this study investigated toxicological and reproductive effects in male Wistar rats after subchronic exposure to J. curcas cake subjected to detoxification procedures. Rats were divided into seven groups ( n = 10) and treated for 60 days. The control group received commercial feed, while experimental groups received a diet containing 5% J . curcas cake nonhydrolyzed or hydrolyzed with 5 M NaOH. The cakes were unwashed or washed with ethanol or water and were autoclaved at 121°C for 30 minutes. Alkaline hydrolysis combined with ethanol washing decreased the phorbol ester concentration in the cake by 98%. Histopathological findings included diffuse degeneration of the liver and edema around the pulmonary vessels in the nonhydrolyzed groups. In addition, nontreated females mated with males of nonhydrolyzed unwashed group showed a decreased number of live fetuses and an increased placental weight. There were no signs of toxicity in rats given hydrolyzed cakes washed and unwashed, indicating that alkaline hydrolysis associated with heat treatment is an efficient method for detoxification of the J. curcas cake.

  15. Histopathological and Reproductive Evaluation in Male Rats Fed Jatropha curcas Seed Cake with or without Alkaline Hydrolysis and Subjected to Heat Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laiane Teixeira Sousa Moura

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Jatropha curcas cake, a by-product of biodiesel production, is rich in protein and has potential to be used in livestock feed; however, the presence of antinutritional factors and phorbol esters limits its use. Thus, this study investigated toxicological and reproductive effects in male Wistar rats after subchronic exposure to J. curcas cake subjected to detoxification procedures. Rats were divided into seven groups (n=10 and treated for 60 days. The control group received commercial feed, while experimental groups received a diet containing 5% J. curcas cake nonhydrolyzed or hydrolyzed with 5 M NaOH. The cakes were unwashed or washed with ethanol or water and were autoclaved at 121°C for 30 minutes. Alkaline hydrolysis combined with ethanol washing decreased the phorbol ester concentration in the cake by 98%. Histopathological findings included diffuse degeneration of the liver and edema around the pulmonary vessels in the nonhydrolyzed groups. In addition, nontreated females mated with males of nonhydrolyzed unwashed group showed a decreased number of live fetuses and an increased placental weight. There were no signs of toxicity in rats given hydrolyzed cakes washed and unwashed, indicating that alkaline hydrolysis associated with heat treatment is an efficient method for detoxification of the J. curcas cake.

  16. Circadian activity rhythms and voluntary ethanol intake in male and female ethanol-preferring rats: effects of long-term ethanol access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenwasser, Alan M; McCulley, Walter D; Fecteau, Matthew

    2014-11-01

    Chronic alcohol (ethanol) intake alters fundamental properties of the circadian clock. While previous studies have reported significant alterations in free-running circadian period during chronic ethanol access, these effects are typically subtle and appear to require high levels of intake. In the present study we examined the effects of long-term voluntary ethanol intake on ethanol consumption and free-running circadian period in male and female, selectively bred ethanol-preferring P and HAD2 rats. In light of previous reports that intermittent access can result in escalated ethanol intake, an initial 2-week water-only baseline was followed by either continuous or intermittent ethanol access (i.e., alternating 15-day epochs of ethanol access and ethanol deprivation) in separate groups of rats. Thus, animals were exposed to either 135 days of continuous ethanol access or to five 15-day access periods alternating with four 15-day periods of ethanol deprivation. Animals were maintained individually in running-wheel cages under continuous darkness throughout the experiment to allow monitoring of free-running activity and drinking rhythms, and 10% (v/v) ethanol and plain water were available continuously via separate drinking tubes during ethanol access. While there were no initial sex differences in ethanol drinking, ethanol preference increased progressively in male P and HAD2 rats under both continuous and intermittent-access conditions, and eventually exceeded that seen in females. Free-running period shortened during the initial ethanol-access epoch in all groups, but the persistence of this effect showed complex dependence on sex, breeding line, and ethanol-access schedule. Finally, while females of both breeding lines displayed higher levels of locomotor activity than males, there was little evidence for modulation of activity level by ethanol access. These results are consistent with previous findings that chronic ethanol intake alters free-running circadian

  17. Ethanol addition enhances acid treatment to eliminate Lactobacillus fermentum from the fermentation process for fuel ethanol production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, M A S; Cerri, B C; Ceccato-Antonini, S R

    2018-01-01

    Fermentation is one of the most critical steps of the fuel ethanol production and it is directly influenced by the fermentation system, selected yeast, and bacterial contamination, especially from the genus Lactobacillus. To control the contamination, the industry applies antibiotics and biocides; however, these substances can result in an increased cost and environmental problems. The use of the acid treatment of cells (water-diluted sulphuric acid, adjusted to pH 2·0-2·5) between the fermentation cycles is not always effective to combat the bacterial contamination. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of ethanol addition to the acid treatment to control the bacterial growth in a fed-batch system with cell recycling, using the industrial yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2. When only the acid treatment was used, the population of Lactobacillus fermentum had a 3-log reduction at the end of the sixth fermentation cycle; however, when 5% of ethanol was added to the acid solution, the viability of the bacterium was completely lost even after the first round of cell treatment. The acid treatment +5% ethanol was able to kill L. fermentum cells without affecting the ethanol yield and with a low residual sugar concentration in the fermented must. In Brazilian ethanol-producing industry, water-diluted sulphuric acid is used to treat the cell mass at low pH (2·0) between the fermentative cycles. This procedure reduces the number of Lactobacillus fermentum from 10 7 to 10 4  CFU per ml. However, the addition of 5% ethanol to the acid treatment causes the complete loss of bacterial cell viability in fed-batch fermentation with six cell recycles. The ethanol yield and yeast cell viability are not affected. These data indicate the feasibility of adding ethanol to the acid solution replacing the antibiotic use, offering a low cost and a low amount of residue in the biomass. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  18. Longitudinal Hierarchy Co3O4 Mesocrystals with High-dense Exposure Facets and Anisotropic Interfaces for Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassen, Diab; El-Safty, Sherif A.; Tsuchiya, Koichi; Chatterjee, Abhijit; Elmarakbi, Ahmed; Shenashen, Mohamed. A.; Sakai, Masaru

    2016-04-01

    Novel electrodes are needed for direct ethanol fuel cells with improved quality. Hierarchical engineering can produce catalysts composed of mesocrystals with many exposed active planes and multi-diffused voids. Here we report a simple, one-pot, hydrothermal method for fabricating Co3O4/carbon/substrate electrodes that provides control over the catalyst mesocrystal morphology (i.e., corn tubercle pellets or banana clusters oriented along nanotube domains, or layered lamina or multiple cantilevered sheets). These morphologies afforded catalysts with a high density of exposed active facets, a diverse range of mesopores in the cage interior, a window architecture, and vertical alignment to the substrate, which improved efficiency in an ethanol electrooxidation reaction compared with a conventional platinum/carbon electrode. On the atomic scale, the longitudinally aligned architecture of the Co3O4 mesocrystals resulted in exposed low- and high-index single and interface surfaces that had improved electron transport and diffusion compared with currently used electrodes.

  19. Heterobimetallic Zeolite, InV-ZSM-5, Enables Efficient Conversion of Biomass Derived Ethanol to Renewable Hydrocarbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narula, Chaitanya K; Li, Zhenglong; Casbeer, Erik M; Geiger, Robert A; Moses-Debusk, Melanie; Keller, Martin; Buchanan, Michelle V; Davison, Brian H

    2015-11-03

    Direct catalytic conversion of ethanol to hydrocarbon blend-stock can increase biofuels use in current vehicles beyond the ethanol blend-wall of 10-15%. Literature reports describe quantitative conversion of ethanol over zeolite catalysts but high C2 hydrocarbon formation renders this approach unsuitable for commercialization. Furthermore, the prior mechanistic studies suggested that ethanol conversion involves endothermic dehydration step. Here, we report the complete conversion of ethanol to hydrocarbons over InV-ZSM-5 without added hydrogen and which produces lower C2 (dehydration step is not necessary. Thus, our method of direct conversion of ethanol offers a pathway to produce suitable hydrocarbon blend-stock that may be blended at a refinery to produce fuels such as gasoline, diesel, JP-8, and jet fuel, or produce commodity chemicals such as BTX.

  20. PdCo porous nanostructures decorated on polypyrrole @ MWCNTs conductive nanocomposite—Modified glassy carbon electrode as a powerful catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fard, Leyla Abolghasemi [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ojani, Reza, E-mail: fer-o@umz.ac.ir [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Raoof, Jahan Bakhsh [Electroanalytical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zare, Ehsan Nazarzadeh; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour [Polymer Research Laboratory Department of Organic-Polymer Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Mazandaran, 3rd Kilometer of Air Force Road, 47416-95447, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • The PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNT electrocatalyst was easily prepared. • The electrocatalyst exhibits high electrocatalytic activity and stability toward the EOR. • The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm{sup −2}) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. • The high electrocatalytic performance is attributed to concerted effects of Porous nature, Co and PPy@MWCNT. • The PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNT electrocatalyst has never been reported. - Abstract: In the current study, well-defined PdCo porous nanostructure (PdCo PNS) is prepared by a simple one-pot wet-chemical method and polypyrrole@multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PPy@MWCNTs) nanocomposite is used as a catalyst support. The morphology and the structural properties of the prepared catalyst were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalytic performance of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs on glassy carbon electrode has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The specific activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs for ethanol electrooxidation (1.65 mA cm{sup −2}) is higher than those of other compared electrocatalysts. Also, PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs catalyst represented higher electrocatalytic activity, better long-term stability and high level of poisoning tolerance to the carbonaceous oxidative intermediates for ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. Furthermore, the presence of PPY@MWCNTs on the surface of GCE produce a high activity to electrocatalyst, which might be due to the easier charge transfer at polymer/carbon nanotubes interfaces, higher electrochemically accessible surface areas and electronic conductivity. The superior catalytic activity of PdCo PNS/PPy@MWCNTs suggests it to be as a promising electrocatalyst for future direct ethanol fuel cells.

  1. Mineralogical, petrological and geochemical aspects of alkaline and alkaline-carbonatite associations from Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morbidelli, L.; Gomes, C. B.; Beccaluva, L.; Brotzu, P.; Conte, A. M.; Ruberti, E.; Traversa, G.

    1995-12-01

    A general description of Mesozoic and Tertiary (Fortaleza) Brazilian alkaline and alkaline-carbonatite districts is presented with reference to mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry and geochronology. It mainly refers to scientific results obtained during the last decade by an Italo-Brazilian research team. Alkaline occurrences are distributed across Brazilian territory from the southern (Piratini, Rio Grande do Sul State) to the northeastern (Fortaleza, Ceará State) regions and are mainly concentrated along the borders of the Paraná Basin generally coinciding with important tectonic lineaments. The most noteworthy characteristics of these alkaline and alkaline-carbonatite suites are: (i) prevalence of intrusive forms; (ii) abundance of cumulate assemblages (minor dunites, frequent clinopyroxenites and members of the ijolite series) and (iii) abundance of evolved rock-types. Many data demonstrate that crystal fractionation was the main process responsible for magma evolution of all Brazilian alkaline rocks. A hypothesis is proposed for the genesis of carbonatite liquids by immiscibility processes. The incidence of REE and trace elements for different major groups of lithotypes, belonging both to carbonatite-bearing and carbonatite-free districts, are documented. Sr and preliminary Nd isotopic data are indicative of a mantle origin for the least evolved magmas of all the studied occurrences. Mantle source material and melting models for the generation of the Brazilian alkaline magma types are also discussed.

  2. 2D PdAg Alloy Nanodendrites for Enhanced Ethanol Electroxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wenjing; Kang, Xiaolin; Xu, Cheng; Zhou, Junhua; Deng, Jun; Li, Yanguang; Cheng, Si

    2018-03-01

    The development of highly active and stable electrocatalysts for ethanol electroxidation is of decisive importance to the successful commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells. Despite great efforts invested over the past decade, their progress has been notably slower than expected. In this work, the facile solution synthesis of 2D PdAg alloy nanodendrites as a high-performance electrocatalyst is reported for ethanol electroxidation. The reaction is carried out via the coreduction of Pd and Ag precursors in aqueous solution with the presence of octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride as the structural directing agent. Final products feature small thickness (5-7 nm) and random in-plane branching with enlarged surface areas and abundant undercoordinated sites. They exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activity (large specific current ≈2600 mA mgPd-1) and excellent operation stability (as revealed from both the cycling and chronoamperometric tests) for ethanol electroxidation. Control experiments show that the improvement comes from the combined electronic and structural effects. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Removal of fermentation inhibitors from alkaline peroxide pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed wheat straw: Production of butanol from hydrolysate using Clostridium beijerinckii in batch reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, Nasib; Saha, Badal C.; Hector, Ronald E.; Cotta, Michael A.

    2008-01-01

    In these studies, alkaline peroxide pretreatment of wheat straw was investigated. Pretreated wheat straw was hydrolyzed using cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes, and the hydrolysate was used to produce butanol using Clostridium beijerinckii P260. The culture produced less than 2.59 g L -1 acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) from alkaline peroxide wheat straw hydrolysate (APWSH) that had not been treated to reduce salt concentration (a neutralization product). However, fermentation was successful after inhibitors (salts) were removed from the hydrolysate by electrodialysis. A control glucose fermentation resulted in the production of 21.37 g L -1 ABE, while salt removed APWSH resulted in the production of 22.17 g L -1 ABE. In the two fermentations, reactor productivities were 0.30 and 0.55 g L -1 h -1 , respectively. A comparison of use of different substrates (corn fiber, wheat straw) and different pretreatment techniques (dilute sulfuric acid, alkaline peroxide) suggests that generation of inhibitors is substrate and pretreatment specific

  4. Effect of Mo addition on the electrocatalytic activity of Pt-Sn-Mo/C for direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Eungje; Murthy, Arun; Manthiram, Arumugam

    2011-01-01

    Carbon-supported Pt-Sn-Mo electrocatalysts have been synthesized by a polyol reduction method and characterized for ethanol electro-oxidation reaction (EOR). While the percent loading of the synthesized nanoparticles on the carbon support is higher than 35%, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) reveals that the Mo contents in the nanoparticle catalysts are lower than the nominal value, indicating incomplete reduction of the Mo precursor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses reveal that the Sn and Mo exist as oxide phases at the surface layers of the nanoparticles and the degree of alloying is very low. The electrochemical properties of the electrocatalysts have been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry. The catalytic activity for EOR decreases in the order PtSnMo 0.6 /C > PtSnMo 0.4 /C > PtSn/C. Single cell direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) tests also confirm that the PtSnMo 0.6 /C anode catalyst exhibit better performance than the PtSn/C anode catalyst. An analysis of the electrochemical data suggests that the incorporation of Mo to Pt-Sn enhances further the catalytic activity for EOR.

  5. Nickel-based anode with water storage capability to mitigate carbon deposition for direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Su, Chao; Ran, Ran; Zhao, Bote; Shao, Zongping; Tade, Moses O; Liu, Shaomin

    2014-06-01

    The potential to use ethanol as a fuel places solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) as a sustainable technology for clean energy delivery because of the renewable features of ethanol versus hydrogen. In this work, we developed a new class of anode catalyst exemplified by Ni+BaZr0.4Ce0.4Y0.2O3 (Ni+BZCY) with a water storage capability to overcome the persistent problem of carbon deposition. Ni+BZCY performed very well in catalytic efficiency, water storage capability and coking resistance tests. A stable and high power output was well maintained with a peak power density of 750 mW cm(-2) at 750 °C. The SOFC with the new robust anode performed for seven days without any sign of performance decay, whereas SOFCs with conventional anodes failed in less than 2 h because of significant carbon deposition. Our findings indicate the potential applications of these water storage cermets as catalysts in hydrocarbon reforming and as anodes for SOFCs that operate directly on hydrocarbons. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. IMPROVED BIOREFINERY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL, CHEMICALS, ANIMAL FEED AND BIOMATERIALS FROM SUGAR CANE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dr. Donal F. Day

    2009-01-29

    The Audubon Sugar Institute (ASI) of Louisiana State University’s Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter) and MBI International (MBI) sought to develop technologies that will lead to the development of a sugar-cane biorefinery, capable of supplying fuel ethanol from bagasse. Technology development focused on the conversion of bagasse, cane-leaf matter (CLM) and molasses into high value-added products that included ethanol, specialty chemicals, biomaterials and animal feed; i.e. a sugar cane-based biorefinery. The key to lignocellulosic biomass utilization is an economically feasible method (pretreatment) for separating the cellulose and the hemicellulose from the physical protection provided by lignin. An effective pretreatment disrupts physical barriers, cellulose crystallinity, and the association of lignin and hemicellulose with cellulose so that hydrolytic enzymes can access the biomass macrostructure (Teymouri et al. 2004, Laureano-Perez, 2005). We chose to focus on alkaline pretreatment methods for, and in particular, the Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) process owned by MBI. During the first two years of this program a laboratory process was established for the pretreatment of bagasse and CLM using the AFEX process. There was significant improvement of both rate and yield of glucose and xylose upon enzymatic hydrolysis of AFEX-treated bagasse and CLM compared with untreated material. Because of reactor size limitation, several other alkaline pretreatment methods were also co-investigated. They included, dilute ammonia, lime and hydroxy-hypochlorite treatments. Scale-up focused on using a dilute ammonia process as a substitute for AFEX, allowing development at a larger scale. The pretreatment of bagasse by an ammonia process, followed by saccharification and fermentation produced ethanol from bagasse. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) allowed two operations in the same vessel. The addition of sugarcane molasses to the hydrolysate

  7. Variable effects of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on ethanol drinking in a genetically diverse mouse cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Marcelo F; Miles, Michael F; Williams, Robert W; Becker, Howard C

    2017-02-01

    The BXD family of mice were generated by crossing and inbreeding ethanol-preferring C57BL/6J and ethanol-avoiding DBA/2J strains that differ greatly in genome sequence and other behaviors. This study evaluated variations in the level of voluntary ethanol intake in a cohort of 42 BXD strains and both progenitor strains using a model of alcohol dependence and relapse drinking. A total of 119 BXDs (85 males, 34 females) (n ∼ 4 per genotype; 1/genotype/sex/group) were evaluated along with males from both progenitor strains (n = 14-15/genotype). Mice were evaluated for intake using limited access (2 h/day) 2-bottle (15% v/v ethanol vs. water) model for 6 weeks (baseline intake). Each animal received 4 weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure (CIE group) or air control exposure (CTL group) (16 h/day × 4 days) interleaved by 5-day drinking test cycles. Blood ethanol concentrations (BEC) ranged from 150 to 300 mg/dl across genotypes. Baseline intake varied greatly among cases-from ∼0.8 to ∼2.9 g/kg. As expected, CIE exposure induced a significant increase in ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J relative to baseline as well as air controls that remained relatively stable over the four test cycles. In contrast, DBA/2J cases did not show a significant increase in consumption. Heritability of variation in baseline consumption, calculated from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J strains is about 54% but this increases following treatment to 60-80%. As expected from the marked difference between progenitors, ethanol intake and level of escalation varied greatly among BXDs after exposure (∼-1.3 to 2.6 g/kg). Interestingly, the magnitude and direction of changes in ethanol intake did not relate to BEC values of the preceding CIE exposure cycle. Overall, these data indicate significant variation in consumption and even escalation, much of it under genetic control, following repeated CIE treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Thermodynamical simulation for solid oxide (SOFC) type fuel cells with ethanol direct internal reforming; Simulacao termodinamica para celulas a combustivel do tipo SOFC com reforma interna direta do etanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Aline Lima da; Malfatti, Celia de Fraga; Heck, Nestor Cezar [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia de Minas, Metalurgica e de Materiais (PPGEM)]. E-mail: als14br2000@yahoo.com.br; Mello, Celso Gustavo [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Quimica (PPGEQ); Halmenschlager, Cibele Melo [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia de Minas, Metalurgica e de Materiais (PPGEM). Lab. de Materiais Ceramicos

    2008-07-01

    In SOFC, high operative temperature allows the direct conversion of ethanol into H{sub 2} to take place in the electrochemical cell. Direct internal reforming of ethanol, however, can produce undesirable products that diminish system efficiency and, in the case of carbon deposition over the anode, may occur the breakdown of the electrode. In this way, thermodynamic analysis is fundamental to predict the product distribution as well as the conditions favorable for carbon to precipitate inside the cell. Equilibrium determinations are performed by the Gibbs energy minimization method, using the GRG algorithm. Thermodynamic conditions for carbon deposition were analyzed, in order to establish temperature ranges and H{sub 2}O/ethanol ratios where carbon precipitation is not feasible. A mathematical relationship between Lagrange multipliers and carbon activity is presented, unveiling the carbon activity in atmosphere. The effect of the type of solid electrolyte (O{sup 2-} or H{sup +} conducting) on carbon formation is also investigated. The results of this work are in agreement with previous results reported in literature using the stoichiometric method. (author)

  9. Direct Ethanol Production from Breadfruit Starch (Artocarpus communis Forst. by Engineered Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (ESSF using Microbes Consortium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iftachul Farida

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Breadfruit (Artocarpus communis Forst. is one of sources for ethanol production, which has high starch content (89%. Ethanol production from breadfruit starch was conducted by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF technology using microbes consortium. The aim of the research was to examine a method to produce ethanol by SSF technology using microbes consortium at high yield and efficiency. The main research consisted of two treatments, namely normal SSF and enginereed SSF. The results showed that normal SSF using aeration and agitation during cultivation could produce ethanol at 11.15 ± 0.18 g/L, with the yield of product (Yp/s 0.34 g ethanol/g substrate; and yield of biomass (Yx/s 0.29 g cell/g substrate, respectively. A better result was obtained using engineered SSF in which aeration was stopped after biomass condition has reached the end of the exponential phase. The ethanol produced was 12.75 ± 0.04 g/L, with the yields of product (Yp/s 0.41 g ethanol/g substrate, and the yield of cell (Yx/s 0.09 g cell/g substrate.

  10. Application of PtSn/C catalysts and Nafion SiO2 membranes in direct ethanol fuel cell at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dresch, Mauro Andre

    2014-01-01

    This work has as objective to evaluate anodes and electrolytes in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFC) operating at high temperature (130 deg C). As anode materials, electrocatalysts based on Pt Sn/C were prepared by Modified Polyol Method with various Pt:Sn atomic ratios. Such methodology promotes self organized electrocatalysts production with narrow particle size distribution and high alloying degree. The electrocatalysts were characterized by XRD, and CO stripping. The results showed that these materials presented high alloying degree and Eonset CO oxidation at lower potential as commercial materials. As electrolyte, Nafion-SiO 2 hybrids were synthesized by sol-gel reaction, by the incorporation of oxide directly into the ionic aggregates of various kinds of Nafion membranes. The synthesis parameter, such sol-gel solvent, membrane thickness and silicon precursor concentration were studied in terms of silica incorporation degree and hybrid mechanical stability. Finally, the optimized anodes and electrolytes were evaluated in DEFC operating at 80 - 130 deg C temperature range. The results showed a significant improvement of the DEFC performance (122 mW cm -2 ), resulted from the acceleration of ethanol oxidation reaction rate due to anode material optimization and high temperature operation once the use of hybrids possibilities the increase of temperature without a significant conductivity loses. In this sense, the combination of optimized electrodes and electrolytes are a promising alternative for the development of these devices. (author)

  11. Emerging methanol-tolerant AlN nanowire oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for alkaline direct methanol fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, M; Wang, J; Li, J R; Wang, Y G; Tang, H L; Wang, W J

    2014-08-11

    Replacing precious and nondurable Pt catalysts with cheap materials is a key issue for commercialization of fuel cells. In the case of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the methanol tolerance is also an important concern. Here, we develop AlN nanowires with diameters of about 100-150 nm and the length up to 1 mm through crystal growth method. We find it is electrochemically stable in methanol-contained alkaline electrolyte. This novel material exhibits pronounced electrocatalytic activity with exchange current density of about 6.52 × 10(-8) A/cm(2). The single cell assembled with AlN nanowire cathodic electrode achieves a power density of 18.9 mW cm(-2). After being maintained at 100 mA cm(-2) for 48 h, the AlN nanowire-based single cell keeps 92.1% of the initial performance, which is in comparison with 54.5% for that assembled with Pt/C cathode. This discovery reveals a new type of metal nitride ORR catalyst that can be cheaply produced from crystal growth method.

  12. Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan Nanoparticle-Incorporated Quaternized Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Composite Membranes as Solid Electrolytes for Direct Methanol Alkaline Fuel Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Pin-Chieh; Liao, Guan–Ming; Kumar, S. Rajesh; Shih, Chao-Ming; Yang, Chun-Chen; Wang, Da-Ming; Lue, Shingjiang Jessie

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Preparation of chitosan nanoparticles from bulk to enhance the degree of deacetylation. • The incorporation of chitosan nanoparticles into a QPVA matrix to form a nanocomposite membrane. • The nanocomposite constructed into thin-film membranes using the solution casting method. • To improve permeability, glutaraldehyde was cross-linked with the nanocomposite membranes. • A direct methanol alkaline fuel cell was studied at different temperatures. - Abstract: In this study, we designed a method for the preparation of chitosan nanoparticles incorporated into a quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol) (QPVA) matrix for direct methanol alkaline fuel cells (DMAFCs). The structural and morphological properties of the prepared nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic laser-light scattering (DLS). The crystallinity of the nanocomposite solid electrolytes containing 0 and 10% chitosan nanoparticles were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The electrochemical measurement of resulting nanocomposite membranes were analyzed according to the following parameters: methanol permeability, liquid uptakes, ionic conductivity and cell performances. The composite membranes with 10% chitosan nanoparticles in a QPVA matrix (CQPVA) show suppressed methanol permeability and higher ionic conductivity than pristine QPVA. In addition, the glutaraldehyde cross-linked nanocomposite film exhibited improvement on the methanol barrier property at 80 °C. The peak power density of the DMAFCs reached 67 mW cm −2 when fed into 1 M of methanol in 6 M of KOH.

  13. Modifications in adrenal hormones response to ethanol by prior ethanol dependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guaza, C; Borrell, S

    1985-03-01

    Ethanol was administered to rats by means of a liquid diet for 16 days; after an ethanol-free interval of four weeks, animals received a test (IP) dose of ethanol (2 g/kg), and the adrenocortical and adrenomedullary responses were evaluated. Chronically ethanol-exposed animals showed tolerance to the stimulatory effect of ethanol in the pituitary-adrenal axis. Likewise, previously dependent rats showed tolerance to the increase in the activity of the adrenomedullary function induced by acute administration of the drug. Our results indicate that chronic ethanol ingestion can induce persistent changes after complete alcohol abstinence.

  14. Bi-modified Pd/C catalyst via irreversible adsorption and its catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Jindi; Huang, Yiyin; Guo, Yonglang

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Pd-Bi/C catalysts were easily prepared by irreversible adsorption of Bi on Pd/C surface. • The adsorption of Bi increases the oxygen-containing species obviously on Pd-Bi/C surface. • Only a little amount of Bi on Pd-Bi/C can play a significant role in ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). • Current density of EOR on Pd-Bi/C (20:1) is 2.4 times higher than that on Pd/C. • Anti-poisoning ability and durability of Pd-Bi/C (20:1) is greatly enhanced. -- Abstract: A facile approach to promote ethanol electro-oxidation on Pd-based catalysts is presented by the modification of Bi on Pd/C catalyst via irreversible adsorption. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that the modification of Bi has no significant effect on the Pd morphology and particle size distribution. Bi(III) and Pd(0) are the dominant forms in Pd-Bi/C catalyst. Electrochemical tests show that the modification of the appropriate amount of Bi on Pd/C catalyst can remarkably enhance activity toward ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) up to about 2.4 times higher compared to Pd/C catalyst. The Pd-Bi/C (20:1) catalyst exhibits excellent stability and enhances CO tolerance. The enhanced electrochemical performance of Pd-Bi/C catalyst is attributed to the electronic effect and the bifunctional mechanism. The high exchange current density and the low apparent activation energy on Pd-Bi/C (20:1) catalyst reveal its faster kinetics and higher intrinsic activity compared to Pd/C catalyst

  15. Ethanol Basics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2015-01-30

    Ethanol is a widely-used, domestically-produced renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. More than 96% of gasoline sold in the United States contains ethanol. Learn more about this alternative fuel in the Ethanol Basics Fact Sheet, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program.

  16. Ligno-ethanol in competition with food-based ethanol in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poganietz, Witold-Roger

    2012-01-01

    First-generation biofuels are often challenged over their potentially adverse impact on food prices. Biofuels that use nonfood biomass such as lignocellulose are being promoted to ease the conflict between fuels and food. However, their complex processes mean that the total costs of lignocellulosic ethanol may be high in comparison. This might undermine the economic soundness of plans for its use. Another potential advantage of lignocellulosic ethanol is seen in an enhanced contribution to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the increasing attractiveness of lignocellulosic biofuels may also lead to changes in land use that induce additional carbon emissions. For this reason, the environmental impacts of such plans are not straightforward and depend on the affected category of land. The objective of this paper is to compare the economic perspectives and environmental impact of lignocellulosic ethanol with food-based ethanol taking into account market constraints and policy measures. The analysis of the environmental impact focuses on carbon dioxide emissions. In the medium run, i.e., by 2020, lignocellulosic ethanol could enter the gasoline market, crowding out inter alia food-based ethanol. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, lignocellulosic ethanol seems to be environmentally desirable in each of the analyzed cases. The findings depend crucially on the market conditions, which are influenced inter alia by crude oil, the exchange rate, and technology conditions. -- Highlights: ► Competition of ligno-ethanol with competing energy carriers is analyzed. ► In medium-term ligno-ethanol could crowd out food-based ethanol. ► In terms of CO 2 ligno-ethanol seems to be environmentally desirable. ► The environmental impacts include by land use change induced CO 2 emissions. ► The findings depend crucially on market conditions.

  17. Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy balances of sugarcane ethanol production in Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, Carlos A.; Fuentes, Alfredo; Hennecke, Anna; Riegelhaupt, Enrique; Manzini, Fabio; Masera, Omar

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this work was to estimate GHG emissions and energy balances for the future expansion of sugarcane ethanol fuel production in Mexico with one current and four possible future modalities. We used the life cycle methodology that is recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which distinguished the following five system phases: direct Land Use Change (LUC); crop production; biomass transport to industry; industrial processing; and ethanol transport to admixture plants. Key variables affecting total GHG emissions and fossil energy used in ethanol production were LUC emissions, crop fertilization rates, the proportion of sugarcane areas that are burned to facilitate harvest, fossil fuels used in the industrial phase, and the method for allocation of emissions to co-products. The lower emissions and higher energy ratios that were observed in the present Brazilian case were mainly due to the lesser amount of fertilizers applied, also were due to the shorter distance of sugarcane transport, and to the smaller proportion of sugarcane areas that were burned to facilitate manual harvest. The resulting modality with the lowest emissions of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO 2e ) was ethanol produced from direct juice and generating surplus electricity with 36.8 kgCO 2e /GJ ethanol . This was achieved using bagasse as the only fuel source to satisfy industrial phase needs for electricity and steam. Mexican emissions were higher than those calculated for Brazil (27.5 kgCO 2e /GJ ethanol ) among all modalities. The Mexican modality with the highest ratio of renewable/fossil energy was also ethanol from sugarcane juice generating surplus electricity with 4.8 GJ ethanol /GJ fossil .

  18. Bioelectrochemical ethanol production through mediated acetate reduction by mixed cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbusch, Kirsten J J; Hamelers, Hubertus V M; Schaap, Joris D; Kampman, Christel; Buisman, Cees J N

    2010-01-01

    Biological acetate reduction with hydrogen is a potential method to convert wet biomass waste into ethanol. Since the ethanol concentration and reaction rates are low, this research studies the feasibility of using an electrode, in stead of hydrogen, as an electron donor for biological acetate reduction in conjunction of an electron mediator. Initially, the effect of three selected mediators on metabolic flows during acetate reduction with hydrogen was explored; subsequently, the best performing mediator was used in a bioelectrochemical system to stimulate acetate reduction at the cathode with mixed cultures at an applied cathode potential of -550 mV. In the batch test, methyl viologen (MV) was found to accelerate ethanol production 6-fold and increased ethanol concentration 2-fold to 13.5 +/- 0.7 mM compared to the control. Additionally, MV inhibited n-butyrate and methane formation, resulting in high ethanol production efficiency (74.6 +/- 6%). In the bioelectrochemical system, MV addition to an inoculated cathode led directly to ethanol production (1.82 mM). Hydrogen was coproduced at the cathode (0.0035 Nm(3) hydrogen m(-2) d(-1)), so it remained unclear whether acetate was reduced to ethanol by electrons supplied by the mediator or by hydrogen. As MV reacted irreversibly at the cathode, ethanol production stopped after 5 days.

  19. One step electrochemical synthesis of bimetallic PdAu supported on nafion–graphene ribbon film for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shendage, Suresh S., E-mail: sureshsshendage@gmail.com; Singh, Abilash S.; Nagarkar, Jayashree M., E-mail: jm.nagarkar@ictmumbai.edu.in

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • Electrochemical deposition of bimetallic PdAu NPs. • Highly loaded PdAu NPs are obtained. • Nafion–graphene supported PdAu NPs shows good activity for ethanol electrooxidation. - Abstract: A nafion–graphene ribbon (Nf–GR) supported bimetallic PdAu nanoparticles (PdAu/Nf–GR) catalyst was prepared by electrochemical codeposition of Pd and Au at constant potential. The prepared catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The average particle size of PdAu nanoparticles (NPs) determined from XRD was 3.5 nm. The electrocatalytic activity of the PdAu/Nf–GR catalyst was examined by cyclic voltametry. It was observed that the as prepared catalyst showed efficient activity and good stability for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline medium.

  20. Interannual sedimentary effluxes of alkalinity in the southern North Sea: model results compared with summer observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Pätsch

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available For the sediments of the central and southern North Sea different sources of alkalinity generation are quantified by a regional modelling system for the period 2000–2014. For this purpose a formerly global ocean sediment model coupled with a pelagic ecosystem model is adapted to shelf sea dynamics, where much larger turnover rates than in the open and deep ocean occur. To track alkalinity changes due to different nitrogen-related processes, the open ocean sediment model was extended by the state variables particulate organic nitrogen (PON and ammonium. Directly measured alkalinity fluxes and those derived from Ra isotope flux observation from the sediment into the pelagic are reproduced by the model system, but calcite building and calcite dissolution are underestimated. Both fluxes cancel out in terms of alkalinity generation and consumption. Other simulated processes altering alkalinity in the sediment, like net sulfate reduction, denitrification, nitrification, and aerobic degradation, are quantified and compare well with corresponding fluxes derived from observations. Most of these fluxes exhibit a strong positive gradient from the open North Sea to the coast, where large rivers drain nutrients and organic matter. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition also shows a positive gradient from the open sea towards land and supports alkalinity generation in the sediments. An additional source of spatial variability is introduced by the use of a 3-D heterogenous porosity field. Due to realistic porosity variations (0.3–0.5 the alkalinity fluxes vary by about 4 %. The strongest impact on interannual variations of alkalinity fluxes is exhibited by the temporal varying nitrogen inputs from large rivers directly governing the nitrate concentrations in the coastal bottom water, thus providing nitrate necessary for benthic denitrification. Over the time investigated the alkalinity effluxes decrease due to the decrease in the nitrogen supply by the rivers.

  1. An Indirect Route for Ethanol Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eggeman, T.; Verser, D.; Weber, E.

    2005-04-29

    The ZeaChem indirect method is a radically new approach to producing fuel ethanol from renewable resources. Sugar and syngas processing platforms are combined in a novel way that allows all fractions of biomass feedstocks (e.g. carbohydrates, lignins, etc.) to contribute their energy directly into the ethanol product via fermentation and hydrogen based chemical process technologies. The goals of this project were: (1) Collect engineering data necessary for scale-up of the indirect route for ethanol production, and (2) Produce process and economic models to guide the development effort. Both goals were successfully accomplished. The projected economics of the Base Case developed in this work are comparable to today's corn based ethanol technology. Sensitivity analysis shows that significant improvements in economics for the indirect route would result if a biomass feedstock rather that starch hydrolyzate were used as the carbohydrate source. The energy ratio, defined as the ratio of green energy produced divided by the amount of fossil energy consumed, is projected to be 3.11 to 12.32 for the indirect route depending upon the details of implementation. Conventional technology has an energy ratio of 1.34, thus the indirect route will have a significant environmental advantage over today's technology. Energy savings of 7.48 trillion Btu/yr will result when 100 MMgal/yr (neat) of ethanol capacity via the indirect route is placed on-line by the year 2010.

  2. Delta receptor antagonism, ethanol taste reactivity, and ethanol consumption in outbred male rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higley, Amanda E; Kiefer, Stephen W

    2006-11-01

    Naltrexone, a nonspecific opioid antagonist, produces significant changes in ethanol responsivity in rats by rendering the taste of ethanol aversive as well as producing a decrease in voluntary ethanol consumption. The present study investigated the effect of naltrindole, a specific antagonist of delta opioid receptors, on ethanol taste reactivity and ethanol consumption in outbred rats. In the first experiment, rats received acute treatment of naltrexone, naltrindole, or saline followed by the measurement of ethanol consumption in a short-term access period. The second experiment involved the same treatments and investigated ethanol palatability (using the taste-reactivity test) as well as ethanol consumption. Results indicated that treatment with 3 mg/kg naltrexone significantly affected palatability (rendered ethanol more aversive, Experiment 2) and decreased voluntary ethanol consumption (Experiments 1 and 2). The effects of naltrindole were inconsistent. In Experiment 1, 8 mg/kg naltrindole significantly decreased voluntary ethanol consumption but this was not replicated in Experiment 2. The 8 mg/kg dose produced a significant increase in aversive responding (Experiment 2) but did not affect ingestive responding. Lower doses of naltrindole (2 and 4 mg/kg) were ineffective in altering rats' taste-reactivity response to and consumption of ethanol. While these data suggest that delta receptors are involved in rats' taste-reactivity response to ethanol and rats' ethanol consumption, it is likely that multiple opioid receptors mediate both behavioral responses.

  3. ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF ETHANOL USING Ni-Co-PVC COMPOSITE ELECTRODE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riyanto Riyanto

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The morphological characteristics and electrochemical behavior of nickel metal foil (Ni, nickel-polyvinyl chloride (Ni-PVC and nickel-cobalt-polyvinyl chloride (Ni-Co-PVC electrodes in alkaline solution has been investigated. The morphological characteristics of the electrode surface were studied using SEM and EDS, while the electrochemical behavior of the electrodes was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV. It was found that composite electrodes (Ni-PVC and Ni-Co-PVC have a porous, irregular and rough surface. In situ studies using electrochemical technique using those three electrodes exhibited electrochemical activity for redox system, as well as selectivity in the electrooxidation of ethanol to acetic acid. The studies also found that an electrokinetics and electrocatalytic activity behaviors of the electrodes prepared were Ni metal foil

  4. From Ethanol to Salsolinol: Role of Ethanol Metabolites in the Effects of Ethanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra T. Peana

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In spite of the global reputation of ethanol as the psychopharmacologically active ingredient of alcoholic drinks, the neurobiological basis of the central effects of ethanol still presents some dark sides due to a number of unanswered questions related to both its precise mechanism of action and its metabolism. Accordingly, ethanol represents the interesting example of a compound whose actions cannot be explained as simply due to the involvement of a single receptor/neurotransmitter, a scenario further complicated by the robust evidence that two main metabolites, acetaldehyde and salsolinol, exert many effects similar to those of their parent compound. The present review recapitulates, in a perspective manner, the major and most recent advances that in the last decades boosted a significant growth in the understanding on the role of ethanol metabolism, in particular, in the neurobiological basis of its central effects.

  5. Reduction of nitrobenzene with alkaline ascorbic acid: Kinetics and pathways

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Chenju; Lin, Ya-Ting; Shiu, Jia-Wei

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Alkaline ascorbic acid (a.k.a. vitamin C) is capable of reductively degrading NB. • The pH above the pK_a_2 of ascorbic acid increases reductive electron transfer to NB. • The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA is determined. • NSB, AZOXY, and AZO are identified as intermediates and aniline as a final product. • Alkaline pH is essential for AA remediation of NB contaminated soils. - Abstract: Alkaline ascorbic acid (AA) exhibits the potential to reductively degrade nitrobenzene (NB), which is the simplest of the nitroaromatic compounds. The nitro group (NO_2"−) of NB has a +III oxidation state of the N atom and tends to gain electrons. The effect of alkaline pH ranging from 9 to 13 was initially assessed and the results demonstrated that the solution pH, when approaching or above the pK_a_2 of AA (11.79), would increase reductive electron transfer to NB. The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA at pH 12 can be described as r = ((0.89 ± 0.11) × 10"−"4 mM"1"−"("a "+ "b") h"−"1) × [NB]"a "= "1"."3"5 "± "0"."1"0[AA]"b "= "0"."8"9 "± "0"."0"1. The GC/MS analytical method identified nitrosobenzene, azoxybenzene, and azobenzene as NB reduction intermediates, and aniline (AN) as a final product. These experimental results indicate that the alkaline AA reduction of NB to AN mainly proceeds via the direct route, consisting of a series of two-electron or four-electron transfers, and the condensation reaction plays a minor route. Preliminary evaluation of the remediation of spiked NB contaminated soils revealed that maintenance of alkaline pH and a higher water to soil ratio are essential for a successful alkaline AA application.

  6. Evaluation of ethanol productivity from cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurose, N; Yagyu, J; Miyazaki, T; Uchida, M; Hanai, S; Obayashi, A

    1986-01-01

    Clostridium thermocellum, a thermophilic anaerobe, directly converts cellulose to EtOH. To estimate its EtOH production from cellulose, we used a new method based on material balance by which the efficiencies of the enzymes that convert cellulose to ethanol were calculated. Using this method, the maximum efficiency of ethanol production of two strains of C. thermocellum was estimated to be 0.05, with 0.67 as the theoretical maximum. 3 references.

  7. VLE and VLLE data for the system water-ethanol-1,4-dimethylbenzene

    OpenAIRE

    Gomis Yagües, Vicente; Pequenín Martínez, Ana; Asensi Steegmann, Juan Carlos

    2008-01-01

    Poster enviado a Expoquimia 2008, Salón Internacional de la Química, Barcelona, 20 al 24 de Octubre de 2008. Bioethanol can be used directly as an additive to gasoline. During its manufacture, it must be dehydrated to obtain pure ethanol. Commercially, this is done by ternary azeotropic distillation. Instead of obtaining absolute ethanol, it is possible to achieve a mixture of ethanol without water plus a hydrocarbon by means of heterogeneous azeotropic distillation, utilizing less energy....

  8. Fuel ethanol discussion paper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    In recognition of the potential benefits of ethanol and the merits of encouraging value-added agricultural development, a committee was formed to develop options for the role of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in the further development of the ethanol industry in Ontario. A consultation with interested parties produced a discussion paper which begins with an outline of the role of ethanol as an alternative fuel. Ethanol issues which require industry consideration are presented, including the function of ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate or octane enhancer, environmental impacts, energy impacts, agricultural impacts, trade and fiscal implications, and regulation. The ethanol industry and distribution systems in Ontario are then described. The current industry consists of one ethanol plant and over 30 retail stations. The key issue for expanding the industry is the economics of producing ethanol. At present, production of ethanol in the short term depends on tax incentives amounting to 23.2 cents/l. In the longer term, a significant reduction in feedstock costs and a significant improvement in processing technology, or equally significant gasoline price increases, will be needed to create a sustainable ethanol industry that does not need incentives. Possible roles for the Ministry are identified, such as support for ethanol research and development, financial support for construction of ethanol plants, and active encouragement of market demand for ethanol-blended gasolines

  9. Effect of pH in a Pd-based ethanol membraneless air breathing nanofluidic fuel cell with flow-through electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Rico, C. A.; Galindo-de-la-Rosa, J.; Ledesma-García, J.; Arriaga, L. G.; Guerra-Balcázar, M.; Arjona, N.

    2015-12-01

    In this work, a nanofluidic fuel cell (NFC) in which streams flow through electrodes was used to investigate the role of pH in the cell performance using ethanol as fuel and two Pd nanoparticles as electrocatalysts: one commercially available (Pd/C from ETEK) and other synthesized using ionic liquids (Pd/C IL). The cell performances for both electrocatalysts in acid/acid (anodic/cathodic) streams were of 18.05 and 9.55 mW cm-2 for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. In alkaline/alkaline streams, decrease to 15.94 mW cm-2 for Pd/C ETEK and increase to 15.37 mW cm-2 for Pd/C IL. In alkaline/acidic streams both electrocatalysts showed similar cell voltages (up to 1 V); meanwhile power densities were of 87.6 and 99.4 mW cm-2 for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. The raise in cell performance can be related to a decrease in activation losses, the combined used of alkaline and acidic streams and these high values compared with flow-over fuel cells can be related to the enhancement of the cathodic mass transport by using three dimensional porous electrodes and two sources of oxygen: from air and from a saturated solution.

  10. Effect of pH in a Pd-based ethanol membraneless air breathing nanofluidic fuel cell with flow-through electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López-Rico, C A; Arriaga, L G; Galindo-de-la-Rosa, J; Ledesma-García, J; Guerra-Balcázar, M; Arjona, N

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a nanofluidic fuel cell (NFC) in which streams flow through electrodes was used to investigate the role of pH in the cell performance using ethanol as fuel and two Pd nanoparticles as electrocatalysts: one commercially available (Pd/C from ETEK) and other synthesized using ionic liquids (Pd/C IL). The cell performances for both electrocatalysts in acid/acid (anodic/cathodic) streams were of 18.05 and 9.55 mW cm -2 for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. In alkaline/alkaline streams, decrease to 15.94 mW cm -2 for Pd/C ETEK and increase to 15.37 mW cm -2 for Pd/C IL. In alkaline/acidic streams both electrocatalysts showed similar cell voltages (up to 1 V); meanwhile power densities were of 87.6 and 99.4 mW cm -2 for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. The raise in cell performance can be related to a decrease in activation losses, the combined used of alkaline and acidic streams and these high values compared with flow-over fuel cells can be related to the enhancement of the cathodic mass transport by using three dimensional porous electrodes and two sources of oxygen: from air and from a saturated solution. (paper)

  11. Ethanol production from rape straw by a two-stage pretreatment under mild conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Inmaculada; López-Linares, Juan C; Delgado, Yaimé; Cara, Cristóbal; Castro, Eulogio

    2015-08-01

    The growing interest on rape oil as raw material for biodiesel production has resulted in an increasing availability of rape straw, an agricultural residue that is an attractive renewable source for the production of second-generation bioethanol. Pretreatment is one of the key steps in such a conversion process. In this work, a sequential two-stage pretreatment with dilute sulfuric acid (130 °C, 60 min, 2% w/v H2SO4) followed by H2O2 (1-5% w/v) in alkaline medium (NaOH) at low temperature (60, 90 °C) and at different pretreatment times (30-90 min) was investigated. The first-acid stage allows the solubilisation of hemicellulose fraction into fermentable sugars. The second-alkaline peroxide stage allows the delignification of the solid material whilst the cellulose remaining in rape straw turned highly digestible by cellulases. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with 15% (w/v) delignified substrate at 90 °C, 5% H2O2 for 60 min, led to a maximum ethanol production of 53 g/L and a yield of 85% of the theoretical.

  12. Fibrillation of Aspen by Alkaline Cold Pre-treatment and Vibration Milling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kärt KÄRNER

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In this article an attempt to fibrillate aspen bleached chemi-thermo mechanical pulp (BCTMP fibre in an environmentally friendly way is reported. The effects of various NaOH, KOH, urea and ethanol aqueous solutions at lowered temperature were tested for pre-treatment. The pre-treatment was followed by vibration milling aiming to peel off outer cell wall layers and to fibrillate S2 layer of the aspen wood fibre. The effects of the treatments were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The results show that it is possible to fibrillate BCTMP aspen fibres by using alkaline aqueous solutions at low temperatures followed by a mechanical treatment. A strong dependence on fibrillation of cellulose on temperature, time and alkali concentration was established.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.3.7412

  13. Kinetics study of Jatropha oil esterification with ethanol in the presence of tin (II) chloride catalyst for biodiesel production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusumaningtyas, Ratna Dewi; Ratrianti, Naomi; Purnamasari, Indah; Budiman, Arief

    2017-01-01

    Jatropha oil is one of the promising feedstocks for biodiesel production. Jatropha oil is non-edible oil hence utilization of this oil would not compete with the needs of food. However, crude jatropha oil usually has high free fatty acid (FFA) content. Due to this fact, direct alkaline-catalyzed transesterification of crude jatropha oil for biodiesel production cannot be performed. FFA in crude jatropha oil will react with a base catalyst, resulting in soap as by product and hindering methyl ester (biodiesel) production. Therefore, prior to a transesterification reaction, it is crucial to run a pretreatment step of jatropha oil which can lower the FFA content in the oil. In this work, the pretreatment process was conducted through the esterification reaction of FFA contained in crude jatropha oil with ethanol over tin (II) chloride catalyst to reduce the acid value of the feedstock. The feedstock was Indonesia crude jatropha oil containing 12.03% of FFA. The esterification reaction was carried out in a batch reactor with a molar ratio of FFA to ethanol was 1:60 and total reaction time was 180 minutes. Tin (II) chloride catalyst was varied at 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% wt, whereas the effect of the reaction temperature was studied at 35, 34, 55, and 65 °C. The best reaction conversion was 71.55%, achieved at the following condition: a reaction temperature of 65 °C, catalyst concentration of 10% wt, the reaction time of 180 min, and the molar ratio of FFA to ethanol was 1:60. Kinetics study was also conducted in this work. It was found that esterification reaction of jatropha oil FFA with ethanol catalyzed by tin(II) chloride fitted the first-order pseudo-homogeneous kinetics model. It was also revealed that the frequency factor (A) and the activation energy (Ea) were 4.3864 × 106 min-1 and 56.2513 kJ/mole, respectively.

  14. Towards a stable ion-solvating polymer electrolyte for advanced alkaline water electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aili, David; Wright, Andrew G.; Kraglund, Mikkel Rykær

    2017-01-01

    Advanced alkaline water electrolysis using ion-solvating polymer membranes as electrolytes represents a new direction in the field of electrochemical hydrogen production. Polybenzimidazole membranes equilibrated in aqueous KOH combine the mechanical robustness and gas-tightness of a polymer...... stability in alkaline environments. The novel electrolytes are extensively characterized with respect to physicochemical and electrochemical properties and the chemical stability is assessed in 0-50 wt% aqueous KOH for more than 6 months at 88 degrees C. In water electrolysis tests using porous 3...

  15. Synthesis and characterisation of binary electrocatalysts for electrochemical oxidation of ethanol in PEMFC

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Masombuka, T

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Ethanol is an alternative choice fuel for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), due to its nontoxicity and its availability from biomass resources advocates its use in direct ethanol fuel cells. In this study PtSn/C and Pt...

  16. Technological trends, global market, and challenges of bio-ethanol production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mussatto, Solange I; Dragone, Giuliano; Guimarães, Pedro M R; Silva, João Paulo A; Carneiro, Lívia M; Roberto, Inês C; Vicente, António; Domingues, Lucília; Teixeira, José A

    2010-01-01

    Ethanol use as a fuel additive or directly as a fuel source has grown in popularity due to governmental regulations and in some cases economic incentives based on environmental concerns as well as a desire to reduce oil dependency. As a consequence, several countries are interested in developing their internal market for use of this biofuel. Currently, almost all bio-ethanol is produced from grain or sugarcane. However, as this kind of feedstock is essentially food, other efficient and economically viable technologies for ethanol production have been evaluated. This article reviews some current and promising technologies for ethanol production considering aspects related to the raw materials, processes, and engineered strains development. The main producer and consumer nations and future perspectives for the ethanol market are also presented. Finally, technological trends to expand this market are discussed focusing on promising strategies like the use of microalgae and continuous systems with immobilized cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Uranium in alkaline rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murphy, M.; Wollenberg, H.; Strisower, B.; Bowman, H.; Flexser, S.; Carmichael, I.

    1978-04-01

    Geologic and geochemical criteria were developed for the occurrence of economic uranium deposits in alkaline igneous rocks. A literature search, a limited chemical analytical program, and visits to three prominent alkaline-rock localities (Ilimaussaq, Greenland; Pocos de Caldas, Brazil; and Powderhorn, Colorado) were made to establish criteria to determine if a site had some uranium resource potential. From the literature, four alkaline-intrusive occurrences of differing character were identified as type-localities for uranium mineralization, and the important aspects of these localities were described. These characteristics were used to categorize and evaluate U.S. occurrences. The literature search disclosed 69 U.S. sites, encompassing nepheline syenite, alkaline granite, and carbonatite. It was possible to compare two-thirds of these sites to the type localities. A ranking system identified ten of the sites as most likely to have uranium resource potential.

  18. Uranium in alkaline rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, M.; Wollenberg, H.; Strisower, B.; Bowman, H.; Flexser, S.; Carmichael, I.

    1978-04-01

    Geologic and geochemical criteria were developed for the occurrence of economic uranium deposits in alkaline igneous rocks. A literature search, a limited chemical analytical program, and visits to three prominent alkaline-rock localities (Ilimaussaq, Greenland; Pocos de Caldas, Brazil; and Powderhorn, Colorado) were made to establish criteria to determine if a site had some uranium resource potential. From the literature, four alkaline-intrusive occurrences of differing character were identified as type-localities for uranium mineralization, and the important aspects of these localities were described. These characteristics were used to categorize and evaluate U.S. occurrences. The literature search disclosed 69 U.S. sites, encompassing nepheline syenite, alkaline granite, and carbonatite. It was possible to compare two-thirds of these sites to the type localities. A ranking system identified ten of the sites as most likely to have uranium resource potential

  19. Alkaline pH sensor molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murayama, Takashi; Maruyama, Ichiro N

    2015-11-01

    Animals can survive only within a narrow pH range. This requires continual monitoring of environmental and body-fluid pH. Although a variety of acidic pH sensor molecules have been reported, alkaline pH sensor function is not well understood. This Review describes neuronal alkaline pH sensors, grouped according to whether they monitor extracellular or intracellular alkaline pH. Extracellular sensors include the receptor-type guanylyl cyclase, the insulin receptor-related receptor, ligand-gated Cl- channels, connexin hemichannels, two-pore-domain K+ channels, and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Intracellular sensors include TRP channels and gap junction channels. Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying alkaline pH sensing is crucial for understanding how animals respond to environmental alkaline pH and how body-fluid pH is maintained within a narrow range. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. A green method to prepare Pd-Ag nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide and their electrochemical catalysis of methanol and ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lingzhi; Chen, Mingxi; Huang, Guanbo; Yang, Nian; Zhang, Li; Wang, Huan; Liu, Yu; Wang, Wei; Gao, Jianping

    2014-10-01

    Bimetallic palladium-silver nanoparticles (NPs) supported on reduced oxide graphene (RGO) with different Pd/Ag ratios (Pd-Ag/RGO) were prepared by an easy green method which did not use any additional reducing agents or a dispersing agent. During the process, simultaneous redox reactions between AgNO3, K2PdCl4 and graphene oxide (GO) led to bimetallic Pd-Ag NPs. The morphology and composition of the Pd-Ag/RGO were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to investigate the electrochemical activities and stabilities of these Pd-Ag/RGO catalysts for the electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol in alkaline media. Among the different Pd/Ag ratios, the Pd-Ag (1:1)/RGO had the best catalytic activities and stability. So it is a promising catalyst for direct alcohol fuel cell applications.

  1. Bioconversion of plant biomass to ethanol. Annual report and revised research plan, January 1977--January 1978

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brooks, R.E.; Bellamy, W.D.; Su, T.M.

    1978-03-23

    The objective of this research is to demonstrate on a laboratory scale the technical feasibility of the direct microbial conversion of pretreated wood to ethanol. During the first year of this contract, we investigated the feasibility of biologically delignifying wood with C. pruinosum and directly fermenting the pretreated wood to ethanol with a mixed culture. Bench-top fermentations of a thermophilic bacillus growing on glucose and of a mixed culture of thermophilic sporocytophaga (US) and a thermophilic bacillus growing on microcrystalline and amorphous cellulose were evaluated for growth and ethanol production. In the mixed culture fermentation of amorphous and microcrystalline cellulose, the specific rate of substrate depletion was calculated to be 0.087 hr/sup -1/ and 0.0346 hr/sup -1/, respectively. However, defining the growth requirements of C. pruinosum and sporocytophaga (US) proved more difficult than originally anticipated. In order to achieve the program objectives within the contract period, a revised research plan was developed based upon chemical pretreatment and the direct fermentation of pretreated hardwood to ethanol. In place of the biological delignification pretreatment step, we have substituted a chemically supplemented steam pretreatment step to partially delignify wood and to enhance its accessibility to microbial utilization. Clostridium thermocellum, which ferments cellulose directly to ethanol and acetic acid, has replaced the mixed culture fermentation stage for ethanol production. Research on the production of ethanol from xylose by the thermophilic bacillus ZB-B2 is retained as one means of utilizing the hemicellulose fraction of hardwood. Work on the genetic improvement of the ethanol yields of both cultures by suppressing acetic acid production is also retained. The rationale, experimental approach, and economic considerations of this revised research plan are also presented.

  2. The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline ph Diet Benefits Health?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwalfenberg, G.K.

    2012-01-01

    This review looks at the role of an alkaline diet in health. Pub med was searched looking for articles on ph, potential renal acid loads, bone health, muscle, growth hormone, back pain, vitamin D and chemotherapy. Many books written in the lay literature on the alkaline diet were also reviewed and evaluated in light of the published medical literature. There may be some value in considering an alkaline diet in reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases and further studies are warranted in this area of medicine

  3. Observational constraints on the global atmospheric budget of ethanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Naik

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Energy security and climate change concerns have led to the promotion of biomass-derived ethanol, an oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC, as a substitute for fossil fuels. Although ethanol is ubiquitous in the troposphere, our knowledge of its current atmospheric budget and distribution is limited. Here, for the first time we use a global chemical transport model in conjunction with atmospheric observations to place constraints on the ethanol budget, noting that additional measurements of ethanol (and its precursors are still needed to enhance confidence in our estimated budget. Global sources of ethanol in the model include 5.0 Tg yr−1 from industrial sources and biofuels, 9.2 Tg yr−1 from terrestrial plants, ~0.5 Tg yr−1 from biomass burning, and 0.05 Tg yr−1 from atmospheric reactions of the ethyl peroxy radical (C2H5O2 with itself and with the methyl peroxy radical (CH3O2. The resulting atmospheric lifetime of ethanol in the model is 2.8 days. Gas-phase oxidation by the hydroxyl radical (OH is the primary global sink of ethanol in the model (65%, followed by dry deposition (25%, and wet deposition (10%. Over continental areas, ethanol concentrations predominantly reflect direct anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources. Uncertainty in the biogenic ethanol emissions, estimated at a factor of three, may contribute to the 50% model underestimate of observations in the North American boundary layer. Current levels of ethanol measured in remote regions are an order of magnitude larger than those in the model, suggesting a major gap in understanding. Stronger constraints on the budget and distribution of ethanol and OVOCs are a critical step towards assessing the impacts of increasing the use of ethanol as a fuel.

  4. Selection of Thai starter components for ethanol production utilizing malted rice from waste paddy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sirilux Chaijamrus

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The use of mixed herbs in Thai rice wine starter (Loog-pang were investigated in order to directly maintain theefficiency of the microbial community (Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Amylomyces sp., Gluconobacter sp. and Pediocccuspentosaceus. The optimum formula was galanga, garlic, long pepper, licorice, and black pepper at the ratio of 0.5:8:1:4:1,respectively. Previously, waste paddy has been used directly as a renewable resource for fuel ethanol production using solidstate fermentation (SSF with Loog-pang. In this study, hydrolyzed malted rice starch was used as the sole nutrient source insubmerged fermentation (SmF to enhance the process yield. The maximum ethanol productivity (4.08 g/kg waste paddy h-1and the highest ethanol concentration (149±7.0 g/kg waste paddy were obtained after 48 hrs of incubation. The resultsindicated that starch saccharification provided a higher ethanol yield (48.38 g/100g sugar consumed than SSF. In addition,the efficiency of ethanol fermentation was 67% which is similar to that of the malted rice made from normal paddy (68%.This result suggests that waste paddy could be used as an alternative raw material for ethanol production.

  5. The solvent absorption-extractive distillation (SAED) process for ethanol recovery from gas/vapor streams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dale, M.C.

    1993-12-31

    A low energy system for ethanol recovery and dehydration has been developed. This system utilizes a solvent for (1) absorption of ethanol vapors, and then the same solvent for (2) extractive distillation. The ideal solvent for this process would have a high affinity for ethanol, and no affinity for water. Heavy alcohols such as dodecanol, and tridecanol, some phosphorals, and some fatty acids have been determined to meet the desired specifications. These solvents have the effect of making water more volatile than ethanol. Thus, a water stream is taken off initially in the dehydration column, and a near anhydrous ethanol stream is recovered from the ethanol/solvent stripper column. Thus the solvent serves dual uses (1) absorption media, and (2) dehydration media. The SAED process as conceptualized would use a solvent similar to solvents used for direct extractive separation of ethanol from aqueous ethanol solutions.

  6. Integrated energy, environmental and financial analysis of ethanol production from cellulosic switchgrass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Felix, Erika; Tilley, David R.

    2009-01-01

    Ethanol production from cellulosic sources such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) requires the use of natural resources, fossil fuels, electricity, and human-derived goods and services. We used emergy accounting to integrate the ultimate amount of environmental, fossil fuel, and human-derived energy required to produce ethanol from switchgrass. Emergy is the total amount of energy of one form required directly and indirectly to make another form of energy. Forty-four percent of required emergy came from the environment either directly or embodied in purchased goods, 30% came from fossil fuels either directly or embodied in purchased goods, and 25% came from human-derived services indirectly. Ethanol production per petroleum use (emergy/emergy) was 4.0-to-1 under our Baseline Scenario, but dropped to 0.5-to-1 under a scenario that assumed higher input prices, lower conversion efficiencies and less waste recycling. At least 75% of total emergy was from non-renewable sources. Energy 'hidden' in indirect paths such as goods and services was 65% of the total. Cellulosic-ethanol is not a primary fuel source that substitutes for petroleum because its production relies heavily on non-renewable energy and purchased inputs. It is a means for converting natural resources to liquid fuel. (author)

  7. Ir catalysts: Preventing CH3COOH formation in ethanol oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Bei; Wu, Zhipeng; Xu, Han; Zhang, Minhua; Chen, Yifei; Wang, Lichang

    2017-11-01

    Current catalysts used for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) cannot effectively prevent CH3COOH formation, and thus become a major hindrance for direct ethanol fuel cell applications. We report an Ir catalyst that shows great promise for a complete EOR based on density functional theory calculations using PBE functional. The reaction barrier on Ir(1 0 0) was found to be 2.10 eV for CH3COOH formation, which is much higher than currently used Pd and Pt, and 0.57 eV for Csbnd C bond cleavage in CHCO species, which are comparable to Pd and Pt. The result suggests future directions for studying optimal complete EOR catalysts.

  8. Deletion of vanilloid receptor (TRPV1) in mice alters behavioral effects of ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blednov, Y.A.; Harris, R.A.

    2009-01-01

    The vanilloid receptor TRPV1 is activated by ethanol and this may be important for some of the central and peripheral actions of ethanol. To determine if this receptor has a role in ethanol-mediated behaviors, we studied null mutant mice in which the Trpv1 gene was deleted. Mice lacking this gene showed significantly higher preference for ethanol and consumed more ethanol in a two-bottle choice test as compared with wild type littermates. Null mutant mice showed shorter duration of loss of righting reflex induced by low doses of ethanol (3.2 and 3.4 g/kg) and faster recovery from motor incoordination induced by ethanol (2 g/kg). However, there were no differences between null mutant and wild type mice in severity of ethanol-induced acute withdrawal (4 g/kg) or conditioned taste aversion to ethanol (2.5 g/kg). Two behavioral phenotypes (decreased sensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation and faster recovery from ethanol-induced motor incoordination) seen in null mutant mice were reproduced in wild type mice by injection of a TRPV1 antagonist, capsazepine (10 mg/kg). These two ethanol behaviors were changed in the opposite direction after injection of capsaicin, a selective TRPV1 agonist, in wild type mice. The studies provide the first evidence that TRPV1 is important for specific behavioral actions of ethanol. PMID:19705551

  9. Sustainability of grape-ethanol energy chain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Riva

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability, in terms of greenhouse gases emission saving, of a new potential bio-ethanol production chain in comparison with the most common ones. The innovation consists of producing bio-ethanol from different types of no-food grapes, while usually bio-ethanol is obtained from matrices taken away from crop for food destination: sugar cane, corn, wheat, sugar beet. In the past, breeding programs were conducted with the aim of improving grapevine characteristics, a large number of hybrid vine varieties were produced and are nowadays present in the CRA-VIT (Viticulture Research Centre Germplasm Collection. Some of them are potentially interesting for bio-energy production because of their high production of sugar, good resistance to diseases, and ability to grow in marginal lands. LCA (Life Cycle Assessment of grape ethanol energy chain was performed following two different methods: (i using the spreadsheet “BioGrace, developed within the “Intelligent Energy Europe” program to support and to ease the RED (Directive 2009/28/EC implementation; (ii using a dedicated LCA software. Emissions were expressed in CO2 equivalent (CO2eq. The results showed that the sustainability limits provided by the normative are respected to this day. On the contrary, from 2017 this production will be sustainable only if the transformation processes will be performed using renewable sources of energy. The comparison with other bioenergy chains points out that the production of ethanol using grapes represents an intermediate situation in terms of general emissions among the different production chains.

  10. Chronic ethanol consumption impairs learning and memory after cessation of ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Susan A; Scherrer, Jeffrey F; Banks, William A; Flood, James F; Morley, John E

    2005-06-01

    Acute consumption of ethanol results in reversible changes in learning and memory whereas chronic ethanol consumption of six or more months produces permanent deficits and neural damage in rodents. The goal of the current paper was determine whether shorter durations of chronic ethanol ingestion in mice would produce long-term deficits in learning and memory after the cessation of ethanol. We first examined the effects of four and eight weeks of 20% ethanol followed by a three week withdrawal period on learning and memory in mice. We determined that three weeks after eight, but not four, weeks of 20% ethanol consumption resulted in deficits in learning and long-term memory (seven days) in T-maze footshock avoidance and Greek Cross brightness discrimination, step-down passive avoidance and shuttlebox active avoidance. Short-term memory (1 hr) was not affected. The deficit was not related to changes in thiamine status, caloric intake, or nonmnemonic factors, such as, activity or footshock sensitivity. Lastly, we examined if the mice recovered after longer durations of withdrawal. After eight weeks of ethanol, we compared mice after three and 12 weeks of withdrawal. Mice that had been off ethanol for both three and 12 weeks were impaired in T-maze footshock avoidance compared to the controls. The current results indicate that a duration of ethanol consumption as short as eight weeks produces deficits in learning and memory that are present 12 weeks after withdrawal.

  11. Alkaline solution/binder ratio as a determining factor in the alkaline activation of aluminosilicates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruiz-Santaquiteria, C., E-mail: ruiz.cs@ietcc.csic.es [Eduardo Torroja Institute (CSIC), c/Serrano Galvache, n Degree-Sign 4, 28033 Madrid (Spain); Skibsted, J. [Instrument Centre for Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Fernandez-Jimenez, A.; Palomo, A. [Eduardo Torroja Institute (CSIC), c/Serrano Galvache, n Degree-Sign 4, 28033 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-09-15

    This study investigates the effect of the alkaline solution/binder (S/B) ratio on the composition and nanostructure of the reaction products generated in the alkaline activation of aluminosilicates. The experiments used two mixtures of fly ash and dehydroxylated white clay and for each of these, varying proportions of the solution components. The alkali activator was an 8 M NaOH solution (with and without sodium silicate) used at three S/B ratios: 0.50, 0.75 and 1.25. The {sup 29}Si, {sup 27}Al MAS NMR and XRD characterisation of the reaction products reveal that for ratios nearest the value delivering suitable paste workability, the reaction-product composition and structure depend primarily on the nature and composition of the starting materials and the alkaline activator used. However, when an excess alkaline activator is present in the system, the reaction products tend to exhibit SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ratios of approximately 1, irrespective of the composition of the starting binder or the alkaline activator.

  12. Nanostructured palladium-La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}Cr{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} composite anodes for direct methane and ethanol solid oxide fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, San Ping; Ye, Yinmei; He, Tianmin; Ho, See Boon [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2008-10-15

    A palladium-impregnated La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}Cr{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}O{sub 3-{delta}}/yttria-stabilized zirconia (LSCM/YSZ) composite anode is investigated for the direct utilization of methane and ethanol fuels in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Impregnation of Pd nanoparticles significantly enhances the electrocatalytic activity of LSCM/YSZ composite anodes for the methane and ethanol electrooxidation reaction. At 800 C, the maximum power density is increased by two and eight times with methane and ethanol fuels, respectively, for a cell with the Pd-impregnated LSCM/YSZ composite anode, as compared with that using a pure LSCM/YSZ anode. No carbon deposition is observed during the reaction of methane and ethanol fuels on the Pd-impregnated LSCM/YSZ composite anode. The results show the promises of nanostructured Pd-impregnated LSCM/YSZ composites as effective anodes for direct methane and ethanol SOFCs. (author)

  13. Electroactivity of tin modified platinum electrodes for ethanol electrooxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simoes, F.C.; de Andrade, A.R.; Olivi, P. [Departamento de Quimica da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Caixa Postal 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil); dos Anjos, D.M.; Vigier, F.; Leger, J.-M.; Hahn, F.; Coutanceau, C.; Kokoh, K.B. [Equipe Electrocatalyse, UMR 6503 CNRS, Universite de Poitiers, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022 Poitiers Cedex (France); Gonzalez, E.R.; Tremiliosi-Filho, G. [Instituto de Quimica de Sao Carlos, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 780, 13560-970 Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil)

    2007-05-01

    Different electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry and tests in a single direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) were used to evaluate the catalytic activity of various compositions of PtSn electrodes prepared by thermal decomposition for ethanol electrooxidation. This oxidation process was also investigated by in situ infrared reflectance spectroscopy to determine the presence of adsorbed intermediates. The experimental results showed that PtSn can oxidize ethanol mainly to acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Adsorbed CO was also found, which demonstrates that the rupture of the C-C bond in the ethanol molecule can also take place during the oxidation process. This intermediate species was oxidized to CO{sub 2} which was detected by IR spectroscopy and chromatography. With Pt{sub 90}Sn{sub 10}/C as anode catalyst, single DEFC tests carried out using MEAs with a geometric electrode area of 5 cm{sup 2} allowed to produce a power density of ca. 72 mW cm{sup -2} at 110 C. (author)

  14. Contemporaneous alkaline and calc-alkaline series in Central Anatolia (Turkey): Spatio-temporal evolution of a post-collisional Quaternary basaltic volcanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogan-Kulahci, Gullu Deniz; Temel, Abidin; Gourgaud, Alain; Varol, Elif; Guillou, Hervé; Deniel, Catherine

    2018-05-01

    strength elements (HFSE; Y, Yb) and the La/Nb >1 favor a shallow lithospheric source for ES, HS, OZ and KA basaltic volcanic rocks, whereas some samples bear the trace element signature of an asthenospheric mantle source. The lithospheric mantle beneath Central Anatolia may have not been affected from asthenospheric mantle directly. Negative Nb-Ta-Ti anomalies and a positive Pb spike of ES, HS, OZ and KA may be ascribed to crustal contamination or as the imprints of the previous subduction processes. According to this study, and previous studies, the effect of subduction and/or crustal contamination in Central Anatolia decreased from the Miocene to the Quaternary, and the origin of the Quaternary basaltic rocks mainly derived from subduction-related magmas enriched with sediment input rather than to slab-derived fluids. Our calculated eruption ages for the four basaltic complexes show that spatial differences predominate, whereas temporal trends are difficult to discern due to limited age resolution. According to the available geochronological, petrological and geochemical data, alkaline and calc-alkaline volcanism occurred simultaneously from distinct parental magmas.

  15. Optimization of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation for more efficient ethanol production by Jerusalem artichoke stalk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kai; Qin, Jin-Cheng; Liu, Chen-Guang; Bai, Feng-Wu

    2016-12-01

    Jerusalem artichoke (JA) is a potential energy crop for biorefinery due to its unique agronomic traits such as resistance to environmental stresses and high biomass yield in marginal lands. Although JA tubers have been explored for inulin extraction and biofuels production, there is little concern on its stalk (JAS). In this article, the pretreatment of JAS by alkaline hydrogen peroxide was optimized using the response surface methodology to improve sugars yield and reduce chemicals usage. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the structures of the pretreated JAS to evaluate the effectiveness of the pretreatment. Furthermore, the feeding of the pretreated JAS and cellulase was performed for high solid uploading (up to 30%) to increase ethanol titer, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with 55.6g/L ethanol produced, 36.5% more than that produced through separate hydrolysis and fermentation, was validated to be more efficient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Ethanol internal steam reforming in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diethelm, Stefan; Van herle, Jan

    This study investigates the performance of a standard Ni-YSZ anode supported cell under ethanol steam reforming operating conditions. Therefore, the fuel cell was directly operated with a steam/ethanol mixture (3 to 1 molar). Other gas mixtures were also used for comparison to check the conversion of ethanol and of reformate gases (H 2, CO) in the fuel cell. The electrochemical properties of the fuel cell fed with four different fuel compositions were characterized between 710 and 860 °C by I- V and EIS measurements at OCV and under polarization. In order to elucidate the limiting processes, impedance spectra obtained with different gas compositions were compared using the derivative of the real part of the impedance with respect of the natural logarithm of the frequency. Results show that internal steam reforming of ethanol takes place significantly on Ni-YSZ anode only above 760 °C. Comparisons of results obtained with reformate gas showed that the electrochemical cell performance is dominated by the conversion of hydrogen. The conversion of CO also occurs either directly or indirectly through the water-gas shift reaction but has a significant impact on the electrochemical performance only above 760 °C.

  17. Electric dipole moments and chemical bonding of diatomic alkali-alkaline earth molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pototschnig, Johann V; Hauser, Andreas W; Ernst, Wolfgang E

    2016-02-17

    We investigate the properties of alkali-alkaline earth diatomic molecules in the lowest Σ(+) states of the doublet and quartet multiplicity by ab initio calculations. In all sixteen cases studied, the permanent electric dipole moment points in opposite directions for the two spin states. This peculiarity can be explained by molecular orbital theory. We further discuss dissociation energies and bond distances. We analyze trends and provide an empirically motivated model for the prediction of the permanent electric dipole moment for combinations of alkali and alkaline earth atoms not studied in this work.

  18. Study of exhaust emissions of direct injection diesel engine operating on ethanol, petrol and rapeseed oil blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labeckas, Gvidonas; Slavinskas, Stasys

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the bench testing results of a four stroke, four cylinder, direct injection, unmodified, diesel engine operating on pure rapeseed oil (RO) and its 2.5 vol%, 5 vol%, 7.5 vol% and 10 vol% blends with ethanol (ERO), petrol (PRO) and both improving agents applied in equal proportions as 50:50 vol% (EPRO). The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of ethanol and petrol addition into RO on diesel engine emission characteristics and smoke opacity of the exhausts. The biggest NO x emissions, 1954 and 2078 ppm, at 2000 min -1 speed generate blends PRO10 (9.72%) and EPRO5 (11.13%) against, 1731 and 1411 ppm, produced from ERO5 (12%) and ERO10 (13.2% oxygen) blends. The carbon monoxide, CO, emissions emitted from a fully loaded engine fuelled with three agent blends EPRO5-7.5 at maximum torque and rated speed are higher by 39.5-18.8% and 27.5-16.1% and smoke opacity lower by 3.3-9.0% and 24.1-17.6% comparing with RO case. When operating at rated 2200 min -1 mode, the carbon dioxide, CO 2 , emissions are lower, 6.9-6.3 vol%, from blends EPRO5-7.5 relative to that from RO, 7.8 vol%, accompanied by a slightly higher emission of unburned hydrocarbons HC, 16 ppm, and residual oxygen contents O 2 , 10.4-12.0 vol%, in the exhausts

  19. Alkalinity of the Mediterranean Sea

    OpenAIRE

    Schneider, Anke; Wallace, Douglas W.R.; Körtzinger, Arne

    2007-01-01

    Total alkalinity (AT) was measured during the Meteor 51/2 cruise, crossing the Mediterranean Sea from west to east. AT concentrations were high (∼2600 μmol kg−1) and alkalinity-salinity-correlations had negative intercepts. These results are explained by evaporation coupled with high freshwater AT inputs into coastal areas. Salinity adjustment of AT revealed excess alkalinity throughout the water column compared to mid-basin surface waters. Since Mediterranean waters are supersaturated with r...

  20. Tailoring the properties of Platinum supported catalysts by irreversible adsorbed adatoms toward ethanol oxidation for direct ethanol fuel cells

    OpenAIRE

    Costa Figueiredo, Marta; Santasalo-Aarnio, A.; Vidal-Iglesias, F.J.; Solla-Gullón, J.; Feliu, J.M.; Kontturi, K.; Kallio, T.

    2013-01-01

    In this work ethanol oxidation on carbon supported Pt catalysts modified with irreversibly adsorbed adatoms is reported. This study concerns understanding of the effect of a second metal on real catalysts in conditions as close as possible to those applied in fuel cells systems. The results were acquired using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and in situ infra-red techniques always taking into account the future application of the electrocatalyst materials in fuel cells. Foreign adatoms,...

  1. Ethanol Transportation Backgrounder

    OpenAIRE

    Denicoff, Marina R.

    2007-01-01

    For the first 6 months of 2007, U.S. ethanol production totaled nearly 3 billion gallons—32 percent higher than the same period last year. As of August 29, there were 128 ethanol plants with annual production capacity totaling 6.78 billion gallons, and an additional 85 plants were under construction. U.S. ethanol production capacity is expanding rapidly and is currently expected to exceed 13 billion gallons per year by early 2009, if not sooner. Ethanol demand has increased corn prices and le...

  2. Reduction of nitrobenzene with alkaline ascorbic acid: Kinetics and pathways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Chenju, E-mail: cliang@nchu.edu.tw [Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing University 250, Kuo-kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China); Lin, Ya-Ting [Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Road, Chung Li District, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan (China); Shiu, Jia-Wei [Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing University 250, Kuo-kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China)

    2016-01-25

    Highlights: • Alkaline ascorbic acid (a.k.a. vitamin C) is capable of reductively degrading NB. • The pH above the pK{sub a2} of ascorbic acid increases reductive electron transfer to NB. • The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA is determined. • NSB, AZOXY, and AZO are identified as intermediates and aniline as a final product. • Alkaline pH is essential for AA remediation of NB contaminated soils. - Abstract: Alkaline ascorbic acid (AA) exhibits the potential to reductively degrade nitrobenzene (NB), which is the simplest of the nitroaromatic compounds. The nitro group (NO{sub 2}{sup −}) of NB has a +III oxidation state of the N atom and tends to gain electrons. The effect of alkaline pH ranging from 9 to 13 was initially assessed and the results demonstrated that the solution pH, when approaching or above the pK{sub a2} of AA (11.79), would increase reductive electron transfer to NB. The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA at pH 12 can be described as r = ((0.89 ± 0.11) × 10{sup −4} mM{sup 1−(a} {sup +} {sup b)} h{sup −1}) × [NB]{sup a} {sup =} {sup 1.35} {sup ±} {sup 0.10}[AA]{sup b} {sup =} {sup 0.89} {sup ±} {sup 0.01}. The GC/MS analytical method identified nitrosobenzene, azoxybenzene, and azobenzene as NB reduction intermediates, and aniline (AN) as a final product. These experimental results indicate that the alkaline AA reduction of NB to AN mainly proceeds via the direct route, consisting of a series of two-electron or four-electron transfers, and the condensation reaction plays a minor route. Preliminary evaluation of the remediation of spiked NB contaminated soils revealed that maintenance of alkaline pH and a higher water to soil ratio are essential for a successful alkaline AA application.

  3. The ethanol pathway from Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum improves ethanol production in Clostridium thermocellum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hon, Shuen; Olson, Daniel G; Holwerda, Evert K; Lanahan, Anthony A; Murphy, Sean J L; Maloney, Marybeth I; Zheng, Tianyong; Papanek, Beth; Guss, Adam M; Lynd, Lee R

    2017-07-01

    Clostridium thermocellum ferments cellulose, is a promising candidate for ethanol production from cellulosic biomass, and has been the focus of studies aimed at improving ethanol yield. Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum ferments hemicellulose, but not cellulose, and has been engineered to produce ethanol at high yield and titer. Recent research has led to the identification of four genes in T. saccharolyticum involved in ethanol production: adhE, nfnA, nfnB and adhA. We introduced these genes into C. thermocellum and observed significant improvements to ethanol yield, titer, and productivity. The four genes alone, however, were insufficient to achieve in C. thermocellum the ethanol yields and titers observed in engineered T. saccharolyticum strains, even when combined with gene deletions targeting hydrogen production. This suggests that other parts of T. saccharolyticum metabolism may also be necessary to reproduce the high ethanol yield and titer phenotype in C. thermocellum. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Ethanol Production from Various Sugars and Cellulosic Biomass by White Rot Fungus Lenzites betulinus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Kyung Hoan; Nguyen, Trung Kien; Choi, Jaehyuk; Lee, Tae Soo

    2016-03-01

    Lenzites betulinus, known as gilled polypore belongs to Basidiomycota was isolated from fruiting body on broadleaf dead trees. It was found that the mycelia of white rot fungus Lenzites betulinus IUM 5468 produced ethanol from various sugars, including glucose, mannose, galactose, and cellobiose with a yield of 0.38, 0.26, 0.07, and 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed, respectively. This fungus relatively exhibited a good ethanol production from xylose at 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed. However, the ethanol conversion rate of arabinose was relatively low (at 0.07 g of ethanol per gram sugar). L. betulinus was capable of producing ethanol directly from rice straw and corn stalks at 0.22 g and 0.16 g of ethanol per gram of substrates, respectively, when this fungus was cultured in a basal medium containing 20 g/L rice straw or corn stalks. These results indicate that L. betulinus can produce ethanol efficiently from glucose, mannose, and cellobiose and produce ethanol very poorly from galactose and arabinose. Therefore, it is suggested that this fungus can ferment ethanol from various sugars and hydrolyze cellulosic materials to sugars and convert them to ethanol simultaneously.

  5. Au@Pd core-shell nanobricks with concave structures and their catalysis of ethanol oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wenjin; Zhang, Jie; Yang, Shengchun; Ding, Bingjun; Song, Xiaoping

    2013-10-01

    Au@Pd core-shell nanobricks (CNBs) with concave surfaces and Pd shells with a thickness of approximately 5 nm were synthesized by co-reduction of HAuCl4 and H2 PdCl4 in the presence of Au seeds and Ag ions. These as-synthesized concave CNBs exhibit significantly enhanced catalytic activity for the electrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline media compared to the commercially-used Pd black. The improved performance of the Au@Pd CNBs can be attributed to the exposed stepped surfaces, high-index facets, and the synergistic effects of the core and shell metals. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. High ethanol tolerance of the thermophilic anaerobic ethanol producer Thermoanaerobacter BG1L1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Georgieva, Tania I.; Mikkelsen, Marie Just; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

    2007-01-01

    The low ethanol tolerance of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria, generally less than 2% (v/v) ethanol, is one of the main limiting factors for their potential use for second generation fuel ethanol production. In this work, the tolerance of thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter BG 1L1...... to exogenously added ethanol was studied in a continuous immobilized reactor system at a growth temperature of 70 degrees C. Ethanol tolerance was evaluated based on inhibition of fermentative performance e.g.. inhibition of substrate conversion. At the highest ethanol concentration tested (8.3% v/v), the strain...... was able to convert 42% of the xylose initially present, indicating that this ethanol concentration is not the upper limit tolerated by the strain. Long-term strain adaptation to high ethanol concentrations (6 - 8.3%) resulted in an improvement of xylose conversion by 25% at an ethanol concentration of 5...

  7. Effect of alkaline addition on anaerobic sludge digestion with combined pretreatment of alkaline and high pressure homogenization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Wei; Zhang, Panyue; Zhang, Guangming; Jin, Shuguang; Li, Dongyi; Zhang, Meixia; Xu, Xiangzhe

    2014-09-01

    To improve anaerobic digestion efficiency, combination pretreatment of alkaline and high pressure homogenization was applied to pretreat sewage sludge. Effect of alkaline dosage on anaerobic sludge digestion was investigated in detail. SCOD of sludge supernatant significantly increased with the alkaline dosage increase after the combined pretreatment because of sludge disintegration. Organics were significantly degraded after the anaerobic digestion, and the maximal SCOD, TCOD and VS removal was 73.5%, 61.3% and 43.5%, respectively. Cumulative biogas production, methane content in biogas and biogas production rate obviously increased with the alkaline dosage increase. Considering both the biogas production and alkaline dosage, the optimal alkaline dosage was selected as 0.04 mol/L. Relationships between biogas production and sludge disintegration showed that the accumulative biogas was mainly enhanced by the sludge disintegration. The methane yield linearly increased with the DDCOD increase as Methane yield (ml/gVS)=4.66 DDCOD-9.69. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerry K. Schwalfenberg

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This review looks at the role of an alkaline diet in health. Pubmed was searched looking for articles on pH, potential renal acid loads, bone health, muscle, growth hormone, back pain, vitamin D and chemotherapy. Many books written in the lay literature on the alkaline diet were also reviewed and evaluated in light of the published medical literature. There may be some value in considering an alkaline diet in reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases and further studies are warranted in this area of medicine.

  9. Determination of the efficiency of ethanol oxidation in a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altarawneh, Rakan M.; Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

    2017-05-01

    Products and residual ethanol in the anode and cathode exhausts of an ethanol electrolysis cell (EEC) have been analyzed by proton NMR and infrared spectrometry under a variety of operating conditions. This provides a full accounting of the fate of ethanol entering the cell, including the stoichiometry of the ethanol oxidation reaction (i.e. the average number of electrons transferred per ethanol molecule), product distribution and the crossover of ethanol and products through the membrane. The reaction stoichiometry (nav) is the key parameter that determines the faradaic efficiency of both EECs and direct ethanol fuel cells. Values determined independently from the product distribution, amount of ethanol consumed, and a simple electrochemical method based on the dependence of the current on the flow rate of the ethanol solution are compared. It is shown that the electrochemical method yields results that are consistent with those based on the product distribution, and based on the consumption of ethanol when crossover is accounted for. Since quantitative analysis of the cathode exhaust is challenging, the electrochemical method provides a valuable alternative for routine determination of nav, and hence the faradaic efficiency of the cell.

  10. Methanol, Ethanol and Propanol in EHD liquid bridging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuchs, Elmar C; Wexler, Adam D; Agostinho, Luewton L F; Ramek, Michael; Woisetschläger, Jakob

    2011-01-01

    When a high-voltage direct-current is applied to two beakers filled with water or polar liquid dielectrica, a horizontal bridge forms between the two beakers. In this work such bridges made of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol are investigated with polarimetry and thermography. Whereas methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol bridges become warm like a water bridge, a 2-propanol bridge cools down relative to the surroundings. It is shown how the different stability of the primary and secondary alcoholate ions and the resulting small difference in conductivity between 1-propanol and 2-propanol is responsible for this novel effect.

  11. In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Study of the Electrocatalytic Effect of PtFe/C Nanocatalyst on Ethanol Electro-Oxidation in Alkaline Medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. C. Gómez-Monsiváis

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Currently, the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction has attracted considerable attention in fuel cells because of new green ethanol synthetic methods based on biomass processes that have emerged. In this study, PtFe/C and Pt/C nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical reduction method and tested in the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic effect of the PtFe bimetallic catalyst was analyzed by in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS coupled to an electrochemical cell. X-ray diffractograms showed typical face-centered cubic structures with crystallite sizes of 3.31 and 3.94 for Pt/C and PtFe/C, respectively. TEM micrographs revealed nanoparticle sizes of 2 ± 0.4 nm and 3 ± 0.6 nm for Pt/C and PtFe/C respectively. PtFe/C exhibited a Pt90Fe10 composition by both X-ray fluorescence and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A better electrocatalytic activity as function of concentration was obtained through the incorporation of a small amount of Fe into the Pt lattice and the presence of Fe2+/Fe3+ (observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. According to SERS experiments, the presence of these iron species promotes the chemisorption of ethanol, the formation of formic acid as main product and renewal of the catalytic sites, resulting in current densities that were at least three fold higher than the values obtained for the Pt/C nanocatalyst.

  12. Short-term salivary acetaldehyde increase due to direct exposure to alcoholic beverages as an additional cancer risk factor beyond ethanol metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monakhova Yulia B

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An increasing body of evidence now implicates acetaldehyde as a major underlying factor for the carcinogenicity of alcoholic beverages and especially for oesophageal and oral cancer. Acetaldehyde associated with alcohol consumption is regarded as 'carcinogenic to humans' (IARC Group 1, with sufficient evidence available for the oesophagus, head and neck as sites of carcinogenicity. At present, research into the mechanistic aspects of acetaldehyde-related oral cancer has been focused on salivary acetaldehyde that is formed either from ethanol metabolism in the epithelia or from microbial oxidation of ethanol by the oral microflora. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of the acetaldehyde that is found as a component of alcoholic beverages as an additional factor in the aetiology of oral cancer. Methods Salivary acetaldehyde levels were determined in the context of sensory analysis of different alcoholic beverages (beer, cider, wine, sherry, vodka, calvados, grape marc spirit, tequila, cherry spirit, without swallowing, to exclude systemic ethanol metabolism. Results The rinsing of the mouth for 30 seconds with an alcoholic beverage is able to increase salivary acetaldehyde above levels previously judged to be carcinogenic in vitro, with levels up to 1000 μM in cases of beverages with extreme acetaldehyde content. In general, the highest salivary acetaldehyde concentration was found in all cases in the saliva 30 sec after using the beverages (average 353 μM. The average concentration then decreased at the 2-min (156 μM, 5-min (76 μM and 10-min (40 μM sampling points. The salivary acetaldehyde concentration depends primarily on the direct ingestion of acetaldehyde contained in the beverages at the 30-sec sampling, while the influence of the metabolic formation from ethanol becomes the major factor at the 2-min sampling point. Conclusions This study offers a plausible mechanism to explain the increased risk for oral

  13. Report of the PRI biofuel-ethanol; Rapport du PRI biocarburant-ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This evaluation report presents three research programs in the framework of the physiological behavior of the yeast ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'', with high ethanol content. These studies should allowed to select an efficient yeast for the ethanol production. The first study concerns the development of an enzymatic process for the hydrolysis and the fermentation. The second study deals with the molecular and dynamical bases for the yeast metabolic engineering for the ethanol fuel production. The third research concerns the optimization of performance of microbial production processes of ethanol. (A.L.B.)

  14. Report of the PRI biofuel-ethanol; Rapport du PRI biocarburant-ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This evaluation report presents three research programs in the framework of the physiological behavior of the yeast ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'', with high ethanol content. These studies should allowed to select an efficient yeast for the ethanol production. The first study concerns the development of an enzymatic process for the hydrolysis and the fermentation. The second study deals with the molecular and dynamical bases for the yeast metabolic engineering for the ethanol fuel production. The third research concerns the optimization of performance of microbial production processes of ethanol. (A.L.B.)

  15. Ethanol research with representatives of provincial/territorial governments and ethanol retailers : final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-03-15

    This paper provided the results of a survey conducted to obtain feedback from retailers and provincial and territorial governments concerning the promotion of ethanol use. A key objective of the research was to determine whether local and provincial governments and retailers are interested in cooperating with the federal government in promoting ethanol use. Thirteen government representatives were interviewed as well as 11 retailers. Results of the study suggested that approaches to collaboration with the diverse stakeholders involved in the promotion of ethanol will require a tailored approach. The needs and interests of jurisdictions and provinces varied widely. Outlets selling ethanol-blended gasoline were concentrated in Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Retailers who embraced the alternative fuel tended to be well-established in the ethanol market, and did not require assistance from the Government of Canada. Retailers who were reluctant to embrace ethanol stated that they were only likely to enter the market when required to do so by law. Many stakeholders felt that consumers entertained common misperceptions concerning ethanol, and that consumers were unsure of the effect of ethanol on their vehicles. Many retailers had taken steps to communicate with consumers about the relative benefits of ethanol-blended gasoline. Results indicated that the federal government can assist provinces and retailers by providing promotional tools such as flyers, pamphlets and brochures. Interest among retailers in collaborating with the government was only moderate. It was recommended that retailers be provided with accurate information on ethanol. It was concluded that strategies should be developed by the federal government to increase public awareness of ethanol use.

  16. Determination of Acidity and Alkalinity of Food Materials

    OpenAIRE

    三浦,芳助; 福永,祐子; 瀧川,裕里子; 津田,真美; 渡辺,陽子; 瀨山,一正

    2006-01-01

    The acidity and alkalinity of food materials in various menus was determined to clarify the influence of food on physiological functions. Menus mainly containing alkaline food materials (alkaline menu) and acid ones (acid menu) were compared. Determination of acidity and alkalinity was performed for each food material in the alkaline menu and acid menu, and acidity and alkalinity of one meal and a day's one were estimated. 1. Most of food materials in acid menu were assessed to be...

  17. Study of the electrooxidation of ethanol on hydrophobic electrodes by DEMS and HPLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez Pereira, M.; Davila Jimenez, M.; Elizalde, M.P.; Manzo-Robledo, A.; Alonso-Vante, N.

    2004-01-01

    The electrochemical oxidation of ethanol in alkaline solution has been studied on Cu-PVC electrode and Ni/Cu-PVC composite electrodes modified by ruthenium nanoparticles. The techniques used were cyclic voltammetry (CV), steady-state potentiostatic method, on line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chemical products: acetaldehyde and acetic acid were detected measuring the proper mass charge (m/z) ratios. These products were also confirmed by HPLC. The surface modification of composite electrodes by ruthenium nanoparticles promotes the formation of acetaldehyde. As shown by DEMS, the surface modification shifts the onset potential for oxygen evolution reaction on the Cu-PVC composite electrode towards more anodic values

  18. Study of the electrooxidation of ethanol on hydrophobic electrodes by DEMS and HPLC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzalez Pereira, M.; Davila Jimenez, M.; Elizalde, M.P.; Manzo-Robledo, A.; Alonso-Vante, N

    2004-09-15

    The electrochemical oxidation of ethanol in alkaline solution has been studied on Cu-PVC electrode and Ni/Cu-PVC composite electrodes modified by ruthenium nanoparticles. The techniques used were cyclic voltammetry (CV), steady-state potentiostatic method, on line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chemical products: acetaldehyde and acetic acid were detected measuring the proper mass charge (m/z) ratios. These products were also confirmed by HPLC. The surface modification of composite electrodes by ruthenium nanoparticles promotes the formation of acetaldehyde. As shown by DEMS, the surface modification shifts the onset potential for oxygen evolution reaction on the Cu-PVC composite electrode towards more anodic values.

  19. Mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitors prevent ethanol-induced neuronal death in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamarche, Frederic; Carcenac, Carole; Gonthier, Brigitte; Cottet-Rousselle, Cecile; Chauvin, Christiane; Barret, Luc; Leverve, Xavier; Savasta, Marc; Fontaine, Eric

    2013-01-18

    Ethanol induces brain injury by a mechanism that remains partly unknown. Mitochondria play a key role in cell death processes, notably through the opening of the permeability transition pore (PTP). Here, we tested the effect of ethanol and PTP inhibitors on mitochondrial physiology and cell viability both in vitro and in vivo. Direct addition of ethanol up to 100 mM on isolated mouse brain mitochondria slightly decreased oxygen consumption but did not affect PTP regulation. In comparison, when isolated from ethanol-treated (two doses of 2 g/kg, 2 h apart) 7-day-old mouse pups, brain mitochondria displayed a transient decrease in oxygen consumption but no change in PTP regulation or H2O2 production. Conversely, exposure of primary cultured astrocytes and neurons to 20 mM ethanol for 3 days led to a transient PTP opening in astrocytes without affecting cell viability and to a permanent PTP opening in 10 to 20% neurons with the same percentage of cell death. Ethanol-treated mouse pups displayed a widespread caspase-3 activation in neurons but not in astrocytes and dramatic behavioral alterations. Interestingly, two different PTP inhibitors (namely, cyclosporin A and nortriptyline) prevented both ethanol-induced neuronal death in vivo and ethanol-induced behavioral modifications. We conclude that PTP opening is involved in ethanol-induced neurotoxicity in the mouse.

  20. Water-insoluble fractions of botanical foods lower blood ethanol levels in rats by physically maintaining the ethanol solution after ethanol administration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunji Oshima

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Several studies have analyzed the functions of foods and dietary constituents in the dynamics of alcohol metabolism. However, few studies have reported the function of dietary fibers in the dynamics of alcohol metabolism. Objective: We assessed the effects of botanical foods that contain dietary fibers on alcohol metabolism. Methods: The ability of the water-insoluble fraction (WIF of 18 kinds of botanical foods to maintain 15% (v/v ethanol solution was examined using easily handled filtration. A simple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the correlation between the filtered volumes and blood ethanol concentration (BEC in F344 rats 4 h after the ingestion of 4.0 g/kg of ethanol following dosage of 2.5% (w/v WIF of the experimental botanical foods. Furthermore, the supernatant (6.3 Brix; water-soluble fraction and precipitate (WIF of tomato, with a strong ethanol-maintaining ability, were obtained and BEC and the residual gastric ethanol in rats were determined 2 h after the administration of 4.0 g/kg of ethanol and the individuals fractions. Results: The filtered volumes of dropped ethanol solutions containing all the botanical foods tested except green peas were decreased compared with the ethanol solution without WIF (control. There was a significant correlation between the filtered volumes and blood ethanol concentration (BEC. There was no significant difference in the residual gastric ethanol between controls and the supernatant group; however, it was increased significantly in the WIF group than in controls or the supernatant group. Consistent with this, BEC reached a similar level in controls and the supernatant group but significantly decreased in the WIF group compared with controls or the supernatant group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that WIFs of botanical foods, which are mostly water-insoluble dietary fibers, possess the ability to absorb ethanol-containing solutions, and this ability correlates

  1. Sustainably produced ethanol. A premium fuel component; Nachhaltig produziertes Ethanol. Eine Premium Kraftstoffkomponente

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernard, Joerg [Suedzucker AG, Obrigheim/Pfalz (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Ethanol is the most used biofuel in the world. It is part of the European biofuel strategy, which is intended to preserve finite fossil resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen European agriculture. In addition to its traditional use in E5 fuel, ethanol most recently features in new fuels for petrol engines in Europe: as E10 as an expansion of the already existing concept of ethanol blends, such as in E5, or as ethanol fuel E85, a blend made up primarily of ethanol. There is already extensive international experience for both types of fuel for example in the USA or Brazil. The use of ethanol as a biofuel is linked to sustainability criteria in Europe which must be proven through a certification scheme. In addition to ethanol, the integrated production process also provides vegetable protein which is used in food as well as in animal feed and therefore provides the quality products of processed plants used for sustainable energy and in animal and human food. Ethanol has an effect on the vapour pressure, boiling behaviour and octane number of the fuel blend. Adjusting the blend stock petrol to fulfil the quality requirements of the final fuel is therefore necessary. Increasing the antiknock properties, increasing the heat of evaporation of the fuel using ethanol and the positive effects this has on the combustion efficiency of the petrol engine are particularly important. Investigations on cars or engines that were specifically designed for fuel with a higher ethanol content show significant improvements in using the energy from the fuel and the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions if fuels containing ethanol are used. The perspective based purely on an energy equivalent replacement of fossil fuels with ethanol is therefore misleading. Ethanol can also contribute to increasing the energy efficiency of petrol engines as well as being a replacement source of energy. (orig.)

  2. Potentiation of gamma aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAAR by Ethanol: How are inhibitory receptors affected?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin eFörstera

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In recent years there has been an increase in the understanding of ethanol actions on the type A -aminobutyric acid chloride channel (GABAAR, a member of the pentameric ligand gated ion channels (pLGICs. However, the mechanism by which ethanol potentiates the complex is still not fully understood and a number of publications have shown contradictory results. Thus many questions still remain unresolved requiring further studies for a better comprehension of this effect. The present review concentrates on the involvement of GABAAR in the acute actions of ethanol and specifically focuses on the immediate, direct or indirect, synaptic and extra-synaptic modulatory effects. To elaborate on the immediate, direct modulation of GABAAR by acute ethanol exposure, electrophysiological studies investigating the importance of different subunits, and data from receptor mutants will be examined. We will also discuss the nature of the putative binding sites for ethanol based on structural data obtained from other members of the pLGICs family. Finally, we will briefly highlight the glycine gated chloride channel (GlyR, another member of the pLGIC family, as a suitable target for the development of new pharmacological tools.

  3. Alkaline earth metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Paul L.; Ekberg, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The beryllium ion has a relatively small ionic radius. As a consequence of this small size, its hydrolysis reactions begin to occur at a relatively low pH. To determine the stability and solubility constants, however, the Gibbs energy of the beryllium ion is required. In aqueous solution calcium, like the other alkaline earth metals, only exists as a divalent cation. The size of the alkaline earth cations increases with increasing atomic number, and the calcium ion is bigger than the magnesium ion. The hydrolysis of barium(II) is weaker than that of strontium(II) and also occurs in quite alkaline pH solutions, and similarly, only the species barium hydroxide has been detected. There is only a single experimental study on the hydrolysis of radium. As with the stability constant trend, it would be expected that the enthalpy of radium would be lower than that of barium due to the larger ionic radius.

  4. Selecting ethanol as an ideal organic solvent probe in radiation chemistry γ-radiolysis of acetone-ethanol system and acetophenone-ethanol system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Haofang; Wu Jilan; Fang Xingwang; Zhang Xujia

    1995-01-01

    Radiolysis of acetone-ethanol solution and acetophenone-ethanol solution has been studied in this work. The dependences of G values of the final γ radiolysis products such as H 2 . 2,3-butanediol and acetaldehyde on additive concentration in liquid ethanol have been obtained. There are two kinds of new final products, isopropanol and 2-methyl-2,3-butanediol are detected in irradiated acetone-ethanol solution. As for acetophenone-ethanol system, more new final products are found. In addition, experiments of pulse radiolysis upon acetophenone-ethanol solution have also been performed. The absorption spectrum with λ max at 315nm and 440nm is observed, which is assigned to ketyl radical ion C 6 H 5 (CH 3 )CO - . And the reaction mechanism of the two systems is proposed respectively with a moderate success. (author)

  5. Asymmetric membranes for destabilization of oil droplets in produced water from alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramlee, Azierah; Chiam, Chel-Ken; Sarbatly, Rosalam

    2018-05-01

    This work presents a study of destabilization of oil droplets in the produced water from alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding by using four types of laboratory-fabricated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. The PVDF membranes were fabricated via immersion precipitation method with ethanol (0 - 30 %, v/v) as the coagulant. The membranes with the effective area of 17.35 cm2 were tested with synthesized ASP solution as the feed in cross-flow microfiltration process. The ASP feed solution initially contained the oil droplets with radius ranged from 40 to 100 nm and the mean radius was 61 nm. Results have shown that the concentration of the ethanol in the coagulation bath affects the formation of the membrane structure and the corresponding porosity, while no significance influence on the membrane thickness. Coalescence of the oil droplets was occurred when the ASP solution permeated through the asymmetric PVDF membranes. Through the coalescence process, the oil droplets were destabilized where the radius of the oil droplets in the permeates increased to 1.5-4 µm with the corresponding mean radius ranged from 2.4 to 2.7 µm.

  6. Detection of greenhouse gas precursors from ethanol powered vehicles in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavares, Juliana R.; Sthel, Marcelo S.; Rocha, Mila V. da; Lima, Guilherme R.; Silva, Marcelo G. da; Vargas, Helion

    2014-01-01

    The use of fossil fuels on the transport sector has caused the emission of various air pollutants, which can cause numerous damages to the atmosphere and to human health. In order to minimize pollutant emission, Brazilian government has encouraged the use of alternatives fuels, such as ethanol. Ethanol can be a great ally in global warming mitigation due to its potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in its renewable cycle. Otherwise, other pollutant gases emitted during ethanol combustion can contribute directly or indirectly to intensify global warming. In this study, Photoacoustic and Electrochemical sensors were used to detect greenhouse precursor gases, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and especially ethylene, a primary pollutant in the generation of tropospheric ozone, in the exhaust of ethanol powered vehicles, in the range of ppmv. - Highlights: • Using CO 2 and Quantum Cascade Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometer, we could prove the presence of ethylene in the exhaust of ethanol vehicles for the first time. • Photoacoustic technique has proven excellent requirements, such as selectivity, sensitivity, and portability for ethylene detection in the vehicles exhaust. • Using electrochemical sensors, we could detect CO and NO x in ethanol powered vehicles in ppmV range

  7. Three dimensional graphene foam supported platinum-ruthenium bimetallic nanocatalysts for direct methanol and direct ethanol fuel cell applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kung, Chih-Chien; Lin, Po-Yuan; Xue, Yuhua; Akolkar, Rohan; Dai, Liming; Yu, Xiong; Liu, Chung-Chiun

    2014-06-01

    A novel composite material of hierarchically structured platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) nanoparticles grown on large surface area three dimensional graphene foam (3D GF) is reported. 3D GF was incorporated with PtRu bimetallic nanoparticles as an electrochemical nanocatalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation. PtRu/3D GF nanocatalyst showed a higher tolerance to poisoning by CO and exhibited improved catalytic activity for both methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results and long-term cycling stability tests demonstrated that GF provided a promising platform for the development of electrochemical nanocatalysts. Specifically, PtRu/3D GF nanocatalyst showed excellent catalytic activity toward MOR and EOR compared with PtRu/Graphene (Commercial graphene), PtRu/C (Vulcan XC-72R carbon), and PtRu alone. The crystal size of PtRu on 3D GF was reduced to 3.5 nm and its active surface area was enhanced to 186.2 m2 g-1. Consequently, the MOR and EOR rates were nearly doubled on PtRu/3D GF compared to those on PtRu/Graphene.

  8. Emission consequences of introducing bio ethanol as a fuel for gasoline cars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Morten Mentz; Møller, Flemming; Jensen, Thomas Christian

    2012-01-01

    This article describes the direct vehicle emission impact of the future use of bio ethanol as a fuel for gasoline cars in Denmark arising from the vehicle specific fuel consumption and emission differences between neat gasoline (E0) and E5/E85 gasoline-ethanol fuel blends derived from emission......% in 2030. As predicted by the vehicle specific emission differences the calculated emission impacts of using bio ethanol are small for NOx, VOC and CO. Instead, for FS, BS1 and BS2 large emission reductions are due to the gradually cleaner new sold gasoline cars and the decline in total mileage until...

  9. A novel cell factory for efficient production of ethanol from dairy waste

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Jianming; Dantoft, Shruti Harnal; Würtz, Anders

    2016-01-01

    of cheese whey or various processed forms thereof are generated. Because of their nutrient-rich nature, these substrates are particularly well suited as feedstocks for microbial production. We have generated a Lactococcus lactis strain which produces ethanol as its sole fermentation product from the lactose...... contained in residual whey permeate (RWP), by introducing lactose catabolism into a L. lactis strain CS4435 (MG1363 Δ(3) ldh, Δpta, ΔadhE, pCS4268), where the carbon flow has been directed toward ethanol instead of lactate. To achieve growth and ethanol production on RWP, we added corn steep liquor...

  10. RNA-seq based identification and mutant validation of gene targets related to ethanol resistance in cyanobacterial Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Jiangxin

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fermentation production of biofuel ethanol consumes agricultural crops, which will compete directly with the food supply. As an alternative, photosynthetic cyanobacteria have been proposed as microbial factories to produce ethanol directly from solar energy and CO2. However, the ethanol productivity from photoautotrophic cyanobacteria is still very low, mostly due to the low tolerance of cyanobacterial systems to ethanol stress. Results To build a foundation necessary to engineer robust ethanol-producing cyanobacterial hosts, in this study we applied a quantitative transcriptomics approach with a next-generation sequencing technology, combined with quantitative reverse-transcript PCR (RT-PCR analysis, to reveal the global metabolic responses to ethanol in model cyanobacterial Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The results showed that ethanol exposure induced genes involved in common stress responses, transporting and cell envelope modification. In addition, the cells can also utilize enhanced polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA accumulation and glyoxalase detoxication pathway as means against ethanol stress. The up-regulation of photosynthesis by ethanol was also further confirmed at transcriptional level. Finally, we used gene knockout strains to validate the potential target genes related to ethanol tolerance. Conclusion RNA-Seq based global transcriptomic analysis provided a comprehensive view of cellular response to ethanol exposure. The analysis provided a list of gene targets for engineering ethanol tolerance in cyanobacterium Synechocystis.

  11. Pulse-electrodeposited PtSn nanocatalyst on pedot/graphene-based electrode for direct ethanol fuel cell application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza, Maria Krisandra L.; Tongol, Bernard John V.

    2015-01-01

    Fuel cells are one of the most promising sources of renewable and clean energy because it offers higher energy densities and energy efficiencies. Improvements of catalyst material and catalyst preparation method have been one of the major topics studied on fuel cell technology. In this research, a method was optimized for the synthesis of PtSn nanocatalyst on PEDOT-modified graphene-based electrodes for direct ethanol fuel cells. The preparation of the electrode was done in three steps. First, a 20μL electrochemically exfoliated graphene (0.5 mg/mL) was dispersed on the surface of glassy carbon electrode and the electrode was dried at 60°C. Second, potentiodynamic electropolymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was done using 0.01 M EDOT and 0.10 M HClO 4 on the graphene-based electrode at a potential range from 0 to 1.10 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 20 cycles at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. Lastly, pulse deposition of PtSn on the PEDOT/graphene electrode was done using 10 mM H 2 PtCl 6 ·6H 2 O in 0.10 M H 2 SO 4 solution and 10 mM SnCl 2 ·2H 2 O in 0.10 M HCl. Pulse deposition of PtSn nanoparticles was carried out using the following optimized parameters: -1.235 V of pulse potential for Pt and -0.362 V of pulse potential for Sn, with t o n/t o ff ratio of 0.1/5 s at 175 pulses. Electrocatalytic activity of the prepared nanocomposites was evaluated and compared towards ethanol oxidation using 1.0 M ethanol in 0.10 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte solution from E= 0.0 V to E= 0.90 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 100 mV·s -1 . Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) characterization is carried out for the pulse electrodeposited Pt nanocatalyst on glassy carbon electrode and PEDOT and on host matrices, i.e. PEDOT and graphene. AFM image of Pt nanoparticles on glassy carbon electrode shows bright particles that are uniformly distributed with average diameter of around 30-40 nm. Structural and physical characterization of the composites will be done using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX

  12. Market penetration of ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szulczyk, Kenneth R.; McCarl, Bruce A.; Cornforth, Gerald

    2010-01-01

    This research examines in detail the technology and economics of substituting ethanol for gasoline. This endeavor examines three issues. First, the benefits of ethanol/gasoline blends are examined, and then the technical problems of large-scale implementation of ethanol. Second, ethanol production possibilities are examined in detail from a variety of feedstocks and technologies. The feedstocks are the starch/sugar crops and crop residues, while the technologies are corn wet mill, dry grind, and lignocellulosic fermentation. Examining in detail the production possibilities allows the researchers to identity the extent of technological change, production costs, byproducts, and GHG emissions. Finally, a U.S. agricultural model, FASOMGHG, is updated which predicts the market penetration of ethanol given technological progress, variety of technologies and feedstocks, market interactions, energy prices, and GHG prices. FASOMGHG has several interesting results. First, gasoline prices have a small expansionary impact on the U.S. ethanol industry. Both agricultural producers' income and cost both increase with higher energy prices. If wholesale gasoline is $4 per gallon, the predicted ethanol market penetration attains 53% of U.S. gasoline consumption in 2030. Second, the corn wet mill remains an important industry for ethanol production, because this industry also produces corn oil, which could be converted to biodiesel. Third, GHG prices expand the ethanol industry. However, the GHG price expands the corn wet mill, but has an ambiguous impact on lignocellulosic ethanol. Feedstocks for lignocellulosic fermentation can also be burned with coal to generate electricity. Both industries are quite GHG efficient. Finally, U.S. government subsidies on biofuels have an expansionary impact on ethanol production, but may only increase market penetration by an additional 1% in 2030, which is approximately 6 billion gallons. (author)

  13. Mechanistic insight into oxide-promoted palladium catalysts for the electro-oxidation of ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Ulises; Serov, Alexey; Padilla, Monica; Atanassov, Plamen

    2014-08-01

    Recent advancements in the development of alternatives to proton exchange membrane fuel cells utilizing less-expensive catalysts and renewable liquid fuels, such as alcohols, has been observed for alkaline fuel cell systems. Alcohol fuels present the advantage of not facing the challenge of storage and transportation encountered with hydrogen fuel. Oxidation of alcohols has been improved by the promotion of alloyed or secondary phases. Nevertheless, currently, there is no experimental understanding of the difference between an intrinsic and a synergistic promotion effect in high-pH environments. This report shows evidence of different types of promotion effects on palladium electrocatalysts obtained from the presence of an oxide phase for the oxidation of ethanol. The correlation of mechanistic in situ IR spectroscopic studies with electrochemical voltammetry studies on two similar electrocatalytic systems allow the role of either an alloyed or a secondary phase on the mechanism of oxidation of ethanol to be elucidated. Evidence is presented for the difference between an intrinsic effect obtained from an alloyed system and a synergistic effect produced by the presence of an oxide phase. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. [Continuous ethanol fermentation coupled with recycling of yeast flocs].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bo; Ge, Xu-Meng; Li, Ning; Bai, Feng-Wu

    2006-09-01

    A continuous ethanol fermentation system composed of three-stage tanks in series coupled with two sedimentation tanks was established. A self-flocculating yeast strain developed by protoplast fusion from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe was applied. Two-stage enzymatic hydrolysate of corn powder containing 220g/L of reducing sugar, supplemented with 1.5g/L (NH4)2HPO4 and 2.5g/L KH2PO4, was used as the ethanol fermentation substrate and fed into the first fermentor at the dilution rate of 0.057h(-1). The yeast flocs separated by sedimentation were recycled into the first fermentor as two different models: activation-recycle and direct recycle. The quasi-steady states were obtained for both operation models after the fermentation systems experienced short periods of transitions. Activation process helped enhance the performance of ethanol fermentation at the high dilution rates. The broth containing more than 101g/L ethanol, 3.2g/L residual reducing sugar and 7.7g/L residual total sugar was produced. The ethanol productivity was calculated to be 5.77g/(L x h), which increased by more than 70% compared with that achieved in the same tank in series system without recycling of yeast cells.

  15. Gaseous and particle emissions from an ethanol fumigated compression ignition engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surawski, Nicholas C.; Ristovski, Zoran D.; Brown, Richard J.; Situ, Rong

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Ethanol fumigation system fitted on a direct injection compression ignition engine. ► Ethanol substitutions up to 40% (by energy) were achieved. ► Gaseous and particle emissions were measured at intermediate speed. ► PM and NO emissions significantly reduced, whilst CO and HC increased. ► The number of particles emitted generally higher with ethanol fumigation. - Abstract: A 4-cylinder Ford 2701C test engine was used in this study to explore the impact of ethanol fumigation on gaseous and particle emission concentrations. The fumigation technique delivered vaporised ethanol into the intake manifold of the engine, using an injector, a pump and pressure regulator, a heat exchanger for vaporising ethanol and a separate fuel tank and lines. Gaseous (Nitric oxide (NO), Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC)) and particulate emissions (particle mass (PM 2.5 ) and particle number) testing was conducted at intermediate speed (1700 rpm) using 4 load settings with ethanol substitution percentages ranging from 10% to 40% (by energy). With ethanol fumigation, NO and PM 2.5 emissions were reduced, whereas CO and HC emissions increased considerably and particle number emissions increased at most test settings. It was found that ethanol fumigation reduced the excess air factor for the engine and this led to increased emissions of CO and HC, but decreased emissions of NO. PM 2.5 emissions were reduced with ethanol fumigation, as ethanol has a very low “sooting” tendency. This is due to the higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of this fuel, and also because ethanol does not contain aromatics, both of which are known soot precursors. The use of a diesel oxidation catalyst (as an after-treatment device) is recommended to achieve a reduction in the four pollutants that are currently regulated for compression ignition engines. The increase in particle number emissions with ethanol fumigation was due to the formation of volatile (organic) particles

  16. Cassava as feedstock for ethanol production in South Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sanette

    2013-07-31

    Jul 31, 2013 ... substitute a minimum of 2% of the country's transportation fuel with biomass based fuels. ... and fermentation (SSF) showed the highest ethanol yield and direct ... of co-immobilized yeast cells to ferment cassava starch.

  17. Understanding the electrocatalytic activity of Pt xSn y in direct ethanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi; Song, Shuqin; Andreadis, George; Liu, Hong; Tsiakaras, Panagiotis

    In the present work, the activity of Pt xSn y/C catalysts towards ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid electrooxidation reactions is investigated for each one separately by means of cyclic voltammetry. To this purpose, a series of Pt xSn y/C catalysts with different atomic ratio (x: y = 2:1, 3:2, 1:1) and small particle size (∼3 nm) are fast synthesized by using the pulse microwave assisted polyol method. The catalysts are well dispersed over the carbon support based on the physicochemical characterization by means of XRD and TEM. Concerning the ethanol electrooxidation, it is found that the Sn addition strongly enhances Pt's electrocatalytic activity and the contributing effect of Sn depends on: (i) the Sn content and (ii) the operating temperature. More precisely, at lower temperatures, Sn-rich catalysts exhibit better ethanol electrooxidation performance while at higher temperatures Sn-poor catalysts give better performance. In the case of acetaldehyde electrooxidation, Pt 1Sn 1/C catalyst exhibits the highest activity at all the investigated temperatures; due to the role of Sn, which could effectively remove C 2 species and inhibit the poison formation by supplying oxygen-containing species. Finally, it is found that the Pt xSn y/C catalysts are almost inactive (little current was measured) towards the acetic acid electrooxidation. The above findings indicate that Sn cannot substantially promote the electrooxidation of acetic acid to C 1 species.

  18. Alkaline elution of DNA from mammalian cells on cellulose triacetate filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moss, A.J. Jr.; Nagle, W.A.; Henle, K.J.; Prior, R.M.

    1984-01-01

    The alkaline elution technique is widely used for the estimation of cellular DNA damage because of its sensitivity in the biologically relevant dose range. The authors have extended the original studies and provide additional characterization of the cellulose triacetate alkaline elution method. This filter material permits the elution of approximately 80 percent of cellular DNA from untreated V79 cells. the total radioactivity in the system was compartmentalized with respect to 1) lysing solution, 2) washing solution, 3) elution fractions, and 4) membrane retained activity. In these studies [/sup 3/H]-thymidine labeled untreated internal control cells were co-eluted with X-irradiated [/sup 14/C]-thymidine labeled cells. For the estimation of DNA damage, elution profiles for treated cells were directly compared with untreated internal control cells. The quantity of DNA eluting in excess of the labeled internal control per fraction is directly proportional to the extent of DNA damage in the treated sample. Using the technique the necessity of an irradiated internal control is eliminated

  19. Catalytic Activity of Urchin-like Ni nanoparticles Prepared by Solvothermal Method for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbas, Syed Asad; Iqbal, Muhammad Ibrahim; Kim, Seong-Hoon; Jung, Kwang-Deog

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Urchin-like Ni is prepared in solvothermal reaction. • Urchin-like Ni is formed via Ni(OH) 2 aggregates in ethanol and oleylamine. • Exchange current density of urchin-like Ni is 0.191 mA cm −2 . • Urchin-like Ni exceeds the catalytic performance of commercial Pt/C in HER. - Abstract: Ni nanoparticles with different morphologies were synthesized for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution. Here, Ni(acac) 2 was converted into Ni metal nanoparticles in solvothermal reactions with simple alcohols and oleylamine (OAm). The morphology of the resulting Ni nanoparticles was dependent mainly on the OAm/Ni molar ratio in alcohol solvent. Aggregates of spherical Ni nanoparticles (NiEt-OAm1) were observed at the OAm/Ni molar ratio of 1.0, whereas two echinoid Ni nanoparticles (NiEt-OAm4 and NiEt-OAm6) could be prepared in ethanol at the OAm/Ni molar ratios of 4.0 and 6.0. Ni(OH) 2 formed in ethanol during a reaction time of 5 h was then reduced into echinoid Ni nanoparticles after 8 h. Echinoid Ni nanoparticles were formed by atomic addition on the tops of the multipod Ni particles formed via Ni(OH) 2 /NiO aggregates. Webbed feet-like particles (NiIPA-OAm4) with plate edges were also observed in isopropanol under the same reaction conditions. The catalytic activities of the prepared Ni nanoparticles for the hydrogen evolution reaction were evaluated in alkaline solution. The NiEt-OAm4 with urchin-like morphology was much more active than the NiIPA-OAm4 with webbed feet-like morphology. The exchange current density of Ni catalysts was increased with increasing the OAm/Ni molar ratio. The NiEt-OAm6 exhibited an exchange current of 0.191 mA cm −2 and the NiEt-OAm4 exceeded electrocatalytic performance of a commercial Pt catalysts (40% Pt on Vulcan XC 72) in a stability test for 100 kiloseconds at −1.5 V (vs. Hg/HgO) in 1.0 M NaOH due to its high stability.

  20. Intermediate products of radiolytic conversions of 6-aminophenalenone in ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenova, G.V.; Ponomarev, A.V.; Kartasheva, L.I.; Pikaev, A.K.

    1992-01-01

    Intermediate products of the conversions of 6-aminophenalenone in ethanol were investigated by pulse radiolysis. In alkaline medium the main product is the 6-aminophenalenone radical cation, the optical absorption spectrum of which contains two bands with maxima at 355 and 400 nm. The precursors of this particle are e s , CH 3 CHOH and CH 3 CHO - radicals. In neutral and acid medium, radical cations are protonated in reactions with alcohol and hydrogen ions. The H-adduct of 6-aminophenalenone that arises has optical absorption maxima at 350 and 390 nm. The presence of two maxima is due to two different structures of the product. The molar extinction coefficients of the radical anions and H-adducts of 6-aminophenalenone and the rate constants of the reactions involving them were estimated. 6 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  1. Investigation of a Pt-Fe/C catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in direct ethanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro Luna, A. M.; Bonesi, A.; Triaca, W. E.; Blasi, A. Di; Stassi, A.; Baglio, V.; Antonucci, V.; Arico, A. S.

    2010-01-01

    Three cathode catalysts (60% Pt/C, 30% Pt/C and 60% Pt-Fe/C), with a particle size of about 2-3 nm, were prepared to investigate the effect of ethanol cross-over on cathode surfaces. All samples were studied in terms of structure and morphology by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. Their electrocatalytic behavior in terms of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated and compared using a rotating disk electrode (RDE). The tolerance of cathode catalysts in the presence of ethanol was evaluated. The Pt-Fe/C catalyst showed both higher ORR activity and tolerance to ethanol cross-over than Pt/C catalysts. Moreover, the more promising catalysts were tested in 5 cm 2 DEFC single cells at 60 and 80 o C. An improvement in single cell performance was observed in the presence of the Pt-Fe catalyst, due to an enhancement in the oxygen reduction kinetics. The maximum power density was 53 mW cm -2 at 2 bar rel. cathode pressure and 80 o C.

  2. Cryopreservation of human blood for alkaline and Fpg-modified comet assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pu, Xinzhu; Wang, Zemin; Klaunig, James E

    2016-01-01

    The Comet assay is a reproducible and sensitive assay for the detection of DNA damage in eukaryotic cells and tissues. Incorporation of lesion specific, oxidative DNA damage repair enzymes (for example, Fpg, OGG1 and EndoIII) in the standard alkaline Comet assay procedure allows for the detection and measurement of oxidative DNA damage. The Comet assay using white blood cells (WBC) has proven useful in monitoring DNA damage from environmental agents in humans. However, it is often impractical to performance Comet assay immediately after blood sampling. Thus, storage of blood sample is required. In this study, we developed and tested a simple storage method for very small amount of whole blood for standard and Fpg-modified modified Comet assay. Whole blood was stored in RPMI 1640 media containing 10% FBS, 10% DMSO and 1 mM deferoxamine at a sample to media ratio of 1:50. Samples were stored at -20 °C and -80 °C for 1, 7, 14 and 28 days. Isolated lymphocytes from the same subjects were also stored under the same conditions for comparison. Direct DNA strand breakage and oxidative DNA damage in WBC and lymphocytes were analyzed using standard and Fpg-modified alkaline Comet assay and compared with freshly analyzed samples. No significant changes in either direct DNA strand breakage or oxidative DNA damage was seen in WBC and lymphocytes stored at -20 °C for 1 and 7 days compared to fresh samples. However, significant increases in both direct and oxidative DNA damage were seen in samples stored at -20 °C for 14 and 28 days. No changes in direct and oxidative DNA damage were observed in WBC and lymphocytes stored at -80 °C for up to 28 days. These results identified the proper storage conditions for storing whole blood or isolated lymphocytes to evaluate direct and oxidative DNA damage using standard and Fpg-modified alkaline Comet assay.

  3. Electrochemical Partial Reforming of Ethanol into Ethyl Acetate Using Ultrathin Co3O4 Nanosheets as a Highly Selective Anode Catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Lei; Qin, Qing; Zhao, Xiaojing; Xu, Chaofa; Hu, Chengyi; Mo, Shiguang; Wang, Yu Olivia; Lin, Shuichao; Tang, Zichao; Zheng, Nanfeng

    2016-08-24

    Electrochemical partial reforming of organics provides an alternative strategy to produce valuable organic compounds while generating H2 under mild conditions. In this work, highly selective electrochemical reforming of ethanol into ethyl acetate is successfully achieved by using ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets with exposed (111) facets as an anode catalyst. Those nanosheets were synthesized by a one-pot, templateless hydrothermal method with the use of ammonia. NH3 was demonstrated critical to the overall formation of ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets. With abundant active sites on Co3O4 (111), the as-synthesized ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activities toward water and ethanol oxidations in alkaline media. More importantly, over the Co3O4 nanosheets, the electrooxidation from ethanol to ethyl acetate was so selective that no other oxidation products were yielded. With such a high selectivity, an electrolyzer cell using Co3O4 nanosheets as the anode electrocatalyst and Ni-Mo nanopowders as the cathode electrocatalyst has been successfully built for ethanol reforming. The electrolyzer cell was readily driven by a 1.5 V battery to achieve the effective production of both H2 and ethyl acetate. After the bulk electrolysis, about 95% of ethanol was electrochemically reformed into ethyl acetate. This work opens up new opportunities in designing a material system for building unique devices to generate both hydrogen and high-value organics at room temperature by utilizing electric energy from renewable sources.

  4. Investigation of potential of agro-industrial residues for ethanol production by using Candida tropicalis and Zymomonas mobilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patle, Sonali

    needed to develop environmentally and socially acceptable low-cost, high quality crops and cropping systems for producing sufficient quantities of value added biomass feedstock on substantially larger areas. This would require taking a look at environmental implications and economic assessments as over 70% of Indian population directly or indirectly depends on agricultural income sources. In other words, a long term strategy of intensive research would be required to get the desired level of acceptance both by the researchers and the farmers. This would mean long term field trials with the newly developed energy crops, awareness creation, and demonstration of visual benefits to farmers leading to change in mind-set towards greater flexibility for cropping patterns. This holds enormous promising research and development opportunities, but substantially longer period might be required to achieve these goals. The petroleum industry is now committed to the use of ethanol as fuel, as it is expected to benefit sugarcane farmers as well as the oil industry in the long run. Production of ethanol from agricultural and biodegradable wastes provides a viable solution to multiple environmental problems simultaneously creating a sink for waste and renewable energy production as well. Using ethanol-blended fuels for automobiles can significantly reduce petroleum use. Ethanol is one of the best tools to fight vehicular pollution, contains more oxygen that helps complete combustion of fuel and thus reduces harmful tailpipe emissions. It also reduces particulate emissions that pose a health hazard. Currently, fuel grade ethanol is produced from sugarcane, corn, wheat and sugar beets but the ethanol production cost from these substrates is very high as compared to gasoline. This high feedstock cost is the biggest hindrance in large scale implementation of ethanol as a transportation fuel. To counter the high feedstock costs, use of lignocellulosic materials, such as crop residues, grasses

  5. Biohydrogen production from ethanol-type fermentation of molasses in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Wan-Qian; Ren, Nan-Qi; Ding, Jie; Qu, Yuan-Yuan; Zhang, Lu-Si [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Haihe Road 204, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090 (China); Wang, Xiang-Jing; Xiang, Wen-Sheng [Research Center of Life Science and Biotechnology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 (China); Meng, Zhao-Hui [The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090 (China)

    2008-10-15

    An expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) process with granular activated carbon (GAC) was developed for fermentative hydrogen production from molasses-containing wastewater by mixed microbial cultures. No pH regulation was performed during the whole operation period. Running at the temperature of 35 C, the EGSB reactor presented a high hydrogen production ability as the hydrogen production rate (HPR) maximized at 0.71 L/L h. At the same time, the hydrogen yield (HY) peaked at 3.47 mol/mol sucrose and the maximum specific hydrogen production rate (SHPR) was found to be 3.16 mmol H{sub 2}/g VSS h. Hydrogen volume content was estimated to be 30-53% of the total biogas and the biogas was free of methane throughout the study. Dissolved fermentation products were predominated by acetate and ethanol, with smaller quantities of propionate, butyrate and valerate. It was found that high hydrogen yield was always associated with a high level of ethanol production. When the pH value and alkalinity ranged from 4.2-4.4 mg CaCO{sub 3}/L to 280-340 mg CaCO{sub 3}/L, respectively, stable ethanol-type fermentation was formed with the sum of ethanol and acetate concentration ratio of 89.1% to the total liquid products. The average attached biofilm concentration was estimated to be 17.1 g/L, which favored hydrogen production efficiently. With high biomass retention at high organic loading rate (OLR), this EGSB system showed to be a promising high-efficient bioprocess for hydrogen production from high-strength wastewater. (author)

  6. Implications of increased ethanol production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-06-01

    The implications of increased ethanol production in Canada, assuming a 10% market penetration of a 10% ethanol/gasoline blend, are evaluated. Issues considered in the analysis include the provision of new markets for agricultural products, environmental sustainability, energy security, contribution to global warming, potential government cost (subsidies), alternative options to ethanol, energy efficiency, impacts on soil and water of ethanol crop production, and acceptance by fuel marketers. An economic analysis confirms that ethanol production from a stand-alone plant is not economic at current energy values. However, integration of ethanol production with a feedlot lowers the break-even price of ethanol by about 35 cents/l, and even further reductions could be achieved as technology to utilize lignocellulosic feedstock is commercialized. Ethanol production could have a positive impact on farm income, increasing cash receipts to grain farmers up to $53 million. The environmental impact of ethanol production from grain would be similar to that from crop production in general. Some concerns about ethanol/gasoline blends from the fuel industry have been reduced as those blends are now becoming recommended in some automotive warranties. However, the concerns of the larger fuel distributors are a serious constraint on an expansion of ethanol use. The economics of ethanol use could be improved by extending the federal excise tax exemption now available for pure alcohol fuels to the alcohol portion of alcohol/gasoline blends. 9 refs., 10 tabs

  7. Bio-ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wenzel, Henrik

    2007-01-01

    , there is not enough biomass for 'everyone', not physically and not in terms of money to promote its use. This leads to the conclusion that any use of biomass for energy purposes will have to compare to the lost opportunity of using it for something else. In this perspective, the choice to use biomass for bio......-ethanol production will not lead to reduction but to increase in CO2 emission and fossil fuel dependency. Both first and second generation bio-ethanol suffer from a biomass-to-ethanol energy conversion efficiency as low as 30-40 %, and moreover external fossil fuels are used to run the conversion. There is only......, but they do not improve the energy balance enough for bio-ethanol to compete with alternative uses of the biomass. When using biomass to substitute fossil fuels in heat & power production, a close to 100% substitution efficiency is achieved. The best alternative for CO2 reduction and oil saving is, therefore...

  8. Preparation of PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts using electron beam irradiation for direct and ethanol fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da

    2009-01-01

    PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts were prepared using electron beam irradiation. The metal ions were dissolved in water/2-propanol and water/ethylene glycol solutions and the carbon support was added. The resulting mixtures were irradiated under stirring. The effect of water/ethylene glycol and water/2-propanol (v/v) ratio, Pt:Ru and Pt:Sn atomic ratios, the irradiation time and dose rate were studied. The obtained materials were characterized by Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Moessbauer spectroscopy. The electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the thin porous coating technique. The electrocatalysts were also tested on the Direct Methanol and Ethanol Fuel Cells. PtRu/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/ethylene glycol showed Pt:Ru atomic ratios different from the nominal ones. The results suggested that part of the Ru(III) ions were not reduced. The obtained materials showed the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of Pt and Pt alloys with crystallite sizes of 2-3 nm. PtRu/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/2-propanol showed Pt:Ru atomic ratios similar to the nominal ones. The obtained materials also showed the fcc structure of platinum and platinum alloys with crystallite sizes of 3-4 nm. PtSn/C electrocatalysts prepared in water/ethylene glycol and water/2-propanol showed Pt:Sn atomic ratios similar to the nominal ones. The obtained materials showed the platinum (fcc) phase with crystallite sizes in the range of 2 - 4 nm and a SnO 2 (cassiterite) phase. The obtained PtRu/C and PtSn/C electrocatalysts showed similar or superior performance for methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation compared to commercial PtRu/C (E-TEK) and PtSn/C (BASF) electrocatalysts. (author)

  9. Concomitant stress potentiates the preference for, and consumption of, ethanol induced by chronic pre-exposure to ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morais-Silva, G; Fernandes-Santos, J; Moreira-Silva, D; Marin, M T

    2016-01-01

    Ethanol abuse is linked to several acute and chronic injuries that can lead to health problems. Ethanol addiction is one of the most severe diseases linked to the abuse of this drug. Symptoms of ethanol addiction include compulsive substance intake and withdrawal syndrome. Stress exposure has an important role in addictive behavior for many drugs of abuse (including ethanol), but the consequences of stress and ethanol in the organism when these factors are concomitant results in a complex interaction. We investigated the effects of concomitant, chronic administration of ethanol and stress exposure on the withdrawal and consumption of, as well as the preference for, ethanol in mice. Male Swiss mice (30-35 g, 8-10 per group) were exposed to an ethanol liquid diet as the only source of food for 15 days. In the final 5 days, they were exposed to forced swimming stress. Twelve hours after removal of the ethanol liquid diet, animals were evaluated for ethanol withdrawal by measuring anxiety-related behaviors and locomotor activity. Twenty-four hours after evaluation of ethanol withdrawal, they were evaluated for voluntary consumption of ethanol in a "three-bottle choice" paradigm. Mice exposed to chronic consumption of ethanol had decreased locomotor activity during withdrawal. Contrary to our expectations, a concomitant forced swimming stress did not aggravate ethanol withdrawal. Nevertheless, simultaneous ethanol administration and stress exposure increased voluntary consumption of ethanol, mainly solutions containing high concentrations of ethanol. These results showed that stressful situations during ethanol intake may aggravate specific addiction-related behaviors.

  10. Concomitant stress potentiates the preference for, and consumption of, ethanol induced by chronic pre-exposure to ethanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Morais-Silva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Ethanol abuse is linked to several acute and chronic injuries that can lead to health problems. Ethanol addiction is one of the most severe diseases linked to the abuse of this drug. Symptoms of ethanol addiction include compulsive substance intake and withdrawal syndrome. Stress exposure has an important role in addictive behavior for many drugs of abuse (including ethanol, but the consequences of stress and ethanol in the organism when these factors are concomitant results in a complex interaction. We investigated the effects of concomitant, chronic administration of ethanol and stress exposure on the withdrawal and consumption of, as well as the preference for, ethanol in mice. Male Swiss mice (30–35 g, 8-10 per group were exposed to an ethanol liquid diet as the only source of food for 15 days. In the final 5 days, they were exposed to forced swimming stress. Twelve hours after removal of the ethanol liquid diet, animals were evaluated for ethanol withdrawal by measuring anxiety-related behaviors and locomotor activity. Twenty-four hours after evaluation of ethanol withdrawal, they were evaluated for voluntary consumption of ethanol in a “three-bottle choice” paradigm. Mice exposed to chronic consumption of ethanol had decreased locomotor activity during withdrawal. Contrary to our expectations, a concomitant forced swimming stress did not aggravate ethanol withdrawal. Nevertheless, simultaneous ethanol administration and stress exposure increased voluntary consumption of ethanol, mainly solutions containing high concentrations of ethanol. These results showed that stressful situations during ethanol intake may aggravate specific addiction-related behaviors.

  11. Ethanol-Induced Upregulation of 10-Formyltetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase Helps Relieve Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress

    OpenAIRE

    Hsiao, Tsun-Hsien; Lin, Chia-Jen; Chung, Yi-Shao; Lee, Gang-Hui; Kao, Tseng-Ting; Chang, Wen-Ni; Chen, Bing-Hung; Hung, Jan-Jong; Fu, Tzu-Fun

    2014-01-01

    Alcoholism induces folate deficiency and increases the risk for embryonic anomalies. However, the interplay between ethanol exposure and embryonic folate status remains unclear. To investigate how ethanol exposure affects embryonic folate status and one-carbon homeostasis, we incubated zebrafish embryos in ethanol and analyzed embryonic folate content and folate enzyme expression. Exposure to 2% ethanol did not change embryonic total folate content but increased the tetrahydrofolate level app...

  12. Effects of Vigabatrin, an Irreversible GABA Transaminase Inhibitor, on Ethanol Reinforcement and Ethanol Discriminative Stimuli in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffin, William C.; Nguyen, Shaun A.; Deleon, Christopher P.; Middaugh, Lawrence D.

    2012-01-01

    We tested the hypothesis that the irreversible gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) transaminase inhibitor, γ-vinyl GABA (Vigabatrin; VGB) would reduce ethanol reinforcement and enhance the discriminative stimulus effect of ethanol, effectively reducing ethanol intake. The present studies used adult C57BL/6J (B6) mice in well-established operant, two-bottle choice consumption, locomotor activity and ethanol discrimination procedures, to examine comprehensively the effects of VGB on ethanol-supported behaviors. VGB dose-dependently reduced operant responding for ethanol as well as ethanol consumption for long periods of time. Importantly, a low dose (200 mg/kg) of VGB was selective for reducing ethanol responding without altering intake of food or water reinforcement. Higher VGB doses (>200 mg/kg) still reduced ethanol intake, but also significantly increased water consumption and, more modestly, increased food consumption. While not affecting locomotor activity on its own, VGB interacted with ethanol to reduce the stimulatory effects of ethanol on locomotion. Finally, VGB (200 mg/kg) significantly enhanced the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol as evidenced by significant left-ward and up-ward shifts in ethanol generalization curves. Interestingly, VGB treatment was associated with slight increases in blood ethanol concentrations. The reduction in ethanol intake by VGB appears to be related to the ability of VGB to potentiate the pharmacological effects of ethanol. PMID:22336593

  13. Life cycle cost of ethanol production from cassava in Thailand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorapipatana, Chumnong; Yoosin, Suthamma

    2011-01-01

    To increase the security of energy supply, lessen dependence on crude oil import and buffer against the impacts of large change in crude oil prices, the Thai government initiated and officially announced the national ethanol fuel program in year 2000. Since then, domestic ethanol demand has grown rapidly. Presently, all commercial ethanol in Thailand is produced from molasses as Thai law prohibits producing it from sugar cane directly. This is likely to limit ethanol supply in the near future. One possible solution is to supply more ethanol from cassava which is widely cultivated in this country. However, its production cost has not yet been known for certain. The objective of this study is to estimate the life cycle cost of ethanol production from cassava and to assess its economic competitiveness with gasoline in the Thai fuel market. Based on the record of cassava prices during the years 2002-2005, it was found that using it as feedstock would share more than 50% of the ethanol from cassava total production cost. It was also found that a bio-ethanol plant, with a capacity of 150,000 l/day, can produce ethanol from cassava in a range of ex-factory costs from 16.42 to 20.83 baht/l of gasoline equivalent (excluding all taxes), with an average cost of 18.15 baht/l of gasoline equivalent (41, 52 and 45 US cents/l gasoline equivalent respectively, based on 2005 exchange rate). In the same years, the range of 95-octane gasoline prices in Thailand varied from 6.18 baht to 20.86 baht/l, with an average price of 11.50 baht/l (15, 52 and 29 US cents/l respectively, based on 2005 exchange rate) which were much cheaper than the costs of ethanol made from cassava. Thus, we conclude that under the scenario of low to normal crude oil price, ethanol from cassava is not competitive with gasoline. The gasoline price has to rise consistently above 18.15 baht (45 US cents)/l before ethanol made from cassava can be commercially competitive with gasoline. (author)

  14. Life cycle cost of ethanol production from cassava in Thailand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sorapipatana, Chumnong; Yoosin, Suthamma [Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Pracha-Uthit Rd., Tungkru, Bangmod, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Center for Energy Technology and Environment, Commission on Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Bangkok (Thailand)

    2011-02-15

    To increase the security of energy supply, lessen dependence on crude oil import and buffer against the impacts of large change in crude oil prices, the Thai government initiated and officially announced the national ethanol fuel program in year 2000. Since then, domestic ethanol demand has grown rapidly. Presently, all commercial ethanol in Thailand is produced from molasses as Thai law prohibits producing it from sugar cane directly. This is likely to limit ethanol supply in the near future. One possible solution is to supply more ethanol from cassava which is widely cultivated in this country. However, its production cost has not yet been known for certain. The objective of this study is to estimate the life cycle cost of ethanol production from cassava and to assess its economic competitiveness with gasoline in the Thai fuel market. Based on the record of cassava prices during the years 2002-2005, it was found that using it as feedstock would share more than 50% of the ethanol from cassava total production cost. It was also found that a bio-ethanol plant, with a capacity of 150,000 l/day, can produce ethanol from cassava in a range of ex-factory costs from 16.42 to 20.83 baht/l of gasoline equivalent (excluding all taxes), with an average cost of 18.15 baht/l of gasoline equivalent (41, 52 and 45 US cents/l gasoline equivalent respectively, based on 2005 exchange rate). In the same years, the range of 95-octane gasoline prices in Thailand varied from 6.18 baht to 20.86 baht/l, with an average price of 11.50 baht/l (15, 52 and 29 US cents/l respectively, based on 2005 exchange rate) which were much cheaper than the costs of ethanol made from cassava. Thus, we conclude that under the scenario of low to normal crude oil price, ethanol from cassava is not competitive with gasoline. The gasoline price has to rise consistently above 18.15 baht (45 US cents)/l before ethanol made from cassava can be commercially competitive with gasoline. (author)

  15. Ethanol production by extractive fermentation - Process development and technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daugulis, A.J.; Axford, D.B.; Mau, T.K.

    1991-01-01

    Extractive Fermentation is an ethanol processing strategy in which the operations of fermentation and product recovery are integrated and undertaken simultaneously in a single step. In this process an inert and biocompatible organic solvent is introduced directly into the fermentation vessel to selectively extract the ethanol product. The ethanol is readily recovered from the solvent at high concentration by means of flash vaporization, and the solvent is recycled in a closed loop back to the fermentor. This process is characterized by a high productivity (since ethanol does not build up to inhibitory levels), continuous operation, significantly reduced water consumption, and lower product recovery costs. The technical advantages of this processing strategy have been extensively demonstrated by means of a continuous, fully integrated and computer-controlled Process Demonstration Unit in the authors' laboratory. Numerous features of this technology have been protected by US patent. A thorough economic comparison of Extractive Fermentation relative to modern ethanol technology (continuous with cell recycle) has been completed for both new plants and retrofitting of existing facilities for a capacity of 100 million liters of ethanol per year. Substantial cost savings are possible with Extractive Fermentation ranging, depending on the process configuration, from 5 cents to 16 cents per liter. Activities are under way to transfer this proprietary technology to the private sector

  16. Single-step ethanol production from lignocellulose using novel extremely thermophilic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svetlitchnyi, Vitali A; Kensch, Oliver; Falkenhan, Doris A; Korseska, Svenja G; Lippert, Nadine; Prinz, Melanie; Sassi, Jamaleddine; Schickor, Anke; Curvers, Simon

    2013-02-28

    Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol using thermophilic bacteria provides a promising solution for efficient lignocellulose conversion without the need for additional cellulolytic enzymes. Most studies on the thermophilic CBP concentrate on co-cultivation of the thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum with non-cellulolytic thermophilic anaerobes at temperatures of 55°C-60°C. We have specifically screened for cellulolytic bacteria growing at temperatures >70°C to enable direct conversion of lignocellulosic materials into ethanol. Seven new strains of extremely thermophilic anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and eight new strains of extremely thermophilic xylanolytic/saccharolytic bacteria of the genus Thermoanaerobacter isolated from environmental samples exhibited fast growth at 72°C, extensive lignocellulose degradation and high yield ethanol production on cellulose and pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. Monocultures of Caldicellulosiruptor strains degraded up to 89-97% of the cellulose and hemicellulose polymers in pretreated biomass and produced up to 72 mM ethanol on cellulose without addition of exogenous enzymes. In dual co-cultures of Caldicellulosiruptor strains with Thermoanaerobacter strains the ethanol concentrations rose 2- to 8.2-fold compared to cellulolytic monocultures. A co-culture of Caldicellulosiruptor DIB 087C and Thermoanaerobacter DIB 097X was particularly effective in the conversion of cellulose to ethanol, ethanol comprising 34.8 mol% of the total organic products. In contrast, a co-culture of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus DSM 8903 and Thermoanaerobacter mathranii subsp. mathranii DSM 11426 produced only low amounts of ethanol. The newly discovered Caldicellulosiruptor sp. strain DIB 004C was capable of producing unexpectedly large amounts of ethanol from lignocellulose in fermentors. The established co-cultures of new Caldicellulosiruptor

  17. Ethanol tolerant Pt-alloy cathodes for DEFC applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez Valera, F.J. [CINVESTAV Unidad Saltillo, Coahuila (Mexico). Grupo de Recursos Minerales y Energeticos; Savadogo, O. [Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Laboratoire de nouveaux materiaux pour l' energie et l' electrochimie

    2008-07-01

    Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) based on Ru/C cathodes have interesting current density versus cell voltage behaviour. In particular, the selectivity towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid medium in the presence of ethanol was improved when this cathode material was used. This study quantified the degree of tolerance to ethanol and the electrocatalytic activity for the ORR. It compared the specific activity towards the ORR for Pt1Co1/C and Pt3Cr1/C. The study showed that these cathodes have a high tolerance to this alcohol and demonstrated the good performance of this type of Pt-alloy in a DEFC as oxygen reduction cathodes. The performance of the Pt1Co1/C alloy was shown to be better than the Pt3Cr1/C, even when the former had a lower Pt content. The enhanced catalytic behaviour of the PtCo/C alloy can be attributed to the higher degree of allying or a smaller mean particle size and a larger surface area. Polarization measurements with relatively high ethanol concentrations confirmed the good catalytic behaviour of the PtCo/C alloy as cathode in a DEFC operating at 90 degrees C. Current work is focusing on the variation of Co content in the alloy structure and the analysis of this change in terms of ORR activity, tolerance to ethanol and electrochemical behaviour in a DEFC. 10 refs., 5 figs.

  18. Influence of salivary enzymes and alkaline pH environment on fatigue behavior of resin composites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mirmohammadi, H.; Kleverlaan, C.J.; Aboushelib, M.N.; Feilzer, A.J.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the effect of enzymatic activity and alkaline medium on flexural strength and rotary fatigue resistance of direct and indirect resin composite restorative materials. Methods: Three direct resin composite materials Filtek Z100, Filtek Z250 and Filtek Silorane (3M ESPE), and two

  19. Oxide (CeO{sub 2}, NiO, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4})-promoted Pd/C electrocatalysts for alcohol electrooxidation in alkaline media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Changwei; Tian, Zhiqun; Jiang, San Ping [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Shen, Peikang [School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

    2008-01-01

    This study investigated Pt/C, Pd/C and oxide (CeO{sub 2}, NiO, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4})-promoted Pd/C for electrooxidation reactions of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol in alkaline media. The results show that Pd/C electrocatalysts alone have low activity and very poor stability for the alcohol electrooxidation. However, addition of oxides like CeO{sub 2}, NiO, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} significantly promotes catalytic activity and stability of the Pd/C electrocatalysts for the alcohol electrooxidation. The Pd-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} (2:1, w:w)/C shows the highest activity for the electrooxidation of methanol, EG and glycerol while the most active catalyst for the ethanol electrooxidation is Pd-NiO (6:1, w:w)/C. On the other hand, Pd-Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C shows significantly better performance stability than other oxide-promoted Pd/C for the alcohol electrooxidation. The poor stability of the Pd-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/C electrocatalysts is most likely related to the limited solubility of cobalt oxides in alkaline solutions. (author)

  20. Water-induced ethanol dewetting transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Xiuping; Zhou, Bo; Wang, Chunlei

    2012-07-14

    The dewetting transitions of two hydrophobic plates immersed in pure water, aqueous ethanol solutions with concentrations from 25% to 90%, and pure ethanol were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, where the dewetting transition was analogous to a first-order phase transition from liquid to vapor. It was found that the dewetting transitions occurred except that in the pure ethanol system. Although the ethanol molecules prefer to locate in the vicinity of the two plates, the inter-plate region is unfavorable for water molecules, due to losing more than one hydrogen bond. Moreover, each inter-plate water molecule forms hydrogen bonds on average with about two ethanol molecules. These intermolecular hydrogen bonds cause water and ethanol to cooperatively fill or exit the inter-plate region. Thus, water molecules play a more important role in the inter-plate filling/empty process, and induce the ethanol dewetting transition. Our results provide insight into the effect of water on the ethanol dewetting phenomena.

  1. Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Limonia elephantum leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Kamalakannan

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Limonia elephantum (wood apple has been widely used in an Indian folk medicine system. In the present study, the acute toxicity studies were carried out to determine the safety of the compounds in liver diseases. The antioxidant and the hepatoprotective properties of the L. elephantum are evaluated against paracetamol induced hepatic damage in rats. Liver superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase, catalase levels and serum biochemical profile such as serum glutamate oxalate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and total protein were examined for the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of these treatments. The results of the present studies strongly indicate that the higher dose (400 mg/kg of ethanolic extract of L. elephantum proved against hepatoprotective effects and also the antioxidant properties.

  2. Low temperature and surfactant-free synthesis of Pd2Sn intermetallic nanoparticles for ethanol electro-oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Congmin; Wu, Yurong; Wang, Xin; Zou, Liangliang; Zou, Zhiqing; Yang, Hui

    2016-01-01

    Many intermetallic compounds have a predictable structure, interesting electronic effects, and useful catalytic properties. In this work, a low temperature, surfactant-free, and one-pot method is used to synthesize carbon supported Pd 2 Sn intermetallic nanoparticles. The superlattice of the product was then characterized using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. These synthesized intermetallic nanoparticles were found to exhibit a higher activity and stability for electrocatalysis of the ethanol oxidation reaction in an alkaline media than has been achieved using a traditional Pd/C catalyst, which could be attributed to the structural and compositional stabilities of ordered Pd 2 Sn intermetallic nanoparticles.

  3. Gestational Exposure to Inhaled Vapors of Ethanol and Gasoline-Ethanol Blends in Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    The US automotive fleet is powered primarily by gasoline-ethanol fuel blends containing up to 10% ethanol (ElO). Uncertainties regarding the health risks associated with exposure to ElO prompted assessment of the effects of prenatal exposure to inhaled vapors of gasoline-ethanol ...

  4. Maximizing cellulosic ethanol potentials by minimizing wastewater generation and energy consumption: Competing with corn ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; Bao, Jie

    2017-12-01

    Energy consumption and wastewater generation in cellulosic ethanol production are among the determinant factors on overall cost and technology penetration into fuel ethanol industry. This study analyzed the energy consumption and wastewater generation by the new biorefining process technology, dry acid pretreatment and biodetoxification (DryPB), as well as by the current mainstream technologies. DryPB minimizes the steam consumption to 8.63GJ and wastewater generation to 7.71tons in the core steps of biorefining process for production of one metric ton of ethanol, close to 7.83GJ and 8.33tons in corn ethanol production, respectively. The relatively higher electricity consumption is compensated by large electricity surplus from lignin residue combustion. The minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) by DryPB is below $2/gal and falls into the range of corn ethanol production cost. The work indicates that the technical and economical gap between cellulosic ethanol and corn ethanol has been almost filled up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Energy and greenhouse gas emission effects of corn and cellulosic ethanol with technology improvements and land use changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Michael Q.; Han, Jeongwoo; Haq, Zia; Tyner, Wallace E.; Wu, May; Elgowainy, Amgad

    2011-01-01

    Use of ethanol as a transportation fuel in the United States has grown from 76 dam 3 in 1980 to over 40.1 hm 3 in 2009 - and virtually all of it has been produced from corn. It has been debated whether using corn ethanol results in any energy and greenhouse gas benefits. This issue has been especially critical in the past several years, when indirect effects, such as indirect land use changes, associated with U.S. corn ethanol production are considered in evaluation. In the past three years, modeling of direct and indirect land use changes related to the production of corn ethanol has advanced significantly. Meanwhile, technology improvements in key stages of the ethanol life cycle (such as corn farming and ethanol production) have been made. With updated simulation results of direct and indirect land use changes and observed technology improvements in the past several years, we conducted a life-cycle analysis of ethanol and show that at present and in the near future, using corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emission by more than 20%, relative to those of petroleum gasoline. On the other hand, second-generation ethanol could achieve much higher reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In a broader sense, sound evaluation of U.S. biofuel policies should account for both unanticipated consequences and technology potentials. We maintain that the usefulness of such evaluations is to provide insight into how to prevent unanticipated consequences and how to promote efficient technologies with policy intervention.

  6. Role of interleukin-1 receptor signaling in the behavioral effects of ethanol and benzodiazepines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blednov, Yuri A; Benavidez, Jillian M; Black, Mendy; Mayfield, Jody; Harris, R Adron

    2015-08-01

    Gene expression studies identified the interleukin-1 receptor type I (IL-1R1) as part of a pathway associated with a genetic predisposition to high alcohol consumption, and lack of the endogenous IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) strongly reduced ethanol intake in mice. Here, we compared ethanol-mediated behaviors in mice lacking Il1rn or Il1r1. Deletion of Il1rn (the gene encoding IL-1ra) increases sensitivity to the sedative/hypnotic effects of ethanol and flurazepam and reduces severity of acute ethanol withdrawal. Conversely, deletion of Il1r1 (the gene encoding the IL-1 receptor type I, IL-1R1) reduces sensitivity to the sedative effects of ethanol and flurazepam and increases the severity of acute ethanol withdrawal. The sedative effects of ketamine and pentobarbital were not altered in the knockout (KO) strains. Ethanol intake and preference were not changed in mice lacking Il1r1 in three different tests of ethanol consumption. Recovery from ethanol-induced motor incoordination was only altered in female mice lacking Il1r1. Mice lacking Il1rn (but not Il1r1) showed increased ethanol clearance and decreased ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion. The increased ethanol- and flurazepam-induced sedation in Il1rn KO mice was decreased by administration of IL-1ra (Kineret), and pre-treatment with Kineret also restored the severity of acute ethanol withdrawal. Ethanol-induced sedation and withdrawal severity were changed in opposite directions in the null mutants, indicating that these responses are likely regulated by IL-1R1 signaling, whereas ethanol intake and preference do not appear to be solely regulated by this pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of hydrogen on ethanol-biodiesel blend on performance and emission characteristics of a direct injection diesel engine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthasarathy, M; Isaac JoshuaRamesh Lalvani, J; Dhinesh, B; Annamalai, K

    2016-12-01

    Environment issue is a principle driving force which has led to a considerable effort to develop and introduce alternative fuels for transportation. India has large potential for production of biofuels like biodiesel from vegetable seeds. Use of biodiesel namely, tamanu methyl ester (TME) in unmodified diesel engines leads to low thermal Efficiency and high smoke emission. To encounter this problem hydrogen was inducted by a port fueled injection system. Hydrogen is considered to be low polluting fuel and is the most promising among alternative fuel. Its clean burning characteristic and better performance attract more interest compared to other fuels. It was more active in reducing smoke emission in biodiesel. A main drawback with hydrogen fuel is the increased NO x emission. To reduce NO x emission, TME-ethanol blends were used in various proportions. After a keen study, it was observed that ethanol can be blended with biodiesel up to 30% in unmodified diesel engine. The present work deals with the experimental study of performance and emission characteristic of the DI diesel engine using hydrogen and TME-ethanol blends. Hydrogen and TME-ethanol blend was used to improve the brake thermal efficiency and reduction in CO, NO x and smoke emissions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Processing Methods of Alkaline Hydrolysate from Rice Husk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga D. Arefieva

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper devoted to finding processing methods of alkaline hydrolysate produced from rice husk pre-extraction, and discusses alkaline hydrolysate processing schemed and disengagement of some products: amorphous silica of various quality, alkaline lignin, and water and alkaline extraction polysaccharides. Silica samples were characterized: crude (air-dried, burnt (no preliminary water treatment, washed in distilled water, and washed in distilled water and burnt. Waste water parameters upon the extraction of solids from alkaline hydrolysate dropped a few dozens or thousand times depending on the applied processing method. Color decreased a few thousand times, turbidity was virtually eliminated, chemical oxygen demanded about 20–136 times; polyphenols content might decrease 50% or be virtually eliminated. The most prospective scheme obtained the two following solid products from rice husk alkaline hydrolysate: amorphous silica and alkaline extraction polysaccharide. Chemical oxygen demand of the remaining waste water decreased about 140 times compared to the silica-free solution.

  9. Ethanol Basics (Fact Sheet)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2015-01-01

    Ethanol is a widely-used, domestically-produced renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. More than 96% of gasoline sold in the United States contains ethanol. Learn more about this alternative fuel in the Ethanol Basics Fact Sheet, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program.

  10. Ethanol Consumption by Wistar Rat Dams Affects Selenium Bioavailability and Antioxidant Balance in Their Progeny

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olimpia Carreras

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Ethanol consumption affects maternal nutrition, the mothers’ antioxidant balance and the future health of their progeny. Selenium (Se is a trace element cofactor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx. We will study the effect of ethanol on Se bioavailability in dams and in their progeny. We have used three experimental groups of dams: control, chronic ethanol and pair-fed; and three groups of pups. Se levels were measured by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Serum and hepatic GPx activity was determined by spectrometry. We have concluded that ethanol decreased Se retention in dams, affecting their tissue Se deposits and those of their offspring, while also compromising their progeny’s weight and oxidation balance. These effects of ethanol are caused by a reduction in Se intake and a direct alcohol-generated oxidation action.

  11. KCNQ channels show conserved ethanol block and function in ethanol behaviour.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Cavaliere

    Full Text Available In humans, KCNQ2/3 channels form an M-current that regulates neuronal excitability, with mutations in these channels causing benign neonatal familial convulsions. The M-current is important in mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying associative memory and in the response to ethanol, with KCNQ controlling the release of dopamine after ethanol exposure. We show that dKCNQ is broadly expressed in the nervous system, with targeted reduction in neuronal KCNQ increasing neural excitability and KCNQ overexpression decreasing excitability and calcium signalling, consistent with KCNQ regulating the resting membrane potential and neural release as in mammalian neurons. We show that the single KCNQ channel in Drosophila (dKCNQ has similar electrophysiological properties to neuronal KCNQ2/3, including conserved acute sensitivity to ethanol block, with the fly channel (IC(50 = 19.8 mM being more sensitive than its mammalian ortholog (IC(50 = 42.1 mM. This suggests that the role of KCNQ in alcohol behaviour can be determined for the first time by using Drosophila. We present evidence that loss of KCNQ function in Drosophila increased sensitivity and tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol. Acute activation of dopaminergic neurons by heat-activated TRP channel or KCNQ-RNAi expression produced ethanol hypersensitivity, suggesting that both act via a common mechanism involving membrane depolarisation and increased dopamine signalling leading to ethanol sedation.

  12. Advanced alkaline water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marini, Stefania; Salvi, Paolo; Nelli, Paolo; Pesenti, Rachele; Villa, Marco; Berrettoni, Mario; Zangari, Giovanni; Kiros, Yohannes

    2012-01-01

    A short review on the fundamental and technological issues relevant to water electrolysis in alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) devices is given. Due to price and limited availability of the platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts they currently employ, PEM electrolyzers have scant possibilities of being employed in large-scale hydrogen production. The importance and recent advancements in the development of catalysts without PGMs are poised to benefit more the field of alkaline electrolysis rather than that of PEM devices. This paper presents our original data which demonstrate that an advanced alkaline electrolyzer with performances rivaling those of PEM electrolyzers can be made without PGM and with catalysts of high stability and durability. Studies on the advantages/limitations of electrolyzers with different architectures do show how a judicious application of pressure differentials in a recirculating electrolyte scheme helps reduce mass transport limitations, increasing efficiency and power density.

  13. Qualitative Carbohydrate Analysis using Alkaline Potassium ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    CLASSROOM. 285. RESONANCE | March 2016. Qualitative Carbohydrate Analysis using Alkaline. Potassium Ferricyanide. Keywords. Alkaline potassium ferricyanide, qualitative ... Carbohydrates form a distinct class of organic compounds often .... Laboratory Techniques: A contemporary Approach, W B Saunders Com-.

  14. Thermodynamic analysis of carbon formation in solid oxide fuel cells with a direct internal reformer fueled by ethanol, methanol, and methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laosiripojana, N.; Assabumrungrat, S.; Pavarajarn, V.; Sangtongkitcharoen, W.; Tangjitmatee, A.; Praserthdam, P.

    2004-01-01

    'Full text:' This paper concerns a detailed thermodynamic analysis of carbon formation for a Direct Internal Reformer (DIR) Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). The modeling of DIR-SOFC fueled by ethanol, methanol, and methane were compared. Two types of fuel cell electrolytes, i.e. oxygen-conducting and hydrogen-conducting, are considered. Equilibrium calculations were performed to find the ranges of inlet steam/fuel ratio where carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavorable in the temperature range of 500-1200 K. It was found that the key parameters determining the boundary of carbon formation are temperature, type of solid electrolyte and extent of the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen. The minimum requirements of H2O/fuel ratio for each type of fuel in which the carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavored were compared. At the same operating conditions, DIR-SOFC fueled by ethanol required the lowest inlet H2O/fuel ratio in which the carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavored. The requirement decreased with increasing temperature for all three fuels. Comparison between two types of the electrolytes reveals that the hydrogen-conducting electrolyte is impractical for use, regarding to the tendency of carbon formation. This is due mainly to the water formed by the electrochemical reaction at the electrodes. (author)

  15. Hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming over co-hydrotalcites having basic sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Contreras, J.L.; Salmones, J.; Garcia, L.A.; Ponce, A.; Zeifert, B.; Fuentes, G.A. [Univ. Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico City (Mexico); Contreras, J.L.; Salmones, J.; Garcia, L.A.; Ponce, A.; Zeifert, B.; Fuentes, G.A. [Inst. Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City (Mexico); Contreras, J.L.; Salmones, J.; Garcia, L.A.; Ponce, A.; Zeifert, B.; Fuentes, G.A. [Univ. Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City (Mexico)

    2008-04-15

    The catalytic steam reforming process can be used to produce hydrogen from ethanol for use in fuel cells. In comparison to methanol or gasoline, ethanol offers many advantages, notably, it is a renewable resource and neutral with respect to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}); it is less toxic; it can be readily stored without handling risk; and it can be obtained in large quantities from biomass. The reaction of ethanol with steam is strongly endothermic and can form undesirable products during the reaction. This article presented a study that combined, for the first time, the catalytic properties of cobalt (Co) with a new family of supports that are the hydrotalcites of high surface area and with basic sites. Co/Hydrotalcite catalysts were prepared, characterized and evaluated during the steam reforming of ethanol from 500 to 650 degrees Celsius. The article discussed the experiment, including the preparation of catalysts; characterization of solids; and catalytic evaluation. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction studies were also described. Results were described in terms of area and pore volume distribution; thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis; temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO{sub 2}; scanning electron microscopy; x-ray diffraction; the crystalline nature of cobalt; and ethanol steam-reforming reaction. It was concluded that the Co concentration was enriched on the hydrotalcite surface. In addition, a direct relationship between the Co concentration and the total basicity was found. A direct relationship between basicity and the conversion was also found. 27 refs., 3 tabs., 12 figs.

  16. Fetal guinea pig brain 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase: Ontogeny and effect of ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Treissman, D.; Brien, J.F.

    1991-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine the ontogeny of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-OH-PGDH) activity in the brain of the fetal guinea pig and to test the hypothesis that acute in vitro ethanol exposure produces concentration-dependent inhibition of fetal brain 15-OH-PGDH activity. Enzyme activity was determined in vitro by measuring the rate of oxidation of PGE2 to 15-keto-PGE2 using an optimized radiometric procedure. The study was conducted utilizing the whole brain of the fetal guinea pig at mean gestational ages of 34, 43 and 62 days (term, about 66 days) and the brain stem (pons and medulla) of the fetal guinea pig at mean gestational ages of 43 and 62 days. The direct effect of acute in vitro exposure to ethanol was assessed by incubating 15-OH-PGDH with ethanol in the concentration range of 10 to 80 mM. 15-OH-PGDH was measurable in the whole brain and brain stem, and the enzyme activity was similar for the gestational ages examined. There was no significant ethanol-induced inhibition of 15-OH-PGDH activity in the whole brain or brain stem. The data demonstrate that the whole brain and brain stem of the fetal guinea pig have the capacity to metabolize PGE2 to 15-keto-PGE2, an inactive metabolite, during the second half of gestation. The data apparently are not consistent with the hypothesis that acute in vitro exposure to ethanol directly inhibits 15-OH-PGDH activity in fetal brain

  17. Pt hierarchical structure catalysts on BaTiO{sub 3}/Ti electrode for methanol and ethanol electrooxidations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Chenguo; He, Xiaoshan; Xia, Chuanhui [Department of Applied Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

    2010-03-15

    Electrooxidations of methanol and ethanol have been investigated on different Pt catalytic titanium-supported electrodes in both acidic and alkaline media using cyclic voltammetry. BaTiO{sub 3} is used for the first time to make a nanoscaled roughness on the surface of Ti foil in order to effectively deposit Pt hierarchical structure and block foulness in solution reactions. The morphology of BaTiO{sub 3} nanocube on Ti foil, Pt catalysts deposited on BaTiO{sub 3}/Ti and Ti foil electrodes are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that Pt nanoflowers can be effectively grown on the Ti foil covered with 1 {mu}m layer of BaTiO{sub 3} nanocubes and the catalytic oxidation behaviors to methanol and ethanol are much better than those of the Pt/Ti electrode as Pt nanoparticles can hardly be deposited on the smooth surface of the Ti foil. The Pt/BaTiO{sub 3}/Ti electrode could be adopted as excellent catalytic anode in fuel cells. (author)

  18. Techno-economic and environmental aspects of the production of medium scale ligno-cellulosic ethanol under Egyptian conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shadia R. Tewfik

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available As a result of actual pilot experimental data and guided by international and national reported estimates, this techno-economic study on a 20,000 ton/y ethanol production plant from rice straw has been conducted. The process essentially comprises preparation of the raw materials, alkaline pretreatment, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF and dehydration. For the proposed capacity, costs have been estimated based on published information for the equipment as updated to 2013. Operating costs have been estimated according to experimental results of the research team and published information. Financial and sensitivity analyses have been conducted for optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for investment and operating costs and varying sales price of ethanol in the range $0.76/kg–$0.84/kg. Results indicate that positive present values have been obtained at the prevailing discount rate of 3%. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR exceeds the discount rate considerably for the optimistic assumptions and is rather marginal for the pessimistic scenarios. In general, the process is considered technically and economically viable.

  19. Development of Ethanol Withdrawal-Related Sensitization and Relapse Drinking in Mice Selected for High or Low Ethanol Preference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Marcelo F.; Grahame, Nicholas J.; Becker, Howard C.

    2010-01-01

    Background Previous studies have shown that high alcohol consumption is associated with low withdrawal susceptiblility, while at the same time, other studies have shown that exposure to ethanol vapor increases alcohol drinking in rats and mice. In the present studies, we sought to shed light on this seeming contradiction by using mice selectively bred for High- (HAP) and Low- (LAP) Alcohol Preference, first, assessing these lines for differences in signs of ethanol withdrawal and second, for differences in the efficacy of intermittent alcohol vapor exposure on elevating subsequent ethanol intake. Methods Experiment 1 examined whether these lines of mice differed in ethanol withdrawal-induced CNS hyperexcitability and the development of sensitization to this effect following intermittent ethanol vapor exposure. Adult HAP and LAP lines (replicates 1 and 2), and the C3H/HeNcr inbred strain (included as a control genotype for comparison purposes) received intermittent exposure to ethanol vapor and were evaluated for ethanol withdrawal-induced seizures assessed by scoring handling-induced convulsions (HIC). Experiment 2 examined the influence of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on voluntary ethanol drinking. Adult male and female HAP-2 and LAP-2 mice, along with male C57BL/6J (included as comparative controls) were trained to drink 10% ethanol using a limited access (2 hr/day) 2-bottle choice paradigm. After stable baseline daily intake was established, mice received chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure in inhalation chambers. Ethanol intake sessions resumed 72 hr after final ethanol (or air) exposure for 5 consecutive days. Results Following chronic ethanol treatment, LAP mice exhibited overall greater withdrawal seizure activity compared to HAP mice. In Experiment 2, chronic ethanol exposure/withdrawal resulted in a significant increase in ethanol intake in male C57BL/6J, and modestly elevated intake in HAP-2 male mice. Ethanol intake for male control mice

  20. Numerical investigation of ethanol fuelled HCCI engine using stochastic reactor model. Part 1: Development of a new reduced ethanol oxidation mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurya, Rakesh Kumar; Akhil, Nekkanti

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Stochastic reactor model used for numerical study of HCCI engine. • New reduced oxidation mechanism with NOx developed (47 species and 272 reactions). • Mechanism predicts cylinder pressure and heat release with sufficient accuracy. • Mechanism was able to capture the trend in NO x emission with sufficient accuracy. - Abstract: Ethanol is considered a potential biofuel for internal combustion engines. In this study, homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) simulations of ethanol engine experiments were performed using stochastic reactor model (SRM). Detailed ethanol oxidation mechanism is developed by including NO x reaction in existing detailed oxidation mechanism with 57 species and 383 reactions. Detailed ethanol mechanism with NO x used in this study contains 76 species and 495 reactions. This mechanism was reduced by direct relation graph (DRG) method, which was validated with the experimental results. Existing Lu’s 40-species skeletal mechanism with NO formation were also compared with detailed and reduced mechanisms for predicting maximum cylinder pressure, maximum heat release rate and crank angle position of maximum cylinder pressure in HCCI engine. Reduced mechanism developed in this study exhibited the best resemblance with the experimental data. This reduced mechanism was also validated by measured engine cylinder pressure curves and measured ignition delays in constant volume reactors. The results showed that reduced mechanism is capable of predicting HCCI engine performance parameters with sufficient accuracy. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the influential reactions in ethanol oxidation. Results also show that detailed and reduced mechanism was able to predict NO x emission in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data.

  1. Increased river alkalinization in the Eastern U.S.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaushal, Sujay S; Likens, Gene E; Utz, Ryan M; Pace, Michael L; Grese, Melissa; Yepsen, Metthea

    2013-09-17

    The interaction between human activities and watershed geology is accelerating long-term changes in the carbon cycle of rivers. We evaluated changes in bicarbonate alkalinity, a product of chemical weathering, and tested for long-term trends at 97 sites in the eastern United States draining over 260,000 km(2). We observed statistically significant increasing trends in alkalinity at 62 of the 97 sites, while remaining sites exhibited no significant decreasing trends. Over 50% of study sites also had statistically significant increasing trends in concentrations of calcium (another product of chemical weathering) where data were available. River alkalinization rates were significantly related to watershed carbonate lithology, acid deposition, and topography. These three variables explained ~40% of variation in river alkalinization rates. The strongest predictor of river alkalinization rates was carbonate lithology. The most rapid rates of river alkalinization occurred at sites with highest inputs of acid deposition and highest elevation. The rise of alkalinity in many rivers throughout the Eastern U.S. suggests human-accelerated chemical weathering, in addition to previously documented impacts of mining and land use. Increased river alkalinization has major environmental implications including impacts on water hardness and salinization of drinking water, alterations of air-water exchange of CO2, coastal ocean acidification, and the influence of bicarbonate availability on primary production.

  2. Potential inhibitors from wet oxidation of wheat straw and their effect on ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klinke, Helene Bendstrup; Olsson, Lisbeth; Thomsen, A.B.

    2003-01-01

    Alkaline wet oxidation (WO) (using water, 6.5 g/L sodium carbonate and 12 bar oxygen at 195degreesC) was used as pretreatment method for wheat straw (60 g/L), resulting in a hydrolysate and a cellulosic solid fraction. The hydrolysate consisted of soluble hemicellulose (8 g/L), low......-molecular-weight carboxylic acids (3.9 g/L), phenols (0.27 g/L = 1.7 mM) and 2-furoic acid (0.007 g/L). The wet oxidized wheat straw hydrolysate caused no inhibition of ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 96581. Nine phenols and 2-furoic acid, identified to be present in the hydrolysate, were each tested...

  3. Ethanol, Corn, and Soybean Price Relations in a Volatile Vehicle-Fuels Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cesar Escalante

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The rapid upward shift in ethanol demand has raised concerns about ethanol’s impact on the price level and volatility of agricultural commodities. The popular press attributes much of this volatility in commodity prices to a price bubble in ethanol fuel and recent deflation. Market economics predicts not only a softening of demand to high commodity prices but also a positive supply response. This volatility in ethanol and commodity prices are investigated using cointegration, vector error corrections (VECM, and multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedascity (MGARCH models. In terms of derived demand theory, results support ethanol and oil demands as derived demands from vehicle-fuel production. Gasoline prices directly influence the prices of ethanol and oil. However, of greater significance for the fuel versus food security issue, results support the effect of agricultural commodity prices as market signals which restore commodity markets to their equilibriums after a demand or supply event (shock. Such shocks may in the short-run increase agricultural commodity prices, but decentralized freely operating markets will mitigate the persistence of these shocks. Results indicate in recent years there are no long-run relations among fuel (ethanol, oil and gasoline prices and agricultural commodity (corn and soybean prices.

  4. Production of ethanol from mango ( Mangifera indica L.) peel by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mango fruit processing industries generate two types of waste, including solid waste (peel and stones) and liquid waste (juice and wash ... Direct fermentation of mango peel extract gave only 5.13% (w/v) of ethanol. ... HOW TO USE AJOL.

  5. The Effect of Alkaline Activator Ratio on the Compressive Strength of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Paste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lăzărescu, A. V.; Szilagyi, H.; Baeră, C.; Ioani, A.

    2017-06-01

    Alkaline activation of fly ash is a particular procedure in which ash resulting from a power plant combined with a specific alkaline activator creates a solid material when dried at a certain temperature. In order to obtain desirable compressive strengths, the mix design of fly ash based geopolymer pastes should be explored comprehensively. To determine the preliminary compressive strength for fly ash based geopolymer paste using Romanian material source, various ratios of Na2SiO3 solution/ NaOH solution were produced, keeping the fly ash/alkaline activator ratio constant. All the mixes were then cured at 70 °C for 24 hours and tested at 2 and 7 days, respectively. The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary compressive strength results for producing fly ash based geopolymer paste using Romanian material sources, the effect of alkaline activators ratio on the compressive strength and studying the directions for future research.

  6. Internal energy selection in vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of ethanol and ethanol dimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodi, Andras

    2013-10-01

    Internal energy selected ethanol monomer and ethanol dimer ions were prepared by threshold photoionization of a supersonic molecular beam seeded with ethanol. The dissociative photoionization processes of the monomer, the lowest-energy CH3-loss channel of the dimer, and the fragmentation of larger clusters were found to be disjunct from the ionization onset to about 12 eV, which made it possible to determine the 0 K appearance energy of C-C bond breaking in the H-donor unit of the ethanol dimer cation as 9.719 ± 0.004 eV. This reaction energy is used together with ab initio calculations in a thermochemical cycle to determine the binding energy change from the neutral ethanol dimer to a protonated ethanol-formaldehyde adduct. The cycle also shows general agreement between experiment, theory, and previously published enthalpies of formation. The role of the initial ionization site, or rather the initial photoion state, is also discussed based on the dimer breakdown diagram and excited state calculations. There is no evidence for isolated state behavior, and the ethanol dimer dissociative photoionization processes appear to be governed by statistical theory and the ground electronic state of the ion. In the monomer breakdown diagram, the smoothly changing branching ratio between H and CH3 loss is at odds with rate theory predictions, and shows that none of the currently employed few-parameter rate models, appropriate for experimental rate curve fitting, yields a correct description for this process in the experimental energy range.

  7. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure during adolescence: effects on social behavior and ethanol sensitivity in adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varlinskaya, Elena I; Truxell, Eric; Spear, Linda P

    2014-08-01

    This study assessed long-lasting consequences of repeated ethanol exposure during two different periods of adolescence on 1) baseline levels of social investigation, play fighting, and social preference and 2) sensitivity to the social consequences of acute ethanol challenge. Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were tested 25 days after repeated exposure to ethanol (3.5 g/kg intragastrically [i.g.], every other day for a total of 11 exposures) in a modified social interaction test. Early-mid adolescent intermittent exposure (e-AIE) occurred between postnatal days (P) 25 and 45, whereas late adolescent intermittent exposure (l-AIE) was conducted between P45 and P65. Significant decreases in social investigation and social preference were evident in adult male rats, but not their female counterparts following e-AIE, whereas neither males nor females demonstrated these alterations following l-AIE. In contrast, both e-AIE and l-AIE produced alterations in sensitivity to acute ethanol challenge in males tested 25 days after adolescent exposure. Ethanol-induced facilitation of social investigation and play fighting, reminiscent of that normally seen during adolescence, was evident in adult males after e-AIE, whereas control males showed an age-typical inhibition of social behavior. Males after l-AIE were found to be insensitive to the socially suppressing effects of acute ethanol challenge, suggesting the development of chronic tolerance in these animals. In contrast, females showed little evidence for alterations in sensitivity to acute ethanol challenge following either early or late AIE. The results of the present study demonstrate a particular vulnerability of young adolescent males to long-lasting detrimental effects of repeated ethanol. Retention of adolescent-typical sensitivity to the socially facilitating effects of ethanol could potentially make ethanol especially appealing to these males, therefore promoting relatively high levels of ethanol intake later

  8. Preparation and electrocatalytic properties of Pt-SiO2 nanocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, B; Chen, J H; Zhong, X X; Cui, K Z; Zhou, H H; Kuang, Y F

    2007-03-01

    Due to their high stability in general acidic solutions, SiO(2) nanoparticles were selected as the second catalyst for ethanol oxidation in sulfuric acid aqueous solution. Pt-SiO(2) nanocatalysts were prepared in this paper. The micrography and elemental composition of Pt-SiO(2) nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The electrocatalytic properties of Pt-SiO(2) nanocatalysts for ethanol oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Under the same Pt loading mass and experimental conditions for ethanol oxidation, Pt-SiO(2) nanocatalysts show higher activity than PtRu/C (E-Tek), Pt/C (E-Tek), and Pt catalysts. Additionally, Pt-SiO(2) nanocatalysts possess good anti-poisoning ability. The results indicate that Pt-SiO(2) nanocatalysts may have good potential applications in direct ethanol fuel cells.

  9. Determination of ethanol using permanganate-CdS quantum dot chemiluminescence system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abolhasani, Jafar; Hassanzadeh, Javad

    2015-08-01

    A novel and highly sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) method for the determination of ethanol was developed based on the CdS quantum dots (QDs)-permanganate system. It was found that KMnO4 could directly oxidize CdS QDs in acidic media resulting in relatively high CL emission. A possible mechanism was proposed for this reaction based on UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence and the generated CL emission spectra. However, it was observed that ethanol had a remarkable inhibition effect on this system. This effect was exploited in the determination of ethanol within the concentration range 12-300 µg/L, with detection at 4.3 µg/L. In order to evaluate the capability of presented method, it was satisfactorily utilized in the determination of alcohol in real samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Thermodynamics of R-(+)-2-(4-Hydroxyphenoxy)propanoic Acid Dissolution in Methanol, Ethanol, and Methanol-Ethanol Mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei; Ma, Jinju; Yao, Xinding; Fang, Ruina; Cheng, Liang

    2018-05-01

    The solubilities of R-(+)-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)propanoic acid (D-HPPA) in methanol, ethanol and various methanol-ethanol mixtures are determined in the temperature range from 273.15 to 323.15 K at atmospheric pressure using a laser detecting system. The solubilities of D-HPPA increase with increasing mole fraction of ethanol in the methanol-ethanol mixtures. Experimental data were correlated with Buchowski-Ksiazczak λ h equation and modified Apelblat equation; the first one gives better approximation for the experimental results. The enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy of D-HPPA dissolution in methanol, ethanol and methanol-ethanol mixtures were also calculated from the solubility data.

  11. Identification and characterization of miRNAs and targets in flax (Linum usitatissimum) under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Ying; Wu, Guangwen; Yuan, Hongmei; Cheng, Lili; Zhao, Dongsheng; Huang, Wengong; Zhang, Shuquan; Zhang, Liguo; Chen, Hongyu; Zhang, Jian; Guan, Fengzhi

    2016-05-27

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in responses to biotic and abiotic stress and have been characterized in a large number of plant species. Although flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important fiber and oil crops worldwide, no reports have been published describing flax miRNAs (Lus-miRNAs) induced in response to saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. In this work, combined small RNA and degradome deep sequencing was used to analyze flax libraries constructed after alkaline-salt stress (AS2), neutral salt stress (NSS), alkaline stress (AS), and the non-stressed control (CK). From the CK, AS, AS2, and NSS libraries, a total of 118, 119, 122, and 120 known Lus-miRNAs and 233, 213, 211, and 212 novel Lus-miRNAs were isolated, respectively. After assessment of differential expression profiles, 17 known Lus-miRNAs and 36 novel Lus-miRNAs were selected and used to predict putative target genes. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis revealed target genes that were involved in responses to stimuli, including signaling and catalytic activity. Eight Lus-miRNAs were selected for analysis using qRT-PCR to confirm the accuracy and reliability of the miRNA-seq results. The qRT-PCR results showed that changes in stress-induced expression profiles of these miRNAs mirrored expression trends observed using miRNA-seq. Degradome sequencing and transcriptome profiling showed that expression of 29 miRNA-target pairs displayed inverse expression patterns under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. From the target prediction analysis, the miR398a-targeted gene codes for a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, and the miR530 has been shown to explicitly target WRKY family transcription factors, which suggesting that these two micRNAs and their targets may significant involve in the saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stress response in flax. Identification and characterization of flax miRNAs, their target genes, functional annotations, and gene

  12. Posttranslational heterogeneity of bone alkaline phosphatase in metabolic bone disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langlois, M R; Delanghe, J R; Kaufman, J M; De Buyzere, M L; Van Hoecke, M J; Leroux-Roels, G G

    1994-09-01

    Bone alkaline phosphatase is a marker of osteoblast activity. In order to study the posttranscriptional modification (glycosylation) of bone alkaline phosphatase in bone disease, we investigated the relationship between mass and catalytic activity of bone alkaline phosphatase in patients with osteoporosis and hyperthyroidism. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase activity was measured after lectin precipitation using the Iso-ALP test kit. Mass concentration of bone alkaline phosphatase was determined with an immunoradiometric assay (Tandem-R Ostase). In general, serum bone alkaline phosphatase mass and activity concentration correlated well. The activity : mass ratio of bone alkaline phosphatase was low in hyperthyroidism. Activation energy of the reaction catalysed by bone alkaline phosphatase was high in osteoporosis and in hyperthyroidism. Experiments with neuraminidase digestion further demonstrated that the thermodynamic heterogeneity of bone alkaline phosphatase can be explained by a different glycosylation of the enzyme.

  13. Ethanol production by recombinant and natural xylose-utilising yeasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eliasson, Anna

    2000-07-01

    from P. stipitis and the endogenous XKS1 gene under control of the PGKI promoter, into the HIS3 locus of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK 113-7A. The strain was stable for more than forty generations in continuous fermentation. The metabolic fluxes during xylose metabolism were quantitatively analysed and anaerobic ethanol formation from xylose in recombinant S. cerevisiae was demonstrated for the first time. The xylose uptake rate increased with increasing xylose concentration in the feed. However, with a feed of 15 g/l xylose and 5 g/l glucose, the xylose flux was 2.2 times lower than the glucose flux, indicating that transport limits the xylose flux. The role of mitochondria in ethanol formation from xylose was investigated using cells of recombinant xylose-utilising S. cerevisiae with two different respiratory capacities and cells from P. stipitis grown under conditions of optimal ethanol formation. Different inhibitors were used either to inhibit the electron transport chain and simulate oxygen limitation, or to inhibit the tricarboxylic acid cycle while not disturbing the electron transport chain. The response to the inhibitors differed significantly for glucose and xylose and the effect was more pronounced for S. cerevisiae. The results indicate that mitochondria play a significant role in the maintenance of the cytoplasmic redox balance during xylose fermentation, through the action of cytoplasmically directed NADH dehydrogenase activity. Thus, more carbon was directed towards ethanol in chemostat cultivations of xylose/glucose mixtures by S. cerevisiae TMB 3001, in the presence of low amounts of oxygen. P. stipitis possesses a second, cyanide-insensitive terminal oxidase, the alternative oxidase, which seems to be of particular importance for efficient ethanol formation from xylose. The highest activity of cyanide-insensitive respiration (CIR), the highest ethanol productivity and lowest xylitol formation were all observed with cells grown under oxygen-limited conditions

  14. Predictors of ethanol consumption in adult Sprague-Dawley rats: relation to hypothalamic peptides that stimulate ethanol intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karatayev, Olga; Barson, Jessica R; Carr, Ambrose J; Baylan, Jessica; Chen, Yu-Wei; Leibowitz, Sarah F

    2010-06-01

    To investigate mechanisms in outbred animals that increase the propensity to consume ethanol, it is important to identify and characterize these animals before or at early stages in their exposure to ethanol. In the present study, different measures were examined in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to determine whether they can predict long-term propensity to overconsume ethanol. Before consuming 9% ethanol with a two-bottle choice paradigm, rats were examined with the commonly used behavioral measures of novelty-induced locomotor activity and anxiety, as assessed during 15 min in an open-field activity chamber. Two additional measures, intake of a low 2% ethanol concentration or circulating triglyceride (TG) levels after a meal, were also examined with respect to their ability to predict chronic 9% ethanol consumption. The results revealed significant positive correlations across individual rats between the amount of 9% ethanol ultimately consumed and three of these different measures, with high scores for activity, 2% ethanol intake, and TGs identifying rats that consume 150% more ethanol than rats with low scores. Measurements of hypothalamic peptides that stimulate ethanol intake suggest that they contribute early to the greater ethanol consumption predicted by these high scores. Rats with high 2% ethanol intake or high TGs, two measures found to be closely related, had significantly elevated expression of enkephalin (ENK) and galanin (GAL) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) but no change in neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). This is in contrast to rats with high activity scores, which in addition to elevated PVN ENK expression showed enhanced NPY in the ARC but no change in GAL. Elevated ENK is a common characteristic related to all three predictors of chronic ethanol intake, whereas the other peptides differentiate these predictors, with GAL enhanced with high 2% ethanol intake and TG measures but NPY related to activity. 2010 Elsevier

  15. Long Term Performance Study of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Fed with Alcohol Blends

    OpenAIRE

    Teresa J. Leo; Miguel A. Raso; Emilio Navarro; Eleuterio Mora

    2013-01-01

    The use of alcohol blends in direct alcohol fuel cells may be a more environmentally friendly and less toxic alternative to the use of methanol alone in direct methanol fuel cells. This paper assesses the behaviour of a direct methanol fuel cell fed with aqueous methanol, aqueous ethanol and aqueous methanol/ethanol blends in a long term experimental study followed by modelling of polarization curves. Fuel cell performance is seen to decrease as the ethanol content rises, and subsequent opera...

  16. Absolute Ethanol Embolization of Arteriovenous Malformations in the Periorbital Region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Li-xin, E-mail: sulixin1975@126.com [Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People’s Hospital (China); Jia, Ren-Bing, E-mail: jrb19760517@hotmail.com [Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People’s Hospital (China); Wang, De-Ming, E-mail: wdmdeming@hotmail.com; Lv, Ming-Ming, E-mail: lvmingming001@163.com; Fan, Xin-dong, E-mail: fanxindong@aliyun.com [Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ninth People’s Hospital (China)

    2015-06-15

    ObjectiveArteriovenous malformations (AVMs) involving the periorbital region are technically challenging clinical entities to manage. The purpose of the present study was to present our initial experience of ethanol embolization in a series of 16 patients with auricular AVMs and assess the outcomes of this treatment.MethodsTranscatheter arterial embolization and/or direct percutaneous puncture embolization were performed in the 16 patients. Pure or diluted ethanol was manually injected. The follow-up evaluations included physical examination and angiography at 1- to 6-month intervals.ResultsDuring the 28 ethanol embolization sessions, the amount of ethanol used ranged from 2 to 65 mL. The obliteration of ulceration, hemorrhage, pain, infection, pulsation, and bruit in most of the patients was obtained. The reduction of redness, swelling, and warmth was achieved in all the 16 patients, with down-staging of the Schobinger status for each patient. AVMs were devascularized 100 % in 3 patients, 76–99 % in 7 patients, and 50–75 % in 6 patients, according to the angiographic findings. The most common complications were necrosis and reversible blister. No permanent visual abnormality was found in any of the cases.ConclusionEthanol embolization is efficacious and safe in the treatment of AVMs in the periorbital region and has the potential to be accepted as the primary mode of therapy in the management of these lesions.

  17. Improved electrodes and gas impurity investigations on alkaline electrolysers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reissner, R.; Schiller, G.; Knoeri, T.

    Alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogenproduction is a well-established techniquebut some technological issues regarding thecoupling of alkaline water electrolysis andRenewable Energy Sources (RES) remain tobe improved.......Alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogenproduction is a well-established techniquebut some technological issues regarding thecoupling of alkaline water electrolysis andRenewable Energy Sources (RES) remain tobe improved....

  18. The effects of continuous and intermittent ethanol exposure in adolesence on the aversive properties of ethanol during adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz-Granados, Jaime L; Graham, Danielle L

    2007-12-01

    Alcohol abuse among adolescents is prevalent. Epidemiological studies suggest that alcohol abuse during the adolescent developmental period may result in long-term changes such as an increased susceptibility to alcohol-related problems in adulthood. Laboratory findings suggest that alcohol exposure during the adolescent developmental period, as compared with adulthood, may differentially impact subsequent neurobehavioral responses to alcohol. The present study was designed to examine whether ethanol exposure, continuous versus intermittent, during the adolescent developmental period would alter the aversive properties of ethanol in adult C3H mice. Periadolescent (PD28) male C3H mice were exposed to 64 hours of continuous or intermittent ethanol vapor. As a comparison, adult (PD70) C3H mice were also exposed to 64 hours of continuous or intermittent ethanol vapor. Six weeks after ethanol exposure, taste aversion conditioning was carried out on both ethanol pre-exposed and ethanol-naive animals using a 1-trial, 1-flavor taste-conditioning procedure. Ethanol exposure during the periadolescent period significantly attenuated a subsequent ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion, as compared with control animals. Adult animals exposed to chronic ethanol vapor during adolescence showed less of an aversion to an ethanol-paired flavor than ethanol-naive adults. Intermittent exposure to ethanol vapor during periadolescence produced a greater attenuation. It is suggested that ethanol exposure during the periadolescent period results in long-term neurobehavioral changes, which lessen a conditioned aversion to ethanol in adulthood. It is suggested that this age-related effect may underlie the increased susceptibility to alcohol-related problems which is negatively correlated with the age of onset for alcohol abuse.

  19. Online monitoring of electrocatalytic reactions of alcohols at platinum and gold electrodes in acidic, neutral and alkaline media by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection (EC-CE-C4 D).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira Santos, Mauro Sérgio; Silva Lopes, Fernando; Gutz, Ivano Gebhardt Rolf

    2017-11-01

    An EC-CE-C 4 D flow system was applied to the investigation of electrocatalytic processes by monitoring carboxylic acids formed during the electro-oxidation at various potentials of primary alcohols (mixture of 1 mmol/L of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and n-pentanol) in acidic, neutral and alkaline media. The electro-oxidation was carried out on gold and platinum disk electrodes (3 mm of diameter) in a thin-layer electrochemical flow cell. Products were sampled 50 μm apart from the electrode directly into the capillary. All the generated carboxylates were determined in near real time (less than 2 min) by CE-C 4 D in counter-flow mode, with Tris/HCl buffer solution (pH 8.6) as BGE. Long sequences of 5-min experiments were run automatically, exploring the applied potential, electrolysis time and solution composition. Electro-oxidation at 1.5 V (versus Ag/AgCl quasi-reference) during 50 s in acidic medium was found appropriate for both Pt and Au electrodes when the determination of alcohols after derivatization is intended. A noteworthy selectivity effect was observed on the Au electrode. The signal corresponding to pentanoate is similar on both electrodes while the signal of ethanoate (acetate) is four times larger on gold than on platinum. The carboxylate signals were lower in alkaline medium (below the determination limit on Pt) than in acidic and neutral media. On gold, the formation of carboxylates was anticipated (0.85 V in alkaline medium versus 1.40 V in neutral medium). The automatic online monitoring of electrochemical processes by EC-CE-C 4 D holds great potential to investigate ionic/ionizable intermediates/products of new electrocatalysts and/or alternative fuels. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Electrooxidation of ethanol on novel multi-walled carbon nanotube supported platinum-antimony tin oxide nanoparticle catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Dao-Jun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Life-Organic Analysis, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165 (China)

    2011-01-15

    We synthesize the new Pt based catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells using novel multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported platinum-antimony tin oxide (Pt-ATO/MWCNT) nanoparticle as new catalyst support for the first time. The structure of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst is characterized by transmission electron micrograph (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrocatalytic properties of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation reactions are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometric experiments in acidic medium. The electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation reaction shows that high carbon monoxide tolerance and good stability of Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst compared with Pt-SnO{sub 2}/MWCNT and commercial Pt/C are observed. These results imply that Pt-ATO/MWCNT catalyst has promising potential applications in direct alcohol fuel cells. (author)