No abstract

A novel polysaccharide membrane containing alginate in bacterial cellulose matrix was synthesized by Acetobacter xylinum under static conditions using a culture medium supplementation with sodium alginate. By increasing alginate content, the bacterial cellulose-alginate (BCA) membrane was more hydrophilic and the film structure became denser with the smaller average pore size. Scanning electron microscope images displayed the deposits of alginate gel on the surfaces of the multilayer cellulose film. The declines in the tensile strength, the Young's modulus, and the elongation at break of the BCA membrane were dependent on the degree of alginate supplement. The BCA membrane showed higher water absorption capacity. The addition of alginate slightly affected the water vapor transmission rate but remarkably decreased the oxygen transmission rate of the membrane.

This study deals with the possibility of the application of a low-cost sulfonated carbon-based catalyst for reactive extraction to separate 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from a model solution of 1,3-PDO biologically derived from glycerol. The catalyst was synthesized by incomplete carbonization of naphthalene in sulfuric acid, and was demonstrated to be active for the acetalization of 1,3-PDO with acetaldehyde in aqueous solution. The performance of the reactive extraction process by using a sulfonated carbon-based catalyst was proven to be excellent based on the percent recovery rate of 1,3-PDO. These results along with those on the catalyst reactivity demonstrate that the carbon-based catalyst can be used to replace expensive commercial catalysts currently used such as Dowex 50-WX4-200 and Amberlite IR120.