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Comparative Study Of Various Pretreatment Reagents On Rice Husk And Structural Changes Assessment Of The Optimised Pretreated Rice Husk, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr Jan 2013

Comparative Study Of Various Pretreatment Reagents On Rice Husk And Structural Changes Assessment Of The Optimised Pretreated Rice Husk, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

The performance of alkalis (NaOH and Ca(OH)2) and acids (H2SO4, HCl, H3PO4, CH3COOH, and HNO3) in the pretreatment of rice husk was screened, and a suitable reagent was assessed for subsequent optimisation using response surface methodology. From the assessment, HCl that hydrolysed rice husk well was optimised with three parameters (HCl loading, pretreatment duration, and temperature) using Box-Behnken Design. The optimised condition (0.5% (w/v) HCl loading, 125oC, 1.5 hours) is relatively mild, and resulted in ~22.3 mg TRS/ml hydrolysate. The reduced model developed has good predictability, where the predicted and experimental results differ by only 2%. The comprehensive structural characterization …


Regression Analysis On Ionic Liquid Pretreatment Of Sugarcane Bagasse And Assessment Of Structural Changes, Li Wan Yoon, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr Jan 2012

Regression Analysis On Ionic Liquid Pretreatment Of Sugarcane Bagasse And Assessment Of Structural Changes, Li Wan Yoon, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

This study aims to perform a regression analysis which leads to the optimization on the operating conditions of ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]oAc) pretreatment on sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The structural changes on SCB during pretreatment were also examined. The effects of temperature, time and solid loading on reducing sugar (RS) yield obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated SCB were investigated by applying Central Composite Design (CCD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results from CCD were modeled into a second order polynomial equation and the model shows a good correlation between predicted and experimental values. The optimized condition for [EMIM]oAc …


Elucidation Of The Effect Of Ionic Liquid Pretreatment On Rice Husk Via Structural Analyses, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr, Min Gyu Lee Prof Jan 2012

Elucidation Of The Effect Of Ionic Liquid Pretreatment On Rice Husk Via Structural Analyses, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr, Min Gyu Lee Prof

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

Background: In the present study, three ionic liquids, namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]OAc), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIM]DEP), were used to partially dissolve rice husk, after which the cellulose were regenerated by the addition of water. The aim of the investigation is to examine the implications of the ionic liquid pretreatments on rice husk composition and structure. Results: From the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform-infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results, the regenerated cellulose were more amorphous, less crystalline, and possessed higher structural disruption compared with untreated rice husk. The major component …


A Quantitative Method For Fungal Ligninolytic Enzyme, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr Jan 2011

A Quantitative Method For Fungal Ligninolytic Enzyme, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

Screening is conducted to select a fungus with desired characteristics intended for various applications, e.g. bioremediation and enzyme production. A qualitative method was used in this study for screening of fungal ligninolytic enzymes activities. The fungal ligninolytic activity was correlated with its growth from the screenings to identify a suitable fungus for solid substrate fermentation. Four strains of fungi, namely Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Phlebia radiata and Pleurotus sajor-caju, were screened for their ligninolytic enzymes activities using guaiacol and Remazol Brilliant Blue-R (RBB-R) as screening reagents. The screenings were conducted at both the optimal growth temperature of each fungus and …