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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Nsf Career Award Supports Schwartz's Research On The Chemical Process For Making Rubber Component, Marcus Wolf Mar 2021

Nsf Career Award Supports Schwartz's Research On The Chemical Process For Making Rubber Component, Marcus Wolf

General University of Maine Publications

advance his ongoing dissection of the Lebedev process. The well-known, multi-step chemical reaction is used to make butadiene from biomass-derived ethanol. However, little research has been conducted on the Lebedev process at the molecular level. Understanding the intricacies of this process will help researchers create new catalysts necessary for the chemical reactions to make goods from both petroleum and biomass, that would increase butadiene yield.


Using Cellulose Nanofibrils And Calcium Carbonate In Single-Use Utensils, Sierra Yost May 2020

Using Cellulose Nanofibrils And Calcium Carbonate In Single-Use Utensils, Sierra Yost

Honors College

As humanity becomes aware of the environmental issues that come from plastics, substitutes for single-use plastic are needed. Straws, expanded polystyrene, and grocery bags especially have been placed under scrutiny, but there is a need to replace other single use plastics such as eating utensils and cup lids. In this thesis, the properties of cellulose nanofibrils and calcium carbonate mixtures are characterized to determine the feasibility of their use as a plastic replacement. Using cellulose nanofibrils poses two challenges: 1) it shrinks when dried causing difficulty in forming an object, and 2) it is produced in a 3 weight percent …


Fast Pyrolysis Of Muconic Acid And Formic Acid Salts, Laura Duran May 2013

Fast Pyrolysis Of Muconic Acid And Formic Acid Salts, Laura Duran

Honors College

Lignocellulosic biomass is emerging as a sustainable resource for the production of alternative liquid fuels. As the need to lessen dependence on petroleum sources grows, lignocellulosic feedstocks are being investigated as a renewable, abundant source of energy. Chemical pulping processes include a high-lignin by-product, black liquor, which is already used for fuel in industry. Black liquor is burned to generate steam and electricity and to recover pulping chemicals. Currently, the thermochemical conversion of black liquor to liquid fuel is being researched at The University of Maine. In this black liquor research, an intermediate lignin-derived acid, muconic acid, and formic acid …