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Thesis (Ph.D) -- McMaster University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (MScFor)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Unextracted (control) and PHWe Eucalyptus grandis wood chips were pulped at 15% active alkali (AA) and 1% antraquinone (AQ). Another batch of wood chips were then inoculated with fungal co-cultures of Aspergillus flavipes and Pycnoporus sanguineus. FCCi wood chips were incubated for four weeks; one PHWe inoculated experimental treatment was incubated for three weeks. The full pulping cycle (160 min) was used to digest the experimental treatments with the exception of one lot of PHWe wood chips that were pulped for 150 minutes. A further experimental treatment of PHWe wood chips was cooked at a reduced AA charge of 14% and 1% AQ. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the data from all the experimental treatments was conducted and the differences within the experimental treatments were determined using Statistica (v7, 1984–2006). The F-value (Fischer distribution) and the p-value as well as a non-parametric test known as the Mann-Whitney procedure was tested at the 95% confidence limit. For a further enhancement of the 95% confidence limit the screened yield data was tested by the Bootstrap method. Scanning electron micrographs clearly demonstrated the changed structure and appearance of the chip cross-sectional area after the different pretreatments. Although the mean average results of all the screened pulp yields showed no significant statistical difference (p> 0.05), differences in screened yield of up to 2.5% were obtained. All the weighted means of the rejects showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). Other pulp properties like shive content, chemical consumption, Kappa number, handsheet brightness and strength tests showed mixed results i.e. rejected or accepted the hypothesis (p> or =or < 0.05). The hypothesis that the combined PHWE and FCCI of wood chips would further increase the pulp yield had to be rejected. It is however anticipated that the combination of PHWE with successive co-culture fungal pretreatment would be very beneficial in obtaining higher pulp yields for fully bleached chemical pulp. Further research would be required to test this assumption. This investigation confirmed the expected beneficial effects of combined PHWE and FCCI pretreatments of wood chips on the strength properties. In addition the combined treatment also improved the initial bonding strength potential of the unbeaten fibres. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onbehandelde en met onder druk, warm water uitgeloogde Eucalyptus grandis houtspaanders is respektiefwelik met 15% aktiewe alkali (AA) en 1% antrakinoon (AQ) verpulp. Hierdie is dan met swamkokulture van Aspergillus flavipes en Pycnoporus sanguineus inokuleer en respektiewelik vir drie en vier weke inkubeer. Onder druk uitgeloogde houtspaanders is ook vir 150 minute verpulp by 15% AA 1% AQ en by ‘n verminderde AA van 14%. Pulpevaluasies is uitgevoer op alle eksperimentele behandelinge. Alle onder druk uitgeloogde en met swamkokultuur inokuleerde houtspaanders het ‘n laer pulpopbrengs, uitskot, skilferinhoud, Kappanommer en ‘n hoër RAA en helderheid opgelewer in vergelyking met die vars houtspaanders. Die vars en warm water uitgeloogde houtspaanders het soortgelyke pulpopbrengs opgelewer. ‘n Variansieanalise (ANOVA) van die data van alle eskperimentele behandelings is uitgevoer gebruikmakende van Statistica (V7, 1984 – 2006). Die F-waarde (Fischer-verspreiding) an die p-waarde so wel as ‘n parametriese toets (Mann-Whitney prosedure) is getoets by ‘n 95% betroubaarheidsgrens. Vir ‘n verdere verhoging van die 95% betroubaarheidsgrens van die pulpopbrengs, is die beskikbare data weer getoets met die Bootstrap-metode. Alle gemiddelde pulpopbrengswaardes het geen beduidende statistiese verkil opgelewer nie (p>0.05), alhoewel verskille van tot 2.5% in pulpopbrengs verkry is. Alle gemiddelde uitskotwaardes het ‘n beduidende verskil getoon (p<0.05). Die ander pulpeienskappe soos skilferinhoud, verbruik aan chemikalieë, Kappagetal, handvel helderheid en sterktewaardes het gemengde resultate opgelewer maw verwerping of aanvaarding van die hipotese p> or =or < 0.05. Die hipotese dat die gekombineerde PHWE en FCCI van die houtspaanders die pulpopbrengs verder sou verhoog moes verwerp word. Daar word egter verwag dat die kombinasie van PHWE met opeenvolgende swamkokultuur behandeling baie voordelig sou wees op die pulpopbrengs van ‘n ten volle gebleikte chemiese pulp. Verdere navorsing is nodig om hierdie veronderstelling te toets. Die ondersoek het die verwagte woordelige effek van die gekombineerde PHWE en FCCI voorbehandelings van die houtspaanders op die papierstrkte-eienskappe bevestig. Bo en behalve dit, het die gekombineerde behandeling ook die aavanklikte bindsterkte potensiaal van die ongeklopte vessels verbeter.

Thesis (MFor ) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The bulk of paper grades destined for the printing industry are produced on modern paper machines which continuously become wider and faster. In order to improve printability, print quality and dimensional stability, such papers contain a large percentage of mineral pigments either in the form of internal loading or external coatings. Although mineral pigments exercise a substantial beneficial effect on paper surface quality, unfortunately these minerals do not contribute towards sheet strength and machine runnability. Today's papermakers are faced with the dilemma of producing highly filled and coated printing papers with low grammages on faster running paper machines, but often lacking the required quality of fibre resources to secure a smooth runnability of such at high speeds. Standard fibre furnishes will have to be upgraded with special types of reinforcing fibres in order to meet the demands of sheet strength and machine runnability. The investigation had succeeded to identify a new suitable fibre resource, which would satisfy the demand of a reinforcing type natural material. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oorgrootte meerderheid tipes papier wat vir die drukkersbedryf bestem is, word op moderne papiermasjiene vervaardig wat steeds breër en vinniger word. Om die drukbaarheid, drukkwaliteit en dimensionele stabiliteit te verbeter, bevat sulke papiere groot hoeveelhede minerale pigmente wat in die vorm van interne ladings of as eksterne bestrykings teenwoordig is. Alhoewel minerale pigmente -n merkbare voordelige effek op die papier oppervlakte-kwaliteit uittoefen, dra sulke pigmente ongelukkig nie by tot die sterkte en loopvermoë van die papier nie. Die hedendaagse papiervervaardiger word konfronteer met die dilemma om swaar gevuldeen bestrykte drukpapiere met lae oppervlaktegewig op vinniger lopende papiermasjiene te vervaardig. Dit gebeur dikwels sonder die beskikbaarheid van die nodige hoëkwaliteit veselbronne om te verseker dat die loopvermoë van die papier teen hoë spoed nie benadeel word nie. Standaard veselsamestellings salopgegradeer moet word met spesiale tipe versterkingsvesels om aan die uitdaging van hoë velsterkte en masjien-Ioopvermoë te voldoen. Hierdie ondersoek het daarin geslaag om 'n nuwe geskikte veselbron te dentifiseer en wat aandie behoeftes van 'n versterkingsvesel sal voldoen.

Abstract Sheet and film forming processes such as paper manufacturing pose a challenging monitoring and control problem, where quality variations are classified into machine direction (MD), cross-machine direction (CD) and residual variation. The measurements are typically collected with a scanning sensor that covers only a small part of the paper web, and therefore provides a very limited view of the paper web, setting performance limitations on the online monitoring and control. The development of cameras, light sources and computation hardware enable the consideration of utilizing in-use web inspection systems in paper machines to measure the paper web variations with a considerably higher resolution, sampling rate and coverage. The light transmittance images captured with this kind of system need, however, to be converted into a controllable quality property, such as basis weight, in order to utilize the new measurement information for control purposes. In this thesis, computational methods are identified and developed that are capable of combining light transmittance and scanning measurements, and can efficiently utilize the combined information for control purposes. The possible benefits gained with these image-based measurements in paper machine online monitoring and profile control are evaluated in a simulation environment. In a real paper machine, the benefits are ultimately dependent on the machine configuration and the nature of paper variations therein. It was found that with a suitable estimation method, light transmittance could increase the awareness of basis weight variations such as fast MD variation, tilted waves and dynamic CD variation patterns, which are practically undetectable using scanner-based measurement. The enhanced basis weight estimation enables a considerable improvement in the dynamic performance of profile controls. CD control was able to handle fast variations earlier classified as uncontrollable residual variation. In MD control, enhanced estimation enabled the development of a control strategy that led to improved reference tracking and disturbance rejection properties. / Tiivistelmä Paperinvalmistus on yksi esimerkki levyjen tai kalvojen valmistusprosesseista, jotka ovat tyypillisesti haasteellisia prosessin monitoroinnin ja säädön kannalta. Laatuvaihtelut näissä prosesseissa luokitellaan koneensuuntaisiin (MD), poikkisuuntaisiin (CD) ja jäännösvaihteluihin. Paperikoneella mittaukset kerätään tavallisesti radan yli liikkuvalla skannaavalla sensorilla, joka tarjoaa vain hyvin rajoitetun määrän informaatiota paperiradasta, asettaen siten rajoituksia online monitoroinnin ja säädön suorituskyvylle. Kameroiden ja valonlähteiden kehitys sekä laskentakapasiteetin kasvu mahdollistavat paperiradan vaihteluiden mittaamisen huomattavasti korkeammalla resoluutiolla ja näytteenottovälillä jo käytössä olevilla vianilmaisujärjestelmillä. Vianilmaisujärjestelmän keräämä valon transmittanssitieto pitää kuitenkin muuntaa esimerkiksi neliömassatiedoksi, jotta uutta mittausinformaatiota voitaisiin hyödyntää myös prosessin online säädössä nykyisillä toimilaitteilla. Tässä työssä on identifioitu ja kehitetty laskennallisia menetelmiä, jotka kykenevät yhdistämään kuvantavan ja skannaavan mittauksen sekä käyttämään tätä yhdistettyä tietoa säätötarkoituksissa. Kuvapohjaisen mittauksen mahdollisia hyötyjä online monitoroinnissa ja profiilien säädössä on arvioitu simulointiympäristössä. Saavutettavat hyödyt paperikoneella ovat lopulta riippuvaisia myös koneen konfiguraatiosta ja koneella ilmenevien laatuvaihteluiden luonteesta. Tulokset osoittavat, että transmittanssimittauksen ja tehokkaan estimointimenetelmän avulla kyetään lisäämään tietämystä neliömassamuutoksista, joita ei käytännössä voida havaita pelkän skannaavan mittauksen avulla. Estimoinnin parempi suorituskyky mahdollistaa myös profiilisäätöjen dynaamisen suorituskyvyn kasvattamisen. CD-säätö voitiin laajentaa kattamaan myös nopeita vaihteluita, jotka ovat aiemmin luokiteltu jäännösvaihteluksi. MD-säädölle voitiin kehittää säätöstrategia, jonka avulla sekä asetusarvojen seurantaa että häiriöiden vaimennusta pystyttiin parantamaan.

Studies were undertaken to determine the effect of Kraft mill effluent (KME) on a representative species of the aquatic environment. By transplanting a population of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to the Port Mellon area (the site of a Kraft mill), the effect of varying concentrations (on a distance from the mill basis) of the pulp mill waste was monitored in terms of changes in shell dimension, body mass (meat) weight, visual observation of the oysters' physiological state and oyster mortality. A seasonal hydrographic survey was conducted at three regions within the study area to monitor changes in water quality imposed by the effluent. In the areas of effluent imposition (oyster stations 1, 2 and 3) the oysters decreased or showed little gain in shell dimension. The body mass of those oysters nearest the mill outfall began to decline (on a weight basis) shortly after placement. At Station 2 and 3 the deterioration in body mass due to changes in water quality began a short time after the decline at Station 1. Changes in the physiological state of the oyster expressed as a darkening of the gills and mantle edge and variations in body mass texture, can be correlated to an oyster's distance from the mill for each collection timei A mortality rate was calculated at each station for all collection times. The mortality rates at Station 1 (100% in 12 months), Station 2 (50% in 20 months), and Station 3 (20% in 24 months) were extensive and proportional to effluent levels. Several of the changes in water quality (increased temperature, reduced salinities, low oxygen contents, variable pH, dissolved and particulated organic matter and chemical additions) imposed by the effluent were individually tested as the major cause of oyster deterioration. Firstly, the critical oxygen tension (the P02 where V02 declines below the routine rate) was determined as 40 mmHg. Correlating this to the range of 02 levels at each station during a tidal cycle, the oxygen demand of the effluent was not considered as a major cause of oyster mortality. A range of filtered, neutralized (pH 7.0 at 22°C) and aerated percentage KME/volume (0-50%) test solutions were monitored in terms of their effect on the percentage time of shell closure. In these experiments percentages above 20 greatly increased the time of shell closure. The effect of shell closure on oysters was tested by continual (up to 28 days) periods of air exposure. In these experiments the P02, zC02 and pH of the pallial fluid was monitored (from time 0 to 28 days) to determine if anaerobic metabolism was undertaken and if it was, the time span of anaerobic life in juvenile oysters. Anaerobic metabolism was concluded to maintain life in juvenile oysters for 22 days. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that KME is deleterious to oyster populations. At high concentrations of effluent the duration of shell closure is extensive such that an anaerobic death results. At lower concentrations the effluent imposed changes in water quality are responsible for the gradual decline in oyster well-being. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Cellulose nanocomposites offer interesting potential in terms of improved properties and new functionalities compared with microcomposites. Preparation from colloidal suspensions is promising, since high reinforcement content is possible and a wide range of constituents can be used. In the first study, the challenge is to form a stable suspension of well-dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNT) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in water and to prepare commingled high CNT content nanopaper structures by filtration. Various surfactants were used to modify CNT. The NFC was stabilized by charged carboxylate groups. A nonylphenol phosphate ester surfactant, NPPE, worked well for CNT and provided a stable and well-dispersed water suspension of CNT and NFC. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), porosimetry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize nanopaper structure, and tensile properties were measured as well as surface resistivity. The processing route is water based and it is possible to prepare thin coatings as well as thicker films with a combination of low surface resistivity, flexibility in bending and high strength and toughness in tension.  As inspired by organo-modified layered silicates, the objective of the second study is to develop an environmentally friendly procedure for the surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals, CNC, using quaternary ammonium salts via adsorption. In order to obtain higher surface charge density on CNC, a new route is developed for preparation of CNC with carboxylic acid groups. Quanternary ammonium cations bearing alkyl, phenyl, glycidyl, and diallyl groups are used to modify CNC to render their surface more hydrophobic. The structure and surface hydrophobicity of unmodified and modified CNC as well as their dispersibility in organic solvent are characterized by AFM, FE-SEM, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray analysis (XDR) and contact angle measurement (CAM). Future work will focus on surface-modified nanocelluloses in composite materials, in order to learn more about surface treatment effects on nanocomposite properties. / Nanokompositer från cellulosa har potential att ge starkt förbättrade egenskaper och ny funktionalitet jämfört med mikrokompositer. De ger även möjlighet till komposittillverkning från kolloidala suspensioner där man kan uppnå hög halt av förstärkningsfasen. Det är också möjligt att välja från en bred flora av lösliga och dispergerbara materialkomponenter. I första studien är utmaningen att skapa en stabil och väldispergerad suspension av kolnanorör (CNT) och nanofibrillerad cellulosa (NFC) i vatten för att genom filtrering framställa nanopapper med interpenetrerande CNT och NFC nätverk. Olika ytaktiva ämnen användes för att modifiera CNT. NFC stabiliserades genom laddade karboxylgrupper på ytan. En nonylfenol fosfatester, NPPE, fungerade bra för CNT och resulterade i en stabil och väldispergerad vattensuspension av CNT och NFC. FE-SEM, densitometri och AFM användes för att karakterisera nanopapperstruktur. Mekaniska egenskaper och ytresistivitet mättes. Processen för framställning av CNT/NFC nanopapper är vattenbaserade och det är möjligt att framställa tunna ytbeläggningar likväl som tjockare filmer. Dessa strukturer har en kombination av låg resistivitet, flexibilitet i böjning liksom hög hållfasthet och seghet i dragbelastning.  Syftet med den andra studien är att utgå från organo-modifierade skiktade silikater (leror) för att utveckla en miljövänlig ytmodifieringsmetod för nanocellulosa. För att öka ytladdningstätheten på CNC (nanokristaller från cellulosa) utvecklas ett nytt sätt att skapa karboxylgrupper på ytan. Kvarternära ammoniumsalter med alkyl, fenyl, glycidyl och diallylgrupper används för att göra ytan på CNC mer hydrofob. Ytans struktur och hydrofoba karaktär, liksom dispersionsegenskaper i organiska lösningsmedel, karakteriseras med hjälp av AFM, FE-SEM, FT-IR, XDR och kontaktvinkelmätning. Fortsatt arbete kommer att fokusera på ytmodifierad cellulosa i kompositmaterial, för att utveckla förståelsen för effekter av ytmodifiering på nanokompositers egenskaper / <p>QC 20120302</p>