Surfactants from Renewable Resources

Written as a practical introduction to biogas plant design and operation, this book fills a huge gap by presenting a systematic guide to this emerging technology – information otherwise only available in poorly intelligible reports by US governmental and other official agencies. The author draws on teaching material from a university course as well as a wide variety of industrial biogas projects he has been involved with, thus combining didactical skill with real-life examples. Alongside biological and technical aspects of biogas generation, this timely work also looks at safety and legal aspects as well as environmental considerations.

Biodegradable Polymer Blends and Composites from Renewable Resources provides a comprehensive, current overview of biopolymeric blends and composites and their applications in various industries. The book is organized according to the type of blend or composite. For each topic, the relationship between the structure of the blends/composites and their respective properties is explored, with particular focus on interface, compatibility, mechanical, and thermal properties. Real-life applications and potential markets are discussed. This is a premier reference for graduate students and researchers in polymer science, chemical and bio engineering, and materials science.

This book provides the vision of a successful biorefinery—the lignocelluloic biomass needs to be efficiently converted to its constituent monomers, comprising mainly of sugars such as glucose, xylose, mannose and arabinose. Accordingly, the first part of the book deals with aspects crucial for the pretreatment and hydrolysis of biomass to give sugars in high yield, as well as the general aspects of bioprocessing technologies which will enable the development of biorefineries through inputs of metabolic engineering, fermentation, downstream processing and formulation. The second part of the book gives the current status and future directions of the biological processes for production of ethanol (a biofuel as well as an important commodity raw material), solvents (butanol, isobutanol, butanediols, propanediols), organic acids (lactic acid, 3-hydroxy propionic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid and adipic acid), and amino acid (glutamic acid). The commercial production of some of these commodity bioproducts in the near future will have a far reaching effect in realizing our goal of sustainable conversion of these renewable resources and realizing the concept of biorefinery. Suitable for researchers, practitioners, graduate students and consultants in biochemical/ bioprocess engineering, industrial microbiology, bioprocess technology, metabolic engineering, environmental science and energy, the book offers: Exemplifies the application of metabolic engineering approaches for development of microbial cell factories Provides a unique perspective to the industry about the scientific problems and their possible solutions in making a bioprocess work for commercial production of commodity bioproducts Discusses the processing of renewable resources, such as plant biomass, for mass production of commodity chemicals and liquid fuels to meet our ever- increasing demands Encourages sustainable green technologies for the utilization of renewable resources Offers timely solutions to help address the energy problem as non-renewable fossil oil will soon be unavailable

An introduction to the state-of-the-art of the diverse self-assembly systems Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles provides an effective entry for new researchers into this exciting field while also giving the state of the art assessment of the diverse self-assembling systems for those already engaged in this research. Over the last twenty years, self-assembly has emerged as a distinct science/technology field, going well beyond the classical surfactant and block copolymer molecules, and encompassing much larger and complex molecular, biomolecular and nanoparticle systems. Within its ten chapters, each contributed by pioneers of the respective research topics, the book: Discusses the fundamental physical chemical principles that govern the formation and properties of self-assembled systems Describes important experimental techniques to characterize the properties of self-assembled systems, particularly the nature of molecular organization and structure at the nano, meso or micro scales. Provides the first exhaustive accounting of self-assembly derived from various kinds of biomolecules including peptides, DNA and proteins. Outlines methods of synthesis and functionalization of self-assembled nanoparticles and the further self-assembly of the nanoparticles into one, two or three dimensional materials. Explores numerous potential applications of self-assembled structures including nanomedicine applications of drug delivery, imaging, molecular diagnostics and theranostics, and design of materials to specification such as smart responsive materials and self-healing materials. Highlights the unifying as well as contrasting features of self-assembly, as we move from surfactant molecules to nanoparticles. Written for students and academic and industrial scientists and engineers, by pioneers of the research field, Self-Assembly: From Surfactants to Nanoparticles is a comprehensive resource on diverse self-assembly systems, that is simultaneously introductory as well as the state of the art.

Energy and environmental issues have caused a marked increase in electricity production from renewable energy sources since the beginning of the 21st Century. The concept of sustainable development and concern for future generations challenge us every day to produce new technologies for energy production, and new patterns of use for these energies. Their rapid emergence can make the understanding and therefore the perception of these new technologies difficult. This book aims to contribute to a better understanding of the new electricity generation technologies by addressing a diverse audience. It presents the issues, sources and means of conversion into electricity using a general approach and develops scientific concepts to understand their main technical characteristics. Systems of electricity generation from renewable energy resources of small to medium powers are presented. The basic electrical concepts necessary for understanding the operating characteristics of these energy converters are introduced, and the constraints and problems of integration in the electrical networks of those means of production are discussed. Several exercises are provided to the reader for evaluation purposes. Contents 1. Decentralized Electricity Production from Renewable Energy, Beno?t Robyns. 2. Solar Photovoltaic Power, Arnaud Davigny. 3. Wind Power, Bruno Francois and Beno?t Robyns. 4. Terrestrial and Marine Hydroelectricity: Waves and Tides, Beno?t Robyns and Antoine Henneton. 5. Thermal Power Generation, Jonathan Sprooten. 6. Integration of the Decentralized Production into the Electrical Network, Beno?t Robyns.

Renewable Bioresources: scope and modification for non-food applications is the first text to consider the broad concept of renewable materials from the socio-economic aspects through to the chemical production and technical aspects of treating different raw products. The text sets the context of the renewables debate with key opening chapters on green chemistry, and the current situation of US and EU policy regarding sustainability and industrial waste. The quantitative and technical scope and production of renewable resources is then discussed with material looking at integral valorisation, the primary production of raw materials, downstream processing, and the identification of renewable crop materials. The latter part of the book concludes with a discussion on the uses for renewable materials such as carbohydrates, woods, fibres, biopolymers, lipids and proteins in different industrial applications, including a key chapter on the high value-added industries. Covers the broad concept of renewable resources from different points of view. Takes readers through the identification, production, processing and end-applications for renewable raw materials. Considers and compares EU and US renewable resources and sustainability objectives. Devotes one chapter to green chemistry and sustainability, focussing on the green industrial processes. This is an essential book for upper level undergraduates and Masters students taking modules on Renewable Resources, Green Chemistry, Sustainable Development, Environmental Science, Agricultural Science and Environmental Technology. It will also benefit industry professionals and product developers who are looking at improved economic and environmental means of utilising renewable materials.

Now in its fourth edition, Surfactants and Interfacial Phenomena explains why and how surfactants operate in interfacial processes (such as foaming, wetting, emulsion formation and detergency), and shows the correlations between a surfactant's chemical structure and its action. Updated and revised to include more modern information, along with additional three chapters on Surfactants in Biology and Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Surfactants, and Molecular Modeling with Surfactant Systems, this is the premier text on the properties and applications of surfactants. This book provides an easy-to-read, user-friendly resource for industrial chemists and a text for classroom use, and is an unparalleled tool for understanding and applying the latest information on surfactants. Problems are included at the end of each chapter to enhance the reader’s understanding, along with many tables of data that are not compiled elsewhere. Only the minimum mathematics is used in the explanation of topics to make it easy-to-understand and very user friendly.

This book is the premier text on the properties and applications of surfactants. The third edition is completely updated and revised, including new information on gemini surfactants (a new type of powerful surfactant), superspreading (or superwetting) by aqueous surfactant solutions of highly hydrophobic surfaces (important in agricultural applications), and dynamic surface tension (an important interfacial property not covered in the first two editions). * Clearly explains the mechanisms by which surfactants operate in interfacial processes * Uses a minimum of mathematics in explanation of topics, making it easy-to-understand and very user-friendly * Problems are included at the end of each chapter * Includes many tables of data as reference that are not compiled elsewhere * Milton J Rosen is an expert in the field of Surfactant research

Surfactants are used throughout industry as components in a huge range of formulated products or as effect chemicals in the production or processing of other materials. A detailed understanding of the basis of their activity is required by all those who use surfactants, yet the new graduate or postgraduate chemist or chemical engineer will generally have little or no experience of how and why surfactants work. Chemistry & Technology of Surfactants is aimed at new graduate or postgraduate level chemists and chemical engineers at the beginning their industrial careers and those in later life who become involved with surfactants for the first time. The book is a straightforward and practical survey of the chemistry of surfactants and their uses, providing a basic introduction to surfactant theory, information on the various types of surfactant and some application details. This will allow readers to build onto their scientific education the concepts and principles on which the successful use of surfactants, across a wide range of industries, is based.