Person:
Balea Martín, Ana

First Name

Ana

Last Name

Balea Martín

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/76225

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Ciencias Químicas

Department

Ingeniería Química y de Materiales

Area

Ingeniería Química

Identifiers

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 35

In Situ Production and Application of Cellulose Nanofibers to Improve Recycled Paper Production
(Molecules, 2019) Balea Martín, Ana; Sánchez Salvador, José Luis; Monte, María de la Concepción; Merayo Cuevas, Noemí; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel; Blanco Suárez, Ángeles
The recycled paper and board industry needs to improve the quality of their products to meet customer demands. The refining process and strength additives are commonly used to increase mechanical properties. Interfiber bonding can also be improved using cellulose nanofibers (CNF). A circular economy approach in the industrial implementation of CNF can be addressed through the in situ production of CNF using side cellulose streams of the process as raw material, avoiding transportation costs and reducing industrial wastes. Furthermore, CNF fit for use can be produced for specific industrial applications.This study evaluates the feasibility of using two types of recycled fibers, simulating the broke streams of two paper machines producing newsprint and liner for cartonboard, to produce in situ CNF for direct application on the original pulps, old newsprint (ONP), and old corrugated container (OCC), and to reinforce the final products. The CNF were obtained by 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation and homogenization at 600 bar. Handsheets were prepared with disintegrated recycled pulp and different amounts of CNF using a conventional three-component retention system. Results show that 3 wt.% of CNF produced with 10 mmol of NaClO per gram of dry pulp improve tensile index of ONP ~30%. For OCC, the same treatment and CNF dose increase tensile index above 60%. In both cases, CNF cause a deterioration of drainage, but this effect is effectively counteracted by optimising the retention system.
Project number: 105
Presentación del prototipo final a la Competición "Chem-E-Car" en el 10º Congreso Mundial de Ingeniería Química
(2019) Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel; Monte Lara, M. Concepción; Fuente González, Elena de la; Blanco Suárez, M. Ángeles; Miranda Carreño, Rubén; Tijero Cruz, Antonio; Balea Martín, Ana; Merayo Cuevas, Noemí; Campano Tiedra, Cristina; López Expósito, Patricio Roberto; Plaza Rodríguez, Jesús; García-Ochoa Soria, Félix; Ladero Galán, Miguel; Senit Velasco, Juan José; Velasco Conde, Daniel; Pérez Trujillo, Francisco Javier; Alcalá Penadés, Germán; Mato Díaz, M. Sonia; Santos Barahona, Héctor; Lasanta Carrasco, M. Isabel; Miguel Gamo, M. Teresa de; García Martín, Gustavo; Illana Sánchez, Andrea; Bolívar Tejedo, Pilar; Carlucci, Maurizio Antonio; Morona Murillo, Lorena; Amo Salgado, Pablo del; Márquez Negro, Alejandro; Ara Jimeno, Pablo; Resino Guirao, Jesús; Alberola Sánchez, Raúl; Galán Galán, Alicia; Espinosa García, Lucía; Pedregal Sáez, Antonio; Fernández Rodríguez, Gemma; Arsuaga Cao, Pablo; Martín Jiménez, Diego; Arriba Gutiérrez, Héctor; Navarro Torres, Jorge; Sancho González, Luis
El proyecto consistió en la presentación del prototipo Chem-E-Car desarrollado en la UCM en la competición mundial que se celebró durante el transcurso del Congreso Mundial de Ingeniería Química (Barcelona, 30 septiembre-2 de octubre de 2017).
Improving sustainability of cellulose nanofibrils production: FTIR spectroscopy for online control of the synthesis of recyclable magnetic TEMPO catalyst
(Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 2024) Xu, Hongyu; Balea Martín, Ana; Merayo, Noemí; Martínez, Ainhoa; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel
2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) and its derivatives are well-established catalysts for various oxidation processes, despite its hazardous nature, causing harm to aquatic ecosystems. Thus, the reuse of TEMPO with a sustained high activity has gained significant importance for its industrial application, which has led to the development of supported TEMPO catalyst. In this context, the efficiency of the support process acquires high relevance. Therefore, this research is aimed at the improvement of the TEMPO supported on silica magnetically modified with Fe3O4 through the application of an online Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) probe to monitor its synthesis. FTIR effectively controlled the synthesis of supported TEMPO, by tracking online the concentration of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Additionally, the presence of Fe3O4 particles in the core of the catalyst allowed its convenient recovery and subsequent reuse. Furthermore, the supported TEMPO catalyst was successfully applied in the oxidation of cellulose to produce nano/microfibrils. The carboxyl groups of the initial untreated cellulose increase from 0.05 mmol/g to 0.68 mmol/g with the supported TEMPO catalyst in presence of sodium hypochlorite and sodium bromide at 50 °C
Optimization of reagent consumption in TEMPO-mediated oxidation of Eucalyptus cellulose to obtain cellulose nanofibers
(Cellulose, 2022) Xu, Hongyu; Sánchez Salvador, José Luis; Balea Martín, Ana; Blanco Suárez, Ángeles; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel
Eucalyptus cellulose is usually pre-treated by oxidation with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), NaBr and NaClO at pH 10.5 and 25 °C before the mechanical process required to obtain cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). In this study, different aspects to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the TEMPO-mediated oxidation are analyzed. The optimization was carried out at different reaction times by modifying both the concentration of the NaClO and the amount of the catalysts (TEMPO and NaBr). Results show that the carboxyl groups increased up to 1.1 mmol/g with 5 mmol NaClO/g after 50 min, and that the catalyst concentration can be reduced to 0.025 mmol TEMPO/g and 0.5 mmol NaBr/g to minimize costs while maintaining the high fibrillation degree of the CNFs. The kinetic of the reaction can be considered as zero-order with respect to NaClO, and as first order with respect to cellulose. As a result of this work, the catalyst doses are reduced up to 75% compared to the most widely used catalyst doses (0.1 mmol/g TEMPO and 1 mmol/g NaBr), obtaining highly fibrillated CNFs with a lower environmental impact. This reduction of catalyst doses will reduce the costs and facilitate the implementation of CNF production at industrial scale.
Comparison Of Mechanical And Chemical Nanocellulose As Additives To Reinforce Recycled Cardboard
(Scientific Reports, 2020) Sánchez Salvador, José Luis; Balea Martín, Ana; Monte Lara, M. Concepción; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel; Miller, Meaghan; Olson, James; Blanco Suárez, Ángeles
Recycling cycles cause a decrease in mechanical paper properties due to cellulose fiber degradation. The use of cellulose micro/nanofibers (CMF/CNF) to reinforce paper strength has been well studied, although it has been found to have negative effects on drainage. However, the application of CMF/CNF as paper reinforcement is affected by the nanocellulose type. Thus in this study mechanical and chemical treatments in CNF production were compared. Old corrugated container (OCC) pulp used to produce recycled cartonboard was reinforced with 1) CMF from never-dried northern bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBSK) highly refined in a 16-inch low consistency refiner at 1200 rpm and 25 kW of net power; and 2) CNF from NBSK pulp treated by TEMPO-mediated oxidation and homogenization at 600 bars. CMF/CNF and OCC were pulped at the same time and handsheets formed with cationic starch (CS) as retention system. Mechanical, drainage and flocculation properties were evaluated and compared. Data were also compared with other sources of TEMPO CNF. Results show an improvement in mechanical properties, drainage and flocculation when OCC is reinforced with CMF obtained with LCR. Therefore, high fibrillation was not necessary to improve mechanical paper or cardboard properties.
Industrial Application of Nanocelluloses in Papermaking: A Review of Challenges, Technical Solutions, and Market Perspectives
(Molecules, 2020) Balea Martín, Ana; Fuente González, Elena de la; Monte Lara, María Concepción; Merayo, Noemi; Campano Tiedra, Cristina; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel; Blanco Suárez, Ángeles
Nanocelluloses (NC) increase mechanical and barrier paper properties allowing the use of paper in applications actually covered by other materials. Despite the exponential increase of information, NC have not been fully implemented in papermaking yet, due to the challenges of using NC. This paper provides a review of the main new findings and emerging possibilities in this field by focusing mainly on: (i) Decoupling the effects of NC on wet-end and paper properties by using synergies with retention aids, chemical modification, or filler preflocculation; (ii) challenges and solutions related to the incorporation of NC in the pulp suspension and its effects on barrier properties; and (iii) characterization needs of NC at an industrial scale. The paper also includes the market perspectives. It is concluded that to solve these challenges specific solutions are required for each paper product and process, being the wet-end optimization the key to decouple NC effects on drainage and paper properties. Furthermore, the effect of NC on recyclability must also be taken into account to reach a compromise solution. This review helps readers find upscale options for using NC in papermaking and identify further research needs within this field.
Green Production of Glycerol Ketals with a Clay-Based Heterogeneous Acid Catalyst
(Applied Sciences, 2019) Amri, Sondes; Gómez, Jaime; Balea Martín, Ana; Merayo Cuevas, Noemí; Srasra, Ezzeddine; Besbes, Néji; Ladero Galán, Miguel
Glycerol remains a bottleneck for the biodiesel industry as well as an opportunity from the biorefinery perspective, having a notable reactivity as a platform chemical. In particular, glycerol ketals can be envisaged as oxygenates for fuel formulation. In this study, we have focused on the green synthesis of glycerol ketals by reacting glycerol with acyclic (acetone, butanone) and cyclic (cyclohexanone) ketones in the presence of an acid activated clay Tunisian AC in homogeneous systems under quasi-solventless conditions. These reactions were followed by on-line Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) (namely, ReactIR 10). Firstly, the contacting time was selected studying the activity, stability and chemical characteristics of a set of catalysts. The 1-h activated clay AC was further characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electronic Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Finally, the effect of the main operational variables (catalyst concentration, reagents molar ratio, time and temperature) were checked and we reflected on adequate second-order kinetic models with partial first-order deactivation.
Critical comparison of the properties of cellulose nanofibers produced from softwood and hardwood through enzymatic, chemical and mechanical processes
(International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022) Sánchez Salvador, José Luis; Campano Tiedra, Cristina; Balea Martín, Ana; Tarrés, Quim; Delgado Aguilar, Marc; Mutjé, Pere; Blanco Suárez, Ángeles; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel
Current knowledge on the properties of different types of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) is fragmented. Properties variation is very extensive, depending on raw materials, effectiveness of the treatments to extract the cellulose fraction from the lignocellulosic biomass, pretreatments to facilitate cellulose fibrillation and final mechanical process to separate the microfibrils. Literature offers multiple parameters to characterize the CNFs prepared by different routes. However, there is a lack of an extensive guide to compare the CNFs. In this study, we perform a critical comparison of rheological, compositional, and morphological features of CNFs, produced from the most representative types of woody plants, hardwood and softwood, using different types and intensities of pretreatments, including enzymatic, chemical and mechanical ones, and varying the severity of mechanical treatment focusing on the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic parameters. This structured information will be exceedingly useful to select the most appropriate CNF for a certain application based on the most relevant parameters in each case.
Recycled Fibers for Sustainable Hybrid Fiber Cement Based Material: A Review
(Materials, 2021) Balea Martín, Ana; Fuente González, Elena De La; Monte Lara, María Concepción; Blanco Suárez, María Ángeles; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel
Reinforcing fibers have been widely used to improve physical and mechanical properties of cement-based materials. Most fiber reinforced composites (FRC) involve the use of a single type of fiber to improve cement properties, such as strength or ductility. To additionally improve other parameters, hybridization is required. Another key challenge, in the construction industry, is the implementation of green and sustainable strategies based on reducing raw materials consumption, designing novel structures with enhanced properties and low weight, and developing low environmental impact processes. Different recycled fibers have been used as raw materials to promote circular economy processes and new business opportunities in the cement-based sector. The valuable use of recycled fibers in hybrid FRC has already been proven and they improve both product quality and sustainability, but the generated knowledge is fragmented. This is the first review analyzing the use of recycled fibers in hybrid FRC and the hybridization effect on mechanical properties and workability of FRC. The paper compiles the best results and the optimal combinations of recycled fibers for hybrid FRC to identify key insights and gaps that may define future research to open new application fields for recycled hybrid FRC.
Celulosa nanofibrilada y su aplicación en la industria papelera para la mejora de productos reciclados
(2019) Balea Martín, Ana; Negro Álvarez, Carlos Manuel; Blanco Suárez, María Ángeles
La fabricación de papel es un sector industrial sostenible donde el reciclaje constituye uno de los pilares fundamentales. En Europa, el 54% de la materia prima que utiliza la industria papelera proviene del papel recuperado siendo la tasa de reciclaje del 72% (CEPI 2015). Sin embargo, uno de los principales problemas de las fibras recuperadas es mantener el nivel de calidad de los productos papeleros que aumenta continuamente por las exigencias del mercado. Además, la demanda de papel ha disminuido debido a la recesión económica y al uso de otros soportes de información, lo cual exige una continua reducción de costes dentro del sector para mantener la competitividad de las empresas. Aunque la industria papelera trata de compensar la pérdida de calidad de las fibras secundarias con la aplicación de procesos de refino y el uso de aditivos de resistencia, la baja resistencia mecánica de los productos papeleros sigue siendo la principal fuente de reclamaciones a los fabricantes de papel reciclado. Por este motivo, es necesario la búsqueda de nuevas estrategias que permitan mejorar el enlace entre las fibras, y la celulosa nanofibrilada (CNF) abre nuevos horizontes como agente de resistencia alternativo...