Date : December. 22nd, 2022
Place: Engineering 110 Lecture Room, Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, Hiroshima University

Chair & Commentary: Yukihiko MATSUMURA
Professor, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University

Lecture: Kenshu NAGATOMI
M2, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University
“Char Yield Change with Time for Hydrothermal Carbonization of Glucose.”

In hydrothermal carbonization the yields of the solid and liquid products change with the conditions including temperature, time and heating rate. However, the relationship between condition and its effect differs from one researcher to another and has not been clarified. Therefore, we investigated the reaction characteristics of hydrothermal carbonization. We used glucose as the feedstock to investigate the behavior of char formation. We considered a reaction model from previous studies and calculated the carbon yield of some substances using high performance liquid chromatography. The results of hydrothermal carbonization of glucose solution in a batch reactor are reported.

Lecture: Yuki MAKI
M1, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University 
“Fundamental study on supercritical water gasification of cellulose.”

The carbon gasification efficiency increases as the heating rate increases. In addition, solid biomass is gasified after its surface is dissolved. Therefore, it is necessary to allow time for dissolution. The common denominator between these two is the heating rate. If the heating rate is increased, sufficient dissolution time cannot be provided. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the heating rate on the carbon gasification rate was investigated by changing the length of the preheater at a reaction temperature of 600 degree C and a residence time of 40 seconds using cellulose.

Lecture:Makoto HIRAYAMA
Associate Professor, Program of Food and AgriLife Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life
“Potentially useful materials in seaweed: sugar-binding protein "lectin" and UV absorbing compounds "mycosporine-like amino acids".”

Seaweed has been a familiar food and material in Japan, a country surrounded by the sea on all sides. Seaweed contains various unique components, among which our research group has focused on the sugar-binding protein "lectin" and the ultraviolet absorbing substance "mycosporine-like amino acids(MAAs)" as potentially useful materials from both basic and applied perspectives. In this seminar, I will introduce our recent findings on the effects of seaweed lectins on novel coronaviruses and new functionalities of MAAs.