Alkali pretreatment is one of the chemical pretreatment technologies that has been examined on various types of lignocellulosic biomass. To gain a better insight into the effects of a potassium-based catalyst on pyrolysis behavior with different materials, potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃) and potassium nitrate (KNO₃) were used as additives in this study. The experimental parameters which included particle size, heating rate, and additive loading were investigated. The results showed that adding potassium for both KHCO₃ and KNO₃ to feedstocks led to increase in biochar. A model-free method, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), was implemented in this study to determine the activation energy values for untreated and potassium-treated feedstocks. A reduction in apparent activation energy values of treated biomass was observed. This indicates that adding potassium salt to biomass influenced the structures of the main components and promoted the catalytic effect of pyrolysis. Activation energies of treated pine range from 250 to 308 kJ/mol, and energies of wheat straw range from 277 to 402 kJ/mol.

Today, a microprinted electronics circuits are gaining more and more importance, but still printed electronic devices such as transistors or OLEDs are unstable in air and shows a poor performance. Moreover, printed microelectronic elements do not meet quality and high-reliability requirements, essential in electronics applications. To fulfill these needs, hybrid electronic circuits, combining printed technology, and surface-mount technology, are recommended. This approach gets advantages from both methods:Surface-mount devices (SMD) elements provide a high device functionality whereas a printed pattern ensures the device flexibility and efficiency. In this work, silver nanoparticle-based aerosol jet ink (AgNP ink) is used to realize the approach of a hybrid circuit with aerosol jet printed pads and surface-mount devices. The ultrasonic atomization process ensures the high printing resolution and appropriate line formation. Electrical and mechanical characterization was performed to present the connection performance and quality. Cross section view and morphological inspection explain the joint high quality and good performance. Resistance characterization presents the high current conductance comparable with connections made by silver epoxy or ink-jet printing. Shear test results show an excellent connection strength complying with USA Military Standard. Finally, a flexible hybrid conductance touch sensor is manufactured, demonstrating the feasibility of the presented assembling solution.