Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing cellulose carbamate in an aqueous phase. The method comprises the steps of a) providing a cellulose raw-material; b) providing urea; c) mixing cellulose and urea to provide a mixture; d) subjecting the mixture to a reduced pressure of no more than 350 mbar(a); e) heating the mixture to a temperature of 130 to 150° C. to subject cellulose to reaction with urea to form cellulose carbamate; f) releasing the pressure; and g) recovering the cellulose carbamate g) recovering the cellulose carbamate, and h) washing the cellulose carbamate with water to remove water soluble nitrogenous compounds wherein the water-soluble nitrogeneous compounds make up at the most 12%, preferably 6% or less, of the total weight of cellulose carbamate and water-soluble nitrogenous compounds.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of continuously dissolving cellulose carbamate in an alkaline aqueous phase to form a solution, comprising the steps of providing cellulose carbamate, mixing the cellulose carbamate with an aqueous alkaline solution to form a mixture, conducting the mixture through the mixing zone of a continuously operated mixing kneader at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius or less to produce a solution of said cellulose carbamate in an alkaline aqueous phase, and recovering the cellulose carbamate containing aqueous phase.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an extrusion foaming method for producing low-density extrusion foam from a thermoplastic cellulose-based starting material.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a melt spinning method of cellulose based fibers with controlled molar masses and different side lengths, and continuous melt spun cellulose fibers thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of deoxygenating tall oil pitch, yielding aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The invention even comprises turning the aliphates into polymerizable olefins by steam cracking, and turning the aromates into polymerizable terephthalic acid by oxygenation and, as necessary, rearrangement. The monomers can be used for the production of polymers of partially or completely biologic origin. According to the invention, tall oil pitch is first heated to turn it into liquid, which is then fed into a catalyst bed and catalytically deoxygenated with hydrogen. The deoxygenation catalyst is preferably a Ni—Mo catalyst and, in addition, a cracking catalyst can be used, such as an acidic zeolite catalyst. The deoxygenated product stream is cooled down so as to obtain a liquid, which is distilled for separation of the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons for use in the production of the respective monomers and finally polymers.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use of molar mass controlled cellulose in injection molding, extrusion and three dimensional printing applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing modified cellulose fibers for a moldable cellulose fiber based material, said method comprising: a) providing a chemical or semi-chemical wood pulp comprising cellulose fibers, and optionally subjecting the pulp to alkaline extraction to obtain an alkaline extracted pulp; and b) subjecting the pulp or the alkaline extracted pulp of step a) to a chemical treatment with an alkaline solution and/or an organic solvent to obtain a treated pulp or treated alkaline extracted pulp comprising modified cellulose fibers for a moldable cellulose fiber based material. The invention further relates to a moldable cellulose fiber based material comprising at least 70% by dry weight of modified cellulose fibers obtainable by the method.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for pretreating cellulose, e.g. cotton, comprising the steps of providing a mixture having a solid content, said mixture comprising cellulose, and a liquid, and mechanically working the mixture to open the fibril structure of cell walls of cellulose. The mechanical working comprises shear mixing in a continuous mechanical mixing device.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use of molar mass controlled cellulose in injection molding, extrusion and three dimensional printing applications.

Abstract: Described herein is a feasible, significantly simplified production method that avoids challenging lactonization steps and converts a low molecular weight aliphatic polyester, consisting of hydroxy acids and a comonomer, whose molecular weight has been increased by step-growth polymerization reactions. The molecular weight of the aliphatic polyester, based on comparison of initial and final weight average molecular weights (Mw,1/Mw,2), increased significantly at a rate which permits the use of reactive extrusion to produce high molecular weight aliphatic polyesters in a simple, economically feasible manner.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of manufacturing paper or board, the paper or board obtained by the method, and a method of producing a tray from the board. In a fibrous stock for papermaking is incorporated an amount of polymer coated fibrous particles, which even have a foaming agent such as moisture contained therein. A web is formed from the fibrous stock on a forming fabric of a paper or board machine, followed by pressing and drying to a finished paper or board. As the paper or board is sufficiently heated the foaming agent within the particles evaporates, causing expansion and foaming of the polymer coating, which adds to malleability of the board as it is moulded into a shaped article such as a board tray. The invention even covers production of doubly coated fibrous particles for use in said methods, the inner coating layer being of a foamable polymer with a higher melt flow rate and the outer coating layer being of a non-foaming polymer of a lower melt flow rate.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of manufacturing paper or board, the paper or board obtained by the method, and a method of producing a tray from the board. In a fibrous stock for papermaking is incorporated an amount of polymer coated fibrous particles, which even have a foaming agent such as moisture contained therein. A web is formed from the fibrous stock on a forming fabric of a paper or board machine, followed by pressing and drying to a finished paper or board. As the paper or board is sufficiently heated the foaming agent within the particles evaporates, causing expansion and foaming of the polymer coating, which adds to malleability of the board as it is moulded into a shaped article such as a board tray. The invention even covers production of doubly coated fibrous particles for use in said methods, the inner coating layer being of a foamable polymer with a higher melt flow rate and the outer coating layer being of a non-foaming polymer of a lower melt flow rate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for treating textile-based materials, typically textile-based waste-materials, to prepare them for further use. The treatment includes two or more chemical and/or enzymatic treatment steps, including at least one alkaline treatment step, all intended to cause at least a partial dissolution of the textile-based material. Particularly, the process is used for the treatment of cotton-based waste materials.

Abstract: Described herein is a feasible, significantly simplified production method that avoids challenging lactonization steps and converts a low molecular weight aliphatic polyester, consisting of hydroxy acids and a comonomer, whose molecular weight has been increased by step-growth polymerization reactions. The molecular weight of the aliphatic polyester, based on comparison of initial and final weight average molecular weights (Mw,1/Mw,2), increased significantly at a rate which permits the use of reactive extrusion to produce high molecular weight aliphatic polyesters in a simple, economically feasible manner.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the conversion of biomaterials into structural carbon products, particularly utilizing a hydrothermal treatment step that is carried out on a high molar mass organic starting material having a carbon content of >40 wt % of the dry matter. The invention also concerns a structural carbon product obtained using such a process, which has well-defined physico-chemical properties, e.g. in terms of surface area, carbon content, density, size and shape.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use of molar mass controlled cellulose in injection molding, extrusion and three dimensional printing applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing high tensile strength nanofiber yarn by wet-extrusion on a slippery surface. In particular, the present invention discloses a method wherein individual nanocellulose fibers are aligned by high speed in-nozzle-alignment and on-surface-alignment, which comprise controlling the fiber width on a moving slippery surface.

Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing furan carboxylates from aldaric acids in the presence of a solid heterogeneous catalyst and a solvent with short reaction time. The feedstock for the production is a stable compound, which allows industrial scaling of the process. Solid acid catalyst and sustainable solvent provide considerable reduction of toxic waste compared to traditional methods, and recyclability.

Abstract: A method of deoxygenation of tall oil as well as methods for the production of aliphatic hydrocarbons and polymerizable monomers from tall oil. Sulphurous crude tall oil together with hydrogen gas is fed into a reactor comprising a catalyst bed. The oil is catalytically deoxygenated by hydrogen in the bed by use of a sulfided metal catalyst, e.g. a NiMoS catalyst. The flow exiting the reactor is cooled down and a hydrocarbon-bearing liquid phase is separated from a gas phase, followed by subjecting the liquid phase to distillation for removal of useless aromatic hydrocarbons and then to steam cracking to form a product containing olefins such as ethylene or propylene. By regulation of the deoxygenation temperature to be at least 270° C. but less than 360° C. the yield is rich in linear and cyclic aliphates that usefully turn to olefins in the steam cracking, while formation of napthalenes is reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to selective catalytic dehydroxylation method of aldaric acids for producing muconic acid and furan chemicals, which can be used directly in fine chemical and polymer applications (FCA/FDCA) and as intermediates in the preparation of industrially significant chemicals, such as terephthalic acid, adipic acid, caprolactone, caprolactam, nylon 6.6, 1,6-hexanediol and multiple pharmaceutical building blocks (MA/MAME).