Patents by Inventor Haixuan Zou

Haixuan Zou has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8475627
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignees: University of Maine System Board of Trustees, International Paper Company
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Publication number: 20110214826
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES, INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Patent number: 7943009
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignees: University of Maine System Board of Trustees, International Paper Company
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Patent number: 7842161
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. Then, in a solvent pulping step, the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp by contacting the lignocellulosic material with a cooking liquor comprising a solvent. In one embodiment, the solvent has a boiling point of at least about 150° C. In another embodiment, the cooking liquor comprises a mixture of solvent and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignees: The University of Maine System Board of Trustees, International Paper
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Patent number: 7824521
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: University of Maine System Board of Trustees, International Paper Company
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Publication number: 20100224336
    Abstract: A process of bleaching a wood pulp includes contacting the pulp with ozone to delignify the pulp in an ozone bleaching stage. A phosphonate chelant is added to the pulp so that the chelant is present with the pulp during the bleaching stage. The process excludes washing of the pulp to remove chelant between the chelant addition and the bleaching stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
    Inventors: Dwane Scott Hutto, Haixuan Zou
  • Publication number: 20100101742
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicants: University of Maine System Board Of Trustees, International Paper Company
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Publication number: 20080142176
    Abstract: A process of treating a lignocellulosic material includes a pre-extraction step in which hemicellulose is extracted from the lignocellulosic material. In one embodiment, the pre-extraction step involves contacting the lignocellulosic material with an aqueous solution under conditions that release acidic material from the lignocellulosic material into the aqueous solution, and the aqueous solution includes a basic material that at least partly neutralizes the acidic material so that the aqueous solution at the end of the pre-extraction step has a pH within a range of from 4.5 to 11. The process also includes a pulping step, after the pre-extraction step, in which the lignocellulosic material is separated into pulp. The process further includes an adsorption step, after the pulping step, in which hemicellulose is adsorbed on the pulp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Adriaan Reinhard Pieter van Heiningen, Sung-Hoon Yoon, Haixuan Zou, Jianer Jiang, Gopal C. Goyal
  • Publication number: 20070131364
    Abstract: A process of treating a cellulose-lignin pulp. In an ozone stage, the pulp is contacted with ozone to bleach and delignify the pulp. The ozone stage is conducted without the addition of a peroxide bleaching agent. A chelant is introduced into the ozone stage to improve selectivity of the delignification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Dwane Hutto, Haixuan Zou