Abstract: The present invention provides soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly hesperaloe fiber. The inventors have discovered that high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber, when incorporated in amounts of at least about 5 percent by weight of the tissue product, produces products having a GMT less than about 1000 g/3? and a GM Slope less than about 7.0 kg. At the foregoing tensile strengths and modulus the tissue products of the present invention are also generally soft, such as having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0, and more preferably less than about 9.0, such as from about 7.0 to about 9.0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue products comprising high yield hesperaloe fiber having improved wet performance, such as improved absorbency, CD Wet/Dry Ratio and CD Wet Durability. The addition of high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers surprisingly improves the CD Wet/Dry ratio without negatively affecting the absorbency of the tissue product. For example, tissue products of the present invention generally have an Absorbent Capacity greater than about 6.0 g/g, such as from about 8.0 to 8.0 g/g. As such the tissue products are durable when wet, but are still sufficiently absorbent. This balance of absorbency and wet strength is not found in the prior art without resorting to adding latex binders or the like to the tissue product.

Abstract: The invention relates to tissue products comprising hesperaloe fibers and methods of producing the same. Preferably the hesperaloe fibers are high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers, which have demonstrated the ability to replace substantially all of the long fiber fraction of the papermaking furnish without negatively effecting important tissue product properties such as CD Stretch, CD Durability and bulk. Thus, the tissue product may comprise greater than about 90 weight percent hesperaloe fiber and more preferably greater than about 95 weight percent.

Abstract: In an outlet flow control arrangement (1) arrangeable to control a flow of material through an outlet (2) with a predetermined diameter arranged at an end of a pressurized processing container (3), the outlet flow control arrangement (1) comprises an adaptor unit (4) configured so that a cross-section of a flow into the adaptor unit (4) is reduced as compared to a cross-section of the outlet (2), to enable the adaptor unit (4) to control and center a flow of processed material out of the processing container (3) and through the outlet (2) into a discharge pipe (5).

Abstract: A system and method of manufacturing a fiber for use in manufacturing products including providing a feedstock including fiber derived from edible fruit of a plant. An agent that degrades pectin may be applied to the feedstock to form a feedstock mixture. The feedstock mixture may be agitated, and solution including the fiber from the feedstock mixture may be removed. The fiber may be isolated from the solution.

Abstract: A pretreatment composition and pretreatment process utilizing the composition is described. The pretreatment composition includes an aqueous organic solvent in combination with an alkaline component and an oxidizing agent. The pretreatment composition is useful for treating biomass as may be utilized in forming biofuel, paper, or other useful products. The biomass to be treated can include cellulosic biomass, lignocellulosic biomass, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The objective of this invention is a method for separating cellulosic fibres, hemicellulose and lignin from parts of plants containing these, such as stems, leaves and seed coats or hulls of cereal, oilseed, fibre or grassy plants. After appropriate pre-treatments the material is heated in an alkaline solution at lower temperatures than used in the traditional cellulose manufacturing. After this heat treatment, the fibrous and other undissolved materials are separated from the solution and subsequently ground in wet condition, using preferably chafing treatments. For improving the separation, surface active substances can be included in the alkaline heat treatment solution.

Abstract: A fine fibrous cellulosic material containing cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, in which the fine fibrous cellulosic material has a width of 1 ?m or less and a length of 5,000 ?m or less and is used for glycation reaction by hydrolysis.

Abstract: A procedure for obtaining nanofibrillated cellulose starting from a raw material including recycled or recovered paper, or recovered paper pulp or recovered cellulose comprises the stages of: immersing the raw material in an acetic acid dilution, in a concentration of 10% to 50% by volume, during a time inverse to the concentration of acetic acid; stirring the raw material immersed in the acetic acid dilution; and subsequently subjecting the cellulosic material to a mechanical process of longitudinal separation of fibers, by shear forces applied through a mixer or similar equipment capable of creating enough shearing on cellulose pulp. Thanks to the above procedure nanofibrillated cellulose from recycled paper is obtained with similar features to the nanofibrillated cellulose obtained from virgin cellulose.

Abstract: A composite wood product containing acetylated wood elements characterized by an average value in thickness swelling not exceeding 5% after subjection to 25 wet-dry/freeze-thaw cycles as described in Table II. Alternative characterizations include moduli of elasticity and rupture, and bending strength. A two stage process for the acetylation of wood elements is also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the timber products industry, and particularly to methods and apparatus for the separation of bast fibers. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in the separation of inner core from outer bast of bast plants using soaking, cutting, and scrimming methods and apparatuses.

Abstract: A system for thermomechanical refining of wood chips comprises preparing the chips for refining by exposing the chips to an environment of steam to soften the chips, compressively destructuring and dewatering the softened chips to a solids consistency above 55 percent, and diluting the destructured and dewatered chips to a consistency in the range of about 30 to 55 per cent. The destructuring partially defibrates the material. This diluted material is fed to a rotating disc primary refiner wherein each of the opposed discs has an inner ring pattern of bars and grooves and an outer ring pattern of bars and grooves. The destructured and partially defibrated chips are substantially completely defibrated in the inner ring and the resulting fibers are fibrillated in the outer ring.

Abstract: Wood chips having low bleachability are impregnated with a chemical liquor at a pH range of 7-12 in aqueous solution and the chemical liquor from the impregnated chips is drained, whereby extractives contained in the chips and consuming bleaching agents can be removed to improve the effect of bleaching agents in a subsequent bleaching step. Bleached mechanical pulp is prepared by defibration by primary refining—bleaching—beating by secondary refining wherein pulp fibers are washed after defibrating wood chips having low bleachability and before bleaching the pulp fibers, whereby the amount of bleaching agents used can be reduced and bleached mechanical pulp having a Hunter brightness of 45-65% after secondary refining can be obtained.

Abstract: A process for refining lignocellulose raw materials, especially wood chips, saw dust, annual plants or wood waste, includes dewatering the lignocellulose raw materials discharged from a digester, extracting condensate produced during dewatering, and refining the dewatered lignocellulose raw materials in a refiner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling quality of pulp. Pulp formed in mechanical defibering of wood is screened into at least two fractions, the accept that has passed the screening phase being forwarded for further use and the reject that did not pass the screening being removed from the screening phase. The invention comprises determining flow amount and consistency of the pulp supplied to the screening phase and, correspondingly, of the reject removed therefrom, and calculating a passage ratio of the reject and the supplied pulp by means of the flow amounts and consistency values verified through the measurement, and adjusting the screening phase according to said passage ratio.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the removal of lignin from lignocellulose containing material comprising treating the lignocellulose containing material prior to a high-yield pulping process with a delignifying gas comprising gaseous compounds comprising at least one oxygen atom such as chlorine dioxide containing gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling quality of pulp. Pulp formed in mechanical defibering of wood is screened into at least two fractions, the accept that has passed the screening phase being forwarded for further use and the reject that did not pass the screening being removed from the screening phase. The invention comprises determining flow amount and consistency of the pulp supplied to the screening phase and, correspondingly, of the reject removed therefrom, and calculating a passage ratio of the reject and the supplied pulp by means of the flow amounts and consistency values verified through the measurement, and adjusting the screening phase according to said passage ratio.

Abstract: The present invention's modifying method for wood elements includes a step for soaking wood elements in one or a mixture of acetic anhydride, acetic acid, or chloroacetic acid; and a step for acetylating the impregnated wood elements in a gaseous phase. This method makes it possible to reduce the time required for the step of acetylating the wood elements, simplifies the process, reduces fabrication costs, and enables fabrication of a wood fiberboard having high dimensional stability.

Abstract: The invention concerns buccodental formulation characterized in that it comprises at least a thickening agent comprising cellulose nanofibrils, said cellulose nanofibrils being substantially amorphous, having a crystallinity index not more than 50%. The invention also concerns said cellulose nanofibrils as thickening agent and/or flavour enhancer in buccodental formulations.

Abstract: High-yield chemimechanical lignocellulosic pulp is produced from non-woody species by cutting and screening the non-woody species, soaking them in an acidic aqueous solution preferably containing a chelating agent, treating the washed non-woody species with an alkaline peroxide solution containing a second chelating agent, and mechanical refining. To further increase the bleaching efficiency the non-woody species are impregnated with ozone or peracetic acid. The resulting pulp has a relatively high brightness while the consumption of peroxide is reduced compared to prior art processes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and apparatus for pretreating pulp raw material, to be subsequently prepared in a chemical pulping process, and for preparing cellulose pulp from a fibrous starting material. According to the process the starting material is delignified to yield a chemical cellulose pulp, and the obtained pulp is bleached when desirable. According to the invention the starting material is crushed in cooking liquor prior to delignification in order to open its fiber structure. The apparatus of the invention comprises a frame (21), to which to adjacent first rolls (12; 22, 23) have been fitted, which form a first pair of rolls with the rolls arranged to distance from each other in such a manner that a gap clearance is formed between their outer mantles. The rolls are caused to rotate by a means of power transmission, which causes the raw material to be crushed inside the gap between the rolls where a liquid pocket is formed, from which liquid is absorbed into the fiber material being treated.

Abstract: A microfibrillated cellulose containing at least around 80% of primary walls and loaded with carboxylic acids, and a method for preparing same, in particular from sugar beet pulp, wherein the pulp is hydrolysed at a moderate temperature of 60-100.degree. C.; at least one extraction of the cellulose material is performed using a base having a concentration of less than 9 wt. %; and the cellulose residue is homogenised by mixing, grinding or any high mechanical shear processing, whereafter the cell suspension is fed through a small-diameter aperture, and the suspension is subjected to a pressure drop of at least 20 MPa and high-speed sheer action followed by a high-speed deceleration impact. The cellulose is remarkable in that a suspension thereof can easily be recreated after it has been dehydrated.

Abstract: Novel fiber bundles may be produced as a by-product of sugar cane or other plants. These fiber bundles may be spun into a yarn, or formed into a non-woven mat. The non-woven mat is useful, for example, as a biodegradable geotextile for inhibiting erosion while allowing plants to become established on roadsides, or in other applications. Sugar cane fiber bundles were extracted from the Tilby-separated rind of cane stalks using alkaline treatments. The amount of lignin removed was dependent on alkaline concentration and time, pressure of treatment, and steam explosion conditions if employed. Agitation and vigorous boiling affected the lignin removal. Alkali concentration significantly affected the mechanical properties of the fiber bundles. Tenacity, toughness, and linear density were higher for the fibers extracted at lower alkali concentration. Bending rigidity and hysteresis of these fibers were also higher. This process is also expected to work with other plant stalks having a high lignin content.

Abstract: Identification and inventorying of logs, particularly those to be made into paper pulp, is provided utilizing a cellulosic fiber (paper) based identification tag. The tag is printed, as by ion deposition, with variable information, such as bar coding and human recognizable indicia corresponding to the bar coding. By perforations, the tag is separated into a number of different sections, each section having the variable imaging on it. A water soluble acrylic varnish is applied to the web to cover the bar coding. The tags are attached to the cut ends of logs by metal staples, and during processing or inventorying sections of the tag may be removed along the perforations.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention a chemimechanical pulp is produced from lignocellulosic material, for example wood chips, by subjecting the material to a process in which it is steamed, impregnated with alkali and peroxide, drained, pre-heated, refined and bleached. The material is impregnated in a single stage with a solution containing alkali and peroxide. Subsequent to passing an intermediate drainage and reaction stage, the material is pre-heated to a temperature of from about 50.degree. C., but not above 100.degree. C. The material is then refined in one or two stages. The material can be impregnated by immersing the same in the impregnating solution for a period of up to 20 minutes at a temperature of 15.degree.-60.degree. C., or by compressing the material in a screw press and permitting the compressed material to expand in the impregnating solution.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for manufacturing ground wood pulp from ligno-cellulose containing wood block material by forcing the block material to be ground against the end surface of a rotatably mounted grinding disc which has projecting grinding means in the shape of elevations or ridges located on the disc end surface which define grooves directed towards the end surface circumference. The apparatus includes a pressure plate for pressing the block material along a longitudinal side against the disc end surface with the fibers directed outwardly from the center of the grinding disc and toward the periphery of circumference of the disc while the fibers are separated. In this manner the fibers are oriented in the same direction as the edges of the elevations or ridges which carry the fibers radially outward and the elevation edges engage the block fibers under a movement component which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the fibers.

Abstract: In the manufacture of wood pulp for use in making paper and other wood fiber products, it is first necessary to remove the bark from the logs. While this can be done using a dry process, a wet process offers many advantages. However, one big disadvantage of the wet process has been the inability to economically remove the bark fines from the water used in the wet process. The present invention provides an economical manner of solving this problem by using a rotary vacuum precoat filter equipped with a rotating knife to remove the bark fines from at least a portion of the recirculating water in a wet debarking process and to avoid long range problems with such a process by adding a small amount of finely divided talc to the bark fines suspension prior to filtration.