Abstract: Paper comprised solely of a nonwood fiber mix is demonstrated to meet the technical physical specifications of commercially produced papers made from wood. The esthetically impressive paper meets nearly every technical specification of commercially produced paper.

Abstract: A circular utilization method in pulping and papermaking processes with straw Primary pulp is obtained by digesting straw raw material according to the ammonium sulfite method. Concentrated black liquor is extruded from the primary pulp; paper pulp and diluted black liquor. The concentrated black liquor and the diluted black liquor are mixed, and a contaminated condensate is obtained. A residual concentrate or the concentrated black liquor is used for preparing a fertilizer. The contaminated condensate is mixed with one or more of the waste material obtained from stock preparation, a crop byproduct or organic waste, and substrate or fertilizer is obtained by fermenting the nitrogen source of the contaminated condensate or ammonium sulfite, or using the contaminated condensate for desulfurizing flue gas. Ammonia and flue gas are reacted to obtain the ammonium sulfite as a digestion agent; and water from recycling is used in corresponding phases of the pulping process.

Abstract: A raw paper prepared by a mixed pulp including straw pulp, which can be used to prepare textbooks, writing papers and office paper with good performance, and the producing method of said raw paper are provided. The weight proportion of the straw pulp in the mixed stock is from 10% to 100%, and the straw pulp has a hardness of KMnO4 value 10-17, an average fiber length of 0.1-2.5 mm, a tensile index of 23-57 Nm/g, a tearing index of 3.0-6.0 mN·m2/g, a folding endurance index of 2-6 kPa·m2/g and a whiteness of 28-50%. Either, the L value of the hue of said raw paper is 65-95, a value is 0-5, and b value is 0-40. The KMnO4 value of hardness of the pulp after oxygen delignification is 10-14. The method includes: adding grass-series raw material into a digester, then adding cooking liquor, heating the cooking liquor to 100-200°, pressurizing to 0.3-0.9 MPa, cooking for 150-250 min, extruding the pulp, washing and obtaining the straw pulp.

Abstract: This invention relates to annual crop straw and stalk fibers having properties suitable for use in paper, paperboard, and related products disposable paper plates, cups, and bowls, molded and thermoformed pulp products, disposable food handling containers, tissue and toweling, and absorbent products such as airlaid roll goods, wipes, diapers and feminine hygiene articles. Annual crop straw or stalk is the waste product from the harvesting of the food including soy, wheat, corn, rice, and oats. The food chain is not impacted by use of these stalks and straw. Currently, most of the straw or stalk is burned, tilled under for soil amendment, or otherwise disposed of. Use of this stalk or straw for paper, paperboard and related products, and absorbent products manufacture including any product made from cellulose fibers represents an opportunity to provide additional income to farmers and a green alternative to wood pulp and therefore conserve trees.

Abstract: A culm block and a method of manufacture are disclosed. The culm block comprises a plurality of straw stalks forming a first rigid wall and a second rigid wall as a result of an application of heat and pressure to the same and the inherent bonding agent found in the straw stalks. Preferably, the culm block further comprises a plurality of through-holes for receiving structural reinforcements or otherwise and a restraining device wrapped about the block for added structural support.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce an intermediate or product, e.g., by fermentation.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a process of modifying a seed based fiber (SBF) to form an enhanced fiber additive (EFA). The process includes an acid treatment step and optionally at least one fiber modification step. Preferred EFA products and uses are described.

Abstract: Provided is an unbleached paper product made from grass type pulp, the unbleached paper product has a brightness of 35-60% ISO, the grass type pulp is unbleached. The unbleached paper product includes an unbleached toilet paper, an unbleached hand towel, an unbleached wiping paper, an unbleached duplicating paper, an unbleached meal container, an unbleached food wrapping paper and an unbleached printing paper. The paper products have a high intensity and have no detection of dioxin and absorbable organic halides in the harmful substance detection test.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a process of modifying a seed based fiber (SBF) to form an enhanced fiber additive (EFA). The process includes an acid treatment step and optionally at least one fiber modification step. Preferred EFA products and uses are described.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing a cellulose-containing mass comprising an organic material, the method comprising the steps a) preparation of an input comprising organic material and a liquid content, and b) exposing said input to a wet-mixing procedure at a temperature in the range of 40 to 90° C. preferably 50 to 80° C. and most preferred around 60° C.

Abstract: A system for collecting ligno-cellulosic biomass over a large area to enable the commercial refining of biomass from 2,500 to in excess of 50,000 tons of biomass per day to produce ethanol or other products. The biomass is collected at a series of collection points and then transported through a network of conduit “loops” interconnecting each of the collection points and the central refining plant. The water used to transport the biomass, as a slurry, is recovered and sequentially recycled in the same pipeline system to push the biomass slurry around the system in a “loop.” The outgoing and return legs of each loop optionally are located adjacent each other.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for increasing lignin content in plants by expression of a cinnamoyl CoA reductase 2 (CCR2) coding sequence in the plant. Also provided are methods for reducing lignin content in a plant by down-regulation of CCR2 expression in the plant. Nucleic acid molecules for modulation of CCR2 expression and transgenic plants the same are also provided. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing biofuels by utilizing such plants are also provided.

Abstract: This invention reports an environmentally benign method of delignifying bleaching sequences to gain more than 80% ISO brightness for alkaline sulfite-anthraquinone (AS/AQ) wheat straw pulp comprising of AOPsYP0, AOPsEP0 and AOPsP0P1 sequences that yielded surprising results in the field of pulp and paper technology; wherein the selectivity of sequences resulted in the protection of ?-cellulose from degradation, produced significant drop in acid soluble lignin and yielded low viscosity losses reducing ecological impact of effluent load.

Abstract: A system for collecting ligno-cellulosic biomass over a large area to enable the commercial refining of biomass from 2,500 to in excess of 50,000 tons of biomass per day to produce ethanol or other products. The biomass is collected at a series of collection points and then transported through a network of conduit “loops” interconnecting each of the collection points and the central refining plant. The water used to transport the biomass, as a slurry, is recovered and sequentially recycled in the same pipeline system to push the biomass slurry around the system in a “loop”.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of mechanical pulp from stalks of corn, an annual plant, by adding a digesting agent and, prior to, during or following addition of the digesting agent, completely separating fibrous material from the cornstalks by mechanical refining. The method of the present invention comprises: (1) a first digesting process of adding 0.

Abstract: A method to chemically treat light weight, bulky cellulosic material including: introducing the material to an upper inlet of a substantially vertical treatment vessel; maintaining the material in the vessel at a pressure of at least 20 bar and at a temperature of at least 200° C.; treating the material with a cooking liquor in the vessel; moving the material past at least one anti-compression ring on an inside surface of the vessel, as the material moves downward through the vessel; agitating the material in the vessel, and discharging the treated material from a lower discharge port of the vessel.

Abstract: A method for extracting such natural cellulosic fiber bundles from natural cellulose sources selected from the group consisting of cornhusk, cornstalk, switchgrass leaves, switchgrass stems, rice straw, sorghum leaves, sorghum stems, soybean straw, wheat straw, cotton stems, barley straw, and combinations thereof, the method comprising performing an alkali treatment to partially delignify the cellulose source material and an enzyme treatment to depolymerize hemicellulose, break covalent links between lignin and carbohydrates, and decompose cellulose chains in the natural cellulosic source material, or a combination thereof thereby yielding extracted natural cellulosic fiber bundles having a length that is greater than that of individual cells and a fineness of at least about 1 denier and no greater than about 300 denier.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a process of modifying a seed based fiber (SBF) to form an enhanced fiber additive (EFA). The process includes an acid treatment step and optionally at least one fiber modification step. Preferred EFA products and uses are described.

Abstract: A new method for making pulp out of agricultural residue includes harvesting certain portion of plant stalk. The harvested plant stalk is bailed, transported and stored. At the mill, the plant stalk is chopped and goes through pulping process. The pulp is used to make varieties of papers with or without blending other wood based pulp.

Abstract: Composite panels and pulp, and paper products of the pulp, are produced from Arundo donax. In the fabrication of the composite panels, Arundo donax is comminuted to a suitable size, combined with a binder, and consolidated into panels that meet standards for construction and/or furniture grade panels. The Arundo donax particulates may be combined with wood particulates to produce a mixed furnish that can be used in the preparation of composite panels. Comminuted Arundo donax is treated, in conventional pulping processes, to produce a high tensile strength pulp that can be used in the production of paper. The pulp has a lighter color than wood pulp, and thereby uses less bleaching chemicals to achieve a desired whiteness. The pulp can be combined with wood pulp to produce a variety of products.

Abstract: The invention relates to the separation and of components from vegetable raw materials. The invention provides a method for separating components from vegetable material which has at least leaf and/or stem parts, characterized in that the material is at least partly fiberized and subsequently is separated into a fiber fraction and a juice stream, such that the fiber fraction principally has relatively firm tissues such as epidermis, sclerenchyma and vascular bundles, and the juice stream principally contains soft tissues such as parenchyma and cytosol. In preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method for separating a juice stream which has in particular chloroplasts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of lignocellulosic substrates having a high digestibility. This process consists in bringing said lignocellulosic substrates, which have been ground beforehand and optionally moistened in the case of dry substrates, in a stirred reactor, into contact with ozone produced from a carrier gas, the ozone being present in the carrier gas in a concentration of between 80 and 200 g/m3 NTP, with a residence time of between 8 and 40 min in said reactor.

Abstract: Discrete particles of cellulosic material are flowable and meterable. They are easily dispersible in an aqueous or a dry medium. The particles comprise singulated cellulose fibers that have been densified. The particles have a density of at least 0.3 g/cc.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for the production of articles from lignocellulosic material and a formaldehyde based resin binder comprising the step of treating the lignocellulosic material prior to combining it with the binder by exposing the lignocellulosic material to an acidic environment.

Abstract: The use of corn starch and corn cobs and husks as the main materials in the producton of paper is very inportant at this time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for treating bleaching liquors from pulping processes based on organic acids. The process is characterized in that inorganic acid such as nitric acid, phosphoric acid and/or sulphuric acid, is added into a bleaching liquor obtained from the bleaching or a stage closely associated with bleaching, whereby organic acids contained in the bleaching liquor are released into the bleaching liquor. The organic acids are then separated from the bleaching liquor and recycled to the cooking stage to be used as cooking chemicals. The nitrogen-, phosphor- and/or sulphur-containing product thereby produced, from which organic acids have been separated, is recovered to be used as a fertilizer or as raw material for a fertilizer.

Abstract: A treatment sequence includes ozonation under acidic conditions followed by an acidic wash for enhancing the wet strength of a cellulosic fibrous material. Preferably the ozone treatment and the acidic wash are followed by a second ozonation step under acidic conditions. The fibrous cellulosic material obtained by this treatment sequence has a breaking length of at least 100 m. The wet strength of the cellulosic fibrous material is increased without the use of additives, such as wet strength agents. This use of ozone is very simple and efficient, and leads to highly pure products. The use of ozone as the only treatment chemical in particular avoids the introduction of so-called “non-process elements” (NPE) into the treatment system, for instance metal oxides such as MgO, which are frequently used in the oxidative treatment of pulps.

Abstract: A process based on formic acid cooking for producing pulp from herbaceous plants and deciduous trees by using acetic acid as an additional cooking chemical. The obtained pulp can be used in fine paper and board production as short-fibered material, for instance. The invention also relates to a process for adjusting the hemicellulose content of the pulp in connection with the formic acid cooking by using acetic acid as an additional cooking chemical.

Abstract: A novel method for producing pulp and energy from grasses is disclosed. The invention relates to producing grass plants and harvesting, handling and processing the harvested plant material.

Abstract: Fibers of annual plants e.g. straw for use in forming composite products are improved by hydrothermal treatment at 40° to 120 ° C. with or followed by high shear treatment. The process enables the use of annual plant fibrous materials not hitherto usable successfully.

Abstract: Composite panels and pulp, and paper products of the pulp, are produced from Arundo donax. In the fabrication of the composite panels, Arundo donax is comminuted to a suitable size, combined with a binder, and consolidated into panels that meet standards for construction and/or furniture grade panels. The Arundo donax particulates may be combined with wood particulates to produce a mixed furnish that can be used in the preparation of composite panels. Comminuted Arundo donax is treated, in conventional pulping processes, to produce a high tensile strength pulp that can be used in the production of paper. The pulp has a lighter color than wood pulp, and thereby uses less bleaching chemicals to achieve a desired whiteness. The pulp can be combined with wood pulp to produce a variety of products.

Abstract: A structural biocomposite material that incorporates small strands of agricultural straw, typically non-wood cellulosic straws, such as cereal grain straw.

Abstract: Process for the production of cellulose paper pulps from vegetable masses, comprising the steps of mixing and conditioning a vegetative mass suitable to form a culture medium with an inoculum constituted of edible ligninolythic mushrooms, such as Lentinus edodes, Pleurotis Peryngii, Psajor-caju, and the like; extracting the so-obtained enzyme and adding it to the vegetative material for the production of paper pulp, mainly constituted of cultivated annual plants such as kenaf, hemp, flax, cotton and various stems and/or agricultural-industrial residues, such as cereal straws, maize stalks, and the like; conditioning and causing the mass to react; and lastly washing the mass after the biological attack, obtaining in this way a cellulose pulp to be submitted to possible mild final cooking and bleaching treatment. Apparatus for the realiztion of the process, and cellulose pulps obtained by biodelignification of cultivated annual plants and/or agricultural-industrial residues.

Abstract: A process for production of chemical fibrous pulp for making paper, paperboard and other fibrous products from herbaceous plants, such as kenaf. Pulp from the herbaceous plant is made by a process which involves densification of pieces of all or part of the plants; i.e., both the core and the stalk or just the core portion, into cubes or pellets having a density ranging from about 15 to about 70 lbs/ft3, preferably from about 25 to about 50 lbs/ft3, which are then chemically digested to produce a fibrous pulp. The densified cubes or pellets may be digested alone or together with conventional wood chips. A principal advantage of the invention is that the densified cubes or pellets exhibit significantly better yield and strength after treatment by conventional chemical pulping methods as compared with the undensified material, enabling more efficient and economical use of this material to supplement limited supplies of conventional hardwood and softwood pulp sources.

Abstract: A method for improving the bondability of annual plant materials to a formaldehyde-based resin including the steps of: (a) providing a straw plant material having a plurality of fibers with each of the fibers surrounded by a waxy and silica layer; (b) extruding the straw plant material in a twin screw extruder while simultaneously subjecting the straw plant material to a thermal treatment with an aqueous solution containing a lignin modifying agent or steam, the thermal treatment being conducted at a temperature between about 40° C. and 120° C., the extruding subjecting the straw plant material to a sufficiently high shear force such that the extruding with simultaneous thermal treatment achieves a substantial defibration of the straw plant material with destruction of the waxy and silica layer and formation of individual fibers and (c) subjecting the treated material to heat and pressure in the presence of the formaldehyde-based resin to form a resin-bonded fiberboard or particleboard.

Abstract: the present invention provides a method for pre-processing and processing straw pulp and forming a byproduct suitable for animal consumption. The present invention also provides a paper product comprising straw pulp. According to the present invention, straw pulp is formed by steam exploding straw chips in the presence of either no caustic or a small amount of caustic.

Abstract: A process for producing a pulp suitable for papermaking from a nonwood fiber source material. Representative nonwood fiber source materials include corn stover and wheat straw. The process includes the steps of providing a nonwood fiber source material; digesting the nonwood fiber source material with an alkaline pulping solution at at least about atmospheric pressure; reducing the pH of the nonwood fiber source material to an acidic pH with an acid solution; treating the nonwood fiber source material having an acidic pH with ozone; and treating the nonwood fiber source material with a bleaching solution to form a papermaking pulp.

Abstract: A method for processing straw pulp that includes caustic treatment is provided. The caustic treated straw pulp can be incorporated into a papermaking furnish to provide a paper product. The caustic treated pulp imparts strength to papers incorporating the pulp.

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: A method of making kenaf pulp of the present invention is formed of a first process of cutting at least one of core, rind, root and stalk of kenaf into chips with a predetermined length; a second process of crushing the chips of kenaf by mixing the chips with water in a crushing device; and a third process of boiling the crushed chips with water, so that fibers of kenaf are separated into make the kenaf pulp. Accordingly, the kenaf pulp can be formed without chemical processing.

Abstract: A method of creating a number of separate product streams from an agricultural waste material, comprising: providing a starting material consisting of an agricultural waste material; hydrolyzing the starting material with an acid solution at atmospheric pressure, and temperatures not exceeding about 100.degree. C., to create an absorbent, hydrolyzed solid residue and a xylose-containing liquor; reserving the xylose-containing liquor; and delignifying the hydrolyzed solid residue with a basic solution, to create a fiber solid residue suitable for use as an absorbent material, and a dissolved lignin-containing solution.

Abstract: A method for producing extensible paper, comprising the following stages:feeding a mix of vegetable fibres to a kneader member,mixing the mix with water in the kneader,beating the fibres to obtain a pulp,transferring the beaten pulp into a flow chest,feeding the beaten pulp from the flow chest onto a paper web formation cloth with consequent reduction of the water percentage by gravity and vacuum,pressing the web, with consequent further reduction of its water content,initial drying of the paper web to a substantially constant moisture content of between 15% and 65%,compacting,final drying to a moisture content of between 15% and 4%, preferably 10%-8%,glazing,wherein:the beating stage is carried out by rubbing the fibres in a multistage unit to obtain a pulp having a degree of beating of at least 30.degree.

Abstract: Nonwoven material produced by hydroentanglement of a wet-laid or foam-formed fibre web. The material comprises a mixture of short plant fibres, in particular pulp fibres, and long hydrophillic plant fibres, where the major portion of the fibres presents a fibre length which is at least 10 mm, whereby the portion of long fibres is at least 1 weight-% of the fibre weight. The fibres were mixed with each other in the presence of a dispersing agent which allows a uniform fibre formation, in a wet-laid or foam-formed fibre web which has been hydroentangled with sufficient energy to form a compact absorbing material.

Abstract: A process for converting tropical materials into fibers useful in paper-making, textiles, insulation, general fiber filler and the absorption of liquids. The tropical materials utilized in the process include, banana, plantain or cavendish plant stalks, pineapple crowns, coconut, palm or palmetto fronds, or the pinzote of palm. The process includes the steps of: reducing the raw fibrous plant materials to separated fibers by cutting, shredding or grinding; washing the separated fibers in a mild alum solution to extract latex and natural resinous substances; pressing the fibers to remove a high percentage of excess water and residual latex and natural resinous substances with the consumption of a minimum amount of energy; and drying the fibers to less than 10% by weight water content.

Abstract: A corn stalk and straw chip pulping method to greatly improve the yield of pulp by 1) preconditioning the corn stalk with propionic acid when harvesting or by impregnating the straw with HNO.sub.2 in the mill after chip washing, and 2) by pulping the stalk or straw chips in a high-consistency pulper with a KOH liquor, with or without K.sub.2 SO.sub.3, at a 12 to 15 percent consistency at 90.degree. C. for a predetermined time period (30 to 60 minutes). The pulping improvement step increases the yield of corn stalk and straw pulp from approximately 40 percent to 70 to 75 percent.

Abstract: A process for producing cellulose from vegetable raw materials containing same by reacting these with digesting agents is described, comprising a preliminary size reduction of said raw materials to give a pumpable material, and a heat treatment of said material, arranged in a thin layer and maintained in a state of high turbulence, with at least one digesting agent; the abovementioned treatment is preferably carried out in a turboreactor and produces a mixture of cellulose fibres and of spent digesting agent, from which cellulose fibres ready for the uses in the paper industry are obtained via subsequent washing and separation phases; the process described is particularly suitable for the production of cellulose from annual plants in high yields, in very short times and at costs substantially reduced as compared with known processes.

Abstract: A woody or non-woody biomass is delignified through continuous extrusion technology, utilizing high-pressure steam to break down complex biomass materials. The process is useful to form a hydrophobic fiber material for use as an extrusion filler, a plastics modifier, and in the papermaking arts. Alternatively, the process is useful for preparing dietary feeds for ruminant animals, as well as to produce a broad range of alcohols or polymers from lignocellulosic substrates.

Abstract: A method of refining wheat straw into fibers cuts the straw to a length of between about two and about four inches, wets the straw, softens the straw by subjecting the straw to pressurized steam and refines the softened straw in a pressurized mechanical refiner to produce fibers capable of being used in the manufacture of cellulosic board products. The straw fibers may be combined in any proportion to other fibers, such as wood fibers, and used in known dry, wet-dry, and wet board manufacturing processes to produce softboard, medium-density fiberboard, and hardboard products.

Abstract: A dispersion of cellulose based fibers in straw is produced by the aid of alkali and strong mechanical agitation. This solubilizes the pentosane in the straw, and turns the mixture into a high viscosity paste, so that the forces from the agitation tear the individual straws apart and disperses the fibers. In this way the fibers can be dispersed at solid content up to 85% compared to only 8% by traditional methods. The treatment results in a molding paste, which can be used directly for plastic forming of cellulose based fiber products after neutralizing.

Abstract: A process for the production of a cellulose moulded body, particularly cellulose fibres, characterized by the combination of the measures offeeding a cellulose-containing material into an aqueous solution of a tertiary amine-oxide in order to suspend said cellulose-containing material,removing water from the suspension while intensively mixing it and providing elevated temperature and reduced pressure, until a solution of cellulose is produced andmoulding said solution by means of a moulding device, particularly a spinneret, and introducing it into a precipitation bath in order to precipitate the dissolved cellulose,provided that as said cellulose-containing material, basically shredded waste paper, shredded cellulose-containing fibre assemblies and/or shredded, mechanically and/or chemically broken up annual plants are used.