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 method is provided for making paper and paper products from post-industrial packaging materials. The post-industrial packaging materials may include used bulk packaging transportation bags that are made at least partially from sisal and/or jute, such as coffee bean bags or used cocoa bean bags for transporting bulk quantities of coffee beans or cocoa beans, or other materials that have sisal and/or jute constituents. The post-industrial packaging materials may be used to make a mixed fiber stock that includes the post-industrial packaging materials and the post consumer fiber stock and/or other wood-based fiber stock that is a combined with the post-industrial packaging stock prior to the mixed fiber stock being run through a paper machine to make paper and paper products that may be used back in the industry that created the waste.

Abstract: Fiber furnish for use in the manufacture of paper and paper-based products, the fiber furnish consisting essentially of plant petiole tissue, wherein substantially longitudinally aligned petiole fibers have been cut generally laterally to form fibers with a fiber length distribution such that at least 95% of the fibers have substantially the same predetermined fiber length.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for orienting a plurality of bast stalks for decortication includes receiving a plurality of harvested bast stalks onto a moving belt. The belt has a longitudinal axis in the direction the belt is moving. The process and apparatus orients a substantial portion of the plurality of harvested bast stalks on the belt so that the harvested bast stalks are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the belt. The oriented plurality of bast stalks may be collected for decortication.

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: A method of degumming jute fibers with complex enzyme, wherein said complex enzyme comprises pectinase and laccase, comprises the steps of: a. soaking the jute fibers in the water solution of said complex enzyme made from pectinase and laccase and adjusting the weight proportion of said complex enzyme water solution and said jute fibers; b. adjusting the PH value of said complex enzyme water solution, and adjusting the temperature of said complex enzyme water solution to a first temperature, then keeping said complex enzyme water solution with the first temperature for a certain period of time; c. adjusting the PH value of said complex enzyme water solution, and adjusting the temperature of said complex enzyme water solution to a second temperature; then, keeping said complex enzyme water solution with the second temperature for another period of time; d. conducting enzyme deactivation of the jute fibers processed with said complex enzyme.

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 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 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: 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 process for producing dissolving pulp includes a degumming step using a degumming liquor which includes hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.

Abstract: A composite web and process for manufacture from post-industrial scrap wherein the fibers are pre-opened and cut to an average fiber length of about 4 mm. A scrap fiber component and a cellulosic component of such fibers are blended into a fiber furnish. The scrap fiber component includes at least 15% synthetic fibers and may include a blend of natural fibers, high melting point synthetic fibers, and low melting point synthetic fibers. The cellulosic component may include post-industrial cotton fibers which may be refined before blending with the scrap fiber component. The fiber furnish is processed into an intermediate web such as by a drylaid or a wetlaid nonwoven process. The intermediate web is saturated with a latex binding agent and pressed and/or dried to form a composite web capable of further processing into molded or formed consumer or industrial products. The process is capable of producing a high basis weight composite web.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water disintegratable sheet including bast/leaf fibers and at least one kind of primary fibers. The bast/leaf fibers have a Canadian Standard freeness value of at most 600 milliliter and occupy 2 to 75% by weight of a total fiber weight of the sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water disintegratable sheet of which fibers are hydroentangled about each other. The water disintegratable sheet includes: at least one kind of primary fibers having a fiber length of at most 10 millimeter; and bast/leaf fibers having a Canadian Standard freeness value of at most 600 milliliter and a fiber length of at most 10 millimeter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a fiber board characterized in that it comprises the following processes (a)–(f): (a) a separating process of a bast portion, (b) a fiberizing process by defibrating the bast portion of the kenaf, (c) a preparing process of a mat comprising the kenaf fibers having an average length of 10–200 mm and an average diameter of 10–300 ?m, (d) a supplying process of an adhesive agent into the fiber mat, (e) a drying process of the adhesive agent, and (f) a molding process by heating said fiber mat under pressure to form a fiber board having a density of 600–900 kg/m3.

Abstract: A multi-phase, non-heat seal tea bag web material is provided with a pattern on either the top or bottom phases. The top phase is formed from fibers, such as hardwood, that provide a tighter or more dense fibrous phase than the vegetable fibers used in the base phase. Patterning can be provided during web formation by using a knuckled wire or by applying a fluid jet against the top of the web material. The sifting characteristics of the multi-phase web material are comparable to or better than that exhibited by single phase material.

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: The invention provides for methods for producing pulp (comprising cellulose) and lignin from lignocellulosic material, such as wood chips. The methods involve acid catalyzed hydrolysis. Lignocellulosic material having a relatively high moisture concentration can be used as the starting material. The lignocellulosic material is impregnated with an acid (preferably nitric acid) and heated. During the heating lignin is depolymerized at relatively low temperatures, and the acid catalyst is distilled off. The acid catalyst can be collected and recycled after impregnation and heating. The lignocellulosic material is then digested in an alkaline solution under heat, dissolving the lignin and allowing the pulp to be removed. Acid is added to the black liquor to precipitate the lignin which is then removed. The resultant amber liquor can be further processed into other ancillary products such as alcohols and/or unicellular proteins.

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: Through-air dried (“TAD”) fibrous structures, especially TAD fibrous structures incorporated into sanitary tissue products, that comprise a short fiber furnish having a length of from about 0.4 mm to about 1.2 mm and a coarseness of from about 3.0 mg/100 m to about 7.5 mg/100 m, and processes for making such TAD fibrous structures are provided.

Abstract: Fibrous structures, especially fibrous structures incorporated into facial tissue, toilet tissue and paper towel and napkin products, that comprise a fiber having a length of from about 0.4 mm to about 1.2 mm and a coarseness of from about 3.0 mg/100 m to about 7.5 mg/100 m, wherein the fibrous structures exhibit a lint value of greater than about 3.5 to about 15, and processes for making such fibrous structures are provided.

Abstract: A papermaking process, and a paper product made from the process, wherein a biodegradable plastic is used with papermaking material. The biodegradeable plastic may be provided as a substrate, with the papermaking material being applied to the substrate. The papermaking material may include recycled paper fibers and/or agricultural crop material. Recycled wood fibers may be applied in a fibrous state or agricultural plant material may be powdered and applied to the substrate. The surface material is affixed to the substrate by the application of heat and pressure or by the use of vegetable slime juice as an adhesive.

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: 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: 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 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: 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 method of the invention involves treating cellulosic vegetable matter (the “Feed Stocks”) for the selective recovery of lignin (when present in the feed-stock), cellulose and hemi-celluloses by: (1) reducing the material to be processed to an appropriate size; (2) adjusting the moisture content of the ligno-cellulosic feed stock to 15 percent to 30 percent water; (3) impregnating the ligno-cellulosic feed stock with an extraction liquor containing a glycol and an organic or Lewis acid; (4) rapid heating of said impregnated feed stock to a temperature of about 118° C. to about 145° C.; (5) maintaining the desired temperature for about 1 minute to about 6 minutes to solubilize the lignin therefrom (a period of about 2 minutes to about 5 minutes is preferred); (6) stopping the reaction immediately by lowering the temperature to <100° C.

Abstract: A process for production of a lignocellulosic material modified by conjugation thereto of a phenolic substance comprising a substituent which, in the conjugated form of the phenolic substance, is, or may become, negatively or positively charged, respectively, comprises: reacting a lignocellulosic fibre material and the phenolic substance with an oxidizing agent in the presence of an enzyme capable of catalyzing the oxidation of phenolic groups by the oxidizing agent; and reacting together the products of the reactions; with the proviso that the phenolic substance is not a phenolic polysaccharide. A strengthened lignocellulose-based product (e.g. a paper product) may be prepared by a procedure wherein a product produced in accordance with the latter process is treated with a strengthening agent having an ionic charge of sign opposite to that which is conferred on the modified lignocellulosic material by the charge-conferring substituent.

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 fibrous, porous web material of the non-heat seal tissue having a basis weight of 9-18 gm-2 and comprises a first layer and a second layer juxtaposed thereto wherein the second layer. The first layer comprising vegetable fibers and a second layer comprising hardwood fibers, the second layer has a smaller pore size than the first layer. The paper is useful for producing beverage infusion bags (e.g. teabags) from which there is minimal passage of fine particles from the bags into their packaging.

Abstract: A method for producing paper pulp containing fibers of annual plants or of secondary raw materials produced therefrom, whereby fiber materials are shortened to a length which permits production of a homogeneous, pumpable suspension of the shortened fiber materials. The fiber materials are subsequently bleached and processed into a homogeneous paper pulp.

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: The invention relates to a process for treatment of cellulosic material, as for example, knitted or woven cotton fabric, comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous enzyme solution comprising pectinase, treating the cellulosic material with an effective amount of the aqueous enzyme solution under alkaline scouring conditions; e.g., pH of 9 or above and a temperature of 50.degree. C. or above, in a low calcium or calcium-free environment, yielding a modification of the cellulosic material such that exhibits an enhanced respond to a subsequent chemical treatment.

Abstract: A board composed of a lignocellulosic material and the modification thereof as the substantial components and having good mechanical strength, even when the board does not contain any components derived from an additive, by utilizing the autoadhesion of a specified lignocellulosic substance. This board is produced by molding under heat and pressure a lignocellulosic substance containing at least 30 weight % of a malvaceae bast plant, being substantially free from any component derived from an adhesive, and has a strength value of more than 100 as defined by the following formula (I): 0.48.times.Y/X.sup.2, wherein Y is a bending strength (kgf/cm.sup.2) and X is a density (g/cm.sup.3). A particulaly preferable example of the plant is the kenaf.

Abstract: An imitation leather product and a process for the preparation of the imitation leather product from natural hemp which comprises the steps of (a) firstly digesting natural hemp fiber with weak alkali solution, (b) secondly digesting with ammonia gas, (c) presoak treating either with methylol urea and ammonium phosphate, or sodium chromate and sulfuric acid, and immediately adding ammonia thereto, respectively, (d) beating with SBR resin and cyclohexylcarboxyl diphenylamino thiazolyl sulfonamide, (e) jetting through a multiple stage fiber jetting device, and soaking in a soaking bath container containing methylphenol and SBR resin.

Abstract: A synergistic combination of high-shear mechanical disruption and alkali pretreatment in a high solids reaction mixture constitutes a significant improvement in the alkaline peroxide treatment of lignocellulosic materials. The simultaneous application of these conditions greatly reduces the amounts of reagents otherwise required, and also eliminates the waste stream of liquid byproducts. Suitable sources of substrate treatable by this process include nonwoody plant parts, crop residues, and agricultural byproducts. The products of this treatment are nontoxic and characterized by high cellulose availability. These products are thereby useful as carbohydrate sources in ruminant feeds, as microbial feedstocks, and as sources of dietary fiber for humans and other monogastrics.

Abstract: An improved process for delignifying and bleaching nonwoody, lignocellulosic material into products digestible by ruminants and ingestible by humans. The process comprises treating the substrate in an alkaline solution for a period of time, separating the wetted substrate from the slurry and then treating the wetted substrate with an alkaline peroxide solution at an initial pH of 8.5 to 11.0 for a period of time, and separating, washing and drying the product.

Abstract: The process for biochemical retting of phloem-fiber plants such as hemp, flax, ramie, jute, kenaf, etc. permits separation of the fibers of the bundle for subsequent utilization in the textile or paratextile industry. The process comprises treating the fibrous plants with at least one SPS-ase enzyme and preferably a mixture of enzymes comprising .beta.-glucanase, pectinase and SPS-ase.

Abstract: The present process produces a long fiber suitable for making various paper products. The long fiber is derived from Crotalaria juncea. The processing consists of a particular technique for preparing the fiber for digestion and a particular digestion sequence. In the preparation of the fiber for digestion it is dried to less than about 30 percent moisture, moist depithed, washed and wet depithed. The fiber is then processed at a high caustic concentration using a sequence of digestion-pressure reduction-digestion. Optionally there can be a third stage of digestion with a pressure reduction prior to the digestion. After digestion has been completed the fiber is refined and sent to blowdown. The fiber is then screened, washed and bleached. The resulting long fiber will product a high quality paper or is admixed with short fibers and various paper products can be made.

Abstract: A process for the production of a pulp from bast fibers, which includes reacting a mixture of the bast fibers and an aqueous digestion liquid at a temperature of 60.degree.-130.degree. C. The digestion liquid includes (a) hydrogen peroxide or a compound capable of generating hydrogen peroxide in the presence of water, (b) an alkali metal carbonate, and (c) an oxalate.

Abstract: By treating agricultural crop residues and other nonwoody lignocellulosic plant substrates with H.sub.2 O.sub.2 at a controlled pH within the range of about 11.2 to 11.8, the substrates are partially delignified and unprecedented levels of the cellulose and hemicellulose as insoluble fractions are made available for subsequent use. The products of this treatment are nontoxic and are characterized by low crystallinity and near quantitative cellulase digestibility. They are useful as carbohydrate sources in ruminant feeds and as microbial feedstocks for commercial process such as the production of alcohol and generation of single-cell protein.

Abstract: Paper pulp is prepared from dicotyledonous plants by stirring said plants in an alkaline solution in the presence of a surfactant and stain inhibiting agent to obtain a stock containing a woody core fraction and a bark fraction containing bast fibers, separating said fractions and then cooking and bleaching the bark fraction in an alkaline solution containing an oxidizing agent and an alkyl sulfate surfactant.