Abstract: A temperature sensor device and a system for measuring temperature of a fast moving surface are described herein. A sensor body comprising a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of the moving surface. The sensor body has an engagement surface for contacting the moving surface. A biasing mechanism is coupled to the sensor body for providing pressure to maintain the engagement surface in contact with moving surface and for allowing the engagement surface to pivot with the moving surface when the moving surface deflects. An electronics module is connected to the temperature sensor for determining temperature data indicative of the temperature of the moving surface and for transmitting the temperature data to an external device. The temperature sensor device and/or the system may be used for measuring temperature of a saw blade.

Abstract: It is disclosed chitosan-reinforced urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesives for bonding wood-based composites, such as plywood and particleboard, or other fibrous materials and the method of producing the adhesives. The adhesives are produced by mixing unmodified chitosan containing raw material and a urea-formaldehyde resin to produce wood composite adhesive resins.

Abstract: The present describes wood adhesives reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), in liquid and powder forms in which resin system are a phenol-formaldehyde polymer and/or lignin-phenol-formaldehyde polymer and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI), and a method of making this polymer in liquid and powder from and the composite products that can be produced therefrom.

Abstract: A composite and method for producing the composite by incorporating wood or wood pulp fibres with a suitable thermoplastic polymer and coupling agent are described. Homogeneous, void-free transparent/translucent thermoplastic materials in the form of pellets, films or three-dimensional moldable products are produced. The wood pulp fibres can be discrete natural fibres, and flexible assemblies of nano to micro elements, e.g., assemblies of aggregated carbon nanotubes. It is also possible to use our vacuum-assisted co-extrusion process to produce hybrid composites comprising the wood pulp fibre and a further rigid fibre, like glass or carbon fibres, and a flexible fibre or fibrillar network, like cellulose fibres or cellulose filaments. The thermoplastic resin can be, but not limited to, polyolefins, like polypropylene or polyethylene, or polyesters, like polylactic acid, or co-polymers, like acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer.

Abstract: An antimicrobial lignin composition derived from wood biomass for use as a food additive is described. The additive comprises enriched lignin, carbohydrates and water. A method of making a microbial inhibiting food matrix and a method of treating food to inhibit microbial growth are also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microwave interactive susceptor structure for the microwave heating of food products. In one aspect, the invention relates to a duplex design for the microwave interactive structure on cellulose-based substrates. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of patterning the duplex microwave interactive structure on the substrates using a printing press with or without an alignment function.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) blended with a polymeric material selected from a polyvinyl alcohol) (PVOH), an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (EAA), other carboxylated polymer latexes, or other polymer blends, and applied as a thin coating layer on plastic films for printing with digital processes such as inkjet and laser printing, as well as with more conventional printing processes such as flexography and offset lithography, to the control of ink adhesion to the plastic film, and to the reduction in the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the plastic film.

Abstract: The present relates to a process for incorporating of wet natural fiber and starch into thermoplastics and the composite produced. The process for producing the composite comprises steps of: providing a wet natural fiber; providing a starch; providing a plasticizer; providing a thermoplastic; mixing the wet natural fiber, the starch and the plasticizer with water to produce a paste, and compounding the paste with the thermoplastic to produce the composite. The composite in a preferred embodiment comprises 50 weight % natural fiber/starch and a plasticizer; 50 weight % thermoplastic; a tensile modulus greater than 1450 MPa and a tensile strength greater than 41 MPa.

Abstract: The present description relates to a process of producing a dry mixed product comprising cellulose filament (CF) and a carrier fiber, and a dry mixed product of re-dispersible cellulose filament and a carrier fiber that permits the CF to retain its dispersibility in water and hence superior reinforcement ability in papermaking furnishes, composite materials, or other materials where CF is used. The process comprises mixing a water suspension of never-dried CF with a cellulose fiber pulp carrier followed by thickening to a suitable concentration so that it can be further processed and dried in a conventional device such as a dryer can of a pulp machine or a flash dryer.

Abstract: The present describes a chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) film comprising: cellulose nanocrystals that self-assemble to form an iridescent CNC structure, wherein the self-assembled structure comprises a finger-print pattern of repeating bright and dark regions, defining a pitch of the iridescent film, where the pitch variable. Also described are conductive polymer nanocomposite based on the CNC film. Further described is the electrophoretic method of producing the chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal film as well as the polymer nanocomposites and the apparatus used.

Abstract: The application describes a method of scavenging formaldehyde from a wooden composite comprising urea-formaldehyde or melamine urea-formaldehyde by providing a combination of formaldehyde scavengers in the face and core layers of the composite and further describes the composite produced with these scavengers.

Abstract: A composition and a method for producing mesoporous carbon materials with a chiral or achiral organization. In the method, a polymerizable inorganic monomer is reacted in the presence of nanocrystalline cellulose to give a material of inorganic solid with cellulose nanocrystallites organized in a chiral nematic organization. The cellulose can be carbonized through thermal treatment under inert atmosphere (e.g., nitrogen or argon) and the silica may subsequently be removed using aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or hydrogen fluoride (HF) to give the stable mesoporous carbon materials that retain the chiral nematic structure of the cellulose. These materials may be obtained as free-standing films with very high surface area. Through control of the reaction conditions the pore-size distribution may be varied from predominantly microporous to predominantly mesoporous materials.

Abstract: There are provided gypsum panels, sheets and multi-layer sheets as well as methods of preparation thereof. For example, there are provided cellulose filament-reinforced gypsum panels, sheets and multi-layer sheets and methods of preparation thereof. For example, in such gypsum panels, sheets and multi-layer sheets gypsum is bound with cellulose filaments to strengthen the gypsum panels, sheets and multi-layer sheets. The cellulose filament-reinforced gypsum panel can be, for example, a core comprising a honeycomb or corrugated structure. There are also provided aqueous suspensions comprising cellulose filaments and CaSO4.2H2O.

Abstract: A method of producing ultra-low density fiber composite (ULDC) foam materials using natural fibers with gas injection through liquid foaming is disclosed, wherein in a particular embodiment includes also cellulose filaments. The method includes a continuous overflow foaming process and a novel apparatus to produce the ULDC materials. The disclosed ULDC composite foam produced includes moisture, mold, decay and fire resistant properties which can be used for building thermal and acoustic insulations, protection packaging, air filter products, hygiene products. The apparatus comprise a vessel, counter rotating dual impellor, a plurality of baffles and gas injection that produce.

Abstract: Acid hydrolysis of biomass is an important step for releasing the component sugars before converting them to fuels and/or biochemicals. During such a process, a significant amount of mineral acid, such as sulfuric acid, is used. In most cases, the residual acid is neutralized with lime before the sugar conversion step. By doing so, a waste calcium sulphate stream is generated and sent to disposal. The efficient separation of acid from the sugars would allow the recycle of the acid and make the entire process more economically viable. We found that a resin bed packed with an acid retardation resin can be used to achieve an efficient separation (i.e. 98.5% recovery of the acid) of the sulfuric acid from the sugars. The resin bed can be simply regenerated with water.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for extracting sugars from a pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. This process consists of contacting the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with low charges of an aqueous peroxy acid (PA) solution to produce a liquid fraction (containing a small amount of lignin and hemicellulose degradation products) and a solid fraction containing cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The solid fraction can then be subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with a variety of cell wall-degrading enzymes to produce a lignin-rich residue and a sugar solution that can be fermented to a variety of (bio)chemicals.

Abstract: Cellulose nanofilaments from cellulose fibers, a method and a device to produce them are disclosed. The nanofilaments are fine filaments with widths in the sub-micron range and lengths up to a couple of millimeters. These nanofilaments are made from natural fibers from wood and other plants. The surface of the nanofilaments can be modified to carry anionic, cationic, polar, hydrophobic or other functional groups. Addition of these nanofilaments to papermaking furnishes substantially improves the wet-web strength and dry sheet strength much better than existing natural and synthetic polymers. The cellulose nanofilaments produced by the present invention are excellent additives for reinforcement of paper and paperboard products and composite materials, and can be used to produce superabsorbent materials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dry cellulose filaments and particularly those that are re-dispersible in water. Dry cellulose filaments comprise at least 50% by weight of the filaments having a filament length up to 350 ?m; and a diameter of between 100 and 500 nm, wherein the filaments are re-dispersible in water. Also described here is a film of dry cellulose filaments comprising the filaments described, wherein the film is dispersible in water. A method of making a dry film of cellulose filaments is also described that includes providing a liquid suspension of the cellulose filaments described; and retaining the filaments on the forming section of a paper or tissue making machine or on a modified paper or tissue making machine. The film can be optionally converted to powders or flakes for shipment, storage or subsequent uses. The filaments, the film, the powders or flakes and the method are in a preferred embodiment free of additives and the derivatization of the filaments.

Abstract: A mesoporous metal oxide materials with a chiral organization; and a method for producing it, in the method a polymerizable metal oxide precursor is condensed inside the pores of chiral nematic mesoporous silica by the so-called “hard templating” method. As a specific example, mesoporous titanium dioxide is formed inside of a chiral nematic silica film templated by nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). After removing the silica template such as by dissolving the silica in concentrated aqueous base, the resulting product is a mesoporous titania with a high surface area. These mesoporous metal oxide materials with high surface area and chiral nematic structures that lead to photonic properties may be useful for photonic applications as well as enantioselective catalysis, photocatalysis, photovoltaics, UV filters, batteries, and sensors.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel absorbent fibres/filaments from low-substituted carboxymethyl cellulose and the method of producing same. The filaments are produced by wet spinning, wherein the spinning dope is entirely comprised of low-substituted carboxymethyl cellulose dissolved in sodium hydroxide. The resulting CMC filaments have degree of substitution ranging from 0.10-0.35 and degree of polymerization ranging from 250-650 with the CMC uniformly distributed throughout the filament. The absorbency in deionized water and saline (0.9% NaCl) solution is 120 g/g and 30 g/g, respectively. The retention of deionized water and saline (0.9% NaCl) solution within the fibres is 48 g/g and 25 g/g, respectively.