Abstract: A fractionation process for producing value-added products from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprises: a) mechanically refining the lignocellulosic biomass under mild refining conditions to form a refined biomass pulp with enhanced susceptibility to separation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, and enhanced digestibility of carbohydrates in hydrolysis b) separating hemicellulose and sulfur-free high-quality lignin from cellulose in the refined biomass, and, optionally c) producing various bioproducts from the above said process.

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: 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: 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)chem icals.

Abstract: A plurality of distance sensors are used to measure the surface shape map of objects in the presence of relative motions between the object and sensor in the measurement directions of the sensors. The method involves making multiple sequential measurements from a group of sensors while the object moves longitudinally relative to the sensors. The central idea of the invention is the observation that surface shape features appear in delayed sequence as the observed surface moves longitudinally relative to the sensor array, while any relative motions in the measurement directions appear simultaneously at all sensors. Mathematical procedures are used to identify the relative motions from within the measurements. These motions are then subtracted from the sensor reading to determine the surface shape map of the measured object.

Abstract: A new method to control the iridescence color of solid nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) films by ultrasound and high-shear (mechanical) energy input to the NCC suspension prior to film formation is provided. As the energy input to the NCC suspension increases, the resulting film color shifts from the ultraviolet region towards the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum; this wavelength shift lies in the opposite direction to that caused by the addition of electrolytes to NCC suspensions prior to film formation. No additives are required to achieve the changes in color; color changes can also be effected by mixing two suspensions exposed to different levels of sonication.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process and system of producing methanol from methanol condensates. In a preferred embodiment the condensates are biomethanol condensates from chemical pulp mills and various waste sources used to produce a purified biomethanol. Pulp condensates are rich in methanol and contain many other contaminants. Presently, most chemical pulp mills, such as Kraft pulp mills use steam stripping to remove and concentrate the methanol and burn the methanol onsite along with the contaminants. A combination of treatments that include air stripping, steam stripping, distillation and reverse osmosis is described to obtain purified biomethanol suitable for sale or use on site.

Abstract: A new approach is conceived for the development of organic polymeric conducting materials synthesized from nanocomposites of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and polyaniline (PANI). The process involves oxidative-radical polymerization of aniline in the presence of NCC using either in situ or emulsion polymerization. The resulting NCC-PANI nanocomposite material can be obtained in film or powder form and exhibits electrical conductive properties typical of semiconducting materials. Unlike PANI, a brittle conductive polymer, NCC-PANI nanocomposite materials can be engineered to possess significant flexibility, strength and/or hardness as a result of the NCC acting as a reinforcing scaffold. Depending on the preparation conditions, electrical conductivities for the NCC-PANI nanocomposite materials prepared according to this disclosure range from 9.98×10?5 to 1.88×10?2 S·cm?1; they could also have hardness ?0.189 GPa or be formed into flexible films of tensile strength of the order of 9.

Abstract: There is described a method for generating a 3D representation of an object, the method comprising retrieving a 3D structure representative of the object and comprising a plurality of voxels each having a respective position therein, each one of the voxels being shaped to mimic a shape of at least a portion of a potential internal feature for the respective position; receiving a densitometry measurement comprising densitometry data of the object; assigning a density value to each one of the voxels using the received densitometry data, thereby generating a 3D model of the object; and outputting the 3D model.

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: In this invention, we disclose a method as well as silica and/or organosilica mesoporous materials obtained by templating using nanocrystalline cellulose and removal of the latter using acidic conditions. The resultant mesoporous silica materials are characterized by having high surface area with tunable iridescence resulting from the long-range chiral nematic organization. This invention is an improvement over the formation of composite materials formed with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and silica, where the calcination of the materials led to removal of the cellulose and formation of a mesoporous silica material. Characteristically, the removal of the NCC template using acidic conditions differentiates the silica materials thus obtained in two ways: (1) It does not lead to as significant contraction of the materials as from calcination thereby giving access to materials with larger mesopores; and (2) it allows the formation of mesoporous chiral nematic compositions that include heat-sensitive components.

Abstract: An on-line automated analyzer of macrocontaminants is described. The analyzer is for a pulp and/or a white water stream, the analyzer comprises: a pulp classifier separating a sample from the stream into a fraction of macrocontaminants; a contaminant chamber enclosing a contaminant cell receiving the fraction; an optical chamber comprising an optical detector connected to the cell capturing at least one detected image; and a control chamber taking the at least one detected image and conducting an image analysis to determine type and quantity of at least one macrocontaminant in the fraction. The method of analysis of macrocontaminants is also described herein, the method comprises: separating a sample from the stream into a fraction of macrocontaminants; producing at least one detected image by optical measurement of the fraction; and analyzing the at least one detected image and determining the quantity and type of at least one macrocontaminant in the fraction.

Abstract: Flexible nanocrystalline cellulose films (NCC) include a polymer while retaining the property of tunable color. Polymers, for example PVOH and SB-latex, are effective in increasing the flexibility of the NCC films. The NCC film made with PVOH retains the iridescence better than that made with SB-latex; however, the NCC film made with SB-latex has a better tensile strength. In addition, the NCC film made with PVOH was found to disperse easily in water while the NCC film made with SB latex does not disperse in water (it is strongly water resistant). The color of NCC film made with PVOH and SB-latex can still be tuned with techniques that provide for tuning.

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: This invention relates to coatings for wood and improvement in the surface properties of cured coatings of the invention. The invention further relates to a method for improving at least one property such as mechanical, optical or a combination thereof and to a process for preparing a nanocrystalline cellulose-containing hydrodispersible, hydrosoluble and hydrophobic wood coating.

Abstract: A method was developed for: a) improving the filterability of acid-precipitated lignin from kraft black liquors, b) increasing the dry solids content of the final lignin product, c) reducing the acid requirements and d) minimizing or eliminating TRS emissions during the acidification of black liquor to produce lignin and/or the subsequent suspension of the lignin in acid and/or the washing of the lignin with acid. No major difference in the chemical composition, MWD and main functional groups was found in the lignin of the present invention compared with lignins produced by conventional methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing wetwood content in green lumber by a treatment with a selected fungal species, such as Phlebiopsis gigantea or Gliocladium roseum, prior to kiln drying. In the laboratory conditions, the biological treated boards reduced wood moisture content (MC) by 22-37% more than untreated boards. The time required for drying biological treated boards was approximately reduced by 10% compared with untreated controls, and by 33% compared with freshly-saw lumber. After drying, the biological treated boards reduced the total deformation with stain, warping and checking by 14-25%.

Abstract: A method to produce on a commercial scale, high aspect ratio cellulose nanofilaments (CNF) from natural lignocellulosic fibers comprises a multi-pass high consistency refining (HCR) of chemical or mechanical fibers using combinations of refining intensity and specific energy. The CNF produced represents a mixture of fine filaments with widths in the submicron and lengths from tens of micrometers to few millimeters. The product has a population of free filaments and filaments bound to the fiber core from which they were produced. The proportion of free and bound filaments is governed in large part by total specific energy applied to the pulp in the refiner, and differs from other cellulose fibrillar materials by their higher aspect ratio and the preserved degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose, and are excellent additives for the reinforcement of paper, tissue, paperboard and the like. They display exceptional strengthening power for never-dried paper webs.

Abstract: A method was developed for: a) improving the filterability of acid-precipitated lignin from kraft black liquors, b) increasing the dry solids content of the final lignin product, c) reducing the acid requirements and d) minimizing or eliminating TRS emissions during the acidification of black liquor to produce lignin and/or the subsequent suspension of the lignin in acid and/or the washing of the lignin with acid. No major difference in the chemical composition, MWD and main functional groups was found in the lignin of the present invention compared with lignins produced by conventional methods.

Abstract: This invention describes an adhesive composition that forms the basis of a heat-resistant, fire resistant, and water resistant polyurethane adhesive suitable for applications in the manufacture of wood products, and the method of making the adhesive. The wood finger-jointed studs produced using an adhesive derived from this invention can meet or exceed the fire rating of a period of 60 minutes according to ASTM E 119 and ASTM D 7374. The heat resistance of the adhesive is a result of incorporating thermally stable aromatic polyol molecules into the polymeric structures of the wood adhesive system, which is composed of the reaction products of a poly(methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), at least one of a polyether polyol and a polyester polyol; and the aromatic polyol that is a hydroxyl phenol in a preferred embodiment. Furthermore, this novel wood adhesive system possesses high water-resistance, making it suitable for the manufacture of highly durable engineered wood products.