Abstract: Lignocellulosic biomass materials are fractionated by dissolving at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material in an ionic liquid and separating the resulting mixture into a cellulose-enriched fraction and/or a lignin-enriched fraction. The cellulose-enriched fraction contains about 10 percentage points more glucose than the weight percent glucose contained in the original lignocellulosic biomass material. In certain embodiments, the lignin-enriched fraction includes a lignin content that is 5 percentage points greater than the weight percent lignin present in the original lignocellulosic material. The techniques used to isolate the cellulose-enriched fractions and/or the lignin-enriched fractions from the ionic liquid mixture do not employ environmentally unfriendly solvents.

Abstract: Lignocellulosic biomass materials are fractionated by dissolving at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material in an ionic liquid and separating the resulting mixture into a cellulose-enriched fraction and/or a lignin-enriched fraction. The cellulose-enriched fraction contains about 10 percentage points more glucose than the weight percent glucose contained in the original lignocellulosic biomass material. In certain embodiments, the lignin-enriched fraction includes a lignin content that is 5 percentage points greater than the weight percent lignin present in the original lignocellulosic material. The techniques used to isolate the cellulose-enriched fractions and/or the lignin-enriched fractions from the ionic liquid mixture do not employ environmentally unfriendly solvents.

Abstract: An apparatus for carboxylating wood pulp which utilizes the wood pulp bleach plant and the method of carboxylating the pulp which takes place in the bleach plant.

Abstract: A process for the secondary treatment of wastewater by a modified air activated sludge system comprising aerating wastewater containing bacteria until the BOD level of the wastewater is reduced by at least 90%, the food to microorganism ratio of the wastewater being greater than one, introducing the aerated wastewater under pressure to a flotation cell to separate suspended solids including bacteria from the pressurized wastewater by dissolved air flotation clarification, recycling said suspended soilds and bacteria to said aeration step in an amount sufficient to maintain said food to microorganism ratio and removing and disposing of the remaining reduced BOD level wastewater.