A low energy production process for producing paper pulp from lignocellulosic biomass, the process comprising the following successive steps: a) extracting lignins and hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass by putting at least one solid lignocellulosic raw material in the presence of a mixture, composed only of water and of formic acid, at atmospheric pressure and under controlled conditions of reaction temperature between ambient temperature and the reflux temperature of the mixture at atmospheric pressure, preferably between 80° C. and 100° C., with a weight ratio of the at least one solid lignocellulosic raw material/liquid mixture comprised between 1/1 and 1/15, and for a determined period of time of reaction; and b) separating, at atmospheric pressure and at the reaction temperature, a solid fraction, constituting raw paper pulp, from an organic phase containing in solution at least the starting formic acid and water mixture, solubilized monomeric and polymeric sugars, lignins.

This disclosure describes processes for using a single cellulosic feedstock or a combination of two or more different cellulosic feedstocks with a starch component to produce a fermented product. The process includes separating the components of the cellulosic feedstocks with fractionation, pretreating a component with wet fractionation with chemicals, hydrolysis and fermentation of the pretreated feedstock(s) to produce cellulosic biofuel. The process may include combining the cellulosic feedstock(s) with other components to a cook and/or a fermentation process, distilling and dehydrating the combined components to produce the bio fuel. The process may also include producing a whole stillage stream from the feedstock(s) and mechanically processing the whole stillage stream to produce a high-value protein animal feed.

The disclosure relates to façade system for a building, in particular an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS), comprising a thermal and/or acoustic insulation, consisting of at least one insulation element being a bonded mineral fibre product made of mineral fibres, preferably stone wool fibres, and a cured aqueous binder composition, whereby the insulation element is fixed to an outer surface of the building by mechanical fastening elements and/or an adhesive, covered with a rendering, and whereby the aqueous binder composition prior to curing comprises a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins, a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers, a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers, and whereby the insulation element has a bulk density between 70 kg/m.sup.3 and 150 kg/m.sup.3.

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a lignin prepolymer, comprising (a) providing a lignin; (b) reacting the lignin with a hydroxyl functionalization reagent to provide a lignin derivative containing at least one hydroxyl group, said hydroxyl group being obtained as a result of the interaction between the lignin and the hydroxyl functionalization reagent (c) reacting the lignin derivative obtained in step (b) with a functionalization reagent selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, fatty acid derivatives and mixtures thereof capable to react with the lignin derivative resulting in a covalent bond between the fatty acid and/or or the fatty acid derivative and the lignin derivative.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing monomers via depolymerisation from lignocellulose-containing biomass.

The present invention relates to a method of draining water comprising the steps of: providing a water drainage device, wherein the water drainage device comprises man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; positioning the water drainage device in contact with the ground, wherein the water drainage device absorbs water and releases water to a recipient wherein the aqueous binder composition prior to curing comprises; a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers.

Provided herein is a composition to reduce DNA and hepatic damage and to enhance repair thereof. More particularly the composition includes a combination of active ingredients which can be used in a beverage composition and also relates to a beverage composition including said synergistic composition of active ingredients, wherein each active ingredient in the combination composition and/or beverage composition in appropriate concentration synergistically reduces the DNA damage as well as hepatic damage due to alcohol consumption and/or due to other reasons. The composition also enhances repair of the DNA and hepatic which has already been damaged. The composition also synergistically reduces hangover, modulates and/or alleviates immunology parameters and CNS parameters due to alcohol consumption and due to other reasons. Further a beverage composition including above synergistic composition and method of preparation thereof is provided.

The invention relates to a method for producing a crosslinked lignin in particle form using a hydrothermal treatment of a liquid, which is made of black liquor, contains lignin and a crosslinker or a precursor thereof, and has an electrical activity ranging from more than 15 mS/cm, preferably more than 25 mS/cm, to 400 mS/cm, and to the crosslinked lignin produced using the aforementioned method. The invention additionally relates to crosslinked lignin particles which have a glass transition temperature Tg of at least 160° C. or no glass transition temperature and an STSA surface area of at least 10 m.sup.2/g and to rubber articles, in particular technical rubber articles or tires, which comprise crosslinked lignin particles as a filler.

Methods of selectively modifying lignin, polycarboxylated products thereof, and methods of deriving aromatic compounds therefrom. The methods comprise electrochemically oxidizing lignin using stable nitroxyl radicals to selectively oxidize primary hydroxyls on β-O-4 phenylpropanoid units to corresponding carboxylic acids while leaving the secondary hydroxyls unchanged. The oxidation results in polycarboxylated lignin in the form of a polymeric β-hydroxy acid. The polymeric β-hydroxy acid has a high loading of carboxylic acid and can be isolated in acid form, deprotonated, and/or converted to a salt. The β-hydroxy acid, anion, or salt can also be subjected to acidolysis to generate various aromatic monomers or oligomers. The initial oxidation of lignin to the polycarboxylated form renders the lignin more susceptible to acidolysis and thereby enhances the yield of aromatic monomers and oligomers obtained through acidolysis.

Methods of selectively modifying lignin, polycarboxylated products thereof, and methods of deriving aromatic compounds therefrom. The methods comprise electrochemically oxidizing lignin using stable nitroxyl radicals to selectively oxidize primary hydroxyls on β-O-4 phenylpropanoid units to corresponding carboxylic acids while leaving the secondary hydroxyls unchanged. The oxidation results in polycarboxylated lignin in the form of a polymeric β-hydroxy acid. The polymeric β-hydroxy acid has a high loading of carboxylic acid and can be isolated in acid form, deprotonated, and/or converted to a salt. The β-hydroxy acid, anion, or salt can also be subjected to acidolysis to generate various aromatic monomers or oligomers. The initial oxidation of lignin to the polycarboxylated form renders the lignin more susceptible to acidolysis and thereby enhances the yield of aromatic monomers and oligomers obtained through acidolysis.