The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor material including a cellulose nanocrystal and a manufacturing method thereof. Particularly, according to the present disclosure, by attaching an electron withdrawing group or an electron donating group to the surface of the cellulose nanocrystal which is a nonconductor, holes or free electrons are formed in the cellulose nanocrystal, and the cellulose nanocrystal may be used as a semiconductor material.

The invention provides a process for the conversion of biomass into a biomass product which is suitable for use as a fuel. The biomass is of plant origin and comprises microorganisms naturally occurring in the biomass. The process comprises—preparing a slurry by dispersing the biomass comprising the naturally occurring microorganisms in an aqueous liquid, maintaining the slurry at conditions suitable for aerobic digestion by the microorganisms to obtain a slurry comprising the biomass product as a dispersed solid phase, and—recovering the biomass product. The recovering comprises washing and drying the biomass product. The invention also provides a combustion process.

A process for producing ethanol includes steps of pre-treatment of the lignocellulosic vegetable raw material, including the steps consisting in destructuring the lignocellulosic vegetable raw material, then in separating, on the one hand, the cellulose (C6) capable of then being hydrolysed (and fermented for the production of ethanol) and, on the other hand, the hemicelluloses capable of then being hydrolysed and the lignins. The hydrolysis of the cellulose and of the hemicelluloses is then carried out in a sequenced manner according to the following steps consisting in: i) beginning the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose by at least one enzyme for a first period with a view to obtaining an intermediate hydrolysate; ii) adding hemicelluloses to the intermediate hydrolysate; iii) continuing the enzymatic hydrolysis of the mixture until a final hydrolysate is obtained at the end of a total period of enzymatic hydrolysis.

A process for producing ethanol includes steps of pre-treatment of the lignocellulosic vegetable raw material, including the steps consisting in destructuring the lignocellulosic vegetable raw material, then in separating, on the one hand, the cellulose (C6) capable of then being hydrolysed (and fermented for the production of ethanol) and, on the other hand, the hemicelluloses capable of then being hydrolysed and the lignins. The hydrolysis of the cellulose and of the hemicelluloses is then carried out in a sequenced manner according to the following steps consisting in: i) beginning the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose by at least one enzyme for a first period with a view to obtaining an intermediate hydrolysate; ii) adding hemicelluloses to the intermediate hydrolysate; iii) continuing the enzymatic hydrolysis of the mixture until a final hydrolysate is obtained at the end of a total period of enzymatic hydrolysis.

This invention relates generally to cellulose nanocrystal-based emulsions that can serve as a spray adjuvant for improved agrochemical application efficiency. More particularly, the cellulose nanocrystal-based emulsions are nanocellulose-stabilized Pickering emulsions having a semi-liquid formulation of colloidal cellulose nanocrystals and biopolymers that can substitute currently used surfactants and drift reducing agents in agrochemicals. The cellulose nanocrystal-based emulsions are suitable with both water soluble and oil soluble active ingredient chemistries, and the shear characteristics of the emulsions make them suitable for oil in water-based spray applications. Droplet size distribution can be tuned by changing the ingredient concentrations, thus helping control particle drift. Moreover, a stable cross-linked network formation facilitates the entrapment and encapsulation of volatile agrochemical chemistries, thus preventing their volatilization and reducing vapor drift.

A method of processing a lignocellulosic feedstock includes heating the lignocellulosic feedstock in a solvent mixture comprising an acid and at least 80% by volume of n-butanol to produce a reaction mixture including a butylated lignin. A butylated lignin product wherein at least 85% of the β-O-4 linkages include n-butyl ether groups can be prepared. Cellulose and butylated hemicellulose products can also be obtained.

A method of processing a lignocellulosic feedstock includes heating the lignocellulosic feedstock in a solvent mixture comprising an acid and at least 80% by volume of n-butanol to produce a reaction mixture including a butylated lignin. A butylated lignin product wherein at least 85% of the β-O-4 linkages include n-butyl ether groups can be prepared. Cellulose and butylated hemicellulose products can also be obtained.

The present invention relates to a process for extracting oxidised metal pollutants from treated cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass to recover the metal. The treatment also generates a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass which can to be used as a feedstock for biofuel, for making cellulose containing materials, and provides a source of other renewable chemicals.

The invention relates to separated, decompacted, cellulose-based fibres acquired from a vegetable raw material, wherein the separated, decompacted, cellulose-based fibres have an aspect ratio after soaking in water of longitudinal diameter to transverse diameter of 1:1 to 1000:1 and a water-binding capacity of >200 wt. % and a water retention capacity of >50%, and a method for acquiring and producing these separated, decompacted cellulose-based fibres. The purification method involves incubation of the vegetable material with an aqueous decomposition solution containing at least one dissolved amino acid and/or peptide with 2-50 amino acids to decompose the compacted cellulose-based fibres.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a non-acid-treated eco friendly cellulose nanocrystal and the cellulose nanocrystals prepared by the same. The methods for preparing the non-acid-treated cellulose nanocrystal and extracting the cellulose nanocrystal from cellulosic materials of the present invention are eco-friendly methods, compared with the conventional preparation method for cellulose nanocrystal based on acid-hydrolysis; are efficient due to the total energy saving process; are easy to utilize side products; and are characterized by high yield to produce the target cellulose nanocrystal. The nanocrystal prepared according to the present invention exhibits equivalent or higher aspect ratio, yield and crystallinity than the cellulose nanocrystal prepared through acid hydrolysis, and has remarkably excellent thermal stability, so that it can be effectively used for the production of membranes, electrical and electronic parts, substrates, heat insulating materials, and reinforcing materials required for durability against heat.