A process for the manufacture of butanol, acetone and other renewable chemicals utilizes one or more of by-products of the manufacture of malt whisky, such as pot ale and spent lees, biomass substrates, such as paper, sludge from paper manufacture and spent grains from distillers and brewers, and diluents, such as water and spent liquid from other fermentations. The process includes treating a substrate to hydrolyze it and fermenting the treated. Also provided is a biofuel including butanol manufactured according to the process.

A process for the production of a non-derivatized nanocellulose material from a cellulosic fibrous material, comprising the steps of providing a suspension of cellulosic fibrous material in a continuous phase of a non-aqueous process liquid comprising a swelling agent and a processing solvent; forming a suspension of swollen cellulosic fibrous material in a continuous phase of non-aqueous process liquid; forming a suspension of cellulosic fibrous material in a continuous phase of processing solvent; forming a dispersion of non-derivatized nanocellulose material in a continuous phase of a processing solvent; isolating the non-derivatized nanocellulose material, characterized in that the swelling agent is a low-transition-temperature mixture (LTTM) and in particular a deep eutectic solvent and said low-transition-temperature mixture and in particular said deep eutectic solvent is soluble in the processing solvent and wherein the processing solvent is non-solubilizing for the cellulosic fibrous material and the non-derivatized nanocellulose material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth4 cm in width4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

The present invention relates to the preparation of a cellulose suspension, particularly of a premixture for the preparation of a cellulose suspension in organic solvents such as an aqueous N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) solution.

The present invention relates to the preparation of a cellulose suspension, particularly of a premixture for the preparation of a cellulose suspension in organic solvents such as an aqueous N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) solution.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

A heat exchanger pipe system is provided for transporting viscous fluids, including a plurality of individual heat exchangers designed as pipe elements and having a predefined control temperature and/or pressure distribution along the pipe system and in the cross-section of the pipes. The heat exchangers, which are in the form of pipe elements, are arranged at regular distances in the pipe system. The regular distances are selected in such a manner that a predetermined temperature and/or pressure distribution is maintained along the pipe system, tempering apparatus of a viscous fluid transported in the heat exchanger pipe are arranged in the heat exchangers and optional mixing elements which are used to maintain, in accordance with the pipe cross-section, a predetermined temperature and pressure distribution in the cross section of the pipes, and at least 30% of the length of the heat exchanger pipe system is equipped with heat exchangers.