An ionic liquid represented by the following chemical formula, [(CH.sub.3).sub.3N(CH.sub.2).sub.2OH].sup.+[NH.sub.2(CH.sub.2).sub.3CH(NH.sub.2)COO].sup., which provides an ionic liquid capable of dissolving cellulose within twenty-four hours.

A process to manufacture nanocrystalline cellulose from cellulose having a low hemicellulose content, said process comprising the steps of: exposing said cellulose to a microemulsion composition for a first pre-determined period of time, thereby creating a soaked cellulose; optionally, exposing the soaked cellulose to a sonication step for a second predetermined period of time; and exposing the resulting mixture to a H.sub.2O.sub.2 with FeSO.sub.4 or CuSO.sub.4 under acidic conditions for a third pre-determined period causing hydrolysis of the cellulose; wherein the nanocrystalline cellulose will have a crystallinity index of more than 50% and an aspect ratio ranging from 10:1 length to width to 50:1 length to width.

A process to manufacture nanocrystalline cellulose from cellulose having a low hemicellulose content, said process comprising the steps of: exposing said cellulose to a microemulsion composition for a first pre-determined period of time, thereby creating a soaked cellulose; optionally, exposing the soaked cellulose to a sonication step for a second predetermined period of time; and exposing the resulting mixture to a H.sub.2O.sub.2 with FeSO.sub.4 or CuSO.sub.4 under acidic conditions for a third pre-determined period causing hydrolysis of the cellulose; wherein the nanocrystalline cellulose will have a crystallinity index of more than 50% and an aspect ratio ranging from 10:1 length to width to 50:1 length to width.

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of bio-based aerogels derived from crystalline cellulose extracted from plants' fiber agricultural residues, and bio-based aerogels by said process.

Materials (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems equipment, and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, where the feedstock is enclosed in a web.

Materials (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems equipment, and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, where the feedstock is enclosed in a web.

A method of manufacturing a cellulose-based shaped article. The method comprises subjecting a solution of lignocellulosic material, dissolved in a distillable ionic liquid, to a spinning method, wherein the ionic liquid is a diazabicyclononene (DBN)-based ionic liquid. DBN-based ionic liquids have good dissolution power, high thermal and chemical stability, lack runaway reactions and exhibit low energy consumption, due to low spinning temperatures. The shaped cellulose articles can be used as textile fibres, high-end non-woven fibres, technical fibres, films for packaging, and barriers films in batteries, as membranes and as carbon-fibre precursors.

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.

Mixtures of salts to dissolve cellulose. The present invention refers to a composition based in a eutectic mixture of imidazolium salts and natural biopolymers, in particular cellulose, its manufacturing process and method of use to obtain foils or films.

The composition is based in a eutectic mixture of imidazolium salts with 0.1 to 50 wt % of biomass.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for remediating one or more impurities (e.g., diacetyl) that are present in manufacturing an alcohol (e.g., ethanol) from cellulosic biomass. The methods and systems include reacting the one or more impurities with at least one treatment compound (e.g., an oxidizing agent, an alkali compound, or a mixture thereof) to form a reaction product that can be separated from the alcohol.