Processes for converting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction of syncrude to polyols are described. The processes involve mixing a feed stream comprising the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with an alcohol and aqueous sulfuric acid, heating the mixture, reacting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with ozone, and reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with glycerin to form the polyol. In some cases, the ozonated heavy-oil fraction can be neutralized before reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with the glycerin.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying lignin. The method comprises the steps of: providing alkaline black liquor; removing inorganic impurities from the black liquor to obtain purified black liquor; acidifying the purified black liquor to precipitate lignin; separating the precipitated lignin from the acidified purified black liquor; mixing the precipitated lignin with an acidic solution so as to remove inorganic impurities from the precipitated lignin and obtain purified lignin; and separating the obtained purified lignin from the acidic solution. The content of inorganic impurities in the purified lignin is reduced by the method according to the present invention.

A method for producing a stabilized lignin fiber from softwood alkaline lignin by heat treatment in the absence of oxidant is disclosed. The stabilized lignin fiber can be further treated to obtain carbon fiber.

Processes disclosed are capable of converting biomass into high-crystallinity, hydrophobic cellulose. In some variations, the process includes fractionating biomass with an acid (such as sulfur dioxide), a solvent (such as ethanol), and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and depositing lignin onto cellulose fibers to produce lignin-coated cellulose materials (such as dissolving pulp). The crystallinity of the cellulose material may be 80% or higher, translating into good reinforcing properties for composites. Optionally, sugars derived from amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose may be separately fermented, such as to monomers for various polymers. These polymers may be combined with the hydrophobic cellulose to form completely renewable composites.

The invention is directed to an aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers.

The present invention relates to an improved process for preparing an aqueous dispersion of lignin and the use of said suspension in the preparation of a resin.

A biofuel composition and a process for the manufacture of a biofuel composition including lignin and ethanol as the main combustible components of the biofuel composition and having total ash below 1% w/w based on total mass of dry matter in the biofuel composition.

The present invention relates to resole-type phenolic resin synthesis processes using lignin, to resole-type phenolic resins comprising aldehyde, lignin, a base, urea, and optionally phenol, as well as to the use of said phenolic resins for application as an adhesive.

A process for the production of cellulose, lignocellulosic sugars, lignosulfonate, and ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. The process comprises steaming, pretreatment, chemical recovery, saccharification, and optionally fermentation. The pretreatment conditions use only sulfur dioxide and water, simultaneously resulting in high glucan conversion to glucose at low enzyme charges, high recovery of hemicellulose-derived monomeric sugars, high lignosulfonate yield, and the absence of lignin precipitates. High-yield production of ethanol through fermentation can be obtained using this process.

Methods of forming lignin prepolymers are provided. In an embodiment, such a method comprises adding an acid to an ozonized reaction mixture, the ozonized reaction mixture comprising ozonized lignin having a backbone, and aromatic monomers cleaved from a lignin, under conditions to react the cleaved aromatic monomers with the backbone of the ozonized lignin to form a lignin prepolymer. The methods may further comprise using the lignin prepolymer to form a lignin resin.