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.

Porous amorphous silica can be obtained from siliceous plant matter containing non-siliceous inorganic substances. The siliceous plant matter is soaked in an aqueous solution which includes a chelating agent. The chelating agent is present in an amount which helps to extract at least some of the non-siliceous inorganic matter. The aqueous solution is then separated from the siliceous plant matter. Beneficial properties are imparted to the siliceous plant matter by controlling the amount of at least one preselected non-siliceous inorganic substance in the siliceous plant matter. At the end of the process, the siliceous plant matter is heat treated in the presence of oxygen at a temperature to produce the resulting amorphous silica having the beneficial properties.

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 disclosure relates to a roofing system for a flat roof or a flat inclined roof of a building with a thermal and/or acoustic insulation, consisting of a structural support, a deck, optionally a vapour control layer, a waterproof membrane and at least one insulation element being a bonded mineral fibre product made of mineral fibres, preferably stone wool fibres, and a cured aqueous binder, whereby the cured aqueous binder 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 250 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.

A modified lignin reinforced rubber is obtained by subjecting a lignin to composite modification by a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond, a compound containing a sulfur element and a compound capable of blocking a hydroxyl; the lignin is modified with the compound containing the carbon-carbon double bond, and the contained double bond and an olefin in the rubber generate a bonding effect, which improves a binding force between the lignin and the rubber; furthermore, by modifying the lignin with the compound containing the sulfur element, the lignin contains a certain amount of the element sulfur, which improves an interaction between the lignin and the rubber, improves properties of the rubber, and reduces the use of a vulcanizing agent, and further increases a replacement amount of the lignin to carbon black.

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 present invention relates to an aqueous binding composition containing a) a reducing sugar; b) ammonium sulphamate and/or sulphamate of an alkaline or alkaline-earth metal; c) a pH- adjusting agent selected from ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), an organic and/or inorganic ammonium salt and/or an organic amine; and a resin (or pre-condensate) obtained by reaction of a polyaldehyde, a urea compound and at a lignin sulphonate and/or a condensation derivate thereof with a polyaldehyde, the resin being present in a percentage of at least 10% by weight on the dry weight of the composition. The binder may be efficiently used to bind cotton fibres, cellulose fibres, organic tissues, coal dust, natural and artificial inorganic fibres, thereby obtaining products with good mechanical properties.