This document provides hemp fiber biocomposites and methods and materials for making and using hemp fiber biocomposites. For example, hemp fiber biocomposites that can be used as a hydroponic growth medium are provided. Methods for making hemp fiber biocomposites also are provided.

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics and an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics, prepared thereby. More specifically a method for preparing an oleophilic antibacterial bio-filler for plastics from hydrophilic lignocellulosic biomass and an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics prepared thereby are provided.

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics and an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics, prepared thereby. More specifically a method for preparing an oleophilic antibacterial bio-filler for plastics from hydrophilic lignocellulosic biomass and an antibacterial bio-filler for plastics prepared thereby are provided.

Lignocellulosic biomass can be fractionated for the purpose of increasing cellulose purity in the pulp, increasing native lignin content of the isolated lignin, and improving cellulose hydrolysis, by performing the steps of: (a) extracting the biomass with an extracting liquid comprising at least 20 wt % of a first organic solvent at a temperature below 100° C.; (b) treating the extracted biomass with a treatment liquid comprising a second organic solvent selected from lower alcohols, ethers and ketones, optionally water and optionally an acid, at a temperature between 120° C. and 280° C., and, optionally: (c) subjecting a cellulose-enriched product stream resulting from step (b) to enzymatic hydrolysis. The first and second organic solvent may be different or the same; in particular they comprise ethanol or acetone.

Lignocellulosic biomass can be fractionated for the purpose of increasing cellulose purity in the pulp, increasing native lignin content of the isolated lignin, and improving cellulose hydrolysis, by performing the steps of: (a) extracting the biomass with an extracting liquid comprising at least 20 wt % of a first organic solvent at a temperature below 100° C.; (b) treating the extracted biomass with a treatment liquid comprising a second organic solvent selected from lower alcohols, ethers and ketones, optionally water and optionally an acid, at a temperature between 120° C. and 280° C., and, optionally: (c) subjecting a cellulose-enriched product stream resulting from step (b) to enzymatic hydrolysis. The first and second organic solvent may be different or the same; in particular they comprise ethanol or acetone.

The invention is directed to a process for the continuous acetylation of wood elements. The process particularly combines a batchwise impregnation step, with a continuous reaction step. In order to realize this, a collection step is built-in, so as to allow batches of impregnated wood elements to be fed into a reactor in a continuous manner. Very high acetylation contents can be obtained, at a level that had not been achievable before in a continuous and non-catalyzed acetylation process.

The invention is directed to a process for the continuous acetylation of wood elements. The process particularly combines a batchwise impregnation step, with a continuous reaction step. In order to realize this, a collection step is built-in, so as to allow batches of impregnated wood elements to be fed into a reactor in a continuous manner. Very high acetylation contents can be obtained, at a level that had not been achievable before in a continuous and non-catalyzed acetylation process.

A lignin dispersion composition comprising spherical lignin particles dispersed in an aqueous medium, wherein the spherical lignin particles have a size exclusively within a range of 100 nm to 5 microns. Also described herein is a method of producing the lignin dispersion, by: (i) dissolving lignin in an organic solvent substantially devoid of water yet miscible with water to result in a solution of the lignin in the organic solvent; and (ii) producing the lignin dispersion by dialyzing the solution of the lignin with water until substantially all of the organic solvent is replaced with water with simultaneous formation of spherical lignin particles dispersed in the water. Also described herein is a method for stabilizing an emulsion by intimately mixing the emulsion with the lignin dispersion. Also described herein is a hierarchical assembly of porous microparticles produced by mixing the lignin dispersion with an emulsion and an amphiphilic block copolymer.

A method of dissolving lignocellulosic biomass waste includes obtaining raw lignocellulosic biomass waste, reducing a size of the biomass waste to provide a biomass particle size of less than about 200 μm; using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solvents to dissolve the biomass particles and achieve a dissolved lignocellulose solution. The present method dissolves at least about 94% of the lignocellulose fraction in the waste biomass. In an embodiment, the biomass particle size can be about 180 μm.

A device for converting cellulose to sugar has a reaction chamber with a plurality of control components, and a control assembly. The control assembly is operatively connected to the reaction chamber, a drive assembly and control components to transmit and receive interoperability signals. The device has an inlet hopper with a detector, a crusher, an outlet hopper, a sensor assembly, a steam inlet, and a carbon dioxide inlet. The inlet hopper is configured to receive and analyze proportion data of matters in a feedstock and catalyst mixture via the detector. The crusher receives and grinds the mixture from the inlet hopper to induce chemical reaction for producing sugar. The outlet hopper is configured to determine a proportion data of matter in the grinded mixture. The control assembly is configured to determine adjustments need to be performed on the components and drive assembly to optimize the sugar production.