A method for manufacturing bio-plastic composite containing brewer's spent grains includes the steps of: providing brewer's spent grains; providing petrochemical plastic; mixing the brewer's spent grains with the petrochemical plastic at an addition amount of 10% to 60% of brewer's spent grains and 40% to 90% petrochemical plastic; and providing a binder at a proportion of 8% to 12%. A pretreatment unit which uses a dehydration process, a desiccation process, a drying process, a grinding process and a sieving process to process the brewer's spent grains into brewer's spent grains which have a length-to-diameter ratio of 7.6 to 10.2. A granulator includes a double screw extruder connected with a cutting machine. The double screw extruder mixes the petrochemical plastic and the brewer's spent grains and extrudes them into plastic bars, which are then cut into plastic granules by the cutting machine.

Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment. The methods and systems can further include generating hydrogen with the further hydrotreatment.

The present invention relates to a process for lignin dissolution in which partial methylolation of lignin is carried out during the step of preparing a solution of lignin in an aqueous medium comprising alkali. The lignin prepared according to the process of the present invention can be used to manufacture lignin-based phenolic resins, which are particularly useful in the manufacture of laminates.

Microstructured composite material, comprising a matrix, comprising at least one sort of a thermoplastic plastic material and, distributed homogenously in the matrix, at least one sort of lignin and/or at least one lignin derivative, characterized in that the at least one sort of lignin and/or at least one lignin derivative is present in particulate form and the cross-sectional area of the particles has a round, approximately round, circular, approximately circular, elliptical or approximately elliptical geometry.

Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment.

A thermoelectric material comprising carbon nanotubes and lignin. The carbon nanotubes are present as fibres and the lignin is present in pores and/or voids in the carbon nanotube fibres. The lignin may act as a dopant to increase the thermoelectric efficiency of the carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes in particular. A method of forming a thermoelectric material involving impregnating fibres of carbon nanotubes with lignin, is also provided. A thermoelectric element, a fabric and a thermoelectric device comprising the thermoelectric material are also provided. The thermoelectric material may be particularly useful for the production of wearable thermoelectric devices.

A thermosetting resin composition according to the present invention contains: purified lignin obtained by treating a herbaceous biomass as a raw material under the following conditions in a first solvent that is a mixed solvent of water and at least one type of alcohol selected from aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, subsequently removing the alcohol from the alcohol phase that is separated at the temperature at which the first solvent separates into two phases to give lignin, adding a second solvent that is an organic solvent alone or a mixed solvent of the organic solvent and water to the resultant lignin, and removing the second solvent from the solution in which the lignin is dissolved in the second solvent; and a lignin-reactive compound that has a functional group capable of reacting with the purified lignin. Condition A: the concentration of the raw material to be charged into the mixed solvent is 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. Condition B: the treatment temperature is 100° C. or higher and 350° C. or lower. Condition C: the treatment time is 0.1 hours or more and 10 hours or less.

A thermosetting resin composition according to the present invention contains: purified lignin obtained by treating a herbaceous biomass as a raw material under the following conditions in a first solvent that is a mixed solvent of water and at least one type of alcohol selected from aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, subsequently removing the alcohol from the alcohol phase that is separated at the temperature at which the first solvent separates into two phases to give lignin, adding a second solvent that is an organic solvent alone or a mixed solvent of the organic solvent and water to the resultant lignin, and removing the second solvent from the solution in which the lignin is dissolved in the second solvent; and a lignin-reactive compound that has a functional group capable of reacting with the purified lignin. Condition A: the concentration of the raw material to be charged into the mixed solvent is 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. Condition B: the treatment temperature is 100° C. or higher and 350° C. or lower. Condition C: the treatment time is 0.1 hours or more and 10 hours or less.

Disclosed are methods for preparing and collecting a polyaromatic compound. Also disclosed are products comprising a polyaromatic compound.

Disclosed are methods for preparing and collecting a polyaromatic compound. Also disclosed are products comprising a polyaromatic compound.