Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

A system and method for creating a rigid foam substitute is provided. By using natural binding materials and natural fiber materials, the system and method may be used to create environmentally friendly substitutes for expanded polystyrene. The system generally comprises a processing room and molding facility. The processing room may comprise an opener, cleaner, and blower, which may be used to break up and clean the natural fiber material. The molding facility may comprise a mixer, molder, and kiln, which may be used to create casts. The method generally entails processing a natural fiber material before mixing it with a natural binding material and fluid to create a fluidic mixture, wherein said fluidic mixture is subsequently molded and cured to create a finished product.

A fiber-orientation system for a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic is provided. In various embodiments, the system includes a first tool, and a second tool that, in combination with the first tool, defines a gap therebetween configured to define a flow path for a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic melt during an injection molding. A plurality of electrodes are disposed in the first tool. The electrodes have exposed ends disposed in or along the flow path such that the electrodes are configured to, when energized, orient fibers within the thermoplastic melt. This provides a localized, controllable modification of the orientation of the fibers within the melt.