An aqueous composition comprising: sulfuric acid; a heterocyclic compound; an alkanesulfonic acid; and a peroxide. Said composition being capable of delignifying biomass under milder conditions than conditions under which kraft pulping takes place.

In general, present invention concerns an integrated lignocellulose-to-chemicals biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass. And it concerns an integrated biorefinery, enabling production of renewable n-propylbenzene, phenolic oligomers, and carbohydrate pulp from lignocellulosic biomass.

A method and apparatus for controlling a cellulosic pulp process for producing a pulp product having a desired pulp property is disclosed. The method involves illuminating an in-process portion of pulp using a first wavelength of light, and receiving a scattered light spectrum from the illuminated portion of pulp, the scattered light spectrum including spectral components that have been shifted in wavelength through interaction with a constituent of the illuminated portion of pulp. The method also involves filtering the scattered light spectrum to separate the spectral components, and identifying spectral features in the filtered scattered light spectrum that correspond to the pulp property. The method further involves generating a control signal for controlling the pulp process based on variations in the identified spectral features to cause the pulp property to fall within a desired range.

A method and apparatus for controlling a cellulosic pulp process for producing a pulp product having a desired pulp property is disclosed. The method involves illuminating an in-process portion of pulp using a first wavelength of light, and receiving a scattered light spectrum from the illuminated portion of pulp, the scattered light spectrum including spectral components that have been shifted in wavelength through interaction with a constituent of the illuminated portion of pulp. The method also involves filtering the scattered light spectrum to separate the spectral components, and identifying spectral features in the filtered scattered light spectrum that correspond to the pulp property. The method further involves generating a control signal for controlling the pulp process based on variations in the identified spectral features to cause the pulp property to fall within a desired range.

The method for producing a cellulose-containing solid material of the invention includes treating a botanical biomass in a mixed solvent of water and at least one alcohol selected from aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, under 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 reaction temperature is 100 C. or higher and 350 C. or lower), and condition C (the reaction time is 0.1 hours or more and 10 hours or less), followed by solid-liquid separation after the treatment to give a cellulose-containing solid material. Accordingly, there are provided a method for producing a cellulose-containing solid material excellent in saccharification performance and a method for producing glucose from the cellulose-containing solid material.

In alternative embodiments, provided are methods and industrial processes for generating pulp from lignocellulosic feedstocks, comprising directly contacting a lignocellulosic feedstock with a system comprising a super critical or sub-super critical fluid or mixture of fluids, whereby the partial pressure of the system provides for the hydrolysis or a combination thereof of the feedstock at reduced temperatures and pressures, followed by an upgrading step wherein a low-purity cellulosic material generated in the super critical or sub-super critical reaction step is treated with an alkaline solution. In alternative embodiments, provided are systems and methods for producing a cellulose material using reduced amounts of water.

A method of producing regenerated cellulose and hemicellulose from a fiber pulp which is prepared by using chemical cooking. Hemicellulose and, correspondingly, cellulose is separated from the pulp, in order to form separate fractions, by dissolving them in such a solvent or an aqueous solution of it, from which they are precipitated by adding water, after which the regenerated hemicellulose and cellulose can be recovered. Hemicellulose-containing pulp, which for example is used as raw material of paper, can be efficiently fractionated into polymeric hemicellulose-rich fractions and very pure cellulose fractions, such as regenerated cellulose fiber, various cellulose particles or cellulose films.

A method of producing regenerated cellulose and hemicellulose from a fiber pulp which is prepared by using chemical cooking. Hemicellulose and, correspondingly, cellulose is separated from the pulp, in order to form separate fractions, by dissolving them in such a solvent or an aqueous solution of it, from which they are precipitated by adding water, after which the regenerated hemicellulose and cellulose can be recovered. Hemicellulose-containing pulp, which for example is used as raw material of paper, can be efficiently fractionated into polymeric hemicellulose-rich fractions and very pure cellulose fractions, such as regenerated cellulose fiber, various cellulose particles or cellulose films.

The invention relates to a method for treating biomass (2). In a step (S10), biomass (2) and an impregnation liquid are fed into a first reactor unit (10) such that the biomass (2) is impregnated with the impregnation liquid while the biomass (2) is transferred through the first reactor unit (10) by a conveyor means (11). In another step (S20), the impregnated biomass (2a) is transferred from the first reactor unit (10) to a separation unit (25), wherein at least a part of the impregnation liquid is separated from the impregnated biomass (2a) within the separation unit. In a step (S30), the separated impregnation liquid is discharged from the separation unit (25), such that a first part (26a) of the impregnation liquid is recirculated back to the first reactor unit (10). The invention further relates to a system for treating biomass (2).

The present invention relates to treatment of unbleached or partially bleached or alkaline extracted dissolving pulp with one or more cellulases. The cellulase treatment results in increased viscosity control, reduced viscosity and/or increased reactivity of the final dissolving pulp.