One-pot processes to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock include providing a vessel; providing a lignocellulosic feedstock; providing a composition comprising an acid, a modifying agent comprising an alkanesulfonic acid, and a peroxide; and exposing the lignocellulosic feedstock to the composition in the vessel for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic feedstock. In some instances, such one-pot process can further include removing a liquid phase comprising dissolved lignin fragments from a solid phase comprising cellulose fibres.

A one-pot processes to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock include providing a vessel; providing a lignocellulosic feedstock; providing a composition comprising an acid, a modifying agent comprising a heterocyclic compound, and a peroxide; and exposing the lignocellulosic feedstock to the composition in the vessel for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic feedstock.

A process for production of lignins and synthetic gas including the steps of extracting lignins and hemicellulose by putting solid Lignocellulosic Raw Material in contact with a mixture of water and formic acid at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature between 80? C. and 110? C.; fractionating, the primary solid fraction and the primary liquid fraction; separating the lignins from the intermediate liquid fraction; and gasifying at least part of said primary solid fraction and/or at least part of said residual liquid fraction for producing synthetic gas.

One-pot processes to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock include providing a vessel; providing a lignocellulosic feedstock; providing an aqueous composition comprising an acid, a modifying agent comprising a substituted aromatic compound, and a peroxide; and exposing the lignocellulosic feedstock to the composition in the vessel for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic feedstock.

The present disclosure relates to cellulose nanomaterials made or derived from tobacco and methods for the production thereof. The tobacco-derived cellulose nanomaterials can be employed in various industrial applications such as film forming applications and solution thickening technologies. In particular, the disclosure is directed to methods for preparing tobacco-derived cellulose nanomaterials using less fibrillation cycles than in the production of wood pulp. The invention includes a method for preparing tobacco derived nanocellulose material comprising receiving a tobacco pulp in a dilute form such that the tobacco pulp is a tobacco pulp suspension with a consistency of less than about 5%; and mechanically fibrillating the tobacco pulp suspension to generate a tobacco derived nanocellulose material having at least one average particle size dimension in the range of about 1 nm to about 100 nm.

The present invention is directed at a process for fractionating lignocellulosic biomass for the purpose of reducing processing costs, increasing delignification, reducing side-reactions, in particular reducing hemicelluloses degradation, improving cellulose hydrolysis and increasing the nativity of the obtained lignin, by performing organosolv fractionation of the biomass with a treatment liquid at a temperature below 170 C., wherein the treatment liquid comprises a non-hydroxylic organic solvent, in particular a ketone, water and some acid, and optionally subjecting the cellulose-enriched product stream to enzymatic hydrolysis.

Some variations provide a process for producing a nanocellulose material, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock comprising a bleached or unbleached pulp material; fractionating the feedstock in the presence of an acid, a solvent for lignin, and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form cellulose fibrils and/or cellulose crystals, thereby generating a nanocellulose material. The process is preferably co-located with, or adjacent to, a mill that generates the pulp material. There are several advantages of a bolt-on AVAP? nanocellulose plant to an existing pulp mill, as disclosed herein.

An omnibus process of pulping and bleaching lignocellulosic materials in which a charge of a lignocellulosic material is biopulped and/or water extracted prior to pulping and bleaching. The lignocellulosic material may be mechanically pulped and bleached in the presence of an enzyme that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes.

An omnibus process of pulping and bleaching lignocellulosic materials in which a charge of a lignocellulosic material is biopulped and/or water extracted prior to pulping and bleaching. The lignocellulosic material may be mechanically pulped and bleached in the presence of an enzyme that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes.

A low-cost process is provided to render lignocellulosic biomass accessible to cellulase enzymes, to produce fermentable sugars. Some variations provide a process to produce ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass (such as sugarcane bagasse or corn stover), comprising introducing a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to a single-stage digestor; exposing the feedstock to a reaction solution comprising steam or liquid hot water within the digestor, to solubilize the hemicellulose in a liquid phase and to provide a cellulose-rich solid phase; refining the cellulose-rich solid phase, together with the liquid phase, in a mechanical refiner, thereby providing a mixture of refined cellulose-rich solids and the liquid phase; enzymatically hydrolyzing the mixture in a hydrolysis reactor with cellulase enzymes, to generate fermentable sugars; and fermenting the fermentable sugars to produce ethanol. Many alternative process configurations are described. The disclosed processes may be employed for other fermentation products.