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.

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

A thermoplastic resin composition of the invention contains a cellulose-containing solid material obtained after heat treatment of a botanical biomass as a raw material in a mixed solvent of water and at least one alcohol selected from aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and a thermoplastic resin. Accordingly, a thermoplastic resin composition can be provided, which, as compared with a case of incorporating conventional cellulose nanofibers or lignocellulose nanofibers in a resin composition, simplifies the production step, improves miscibility with a thermoplastic resin and improves thermal stability.

The present invention relates to a delignification method which is applied for removing lignin from a biomaterial mixture in form of a pile, and essentially comprises the steps of piling of the biomaterials, treating the pile with an irrigation solution comprised of water or an aqueous solution comprising chemical materials, transferring the irrigation solution leached during reaching to the bottom of the pile to a pool or a storage unit with a drainage system, giving the irrigation solution which is transferred to the pool or the storage unit to irrigation again after controlling and optimizing, and leaching the pile by stopping the irrigation when the delignification process ends.

Process for the delignification and bleaching of pulp, comprising a first bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a molybdate or tungstate in an acidic aqueous mixture; subsequent to the first bleaching stage, a second bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline aqueous mixture; and, subsequent to the second bleaching stage, a third bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a molybdate or tungstate in an acidic aqueous mixture.

Process for the delignification and bleaching of pulp, comprising a first bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a molybdate or tungstate in an acidic aqueous mixture; subsequent to the first bleaching stage, a second bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline aqueous mixture; and, subsequent to the second bleaching stage, a third bleaching stage with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a molybdate or tungstate in an acidic aqueous mixture.

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.

A method of wood pulping having a significantly increased yield is disclosed. Wood chips are chemically pulped to a high kappa number, providing a first accepts component and a first rejects component. The first rejects component is subjected to a high consistency pulping process such as a substantially mechanical pulping process to generate a second accepts component and a second rejects component. The first accepts component may be used in the production of saturating kraft paper with excellent saturability and resin pick up. The second accepts may be used as a second fiber source in the production of multiply linerboard and unbleached paperboard with enhanced stiffness, strength, and smoothness. Alternatively, the first accepts component may be blended with the second accepts component to produce fiber blends, which may be used in a production of paper-based products having enhanced strength and stiffness at low basis weight.

A method of wood pulping having a significantly increased yield is disclosed. Wood chips are chemically pulped to a high kappa number, providing a first accepts component and a first rejects component. The first rejects component is subjected to a high consistency pulping process such as a substantially mechanical pulping process to generate a second accepts component and a second rejects component. The first accepts component may be used in the production of saturating kraft paper with excellent saturability and resin pick up. The second accepts may be used as a second fiber source in the production of multiply linerboard and unbleached paperboard with enhanced stiffness, strength, and smoothness. Alternatively, the first accepts component may be blended with the second accepts component to produce fiber blends, which may be used in a production of paper-based products having enhanced strength and stiffness at low basis weight.

There is described a method of processing biomass which comprises the steps of: (i) processing biomass material in an aqueous system in the presence of an oxalic acid catalyst to produce a slurry; (ii) subjecting the slurry to an acidified organosolv liquor and optionally de-aerating the resulting mixture before exposing the mixture to ultrasound in a pretreatment step; and (iii) completing the fractionation process using thermal digestion, followed by separation of the constituents into lignin, hemi-cellulose (monosaccharides) and cellulose with the addition of water.