Disclosed is a method of obtaining regenerated cellulose fiber by using supercritical-N.sub.2O and/or supercritical-CHF.sub.3 compounds from cotton straw which are formed as thin chips mechanically.

The present invention refers to the separation of cellulose pulp into distinct fractions with different draining and morphological characteristics, as well as the use of part of these fractions for the production of nanocellulose. The process in reference combines the unitary operations of fiber separation, thickening to a certain consistency, draining and drying of the cellulosic pulp with the high drainage ability and production of nanocellulose from high primary fines content pulp. The process may consider any cellulosic pulp fiber derived from short or long fiber woods such as Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Birch, Aspen, Pinus, recycled fibers, etc., their residues such as bark, sawdust, etc.

A method includes forming an aqueous fibre suspension including cellulosic fibres from one or more raw material flows, and applying at least one chemical and/or physical control measure to the aqueous fibre suspension or at least one of its raw material flows for control of microbial activity in the aqueous fibre suspension or the raw material flow before an inlet of an intermediate residence entity. In this manner a starting ORP value for the aqueous fibre suspension is obtained. The aqueous fibre suspension is in the intermediate residence entity at least a minimum delay time. A final ORP value is measured for the aqueous fibre suspension after an outlet of the intermediate residence entity before the formation of the fibrous web. An ORP difference value between the starting ORP and final ORP values is calculated. Finally, the aqueous fibre suspension is formed into a fibrous web and dried.

Methods and systems of the present invention use mixed textile feedstock, which may include post-consumer waste garments, scrap fabric and/or other textile materials as a raw feed material to produce isolated cellulose and other isolated molecules having desirable properties that can be used and be used in the textile and apparel industries, and in other industries. A multi-stage process is provided, in which mixed textile feed material is subjected to one or more pretreatment stages, followed by at least two pulping treatments for isolating cellulose molecules and other molecular constituents, such as polyester. The isolated cellulose and polyester molecules may be used in a variety of downstream applications. In one application, isolated cellulose and polyester molecules are extruded to provide regenerated cellulose fibers and regenerated polyester fibers having desirable (and selectable) properties that are usable in various industrial applications, including textile production.

A method is disclosed for treating aqueous feed by dissolved gas flotation. The aqueous feed originates from industrial processing of fibrous material, where the aqueous feed includes an aqueous phase and solid particulate material suspended in the aqueous phase. The method includes bringing a flocculant in contact with the aqueous feed, flocculating suspended solid particulate material into flocs and contacting formed flocs with gas bubbles and inducing their flotation in a flotation basin. The flocculant includes a polymer composition having a charge density of at the most 1.7 meq/g dry and the polymer composition includes a cationic synthetic first polymer having a charge density at least 1.0 meq/g dry at pH 2.8, and at least one second polymer obtained by polymerization of (meth)acrylamide, the second polymer being polymerized in presence of the cationic first polymer, where the first polymer has a higher charge density than the second polymer.

A method for preparing unbleached biomechanical pulp from straw. A straw is used as a raw material, which is treated with alkaline biological enzymes, heated with hot alkali steam, refined, and washed. The mechanical pulp prepared by the method of the present invention has significantly improved ring-crush strength, can be used to prepare corrugated paper or cardboard paper, and can significantly improve the compressive strength of the carton.

The present invention relates to solid compositions comprising a fibrous material of natural origin obtained from plants, wherein the fibrous material comprises micro-scaled and/or nano-scaled fibril agglomerates, and an alditol; a method to obtain such compositions; compositions obtained by this method, products comprising such compositions; and the use of such compositions as formulation aid in such products.

The present invention provides methods for obtaining Baobab fibers derived from Baobab trees. The methods include obtaining Baobab plant material, dewatering of the Baobab plant material, and subsequent separation of the dewatered Baobab plant material. The present invention allows a resource-saving separation of the fibers, for example, through a dewatering of the Baobab plant material. Baobab fibers obtained according to the methods of the present invention can be used for a variety of purposes, for instance, for producing chemical pulp, paper, paperboard, carton, special papers, fabrics and fiber-reinforced plastics.

Methods and systems for preparing agricultural residue or other agricultural feedstock for use as a pulp. The method includes providing non-wood agricultural residue (e.g., corn stover) or other agricultural feedstock that includes agricultural fibers, chemically pulping the agricultural fibers in a preliminary alkaline chemical pulping process at a low consistency and at a low temperature to produce partially pulped agricultural fibers, such step including separating lignin and hemicellulose from the partially pulped agricultural fibers, introducing the partially pulped agricultural fibers into a first reactor, wherein the first reactor operates at a low temperature of less than 100° C. (e.g., 65° C.), introducing the agricultural fibers from the first reactor into a second reactor, where the second reactor operates at a low temperature, of less than 100° C. (e.g., 94-96° C.), the second reactor operating at a higher temperature than the first reactor, to produce pulped agricultural fibers.

The present invention relates to endoglucanase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, expression vectors, and recombinant host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.