The present invention discloses a composition that may be extruded or injection moulded, comprising a chemically modified hardwood lignin and a polyester. The chemically modified hardwood lignin constitutes 10 to 50 weight-% of the total weight of the composition.

A tool for a thermoforming process to form a moulded product from wet pulp fibre material includes two or more moulds each having a moulding surface, an actuator assembly, and a fluid extraction system. At least one of the moulds is displaceable by the actuator assembly between first and second positions and has fluid extraction paths extending through the mould to transport fluid away from the moulding surface. One of the moulds has a first layer that is substantially rigid to form a support member and is in communication with a heating subsystem of the fluid extraction system, and a second layer that is, in use of the tool, between the first layer and the wet pulp fibre material. The second layer is formed of a material that has interconnected internal voids forming part of the fluid extraction paths and has a lower heat transfer coefficient than the first layer.

Described is a rosin press system for extracting rosin (oil) from plant material. The rosin press system includes a male plate with a male protrusion and a female plate formed to matingly receive the male protrusion. The plates can be heated such that when plant material is pressed between the plates, rosin is pressed from the plant material and allowed to drain from a drain hole positioned at the middle of the female plate.

Thermoplastic polymer particles suitable for use in additive manufacturing and related methods may comprise lignin. For example, said polymer particles may comprise a thermoplastic polymer, a lignin, optionally an emulsion stabilizer, and optionally a compatibilizer. Said polymer particles may be produced by melt emulsification methods and be highly spherical and, consequently, suited for selective laser sintering methods of additive manufacturing.

A process for producing a thermoplastic material for use as powder or slurry for further processing such as injection molding or coating, comprising the steps of mixing a biomass containing prolamins, such as a grain source or a water insoluble fraction of a grain, having prolamins and lipids, and an organic solvent to obtain undissolved components and dissolved components comprising dissolved prolamin, lipids and other dissolved components, extracting the dissolved components into a first liquid and extracting undissolved components in a first solid under the specific conditions. separating the first solid from the first liquid, recovering the thermoplastic material from the first liquid as powder by removing organic solvent under the conditions of maintaining temperature of the prolamins below 80° C., preferably below 75° C., maintaining a dielectric constant εr between 30 and 42 at 25° C., and maintaining a pressure level at below 2 bar.

This invention relates to a water-soluble film (WSF) system with embedded/entrapped water-soluble films (WSF). More particularly, the invention relates to a WSF system with actives embedded/entrapped therein such as to provide precise and desired release of actives there from and its method of manufacturing for diverse applications, in which a variety of substances such as detergents, enzymes, softeners, perfumes, pesticides, fungicides, active ingredients, dyes, pigments, hazardous chemicals, active agents for cleaning laundry, dishes, floorings, walls, furniture, fluffs, pulp, etc., and the like can be so embedded/entrapped for such purpose. The invention further discloses novel online and offline process for the manufacture of such multi-layered WSF with or without liners and of desired shapes to selectively entrap interacting/non-interacting materials and their combinations. The process also provides options for the use of a wide range of raw materials, liners such as paper, film, foil, fabric, etc.

A solid polymer blend material comprising: (i) lignin; and (ii) a polyamide having a melting point of no more than 240° C. and which is below the decomposition temperature of the lignin; wherein said lignin is homogeneously dispersed in said polyamide. Methods for producing the blend material are also described. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described, comprising: (a) melt blending components (i) and (ii) to form a polymer blend in which components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously blended, wherein the polymer blend exhibits a melt viscosity of no more than 2000 Pa.Math.s at a shear rate of 100-1000 s.sup.−1 and when heated to a temperature of no more than 240° C.; and; (b) forming an object made of said polymer blend material.

A heat-curable biobased casting composition, including (a) a mixture of two or more monofunctional acrylic and/or methacrylic monomers, wherein one or more monomers are derived from recycled material and one or more monomers are of vegetable or animal origin, (b) one or more polyfunctional acrylic and/or methacrylic biomonomers of vegetable or animal origin, (c) one or more polymers or copolymers selected from polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyols, polyesters derived from recycled material or of vegetable or animal origin, (d) inorganic filler particles of natural origin, wherein the proportion of the monofunctional acrylic and/or methacrylic monomers and of the polyfunctional acrylic and methacrylic biomonomers is 10-40% by weight, the proportion of the polymer(s) or copolymer(s) is 1-16% by weight and the proportion of the inorganic filler particles is 44-89% by weight.

Fabricating a wood-plastic composite includes capturing carbon dioxide from air, providing the carbon dioxide to algae, harvesting the algae, liquefying the algae to yield biochar, treating the biochar to yield functionalized carbon, and combining the functionalized carbon, wood flour, and a plastic feedstock to yield the wood-plastic composite. A wood-plastic composite includes mixed waste plastic, wood flour, and functionalized carbon.

The buffing dust waste/polystyrene thermal insulator is a polymer composite containing 0.1%-25% by weight buffing dust waste from a leather tannery, the balance being polystyrene. The composite has extremely low thermal conductivity (e.g., 0.0447 W/m-K for a composite 10% budding dust by weight), making it a good insulator, while still having relatively high mechanical properties. The thermal insulator is made by mixing the buffing dust with the polystyrene polymer in a twin-screw extruder and pouring the mixture into a steel mold. The mold is heated and compressed in a hot press machine, e.g., at 500 kg force at 180° C. for 20 minutes, which may be followed by 500 kg force at 125° C. for an additional 20 minutes. The resulting composite polymer is suitable for use as thermal insulation in buildings.