The invention relates to a process for treating vapours released from lignocellulose biomass during acid treatment at elevated temperature of the lignocellulose biomass. The process comprises condensing (3) the vapours to produce a condensate, adjusting (4) the pH of the condensate to about 9, and decanting (5) the condensate to produce turpentine, and may further comprise distilling (6) the mixture remaining after decanting to produce furfuraland a reject comprising tall oil fatty acids. The invention also relates to a corresponding system for treating vapours released from lignocellulose biomass during acid treatment at elevated temperature of the lignocellulose biomass.

Processing systems and methods are described for pre-processing processing of biomass. The systems include an extruder characterized by one or more ports though which acids and/or bases may be introduced to the biomass during extrusion. The acids may be selected to hydrolyze the biomass and the base may be selected to neutralize the acid. Neutralization can occur using a solid base within the extruder.

A method for producing bioplastic granules includes the steps of subjecting an olive pit waste (prina) from olive oil factories to two different chemical shredding processes, extracting a necessary material for a bioplastic production from a shredded olive pit waste and adding natural polymerizer form holders into the necessary material.

A method for producing bioplastic granules includes the steps of subjecting an olive pit waste (prina) from olive oil factories to two different chemical shredding processes, extracting a necessary material for a bioplastic production from a shredded olive pit waste and adding natural polymerizer form holders into the necessary material.

Methods for isolating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from the plant Miscanthus Giganteus (MxG). Impressive yields are obtained through a combination of processing steps including base hydrolysis, bleaching and acid hydrolysis. MxG-CNCs are produced having high aspect ratios, are biorenewable and can be used for a wide range of applications such as nanofillers in composites. MxG-CNC-containing composites are also disclosed.

Methods for isolating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from the plant Miscanthus Giganteus (MxG). Impressive yields are obtained through a combination of processing steps including base hydrolysis, bleaching and acid hydrolysis. MxG-CNCs are produced having high aspect ratios, are biorenewable and can be used for a wide range of applications such as nanofillers in composites. MxG-CNC-containing composites are also disclosed.

Some variations provide a process for impregnating a biomass feedstock with a reaction solution, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock that contains non-condensable gases within biomass pores; introducing a condensable vapor into the biomass pores to remove non-condensable gases out of the biomass pores, thereby generating an intermediate biomass material, wherein at least a portion of the condensable vapor remains within the biomass pores; exposing the intermediate biomass material to a liquid solution to infiltrate the liquid solution into the biomass pores and condense the vapor to form a condensed liquid contained within the biomass pores, thereby generating an impregnated biomass material containing a reaction solution; and recovering or further processing the impregnated biomass material. The non-condensable gases may be oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, for example. The condensable vapor may be steam, for example. The reaction solution may contain a pretreatment chemical, such as a catalyst and/or a solvent.

Disclosed are non-wood pulps having a fiber length greater than about 1.70 mm and a brightness of about 80% or greater. The relatively high degree of brightness is achieved without a loss fiber length or pulp yield. The high degree of brightness and relatively long fiber length makes the pulps well suited for the manufacture of wet-laid fibrous products, particularly wet-laid tissue products. The pulps may be prepared from plants of the family Asparagaceae by mechanical pulping and more preferably by a chemi-mechanical pulping using a sodium hydroxide alkaline peroxide solution where the primary pulp is cleaned to reduce debris prior to bleaching. Preferably the cleaned primary pulp has less than about 5% debris prior to bleaching.

Process for the production of an organic acid from a lignocellulosic feedstock. The process is integrated with a pulp mill and comprises: a) pre-treating a lignocellulosic feedstock with an alkaline liquor from the pulp, thereby obtaining a pretreated cellulosic feed and a black liquor; b) subjecting the pretreated cellulosic feed from step a) to enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby obtaining a saccharide feed; c) subjecting the saccharide feed from step b) to microbial fermentation using calcium oxide from the pulp mill as a neutralising agent, thereby obtaining an organic acid calcium salt; d) treating the organic acid calcium salt with sulfuric acid, thereby obtaining the organic acid; e) optionally isolating lignin from the black liquor obtained in step a), thereby obtaining lignin and weak black liquor; and f) returning the black liquor from step a) and/or the weak black liquor from step e) to the pulp mill chemical recovery process.

Process for the production of an organic acid from a lignocellulosic feedstock. The process is integrated with a pulp mill and comprises: a) pre-treating a lignocellulosic feedstock with an alkaline liquor from the pulp, thereby obtaining a pretreated cellulosic feed and a black liquor; b) subjecting the pretreated cellulosic feed from step a) to enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby obtaining a saccharide feed; c) subjecting the saccharide feed from step b) to microbial fermentation using calcium oxide from the pulp mill as a neutralising agent, thereby obtaining an organic acid calcium salt; d) treating the organic acid calcium salt with sulfuric acid, thereby obtaining the organic acid; e) optionally isolating lignin from the black liquor obtained in step a), thereby obtaining lignin and weak black liquor; and f) returning the black liquor from step a) and/or the weak black liquor from step e) to the pulp mill chemical recovery process.