Provided is a discharge device for discharging pretreated biomass from a pressurized reactor. The device comprises: a vessel having an opening to a high pressure region at the top, and configured to be connected with a pressurized biomass pretreatment device; one or more inlet openings situated along the sides of the vessels through which water or liquid may be added; an orifice or valve at a lower part of said vessel, said orifice or valve being configured to eject pretreated biomass, optionally into a pipeline. The discharge device is characterised in that it comprises mechanical agitation means, said agitation means comprising an agitation element arranged in the interior of said vessel at a lower part of said vessel, and being configured to provide agitation of the content of said vessel, wherein said agitation means being adapted to withstand a pressure in the interior of a said vessel of 10 bar or more. The agitation means provides for a temperature equalization within a specific vertical range of heights of an aqueous slurry present in said vessel, thereby eliminating disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods.

This disclosure relates to systems, devices and methods for pulping agricultural products. Features for ensiling agricultural crops, separating solids and liquids, and processing the solids and liquids for use in a variety of products and processes are disclosed. For instance, systems and methods are disclosed for pulping grass crops, making products for energy conversion processes, screening fine debris, cell bursting, using strongly alkaline chemicals in pulping processes, and using sorghum plant for producing pulp.

This disclosure relates to systems, devices and methods for pulping agricultural products. Features for ensiling agricultural crops, separating solids and liquids, and processing the solids and liquids for use in a variety of products and processes are disclosed. For instance, systems and methods are disclosed for pulping grass crops, making products for energy conversion processes, screening fine debris, cell bursting, using strongly alkaline chemicals in pulping processes, and using sorghum plant for producing pulp.

Hydrothermal pretreatment of mechanically compressed straw in unagitated reactors provides a simple and inexpensive solution to poor C5 monomer yields with autohydrolysis processes. Unlike raw straw, compressed straw pellets or briquettes can be pretreated on commercial scale using unagitated batch reactors or simplified unagitated continuous systems. The chemistry of hydrothermal pretreatment is thereby altered such that loss of C5 sugars to unwanted byproduct reactions is reduced. With compressed straw, water content can be introduced within the reactor while it is pressurized, which reduces energy costs and capital expense. Provided are methods of processing straw feedstocks using semi-continuous or continuous systems and a pretreatment reactor adapted to processes compressed straw with high throughput through a small reactor volume in which water content is added within the reactor under pressure.

Hydrothermal pretreatment of mechanically compressed straw in unagitated reactors provides a simple and inexpensive solution to poor C5 monomer yields with autohydrolysis processes. Unlike raw straw, compressed straw pellets or briquettes can be pretreated on commercial scale using unagitated batch reactors or simplified unagitated continuous systems. The chemistry of hydrothermal pretreatment is thereby altered such that loss of C5 sugars to unwanted byproduct reactions is reduced. With compressed straw, water content can be introduced within the reactor while it is pressurized, which reduces energy costs and capital expense. Provided are methods of processing straw feedstocks using semi-continuous or continuous systems and a pretreatment reactor adapted to processes compressed straw with high throughput through a small reactor volume in which water content is added within the reactor under pressure.

A method for producing a chemi-thermomechanical fibrous pulp from non-wood plant raw materials, the method comprises steps of preliminary preparing leaves, chemi-thermomechanical treating the preliminary prepared raw materials, grinding a semi-fibrous and partially delignified pulp to produce the chemi-thermomechanical fibrous pulp, wherein the preliminary preparation of the initial raw materials further comprises pressing shredded leaves, plasticizing and softing of the preliminary prepared leaves is performed by their mechanical rubbing and treating with a pressurized heated vapor, delignifying of the plasticized and soft raw materials is performed by their pressurized mixing at a pressure of at least 3.5 atms at a temperature from 70 to 120? C. in a presence of an alkali metal hydroxide or in a form of a solution or an aerosol having an alkali concentration of 3% at most, and the grinding is performed in a presence of acetic acid of a concentration of 3% at most.

A method for producing a chemi-thermomechanical fibrous pulp from non-wood plant raw materials, the method comprises steps of preliminary preparing leaves, chemi-thermomechanical treating the preliminary prepared raw materials, grinding a semi-fibrous and partially delignified pulp to produce the chemi-thermomechanical fibrous pulp, wherein the preliminary preparation of the initial raw materials further comprises pressing shredded leaves, plasticizing and softing of the preliminary prepared leaves is performed by their mechanical rubbing and treating with a pressurized heated vapor, delignifying of the plasticized and soft raw materials is performed by their pressurized mixing at a pressure of at least 3.5 atms at a temperature from 70 to 120? C. in a presence of an alkali metal hydroxide or in a form of a solution or an aerosol having an alkali concentration of 3% at most, and the grinding is performed in a presence of acetic acid of a concentration of 3% at most.

Methods of producing cellulosic or lignocellulosic materials for use in papermaking include treating a cellulosic or lignocellulosic dry feedstock having a first average molecular weight with ionizing radiation, and controlling the dose of ionizing radiation such that the average molecular weight of the feedstock is reduced to a predetermined level. A method of producing an irradiated paper product includes treating a paper product including a first carbohydrate-containing material having a first molecular weight with ionizing radiation, and controlling the dose of ionizing radiation so as to provide an irradiated paper product with a second carbohydrate-containing material having a second molecular weight higher than the first molecular weight. Pulp and paper products are produced.

Methods of producing cellulosic or lignocellulosic materials for use in papermaking include treating a cellulosic or lignocellulosic dry feedstock having a first average molecular weight with ionizing radiation, and controlling the dose of ionizing radiation such that the average molecular weight of the feedstock is reduced to a predetermined level. A method of producing an irradiated paper product includes treating a paper product including a first carbohydrate-containing material having a first molecular weight with ionizing radiation, and controlling the dose of ionizing radiation so as to provide an irradiated paper product with a second carbohydrate-containing material having a second molecular weight higher than the first molecular weight. Pulp and paper products are produced.

The present invention relates to a method of generating chlorine dioxide from chlorite salts in the presence of an iron ion-containing complex, a method of treating a substrate with a chlorine-containing oxidant in the presence of an iron ion-containing complex and related aqueous media, kits and compositions.