A biodegradable board having a high stiffness to weight ratio includes cocoa shell particles, cellulosic wood-based fibers, and no added binders. The cocoa shell particles may be sourced from a cocoa processing waste stream. The board has a grammage of at least about 2000 g/m.sup.2. The board may be assembled into a self-supporting point-of-sale display unit for displaying food products.

A biodegradable board having a high stiffness to weight ratio includes cocoa shell particles, cellulosic wood-based fibers, and no added binders. The cocoa shell particles may be sourced from a cocoa processing waste stream. The board has a grammage of at least about 2000 g/m.sup.2. The board may be assembled into a self-supporting point-of-sale display unit for displaying food products.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to an industrial system for processing various plant materials to produce marketable materials. Particularly, the system integrates subcritical water extraction technology and includes a pre-processing module and a two-stage extractor (processing module) with constant control of temperature, pressure, and/or residence time. In some embodiments, the final product of the disclosed system can include feedstock constituents for biofuel production (sugars and/or oil), biochar, raw materials for various industries (such as pulp for manufacturing paper or cellulose for use in various industries). The disclosed system can be modular or non-modular, stationary or mobile, and can include prefabricated elements with programmed automatic or manual operation so that it can be easily moved and/or assembled on site.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to an industrial system for processing various plant materials to produce marketable materials. Particularly, the system integrates subcritical water extraction technology and includes a pre-processing module and a two-stage extractor (processing module) with constant control of temperature, pressure, and/or residence time. In some embodiments, the final product of the disclosed system can include feedstock constituents for biofuel production (sugars and/or oil), biochar, raw materials for various industries (such as pulp for manufacturing paper or cellulose for use in various industries). The disclosed system can be modular or non-modular, stationary or mobile, and can include prefabricated elements with programmed automatic or manual operation so that it can be easily moved and/or assembled on site.

Fibrous products having an improved softness are provided, which have beneficial effects on the skin upon use. The fibrous product includes a fibrous material in which this material has at least one of lactic acid or a salt thereof in an amount of, per ply provided, in the range of from about 0.1 to about 15 g/m.sup.2, and in some embodiments, in the range of from about 1.0 to about 1.5 g/m.sup.2. A water activity of the fibrous product is from about 0.03 to 0.85. The salt of lactic acid may, for example, be sodium lactate, potassium lactate, and/or calcium lactate.

Fibrous products having an improved softness are provided, which have beneficial effects on the skin upon use. The fibrous product includes a fibrous material in which this material has at least one of lactic acid or a salt thereof in an amount of, per ply provided, in the range of from about 0.1 to about 15 g/m.sup.2, and in some embodiments, in the range of from about 1.0 to about 1.5 g/m.sup.2. A water activity of the fibrous product is from about 0.03 to 0.85. The salt of lactic acid may, for example, be sodium lactate, potassium lactate, and/or calcium lactate.

A method for separating biomass components by a ternary system, which relates to a technical field of biomass separation, and includes the following steps of: cooking and separating a biomass raw material by using a cooking liquor consisting of organic acid, small aromatic nucleophilic organic molecule and hydrogen peroxide to obtain solid residue and extracting solution, washing and screening the solid residue to obtain paper pulp, and separating and extracting lignin and/or hemicellulose from the extracting solution. This cooking system could effectively minimize the content of residual lignin and other compounds with chromophore groups in the obtained pulp, directly producing the high-whiteness pulp with excellent performance without additional bleaching process. In addition, the hemicellulose saccharides and high-activity lignin can be also obtained, so that the method has an important significance for realizing high value and industrialization of biomass resource utilization.

A method for separating biomass components by a ternary system, which relates to a technical field of biomass separation, and includes the following steps of: cooking and separating a biomass raw material by using a cooking liquor consisting of organic acid, small aromatic nucleophilic organic molecule and hydrogen peroxide to obtain solid residue and extracting solution, washing and screening the solid residue to obtain paper pulp, and separating and extracting lignin and/or hemicellulose from the extracting solution. This cooking system could effectively minimize the content of residual lignin and other compounds with chromophore groups in the obtained pulp, directly producing the high-whiteness pulp with excellent performance without additional bleaching process. In addition, the hemicellulose saccharides and high-activity lignin can be also obtained, so that the method has an important significance for realizing high value and industrialization of biomass resource utilization.

A differential density absorbent towel paper product comprising at least one absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The absorbent towel paper web has: (a) from about 20% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture, (b) pulp fibers selected from the group consisting of hard wood fibers, non-wood fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic polymer fibers, bleached eucalyptus kraft fibers, and combinations thereof and, (c) not more than about 10% by weight moisture. The refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture has: i) from about 18.5% to about 88.5% by weight of soft wood pulp fiber; ii) from about 0.25% to about 5.0% by of cationic strengthening polymer; and, iii) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments.

A differential density absorbent towel paper product comprising at least one absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The absorbent towel paper web has: (a) from about 20% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture, (b) pulp fibers selected from the group consisting of hard wood fibers, non-wood fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic polymer fibers, bleached eucalyptus kraft fibers, and combinations thereof and, (c) not more than about 10% by weight moisture. The refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture has: i) from about 18.5% to about 88.5% by weight of soft wood pulp fiber; ii) from about 0.25% to about 5.0% by of cationic strengthening polymer; and, iii) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments.