A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a classifier unit configured to classify by air flow an introduced material that has been introduced, a screening unit configured to allow a classified material, which comprises fibers, that has been classified by the classifier unit to pass through a plurality of openings to screen the classified material, and a forming unit configured to use a passed material that has passed through the openings to form a sheet. The classified material is supplied to the screening unit by the air flow.

The present invention is directed to articles of manufacture, including fibers and films, and methods of making thereof. In accordance with the present invention, the article includes a binder impregnated with or encapsulating a filler. The binder is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), cellulose nanofibrils, or a combination of the PVOH and cellulose nanofibrils. The filler is deinking waste solids comprising ash and cellulose fines.

The present invention is directed to articles of manufacture, including fibers and films, and methods of making thereof. In accordance with the present invention, the article includes a binder impregnated with or encapsulating a filler. The binder is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), cellulose nanofibrils, or a combination of the PVOH and cellulose nanofibrils. The filler is deinking waste solids comprising ash and cellulose fines.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit configured to defibrate in an atmosphere a raw material that contains a fiber, a mixing unit configured to mix in the atmosphere a defibrated material that the defibrating unit has defibrated and a resin, an accumulating unit configured to accumulate a mixture of the defibrated material and the resin that the mixing unit has mixed, a liquid application unit configured to apply a liquid to a portion of an accumulation of the mixture that the accumulating unit has accumulated, and a heating unit configured to form a sheet by heating the accumulation to which the liquid application unit has applied the liquid.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit configured to defibrate in an atmosphere a raw material that contains a fiber, a mixing unit configured to mix in the atmosphere a defibrated material that the defibrating unit has defibrated and a resin, an accumulating unit configured to accumulate a mixture of the defibrated material and the resin that the mixing unit has mixed, a liquid application unit configured to apply a liquid to a portion of an accumulation of the mixture that the accumulating unit has accumulated, and a heating unit configured to form a sheet by heating the accumulation to which the liquid application unit has applied the liquid.

A method is provided for pre-treating biomasses, more particularly, for pre-treating biomasses intended for a biorefinery or similar facility for producing biofuels. The method comprises the steps of shredding the biomasses, removing foreign bodies contained in the biomasses upstream of the step of shredding, and soaking the biomasses by immersing the biomasses in water upstream or downstream of the shredding step. A plant for pre-treating biomasses is also provided. The plant comprises a shredding station for shredding biomasses, a station for removing foreign bodies from the biomasses upstream of the shredding station, and a soaking station for soaking the biomasses upstream or downstream of the shredding station.

A method for treating composite materials of aluminum and plastics mixes the composite materials in a working area of a processor under high shear forces with a spiral in order to remove the aluminum layer from the plastic layer and to suspend it. The particles which are separated by a screen from the working area are treated in a hydrocyclone in order to separate aluminum from the liquid, wherein fibers present in the underflow are fed back with the liquid to the processor.

A method for treating composite materials of aluminum and plastics mixes the composite materials in a working area of a processor under high shear forces with a spiral in order to remove the aluminum layer from the plastic layer and to suspend it. The particles which are separated by a screen from the working area are treated in a hydrocyclone in order to separate aluminum from the liquid, wherein fibers present in the underflow are fed back with the liquid to the processor.

A stirring apparatus includes a shredder that shreds a sheet; a case that accommodates a sheet piece shredded by the shredder and has a bottom surface and an inner surface; and a rotator that is disposed at the bottom surface of the case and includes a blade which stirs the sheet piece by rotation, in which L1<L3<L2, when between an outer end of the blade and the inner surface in a radial direction of the rotator, a shortest distance in the radial direction is defined as L1, a longest distance in the radial direction is defined as L2, and an average major axis length of the sheet piece is defined as L3.

Methods for integrating the production of carboxylated CNCs and carboxylated CNFs from cellulose are provided. Carboxylated CNCs, carboxylated cellulosic solid residues (CSRs) in the form of cellulose fibers (CF) and/or cellulose microfibrils (CMFs), and carboxylated CNFs fabricated using the methods are also provided. The methods are based on the acid hydrolysis of a cellulosic material using weak solid organic acids to produce carboxylated CNCs and CNFs with thermal stabilities that are higher than the thermal stabilities of the cellulosic materials from which they are derived.