The sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a rough crushing unit that roughly crushes a raw material containing fibers; and a defibration unit that defibrates the roughly crushed raw material in a gas atmosphere. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: first and second web formers that accumulate defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process and form webs; and a sheet former that forms a sheet of the second web. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a vaporization-type humidifying unit that humidifies a space in which the raw material is roughly crushed by the rough crushing unit; and a mist-type humidifying unit that humidifies the webs that are formed by the first and second web formers.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a rough crushing unit that roughly crushes a raw material containing fibers; and a defibration unit that defibrates the roughly crushed raw material in a gas atmosphere. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: first and second web formers that accumulate defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process and form webs; and a sheet former that forms a sheet of the second web. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a vaporization-type humidifying unit that humidifies a space in which the raw material is roughly crushed by the rough crushing unit; and a mist-type humidifying unit that humidifies the webs that are formed by the first and second web formers.

An industrial system for refining plant fibers by steam explosion includes: a pre-chamber; a loader for loading the pre-chamber with sheaves of a fibrous plant, a spark gap arranged under the pre-chamber, a valve upstream of the pre-chamber, a valve separating the pre-chamber from the spark gap when in the closed state and opening a passage with a diameter of at least the smallest of the diameters of the pre-chamber and the spark gap when in the open state; a washing system arranged inside the spark gap for washing the spark gap and dragging the fibers downwards; a mobile basket for receiving fibers with a position under the spark gap for receiving fibers; a liquid-recovery device, arranged under the basket and under the spark gap, a receiving chamber receiving the basket loaded with fibers; and a drying chamber.

An industrial system for refining plant fibers by steam explosion includes: a pre-chamber; a loader for loading the pre-chamber with sheaves of a fibrous plant, a spark gap arranged under the pre-chamber, a valve upstream of the pre-chamber, a valve separating the pre-chamber from the spark gap when in the closed state and opening a passage with a diameter of at least the smallest of the diameters of the pre-chamber and the spark gap when in the open state; a washing system arranged inside the spark gap for washing the spark gap and dragging the fibers downwards; a mobile basket for receiving fibers with a position under the spark gap for receiving fibers; a liquid-recovery device, arranged under the basket and under the spark gap, a receiving chamber receiving the basket loaded with fibers; and a drying chamber.

Where hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks is conducted so as to avoid agitation, melted lignin microdroplets remain very small in size, typically <3 μm. Carrying a net negative surface charge at neutral pH, the solidified microdroplets can be recovered from biogas digestate or process effluents from other biological conversion systems as a liquid fraction following solid/liquid separation to remove fibers, silicates and other suspended solids. This liquid suspension can be concentrated and used directly in chemical and thermochemical conversion systems with or without catalysts. Alternatively, the lignin microparticles can be flocculated and collected as a purified solid fraction. The solids can be solubilized in NaOH at room temperature as wet filter cake and used for base catalysed depolymerization or as fundamental reagent in production of phenolic resins, binder and dispersants. At least with straw and grass feedstocks, the lignin microparticles also include wax content which can be recovered separately.

Where hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks is conducted so as to avoid agitation, melted lignin microdroplets remain very small in size, typically <3 μm. Carrying a net negative surface charge at neutral pH, the solidified microdroplets can be recovered from biogas digestate or process effluents from other biological conversion systems as a liquid fraction following solid/liquid separation to remove fibers, silicates and other suspended solids. This liquid suspension can be concentrated and used directly in chemical and thermochemical conversion systems with or without catalysts. Alternatively, the lignin microparticles can be flocculated and collected as a purified solid fraction. The solids can be solubilized in NaOH at room temperature as wet filter cake and used for base catalysed depolymerization or as fundamental reagent in production of phenolic resins, binder and dispersants. At least with straw and grass feedstocks, the lignin microparticles also include wax content which can be recovered separately.

A paper product may include high energy thermomechanical pulp (TMP), low energy TMP, and microfibrillated cellulose. The paper product may also include inorganic particulate material. A papermaking composition suitable for making the paper product, a process for preparing the paper product, and use of microfibrillated cellulose may include high energy TMP, low energy TMP, and microfibrillated cellulose, and optionally inorganic particulate material. The microfibrillated cellulose may have a fibre steepness of from about 20 to about 50 in the paper product.

A paper product may include high energy thermomechanical pulp (TMP), low energy TMP, and microfibrillated cellulose. The paper product may also include inorganic particulate material. A papermaking composition suitable for making the paper product, a process for preparing the paper product, and use of microfibrillated cellulose may include high energy TMP, low energy TMP, and microfibrillated cellulose, and optionally inorganic particulate material. The microfibrillated cellulose may have a fibre steepness of from about 20 to about 50 in the paper product.

An industrial system for refining plant fibers by steam explosion includes: a pre-chamber; a loader for loading the pre-chamber with sheaves of a fibrous plant, a spark gap arranged under the pre-chamber, a valve upstream of the pre-chamber, a valve separating the pre-chamber from the spark gap when in the closed state and opening a passage with a diameter of at least the smallest of the diameters of the pre-chamber and the spark gap when in the open state; a washing system arranged inside the spark gap for washing the spark gap and dragging the fibers downwards; a mobile basket for receiving fibers with a position under the spark gap for receiving fibers; a liquid-recovery device, arranged under the basket and under the spark gap, a receiving chamber receiving the basket loaded with fibers; and a drying chamber.

The present invention relates to nanofibrillar cellulose. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for the manufacture of nanofibrillar cellulose, and to a nanofibrillar cellulose obtainable by said method. The invention also relates to uses of the nanofibrillar cellulose.