An evaporative device has a piece of at least partially-delignified plant material. The at least partially-delignified plant material has a modified microstructure including a plurality of vessels, a plurality of fibers, and a plurality of engineered micropores. Each vessel can define a first lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of at least 100 m. Each fiber can define a second lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to 20 m. The engineered micropores can extend through walls of the vessels or fibers so as to fluidically interconnect the first and second lumina. In some embodiments, the plant material is reed or bamboo.

A pulping method includes chemical cooking of softwood chips to retain a high lignin content of about 18% to about 28% by weight and fiberization of the cooked softwood chips to a low residual wood shive content of at most 15% by weight.

A piece of natural plant material is subjected to one or more chemical treatments to remove substantially all lignin therefrom, thereby allowing the extraction of delignified, cellulose-based fibers. For example, the natural plant material can be a grass, such as bamboo or gladiolus. Subsequent drying of the extracted fiber densifies the structure, yielding improved mechanical properties. In some embodiments, the extracted fibers can be used, either alone or in combination with other materials, as a structural material. For example, the extracted fibers can be embedded within, infiltrated with, coated by, or otherwise combined with a polymer or concrete to form a composite material.

Sustainable paper-based packaging materials, e.g., paper-based food packaging materials, are described. The packaging materials are based on paper formed from fiber derived from waste biomass, such as hemp hurds, mixes containing hemp hurds and hemp bast fibers, bagasse, and cocoa pod husks. Also described are methods of making the packaging materials. The methods can include environmentally friendly pulping and/or bleaching processes.

A method for processing black liquor includes operations of: (A1) ultrafiltering the black liquor; (A2) mixing the ultrafiltration concentrate with carbon dioxide and/or sulfuric acid to precipitate lignin in the ultrafiltration concentrate, and obtaining a first inorganic aqueous solution; (A3) mixing the first inorganic aqueous solution with the ultrafiltration permeate to obtain a mixture, and nanofiltering the mixture; (A4) mixing the nanofiltration concentrate with carbon dioxide and/or sulfuric acid to precipitate lignin in the nanofiltration concentrate, and obtaining a second inorganic aqueous solution; (A5) performing a first electrodialysis treatment or reverse osmosis treatment on the second inorganic aqueous solution, and obtaining a remaining inorganic aqueous solution; (A6) mixing the remaining inorganic aqueous solution with the lignin obtained from operation (A2) and/or operation (A4) to obtain a first fuel liquid; and (A7) processing the first fuel liquid to produce sodium sulfide, sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide, and steam.

A piece of natural plant material is subjected to one or more chemical treatments to remove substantially all lignin therefrom, thereby allowing the extraction of delignified, cellulose-based fibers. For example, the natural plant material can be a grass, such as bamboo or gladiolus. Subsequent drying of the extracted fiber densifies the structure, yielding improved mechanical properties. In some embodiments, the extracted fibers can be used, either alone or in combination with other materials, as a structural material. For example, the extracted fibers can be embedded within, infiltrated with, coated by, or otherwise combined with a polymer or concrete to form a composite material.