Some variations provide a new nanolignocellulose composition comprising, on a bone-dry, ash-free, and acetyl-free basis, from 35 wt % to 80 wt % cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose microfibrils, or a combination thereof, from 15 wt % to 45 wt % lignin, and from 5 wt % to 20 wt % hemicelluloses. The hemicelluloses may contain xylan or mannan as the major component. Novel properties arise from the hemicellulose content that is intermediate between high hemicellulose content of raw biomass and low hemicellulose content of conventional nanocellulose. The nanolignocellulose composition is hydrophobic due to the presence of lignin. Processes for making and using the nanolignocellulose compositions are also described.

Various processes are disclosed for producing nanocellulose materials following steam extraction or hot-water digestion of biomass. Processes are also disclosed for producing nanocellulose materials from a wide variety of starting pulps or pretreated biomass feedstocks. The nanocellulose materials may be used as rheology modifiers in many applications. Water-based and oil-based drilling fluid formulations and additives are provided. Also, water-based and oil-based hydraulic fracturing fluid formulations and additives are provided. In other embodiments, polymer-nanocellulose composites are provided.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a defibration unit that defibrates a raw material containing fibers in a gas atmosphere; and a sheet former that forms a sheet by using at least a part of defibrated substances obtained through a defibrating process performed by the defibration unit. The defibration unit and the sheet former are thermally blocked from each other.

Some variations provide a new nanolignocellulose composition comprising, on a bone-dry, ash-free, and acetyl-free basis, from 35 wt % to 80 wt % cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose microfibrils, or a combination thereof, from 15 wt % to 45 wt % lignin, and from 5 wt % to 20 wt % hemicelluloses. The hemicelluloses may contain xylan or mannan as the major component. Novel properties arise from the hemicellulose content that is intermediate between high hemicellulose content of raw biomass and low hemicellulose content of conventional nanocellulose. The nanolignocellulose composition is hydrophobic due to the presence of lignin. Processes for making and using the nanolignocellulose compositions are also described.

A sheet manufacturing system includes a processing section configured to process a raw material including a fiber, a detection section configured to detect a state of the raw material, a determination section configured to determine, based on a detection result of the detection section and a preset criterion of a raw material state, whether the raw material is suitable for processing in the processing section, a supply section configured to supply, to the processing section, the raw material determined to be suitable for the processing by the determination section, a reception section configured to acquire operation information indicating an occurrence state of an operation hindrance in the processing section, and a setting section configured to set the criterion based on the operation information.

Methods and systems are provided for a composite material. In one example, the composite material includes a polymer base reinforced with a powder formed from pupunha fibers. The resulting composite material is provided as pellets for further processing.

A defibrating method includes the steps of: preparing a material which contains fibers and a compound represented by the following formula (1); and defibrating the material.

RO(EO).sub.m(PO).sub.nH   (1)

In the formula, R represents an alkyl or an alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group including an alkyl group which has 4 to 20 carbon atoms, E represents an ethylene group, P represents a propylene group, m and n each represent an average number of added moles, m represents a numerical value of 0 to 20, n represents a numerical value of 1 to 10, and (EO).sub.m(PO).sub.n represents a block addition structure.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes: a raw material supplying section; a first coarse crushing section; a defibrating section; a deposition section; a heating and pressing section; a cutting section; and an ejection section.

A defibrating apparatus includes a screen and housings, and side walls of the housings have inner surfaces that define the inner surface of a discharge path. Let communication hole be any through-hole that interconnects the defibrating chamber and the discharge path, and let discharge path-side opening edge be the opening edge, close to the discharge path, of the through-hole, then the screen has through-hole rows, each of which is formed by a plurality of communication holes arranged at an interval in a circumferential direction, and the through-hole row is provided at a position where the discharge path-side opening edge of the communication holes is overlapped with the inner surface as seen in a radial direction.

A storage portion includes a case which includes an internal space configured to accommodate raw material pieces having fibers, a discharge pipe coupled to a side wall of the case, and a transport motor which rotates the discharge pipe on an axis, in which one end in an axial direction of the discharge pipe communicates with the internal space and the other end has an outlet for discharging the raw material pieces, and a spiral member is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the discharge pipe.