The HIGH ALPHA AND HIGH INTRINSIC VISCOSITY PULP PRODUCTION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (hereinafter HIGH-A HIGH-IV PULP PRODUCTION) disclosed herein provide for pulp processing used in connection with Kraft Processes (KP) or Pre Hydrolysis Kraft Processes (PHKP), embodiments employing a Cold Caustic Extraction (CCE) stage and/or appropriate washing and bleaching stages, resulting in pulp with high Intrinsic Viscosity (IV) and high purity, such as may be as determined by alpha cellulose content, and adequate brightness for use downstream in applications such as high tensile regenerated cellulose and ether applications, or other applications employing high IV pulp with significant purity (e.g., alpha cellulose>92%).

Provided is a novel manufacturing method whereby a carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber dispersion having high tarnasparency can be obtained economically. In carboxymethylation of cellulose in the present invention, mercerization is performed in water as the main solvent, after which carboxymethylation is performed in a solvent mixture of water and an organic solvent, By defibrating the resultant carboxymethylated cellulose, a carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber dispersion having high transparency can be obtained economically.

A pulp in accordance with a particular embodiment includes crosslinked cellulose fibers. The pulp can have high brightness, reactivity, and intrinsic viscosity. The pulp, therefore, can be well suited for use as a precursor in the production of low-color, high-viscosity cellulose derivatives. A method in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present technology includes forming a pulp from a cellulosic feedstock, bleaching the pulp, crosslinking cellulose fibers within the pulp while the pulp has a high consistency, and drying the pulp. The bleaching process can reduce a lignin content of the pulp to less than or equal to 0.09% by oven-dried weight of the crosslinked cellulose fibers. Crosslinking the cellulose fibers can include exposing the cellulose fibers to a glycidyl ether crosslinker having two or more glycidyl groups and a molecular weight per epoxide within a range from 140 to 175.

An improved market pulp and process for making the same by adding a composite material are described. The composite material includes cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibers, or another high aspect ratio, high surface area cellulose material (or a starch, or both) and a crosslinking compound that crosslinks a portion of the surface hydroxyl groups to form a 3-D matrix. Adding the composite material to market pulp has been shown to improve the strength of twice-dried paper products, made from such an enhanced market pulp. By crosslinking a portion of the surface hydroxyl groups in the market pulp to form a 3-D matrix, a first drying step may be accomplished without loss of benefits afforded when the market pulp is later re-pulped to make a paper product.

A method is provided for preparing a fibrous material of crosslinked microfibrillated cellulose. Dialdehyde microfibrillated cellulose is spun into a fibrous material; said fibrous material is pre- or post-treated (by reduction of pH) to provide crosslinking between the dialdehyde microfibrillated cellulose. Fibrous materials such as filaments or mats, and polymer composites comprising such materials are also described.

A method is provided for preparing a film of crosslinked microfibrillated cellulose. Phosphorylated microfibrillated cellulose is cast or wet-laid into a film; and then said film is post-treated (e.g. by heat-treatment) to provide crosslinking between the phosphorylated microfibrillated cellulose. Films and hygiene products comprising such films are also described.

The invention relates to an optical brightener for whitening and brightening of paper, board, textiles and non-wovens, a process for manufacturing said optical brightener, the use of said brightener in paper making processes and a process for whitening paper.

In one inventive concept, a product for modifying a cellulose-lignin material with siloxane includes a mixture having a siloxane species, a metal catalyst, and a nonpolar solvent. The mixture is operative to modify a cellulose-lignin material with siloxane upon wetting of the cellulose-lignin material with the mixture and subsequent drying of the cellulose-lignin material. In another inventive concept, a product includes a siloxane-modified cellulose-lignin material having a cellulose-lignin network and a network of siloxane in cross-linking bridges in the cellulose-lignin network.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a recovery method for an organic acid. The recovery method makes it possible to efficiently recover an organic acid that is included in a deactivating aqueous solution that includes excrement. This recovery method has the following features. A method for recovering an organic acid that deactivates a highly water-absorbent polymer that is included in used absorbent articles, the method being characterized by including: a deactivation step (S1) in which the highly water-absorbent polymer is immersed in a deactivating aqueous solution that includes an organic acid and has a prescribed pH and the highly water-absorbent polymer is deactivated; a highly water-absorbent polymer removal step (S2) in which the deactivated highly water-absorbent polymer is removed from the deactivating aqueous solution; a pH adjustment step (S3) in which the deactivating aqueous solution is adjusted to a prescribed pH; a concentration step (S4) in which the deactivation step (S1), the highly water-absorbent polymer removal step (S2), and the pH adjustment step (S3) are repeated using deactivating aqueous solution that has gone through the pH adjustment step (S3) and the organic acid in the deactivating aqueous solution is concentrated; and an organic acid recovery step (S6) in which the organic acid is recovered from the deactivating aqueous solution.

The present invention provides a method for the production of chemically derivatized nanocellulose, comprising the step of a. contacting a precursor cellulosic material with a chemically derivatizing composition to form a liquid reaction mixture, and b. chemically reacting the formed liquid reaction mixture, and c. subjecting the formed liquid reaction mixture to microfluidisation, wherein the steps b. and c. are carried out simultaneously.