Refiner plate segments for a conical refiner may include a rotor plate segment having inlet openings disposed at one or more inlet locations on the rotor plate segment, and a stator plate segment having outlet openings disposed at one or more outlet locations on the stator plate segment. The rotor plate segment is disposed opposite the stator plate segment such that the one or more rotor plate segment refining areas and the one or more stator plate segment refining areas oppose each other, and the one or more inlet locations and the one or more outlet locations are separated by one or more refining zones formed by the rotor plate segment refining areas and the stator plate segment refining areas.

A blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) for a refiner comprises an inner end edge (20) and an outer end edge (21) and a first side edge (22) and a second side edge (23) opposite to the first side edge (22), the first side edge (22) and the second side edge (23) extending between the inner end edge (20) and the outer end edge (21), and a refining surface (29) comprising blade bars (27) and blade grooves (28) therebetween on a front surface (25) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b). At least one side edge (22, 23) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) comprises at least one opening (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, 14f, 14g) that extends from the side edge (22, 23) toward the opposite side edge (22, 23).

A blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) for a refiner comprises an inner end edge (20) and an outer end edge (21) and a first side edge (22) and a second side edge (23) opposite to the first side edge (22), the first side edge (22) and the second side edge (23) extending between the inner end edge (20) and the outer end edge (21), and a refining surface (29) comprising blade bars (27) and blade grooves (28) therebetween on a front surface (25) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b). At least one side edge (22, 23) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) comprises at least one opening (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, 14f, 14g) that extends from the side edge (22, 23) toward the opposite side edge (22, 23).

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

A refiner for refining lignocellulose containing fiber material has two substantially oppositely positioned refining elements (6, 6a, 6b, 9) with refining surfaces (8, 8a, 8b, 11, 11a, 11b) with blade bars (25, 27) and grooves (26, 28). Opposed refining surfaces face each other forming a refining chamber (15, 15a, 15b) which receives fiber material to be refined. The refiner has two feed channels (19a, 19b) for feeding into the refiner at least one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2) to be refined, and two refining zones (21a, 21b) with at least one different refining surface characteristic between the refining zones (21a, 21b). Each refining zone (21a, 21b) is intended to refine one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2) of the at least one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2). There is at least one discharge channel (23, 23a, 23b) for discharging out of the refiner at least one flow of refined material.

A refiner for refining lignocellulose containing fiber material has two substantially oppositely positioned refining elements (6, 6a, 6b, 9) with refining surfaces (8, 8a, 8b, 11, 11a, 11b) with blade bars (25, 27) and grooves (26, 28). Opposed refining surfaces face each other forming a refining chamber (15, 15a, 15b) which receives fiber material to be refined. The refiner has two feed channels (19a, 19b) for feeding into the refiner at least one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2) to be refined, and two refining zones (21a, 21b) with at least one different refining surface characteristic between the refining zones (21a, 21b). Each refining zone (21a, 21b) is intended to refine one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2) of the at least one fiber material fraction (FM1, FM2). There is at least one discharge channel (23, 23a, 23b) for discharging out of the refiner at least one flow of refined material.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.