A process for the conversion of a cellulose containing feed comprising the steps of: contacting the cellulose containing feed with a molten salt hydrate and mildly hydrolyzing the cellulose to form a solution of partially hydrolized cellulose, separating one or more components of the partially hydrolyzed cellulose from the solution, converting the separated one or more components of the partially hydrolyzed cellulose in a thermo-catalytic process.

The present invention provides a method for extracting a solid purified product from an alkaline polysaccharide-containing precursor material, comprising the steps of: (a) neutralising the alkaline polysaccharide-containing precursor material with an acid and obtaining a neutralised solid polysaccharide-containing material; (b) mixing the neutralised solid polysaccharide-containing material with bleach to create a mixture; and (c) separating a solid purified product from the mixture.

The present invention relates to a process for forming cellulose fibers or film from dissolved cellulose. The process comprises the steps of: dissolving cellulose in an aqueous coagulation sodium salt solution to provide a cellulose spin dope; extruding the cellulose spin dope into a coagulation bath liquid comprising an aqueous coagulation sodium salt solution to provide cellulose fibers or film; withdrawing a portion of the coagulation bath comprising coagulation sodium salt and sodium hydroxide (NaOH); cooling the withdrawn portion of the coagulation bath to precipitate solid coagulation sodium salt to recover sodium hydroxide (NaOH) substantially free from the coagulation salt; and using at least a portion of the recovered sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in dissolving the cellulose to provide the cellulose spin dope.

A process for the manufacture of butanol, acetone and/or other renewable chemicals is provided wherein the process utilises one or more of the group comprising by-products of the manufacture of malt whisky, such as draff, pot ale and/or spent lees, biomass substrates, such as paper, sludge from paper manufacture and spent grains from distillers and brewers, and diluents, such as water and spent liquid from other fermentations. The process comprises treating a substrate to hydrolyse it and fermenting the treated substrate at an initial pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0. Also provided is a biofuel comprising butanol manufactured according to the process of the invention.

The present invention relates to a method of plasticizing and densifying hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial, said hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial having at least one surface, comprising the steps of softening the surface of the hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial to be compressed; compressing the hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial by applying an elevated pressure onto the softened surface of said hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial at an elevated temperature for a predetermined period of time; decreasing the temperature and thereafter the pressure applied to the hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial; wherein a plasticizing liquid is added to said surface of the hydrophilic polymeric biomaterial to be densified, the plasticizing liquid being a non-imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL), an organic superbase or a Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES).

The present invention provides a process for separating cellulose from a feedstock, comprising the steps of: a) wetting the cellulose with a first solvent system to form wet cellulose; b) contacting the wet cellulose with a second solvent system to form a mixture; c) maintaining the mixture at a first temperature for a first period of time; d) maintaining the mixture at a second temperature for a second period of time to dissolve the cellulose; and e) removing the first and second solvent system containing the dissolved cellulose.

A wood-derived carbohydrate composition is disclosed. The wood-derived carbohydrate composition comprises monomeric C6 sugars and monomeric C5 sugars in a total amount of at least 80 weight-% based on the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The ratio of the monomeric C5 sugars to the monomeric C6 sugars is at most 0.15. Disclosed is also a method for producing a wood-derived carbohydrate composition.

The present disclosure relates to a method for the production of precursor fiber for the production of carbon fiber, comprising the steps: a) a) forming a spinning dope comprising a dissolving pulp, a lignin and an alkali metal hydroxide dissolved in water (s201); 5 b) extruding the spinning dope through a spinning nozzle to provide a fibrous extrudate (s203); and c) passing the fibrous extrudate through a coagulation liquid to provide the precursor fiber (s205); wherein the coagulation liquid is arranged to effect precipitation of the precursor fiber by regulation of pH and/or ionicity. The disclosure further relates to precursor fibers and carbon fibers produced by the method above, as well as spinning dopes used in the method.

The invention relates to a process for treating a lignocellulosic material, e.g., wood, comprising the following steps: providing a lignocellulosic material; removing at least some but less than all lignin from the lignocellulosic material to yield a delignified structure; and densifying the delignified structure to yield the delignified, densified material, wherein the delignified, densified material is equal in size or is smaller in size relative to the lignocellulosic material provided; where densifying may include contacting said delignified structure, at least in part, with at least one fluid at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The invention also relates to a composite structure able to be obtained in this way, and to any part comprising at least one such structure.

The present invention relates to a process for extracting oxidised metal pollutants from treated cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass to recover the metal. The treatment also generates a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass which can to be used as a feedstock for biofuel, for making cellulose containing materials, and provides a source of other renewable chemicals.