The invention relates to separated, decompacted, cellulose-based fibres acquired from a vegetable raw material, wherein the separated, decompacted, cellulose-based fibres have an aspect ratio after soaking in water of longitudinal diameter to transverse diameter of 1:1 to 1000:1 and a water-binding capacity of >200 wt. % and a water retention capacity of >50%, and a method for acquiring and producing these separated, decompacted cellulose-based fibres. The purification method involves incubation of the vegetable material with an aqueous decomposition solution containing at least one dissolved amino acid and/or peptide with 2-50 amino acids to decompose the compacted cellulose-based fibres.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a non-acid-treated eco friendly cellulose nanocrystal and the cellulose nanocrystals prepared by the same. The methods for preparing the non-acid-treated cellulose nanocrystal and extracting the cellulose nanocrystal from cellulosic materials of the present invention are eco-friendly methods, compared with the conventional preparation method for cellulose nanocrystal based on acid-hydrolysis; are efficient due to the total energy saving process; are easy to utilize side products; and are characterized by high yield to produce the target cellulose nanocrystal. The nanocrystal prepared according to the present invention exhibits equivalent or higher aspect ratio, yield and crystallinity than the cellulose nanocrystal prepared through acid hydrolysis, and has remarkably excellent thermal stability, so that it can be effectively used for the production of membranes, electrical and electronic parts, substrates, heat insulating materials, and reinforcing materials required for durability against heat.

To provide a cellulose derivative excellent in thermoplasticity, water resistance and strength (elastic modulus, impact strength), a cellulose derivative, which is obtained by introducing a short-chain organic group (acetyl group), a medium-chain organic group having 3 to 5 carbon atoms and a long-chain organic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms at the following substitution degrees DSs into a cellulose, is used: Short-chain organic group: 0.7≤DS.sub.SH≤1.5; Medium-chain organic group: 0.5≤DS.sub.ME≤2.0; Long-chain organic group: 0.1≤DS.sub.LO<0.5; and 2.4≤DS.sub.SH+DS.sub.ME+DS.sub.LO≤3.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a cellulose dope comprising mixing and dissolving the cellulosic raw material in dilute and concentrated aqueous organic solvent in a two-stage process to form a homogeneous slurry, followed by heating the homogeneous slurry to obtain a cellulose dope containing 11% to 20% cellulose by weight. The invention also relates to a cellulose dope comprising 11% to 20% cellulose by weight and 73% to 79% aqueous organic solvent wherein the concentration of the cellulosic and metallic impurities in the cellulose dope shows a percent reduction of 20% to 50% from the cellulosic raw material.

A process for the production of cellulose, lignocellulosic sugars, lignosulfonate, and ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. The process comprises steaming, pretreatment, chemical recovery, saccharification, and optionally fermentation. The pretreatment conditions use only sulfur dioxide and water, simultaneously resulting in high glucan conversion to glucose at low enzyme charges, high recovery of hemicellulose-derived monomeric sugars, high lignosulfonate yield, and the absence of lignin precipitates. High-yield production of ethanol through fermentation can be obtained using this process.

The present invention includes a method for dissolving cellulose comprising dissolving cellulose in an ionic liquid and a co-solvent, wherein the ionic liquid is an imidazolium-based ionic liquid with, e.g., a halide or acetate as the anion.

Methods for producing cellulose articles having controlled release of active ingredient include dispersing pulp in aqueous direct solvent for cellulose to form a slurry. Organically modified or ion-exchange-activated phyllosilicate is homogenized in a direct solvent for cellulose with exfoliation by shearing, then mixed with the slurried pulp. A mixture of active ingredient and a lipophilic matrix material or a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion containing active ingredient is stabilized with thickener, converted into a gel-like paste, and mixed with the slurried pulp. Water is stripped from the mixture until all cellulose is dissolved, the mixture is formed into shaped articles, and dried. Exemplary active ingredients include cosmetic active ingredients, fat-soluble vitamins or apolar plant extracts. Domains of active ingredient and matrix material or emulsion containing active ingredient are present as fine divisions within the inventive articles. Exemplary shaped articles include functional fibers in knitted, woven and nonwoven fabrics; paper; foils and membranes.

The disclosure discloses a Pickering emulsion stabilized by cellulose from ginkgo seed shells and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the fields of preparation methods of biomass materials and food chemical industry. The disclosure uses ginkgo seed shells as a raw material to obtain high-purity cellulose through hot alkali treatment and sodium chlorite bleaching. After the cellulose is dried, the cellulose is hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid to obtain a cellulose nanocrystal suspension. The suspension is mixed with an oil phase, and the Pickering emulsion is obtained through high-speed shearing and homogeneous emulsification. The disclosure can prepare cellulose nanocrystals with different aspect ratios by adjusting the parameters of high-speed shearing and homogeneous emulsification according to actual production needs. Cellulose nanocrystals with high aspect ratio can be used to prepare stable Pickering emulsions with high oil phase and high viscosity, which can be applied to the fields of food, cosmetics and the like; and cellulose nanocrystals with low aspect ratio can be used to prepare Pickering emulsions with low viscosity and high fluidity, which can to be applied to the fields of food and medicine.

The present invention provides an ionic liquid represented by the following chemical formula (I):
[(CH.sub.3).sub.3N(CH.sub.2).sub.2OH].sup.+[NH.sub.2-L-COO].sup.(I) where L is (CH.sub.2).sub.2 or (CH.sub.2).sub.3. The present invention also provides an ionic liquid composition containing an ionic liquid; and water. The ionic liquid is represented by the above chemical formula (I). A molar ratio of [(CH.sub.3).sub.3N(CH.sub.2).sub.2OH].sup.+ to [NH.sub.2-L-COO].sup. is not less than 0.86 and not more than 1.12. A weight ratio of the water to the ionic liquid composition is not more than 4.7%. The present invention provides an ionic liquid capable of dissolving cellulose without an cellulose-degrading enzyme (namely, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing cellulose).

A method for producing a microbial cellulose pulp for the production of viscose dope, the method comprising the step of: exposing a microbial cellulose to a volume of water to form the microbial cellulose pulp for the production of viscose dope, wherein the cellulose concentration in the microbial cellulose pulp is less than 0.040 g of cellulose per mL of pulp.