A polymer-nanocellulose-lignin composite as disclosed comprises a polymer, nanocellulose, and lignin, wherein lignin forms a hydrophobic interface between the polymer and the nanocellulose. In some variations, a process is disclosed for producing a polymer-nanocellulose-lignin composite material, comprising: fractionating lignocellulosic biomass in the presence of an acid, a solvent for lignin, and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin, wherein lignin deposits onto fiber surfaces or into fiber pores; mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form a hydrophobic nanocellulose material comprising cellulose fibrils and/or cellulose crystals; hydrolyzing the hemicellulose to generate fermentable hemicellulosic sugars; fermenting the fermentable hemicellulosic sugars to generate a monomer or monomer precursor; polymerizing the monomer to produce a polymer; and combining the polymer with the lignin-coated nanocellulose to generate a polymer-nanocellulose-lignin composite material for use in a wide variety of products.

High performance electrodes for electrochemical devices having a polymer network with an electroactive material chemically attached to a crosslinked polymer matrix are disclosed. A method includes mixing an electrode slurry and forming a polymer network within the electrode slurry. The electrode slurry includes an electroactive material, an electrically conductive filler, a plurality of polymer chains, and a plurality of chemical crosslinking precursors. Each chemically crosslinking precursor is configured to (i) chemically crosslink the plurality of polymer chains and (ii) chemically attach the electroactive material to the plurality of polymer chains.

Disclosed herein are composite materials comprising amylose, cellulose nanofibres or cellulose nanocrystals, and a plasticiser. The amylose is of high purity, specifically containing little or no amylopectin. The cellulose nanofibres or cellulose nanocrystals act to reinforce the disclosed composite materials. Also disclosed are methods of producing such composite materials, and their use.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a film comprising highly refined cellulose fibers in a paper-making machine, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing an aqueous pulp suspension comprising at least 20% by dry weight of highly refined cellulose fibers having an SR (Schopper-Riegier) value in the range of 80-100 at a consistency in the range of 0.8-3 wt % and; b) deflocculating and diluting the aqueous pulp suspension to a lower consistency in the range of 0.1-1.5 wt % by injecting the aqueous pulp suspension into an aqueous stream using a high shear mixer to obtain a diluted aqueous pulp suspension; and c) feeding the diluted aqueous pulp suspension to a headbox of the paper-making machine.

This cellulose powder has: an average degree of polymerization of 100 to 350; a weight average particle size of over 30 μm, but less than 250 μm; an apparent specific volume of 2 to less than 15 cm.sup.3/g; and an organic carbon content from residual impurities, which is defined by the total organic carbon content (%) during 1% NaOH extraction to the total organic carbon content (%) during pure water extraction, of over 0.07 to 0.3%.

There is provided a method of producing a sheet comprising fibrillated cellulose, comprising the steps of: a) providing chemically modified cellulose fibres in which a chargeable moiety has been introduced and the C.sub.2-C.sub.3 bond has been broken in at least part of the D-glucose units, wherein the charge density measured according to SCAN-CM 65:02 is 150-1500 μeq/g; b) forming a fibre web by dewatering a slurry comprising the modified cellulose fibres; and c) adding a base to the fibre web so as to obtain the sheet comprising fibrillated cellulose.

A method of manufacturing a cellulose nanofiber film includes: oxidation-treating cellulose fibers with TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl) to prepare a cellulose fiber dispersion; treating the cellulose fiber dispersion with a high pressure homogenizer to defibrate it and to prepare a cellulose nanofiber suspension; and mixing glycerol or a derivative thereof with the cellulose nanofiber suspension, followed by coating and drying the resultant to form a film.

The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing a solution in which a water-soluble polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent of water mixed with a solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent from the solution. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water. Voids are formed, in the step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent, by the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water.

The present invention relates to a method for dewatering a web comprising microfibrillated cellulose, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a suspension comprising between 50 weight-% to 100 weight-% of microfibrillated cellulose based on total dry weight, forming a fibrous web of said suspension on a support wherein said web has a dry content of 1-25% by weight, applying a dewatering felt into direct contact with the fibrous web, conducting said fibrous web, arranged between said dewatering felt and said substrate, through a pressing equipment. The invention further relates to a film produced from said method.

Disclosed herein is method for preparing a masterbatch by dispersing chemically modified cellulose nanofibers having carboxy groups under acidic conditions and then mixing the dispersed cellulose nanofibers with rubber latex. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a method for producing a masterbatch, including: (A) a step of introducing a carboxy group to a cellulose-based raw material to prepare a modified cellulose; (B) a step of carrying out defibration treatment and dispersion treatment of the modified cellulose to prepare a cellulose nanofiber; (C) a step of acidifying the cellulose nanofiber to prepare an acid type cellulose nanofiber; and (D) a step of mixing the acid type cellulose nanofiber and a rubber component. The rubber composition having excellent strength such as tensile strength can be provided by using the obtained masterbatch.