The present invention relates to the field of reutilization of biomass resources, and more particularly relates to a grafting method for rice straw fiber modification. The pulverized and pretreated straw powder is first reacted with diisocyanate under ultrasonic and microwave treatment, and the resulting product is reacted with PEG to obtain the PEG grafted straw fiber polymer compound. Grafting PEG onto the straw fiber through the bridging of the diisocyanate improves the thermoplasticity of the modified rice straw fiber. The modified straw fiber of the present invention can be hot-pressed to form self-reinforced composite materials without adding additional materials, which overcomes the waste and pollution problem of traditional straw reutilization method, achieving the goal of whole straw utilization.

A method is provided for producing a mixed composition composed of a lignocellulosic fiber and a molten thermoplastic resin that are kneaded together, the mixed composition being for use as a fiber reinforced resin material, the method including: a kneading step of kneading the lignocellulosic fiber and the thermoplastic resin together using a multi screw extruding machine equipped with two or more screws, wherein the multi screw extruding machine includes: a cylinder that internally has a kneading space in which the screws are provided; and a heating device that is provided on an outer circumferential portion of the cylinder and includes a plurality of heating units arranged in an axial direction of the cylinder, and, in the kneading step, the lignocellulosic fiber and the thermoplastic resin are kneaded together while maintaining set temperatures of the heating units anywhere in the axial direction at a temperature less than a melting point of the thermoplastic resin.

One aspect of the present application relates to a method of synthesizing a thermoplastic polymer. This method includes providing a depolymerized lignin product comprising monomers and oligomers and producing lignin (meth)acrylate monomers and oligomers from the depolymerized lignin product. A thermoplastic lignin (meth)acrylate polymer is then formed by free radical polymerization of the lignin (meth)acrylate monomers and oligomers. The present application also relates to a branched chain thermoplastic lignin (meth)acrylate polymer which includes a chain transfer agent. The thermoplastic lignin based polymers of the present application can be used to prepare carbon fibers, and engineering thermoplastics. Mixtures of lignin (meth)acrylate monomers and oligomers are also disclosed.

This disclosure provides polymer and film derivatives of specialized clean lignin with improved properties. This disclosure also provides methods of making polymer and film derivatives of specialized clean lignin with improved properties.

The disclosed composite wood particulate products, adhesives contained in such wood particulate products, and methods of making the adhesive and the wood particulate products employ an aldehyde-free adhesive, and more specifically a formaldehyde-free adhesive. The aldehyde-free adhesive includes an inert additive that extends a resin, such as an isocyanate resin, and forms an evenly dispersed, less expensive polymeric adhesive admixture. The extender-filler of the resin is mixed with water to form a slurry. The slurry can then be mixed with a resin, like the isocyanate resin, to form the adhesive. Various rheology modifiers can be added, if desired, to the extender-filler or the slurry. The adhesive can be blended with wood particles to form a mat that is then pressed into a composite wood particulate product.

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

A bio-derived wearable film includes an acid-hydrolyzed palm stem pith, a starch, a cellulose, a synthetic polymer, a plant hydrogel, glycerin, and a dye, and a method of producing the bio-derived wearable film. The bio-wearable film has a water absorption of 0.00 to 0.16% measured according to ASTM D570; a carbonate content of 100 to 200 ppm; and shows no cracks when tested according to ASTM D5419.

The invention provides a method for recycling material, such as rigid panels or soft board, based on natural fibers comprising grinding the board at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, by exclusively mechanical action to obtain bulk fibers. In some cases, the rigid board to be recycled may undergo a mechanical pre-treatment step of destructuration/deplanarisation prior to grinding.

A lignocellulose solution is produced by a production method including: coarsely pulverizing a biomass containing lignocellulose to obtain a coarse powder; mixing the coarse powder with an organic acid; and dissolving the coarse powder in the organic acid. A molded article containing lignocellulose as a main component is formed from this solution. The molded article has a density of less than 1.20 g/cm.sup.3. In one embodiment, the molded article is substantially free of an adhesive component. In another aspect, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin constituting the lignocellulose form an ester bond with an organic acid. A molded article according to still another embodiment has a density of less than 1.60 g/cm.sup.3 and an amount of functional groups bound to cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of 0.35 or more and 0.60 or less.

An infilled artificial turf surface [18] includes a particulate infill [24] with at least a top layer [28] that comprises a mixture of Black walnut shell particles [30] and English walnut shell particles [32], the walnut shell particles [30, 32] having been treated so as to eliminate or substantially remove tree nut allergens that are known to activate allergies in some humans. Preferably, treatment occurs via heat treatment in a rotary furnace, which also rounds and smoothes the particles [30, 32]. Particularly if used in the top layer [28] of a particulate infill [24] of an artificial turf surface [18], the shape and size and proportion of the Black walnut shell particles [30] and the English walnut shell particles [32] provide stability for the resulting turf surface [18], while also being able to absorb water applied thereto, thereby to hold moisture and to provide evaporative cooling of the artificial turf surface [18] for up to about five hours.