A solid multiphase polymer blend material comprising: (i) a polyphenolic substance having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; and (ii) a polyester having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; wherein at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance is covalently bonded directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing the blend material are also described, e.g., homogeneously melt blending a mixture comprising components (i) and (ii) under conditions resulting in covalent attachment of at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described.

A solid multiphase polymer blend material comprising: (i) a polyphenolic substance having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; and (ii) a polyester having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; wherein at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance is covalently bonded directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing the blend material are also described, e.g., homogeneously melt blending a mixture comprising components (i) and (ii) under conditions resulting in covalent attachment of at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described.

Disclosed are biodegradable polyester polymers comprising lignin-containing segments and vegetable-oil based segments. Also disclosed herein are methods of making biodegradable polyester polymers and the articles made from these polymers.

An artificial timber comprises the following components in parts by weight: 35-50 parts of cellulose, 20-35 parts of hemicellulose and 15-35 parts of lignin, wherein the artificial timber has a density of 0.01-0.05 g/cm.sup.3. The preparing method comprises: (1) dissolving 15-35 parts by weight of lignin, 35-50 parts by weight of cellulose and 20-35 parts by weight of hemicellulose with an ionic liquid; (2) cleaning and replacing it with water to obtain a lignocellulose hydrogel; and (3) drying the lignocellulose hydrogel to obtain an artificial timber. The artificial timber prepared by the present invention is large in specific area, low in density, low in material energy consumption, moderate in condition and easy for operation. The artificial timber obtained by the present invention is regular in shape and is shaped like a sandy beige cylinder without obvious damage and deformation, which indicates that such artificial timber with high specific area has well molding capacity.

An artificial timber comprises the following components in parts by weight: 35-50 parts of cellulose, 20-35 parts of hemicellulose and 15-35 parts of lignin, wherein the artificial timber has a density of 0.01-0.05 g/cm.sup.3. The preparing method comprises: (1) dissolving 15-35 parts by weight of lignin, 35-50 parts by weight of cellulose and 20-35 parts by weight of hemicellulose with an ionic liquid; (2) cleaning and replacing it with water to obtain a lignocellulose hydrogel; and (3) drying the lignocellulose hydrogel to obtain an artificial timber. The artificial timber prepared by the present invention is large in specific area, low in density, low in material energy consumption, moderate in condition and easy for operation. The artificial timber obtained by the present invention is regular in shape and is shaped like a sandy beige cylinder without obvious damage and deformation, which indicates that such artificial timber with high specific area has well molding capacity.

A method for making crystalline graphite composite includes the following steps: additives are dry blended with a melt-flowable polylignin to form a blend. The blend is heated to create a melted flowable polylignin with the additives dispersed therein. The melted flowable polylignin is then solidified to a grindable form or to a shaped article of polylignin with dispersed additives, after which sufficient heat is provided to thermoset and carbonize the polylignin with dispersed additives. Additional heat is then provided to graphitize the carbonized polylignin and form a crystalline graphite matrix with uniformly dispersed additives.

A low energy production process for producing paper pulp from lignocellulosic biomass, the process comprising the following successive steps: a) extracting lignins and hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass by putting at least one solid lignocellulosic raw material in the presence of a mixture, composed only of water and of formic acid, at atmospheric pressure and under controlled conditions of reaction temperature between ambient temperature and the reflux temperature of the mixture at atmospheric pressure, preferably between 80° C. and 100° C., with a weight ratio of the at least one solid lignocellulosic raw material/liquid mixture comprised between 1/1 and 1/15, and for a determined period of time of reaction; and b) separating, at atmospheric pressure and at the reaction temperature, a solid fraction, constituting raw paper pulp, from an organic phase containing in solution at least the starting formic acid and water mixture, solubilized monomeric and polymeric sugars, lignins.

An integrated approach for utilizing waste products of 2G bio-refineries to fractionate the lignin of high purity. The present invention also provides a method of recycling of two waste products (2-G ethanol residue as the substrate (LRBR) and fusel oil/synthetic fusel oil (SFO) as one of the solvent) of the biorefineries in a beneficial manner to fractionate the lignin of high purity. The present method of separating high purity lignin comprises fractioning extractive-free lignin rich residue with a solvent, wherein the solvent is a mixture of SFO/Fusel oil and Formic acid. An optimized ratio of waste fusel oil and formic acid gave more than >85% yields of high purity lignin.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer film comprising highly refined cellulose fibers, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a first wet web by applying a first pulp suspension comprising highly refined cellulose fibers on a first wire; b) partially dewatering the first wet web to obtain a first partially dewatered web; c) forming a second wet web by applying a second pulp suspension comprising highly refined cellulose fibers on a second wire; d) partially dewatering the second wet web to obtain a second partially dewatered web; e) joining the first and second partially dewatered web to obtain a multilayer web; and f) further dewatering, and optionally drying, the multilayer web to obtain a multilayer film comprising highly refined cellulose fibers; wherein at least one of said first and second pulp suspension comprises lignin at a concentration in the range of 0.1-50 wt %, based on the total dry weight of the pulp suspension.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer film comprising highly refined cellulose fibers, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a first wet web by applying a first pulp suspension comprising highly refined cellulose fibers on a first wire; b) partially dewatering the first wet web to obtain a first partially dewatered web; c) forming a second wet web by applying a second pulp suspension comprising highly refined cellulose fibers on a second wire; d) partially dewatering the second wet web to obtain a second partially dewatered web; e) joining the first and second partially dewatered web to obtain a multilayer web; and f) further dewatering, and optionally drying, the multilayer web to obtain a multilayer film comprising highly refined cellulose fibers; wherein at least one of said first and second pulp suspension comprises lignin at a concentration in the range of 0.1-50 wt %, based on the total dry weight of the pulp suspension.