A piece of natural plant material is subjected to one or more chemical treatments to remove substantially all lignin therefrom, thereby allowing the extraction of delignified, cellulose-based fibers. For example, the natural plant material can be a grass, such as bamboo or gladiolus. Subsequent drying of the extracted fiber densifies the structure, yielding improved mechanical properties. In some embodiments, the extracted fibers can be used, either alone or in combination with other materials, as a structural material. For example, the extracted fibers can be embedded within, infiltrated with, coated by, or otherwise combined with a polymer or concrete to form a composite material.

The present disclosure provides to a novel continuous processing method to prepare sheets comprising cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Single screw extrusion was utilized to continuously process mechanically fibrillated cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) into sheets. Water-retention ability and stability of CNF suspensions containing different processing aids was assessed through centrifugation and zeta potential analysis. Subsequently, highly loaded pastes (up to ˜25 wt. % total solids content) containing the best performing processing aids (carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum (XG), and anionic polyacrylamide (aPAM)) and CNF were prepared using a Brabender with Banbury mixer-head at a dry weight ratio of either 0.1 to 1 or 0.15 to 1, respectively. Validation of the mixing procedure proved that highly loaded CNF pastes can be processed in under 40 minutes, saving up to 40 days in preparation and drying time.

A cellulose-fiber-dispersing polyolefin resin composite material, containing a polyolefin resin and a cellulose fiber dispersed in the polyolefin resin, in which the composite material contains the cellulose fiber of 3 mass % or more and less than 70 mass %, and when the composite material is subjected to the abrasion test according to ISO 6722 under the following test conditions, the amount of abrasion after 5,000 reciprocations satisfies the [Formula 1]: (Amount of abrasion [mm] of the cellulose-fiber-dispersing polyolefin resin composite material)<−0.003×(Cellulose effective mass ratio of the cellulose-fiber-dispersing polyolefin resin composite material)+0.3, [Test Conditions for Abrasion Test] Load: 1.7 kg, Needle diameter: φ0.45 mm, Stroke length: 10 mm, Period: 60 reciprocations/min, Test piece: length 38 mm×width 6 mm×thickness 1 mm, Temperature: 23° C.

The present invention relates to the treatment or prevention of skeletal disorders, in particular skeletal diseases, developed by patients that display abnormal increased activation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), in particular by expression of a constitutively activated mutant of FGFR3.

A flame-retardant, waterproof and formaldehyde-free board is disclosed. The board includes raw material and a coagulant agent. The mass ratio of the raw material to the coagulant agent is 1:1-5. The coagulant includes Agent (A), Agent (B) and magnesium oxide at a mass ratio of 15:2:8-12. In addition, a method of manufacturing the flame-retardant, waterproof and formaldehyde-free board is disclosed.

A wall compound for use in all applications and particularly well-suited for joining adjacent wallboards. The compound includes a latex resin, a thickener, fibers, and a filler material. In some embodiments, the repair compound is configured to exhibit at least one of yield stress and pseudoplastic-type behavior. In some embodiments, the compound includes hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers of different morphologies. In some embodiments, the wall compound includes one or more associative thickeners.

A wall compound for use in all applications and particularly well-suited for joining adjacent wallboards. The compound includes a latex resin, a thickener, fibers, and a filler material. In some embodiments, the repair compound is configured to exhibit at least one of yield stress and pseudoplastic-type behavior. In some embodiments, the compound includes hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers of different morphologies. In some embodiments, the wall compound includes one or more associative thickeners.

A rubber compound for use in a stator. The stator may be deployed in a positive displacement motor. The rubber compound includes a fiber reinforcement, wherein fibers in the fiber reinforcement create a grain direction in which “with the grain” is generally orthogonal to “across the grain”. In some embodiments, the rubber compound has a first value for 25% tensile Modulus across the grain and a second value for 25% tensile Modulus with the grain, wherein the first value is at least 10% lower than the second value. In such embodiments, the fiber reinforcement may further include a fiber loading of greater than 1.0 phr of fibers. In such embodiments, the rubber compound may further have a 25% tensile Modulus of greater than 400 psi across the grain and a 50% tensile Modulus of greater than 700 psi across the grain.

The invention relates to a thermoplastic molding composition comprising 5.0 to 57 wt.-% ABS graft copolymer (A); 30.5 to 80 wt.-% SAN copolymer (B) 1.5 to 9.5 wt.-% copolymer (C) with epoxy, maleic anhydride or maleic imide functions; 5 to 29 wt.-% of hollow glass microspheres (D); 6 to 12 wt.-% of glass fibers (E); 0 to 5 wt.-% additives and/or processing aids (F), having a low density and high strength, and a process for its preparation, shaped arti-cles thereof, and its use in the electronics sector.

An evaporative device has a piece of at least partially-delignified plant material. The at least partially-delignified plant material has a modified microstructure including a plurality of vessels, a plurality of fibers, and a plurality of engineered micropores. Each vessel can define a first lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension of at least 100 μm. Each fiber can define a second lumen having a maximum cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to 20 μm. The engineered micropores can extend through walls of the vessels or fibers so as to fluidically interconnect the first and second lumina. In some embodiments, the plant material is reed or bamboo.