Systems, methods, and apparatus for conditioning bamboo or other types of vegetable cane are provided. In one aspect, the present technology provides a cane processing assembly for use with a substantially flattened sheet of bamboo culm or vegetable cane having a plurality of longitudinally oriented fiber bundles. The assembly comprises first and second conditioning rollers configured to apply pressure to the sheet that breaks at least some natural bonds connecting laterally adjacent fiber bundles in the sheet. The first and second conditioning rollers are adjustable relative to each other so as to vary the pressure applied to the sheet by the first and second conditioning rollers.

A method of dissolving lignocellulosic biomass waste includes obtaining raw lignocellulosic biomass waste, reducing a size of the biomass waste to provide a biomass particle size of less than about 200 μm; using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solvents to dissolve the biomass particles and achieve a dissolved lignocellulose solution. The present method dissolves at least about 94% of the lignocellulose fraction in the waste biomass. In an embodiment, the biomass particle size can be about 180 μm.

A method of dissolving lignocellulosic biomass waste includes obtaining raw lignocellulosic biomass waste, reducing a size of the biomass waste to provide a biomass particle size of less than about 200 μm; using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solvents to dissolve the biomass particles and achieve a dissolved lignocellulose solution. The present method dissolves at least about 94% of the lignocellulose fraction in the waste biomass. In an embodiment, the biomass particle size can be about 180 μm.

A used paper recycling apparatus includes a defibration unit that defibrates used paper to generate a defibrated product, an accumulation unit that accumulates the defibrated product to form a web, a sheet forming unit that forms a sheet by applying at least one of heating and compression to the web, a cutting unit that cuts the sheet into a predetermined length, and an optical sensor that is provided at an exit of the sheet forming unit and that measures density information of the sheet.

A used paper recycling apparatus includes a defibration unit that defibrates used paper to generate a defibrated product, an accumulation unit that accumulates the defibrated product to form a web, a sheet forming unit that forms a sheet by applying at least one of heating and compression to the web, a cutting unit that cuts the sheet into a predetermined length, and an optical sensor that is provided at an exit of the sheet forming unit and that measures density information of the sheet.

A starch composite for binding fibers includes starch particles which are first particles and second particles containing a hydrophobic material having an affinity for the starch particles, which are the first particles. The weight-average size of the second particles is less than the weight-average size of the first particles and the outer surfaces of the first particles are covered by the second particles.

A starch composite for binding fibers includes starch particles which are first particles and second particles containing a hydrophobic material having an affinity for the starch particles, which are the first particles. The weight-average size of the second particles is less than the weight-average size of the first particles and the outer surfaces of the first particles are covered by the second particles.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of naso-fibrillar cellulose gels by providing cellulose fibres and at least one filler and/or pigment; combining the cellulose fibres and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and fibrillating the cellulose fibres in the presence of the at least one filler and/or pigment until a gel is formed, as well as the nano-fibrillar cellulose gel obtained by this process and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of naso-fibrillar cellulose gels by providing cellulose fibres and at least one filler and/or pigment; combining the cellulose fibres and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and fibrillating the cellulose fibres in the presence of the at least one filler and/or pigment until a gel is formed, as well as the nano-fibrillar cellulose gel obtained by this process and uses thereof.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.