Provided is a novel defibration method different from defibration by physical/mechanical pulverization and different from defibration by chemical modification. Provided is a defibration method and a production apparatus each capable of obtaining an intended, fine CNF without chemically modifying the CNF itself and by a treatment for a short time. A method for producing a cellulose nanofiber, the method being a method for continuously obtaining a cellulose nanofiber from raw material cellulose without performing chemical defibration and without performing physical/mechanical defibration in a post-treatment, and comprising mixing subcritical water in a high-temperature/high-pressure state, the subcritical water having a temperature of 180° C. or higher and lower than 370° C. and having a pressure of 5 MPa to 35 MPa, and the raw material cellulose, thereby defibrating the raw material cellulose to obtain a cellulose nanofiber dispersed in water, and a production apparatus for obtaining the cellulose nanofiber.

Provided is a novel defibration method different from defibration by physical/mechanical pulverization and different from defibration by chemical modification. Provided is a defibration method and a production apparatus each capable of obtaining an intended, fine CNF without chemically modifying the CNF itself and by a treatment for a short time. A method for producing a cellulose nanofiber, the method being a method for continuously obtaining a cellulose nanofiber from raw material cellulose without performing chemical defibration and without performing physical/mechanical defibration in a post-treatment, and comprising mixing subcritical water in a high-temperature/high-pressure state, the subcritical water having a temperature of 180° C. or higher and lower than 370° C. and having a pressure of 5 MPa to 35 MPa, and the raw material cellulose, thereby defibrating the raw material cellulose to obtain a cellulose nanofiber dispersed in water, and a production apparatus for obtaining the cellulose nanofiber.

A method of pulping wastepaper includes providing a pulping vessel with a rotor and at least one flow sensor adapted to measure slurry flow within the pulping vessel. The pulping vessel is charged with wastepaper and water to form a slurry, the amounts of wastepaper and water being present such that the slurry has consistency in the range of from 10% to 30%. The wastepaper charge in the pulping vessel is pulped at a pre-selected power level while monitoring poloidal slurry flow in the pulping vessel; and from time-to-time, water may be added to the pulping vessel when the poloidal flow falls below a predetermined lower threshold flow value in order to reduce viscosity and thereby restore poloidal flow within the pulping vessel. Doppler velocimetry is a preferred method of monitoring pulp flow. In a particularly preferred construction the rotor has a variable power drive. The inventive method is especially useful for making high quality, high brightness furnishes from wastepaper which varies from batch to batch.

Transportable equipment systems and associated methods for re-dispersing previously partially-dried belt press cakes or other partially-dried caked compositions produced by filtration, comprising microfibrillated cellulose and, optionally, one or more inorganic particulate material, and, optionally, one or more additive.

Transportable equipment systems and associated methods for re-dispersing previously partially-dried belt press cakes or other partially-dried caked compositions produced by filtration, comprising microfibrillated cellulose and, optionally, one or more inorganic particulate material, and, optionally, one or more additive.

Provided is a wheat straw paper composite for a packaging material, comprising a first layer and second layer of wheat straw paper; and a layer of wheat flour film therebetween. Also provided is a laminate comprising at least three of the wheat straw paper composites, the first and second wheat straw paper composites in the form of a flat sheet, and the third wheat straw paper composite corrugated to include a plurality of flutes and positioned between the first and second wheat straw paper composite. Also provided is a system for packaging and physically protecting electronic devices in transit. The packaging system includes the laminate provided herein as an external protection container in combination with a corn foam insert that comprises a biodegradable cornstarch foam product comprising at least 60 wt % cornstarch, or a biodegradable expanded foam comprising a polylactic acid.

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a case that accommodates raw material pieces including fibers, a rotator that rotates inside the case to stir the raw material pieces, a stirring motor that rotates the rotator, a transport apparatus that transports the raw material pieces through a transport path coupled to a side wall of the case, and a control apparatus that controls rotation states of the rotator and the transport apparatus, in which the transport apparatus includes a discharge pipe that rotates on a central axis along the transport path, and a transport motor that rotates the discharge pipe.

Provided is a method that, when pulp fibers are recovered from used absorbent articles that have been put into collection bags, makes it possible to safely and sanitarily crush the used absorbent articles while suppressing costs. A method for recovering pulp fibers from used absorbent articles, the method comprising: a crushing step (S12) in which collection bags (A) in which used absorbent articles have been sealed are put into a container (65), the collection bags in the container are transferred to a crushing device (12) that communicates with the container, and, bag by bag, the crushing device crushes the used absorbent articles in the collections bags in a deactivating aqueous solution; and a separation step (S13) in which the pulp fibers, a highly water-absorbent polymer, and the deactivating aqueous solution are separated from the crushed product and deactivating aqueous solution obtained in the crushing step.

It is disclosed a continuous process for soaking a ligno-cellulosic biomass stream in an extraction solution comprising water and dissolved water soluble species derived from a previously treated ligno-cellulosic biomass, wherein the soaked ligno-cellulosic biomass stream is optionally rinsed with a rinse solution stream to produce a soaking liquid. The electrical conductivity of the extraction solution and/or the soaking liquid are controlled to a value in a suitable target range by regulating one or more dilution streams.

The disclosed process is useful to remove non-ligno-cellulosic water soluble compounds from the ligno-cellulosic biomass with a low consumption of water.

It is disclosed a continuous process for soaking a ligno-cellulosic biomass stream in an extraction solution comprising water and dissolved water soluble species derived from a previously treated ligno-cellulosic biomass. In the process, water insoluble contaminants are separated according to their apparent mass densities. The ligno-cellulosic biomass stream may be further subjected to a second optional soaking step in a counter flow configuration. The disclosed process is useful to remove non-ligno-cellulosic water soluble compounds from the ligno-cellulosic biomass with a low consumption of water.