The present invention relates to the production of cellulose from coffee or cocoa husks. The cellulose extracted can be used to produce paper, card stock, and cardboard. In addition, a composite material also comprising a material that allows the release of aromas is manufactured using said cellulose. Said material is used to manufacture a laminated product for use in primary, secondary and tertiary packaging applications. Said type of article allows printing on the outer surface thereof, is biodegradable and biocompatible.

The present invention relates to the production of cellulose from coffee or cocoa husks. The cellulose extracted can be used to produce paper, card stock, and cardboard. In addition, a composite material also comprising a material that allows the release of aromas is manufactured using said cellulose. Said material is used to manufacture a laminated product for use in primary, secondary and tertiary packaging applications. Said type of article allows printing on the outer surface thereof, is biodegradable and biocompatible.

Method for treating biomass, comprising compressing and dewatering (62) the biomass to a dry solid content of DS1% by weight; feeding (63) compressed biomass to a treatment vessel; adding (64) a treatment liquid to said treatment vessel; discharging (65) treated biomass; compressing and dewatering (66) discharged biomass to a dry solid content of DS2% by weight, and treating (68) the compressed and dewatered biomass in a hydrolysis reactor, wherein 1%<DS1−DS2<6%.

The present invention provides a pulp product (e.g., paper) comprising cellulose and nanocellulose, wherein the nanocellulose is derived from the cellulose in a mechanical and/or chemical step that is separate from the main pulping process. The pulping process may be thermomechanical pulping or hydrothermal-mechanical pulping, for example. The pulp product is stronger and smoother with the presence of the nanocellulose. The nanocellulose further can function as a retention aid, for a step of forming the pulp product (e.g., in a paper machine). Other embodiments provide a corrugated medium pulp composition comprising cellulose pulp and nanocellulose, wherein the nanocellulose includes cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals and the nanocellulose may be hydrophobic. The nanocellulose improves the strength properties of the corrugated medium. In some embodiments, the cellulose pulp is a GreenBox+® pulp and the nanocellulose is derived from the AVAP® process.

The present invention provides a pulp product (e.g., paper) comprising cellulose and nanocellulose, wherein the nanocellulose is derived from the cellulose in a mechanical and/or chemical step that is separate from the main pulping process. The pulping process may be thermomechanical pulping or hydrothermal-mechanical pulping, for example. The pulp product is stronger and smoother with the presence of the nanocellulose. The nanocellulose further can function as a retention aid, for a step of forming the pulp product (e.g., in a paper machine). Other embodiments provide a corrugated medium pulp composition comprising cellulose pulp and nanocellulose, wherein the nanocellulose includes cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals and the nanocellulose may be hydrophobic. The nanocellulose improves the strength properties of the corrugated medium. In some embodiments, the cellulose pulp is a GreenBox+® pulp and the nanocellulose is derived from the AVAP® process.

The invention relates to a method for obtaining cellulose fibres from fibrous biomass, in which: the biomass is first subjected to thermo-pressure hydrolysis, preferably with steam explosion, in a thermo-pressure hydrolysis plant, and then separation of the fibrous sludge obtained from the thermo-pressure hydrolysis plant is carried out in at least one separation plant, wherein a press cake of cellulose fibres, preferably with a dry material content of over 20%, preferably of over 25%, and a filtrate of flowable, solids-rich thin sludge are obtained, and wherein the thin sludge is fed to a biogas plant as a fermentation substrate to obtain biogas. The invention also relates to a plant for carrying out this method.

The invention relates to a method for obtaining cellulose fibres from fibrous biomass, in which: the biomass is first subjected to thermo-pressure hydrolysis, preferably with steam explosion, in a thermo-pressure hydrolysis plant, and then separation of the fibrous sludge obtained from the thermo-pressure hydrolysis plant is carried out in at least one separation plant, wherein a press cake of cellulose fibres, preferably with a dry material content of over 20%, preferably of over 25%, and a filtrate of flowable, solids-rich thin sludge are obtained, and wherein the thin sludge is fed to a biogas plant as a fermentation substrate to obtain biogas. The invention also relates to a plant for carrying out this method.

A method for preparing unbleached biomechanical pulp from straw. Straw is used as a raw material, which is firstly pre-treated with hot water and hot steam, added with a small amount of alkali, and then softened by saturation with hot water, enzymatically treated by adding alkaline biological enzymes, refined, and washed. This method has the advantage that the whole production process does not need alkali recovery, thereby avoiding environmental pollution from the source. This technology conforms to the national industrial policy of resource conservation, economic recycling, energy saving and emission reduction. The present invention overcomes the problems of difficulty in recovering the alkali wastewater accompanying straw pulp and serious pollution in the prior art. This is of great significance for the industrial production of straw pulp and the development of the paper industry.

A method for preparing unbleached biomechanical pulp from straw. Straw is used as a raw material, which is firstly pre-treated with hot water and hot steam, added with a small amount of alkali, and then softened by saturation with hot water, enzymatically treated by adding alkaline biological enzymes, refined, and washed. This method has the advantage that the whole production process does not need alkali recovery, thereby avoiding environmental pollution from the source. This technology conforms to the national industrial policy of resource conservation, economic recycling, energy saving and emission reduction. The present invention overcomes the problems of difficulty in recovering the alkali wastewater accompanying straw pulp and serious pollution in the prior art. This is of great significance for the industrial production of straw pulp and the development of the paper industry.

Provided are cost-effective methods and systems for producing a low molecular weight reactive lignin from a lignocellulosic biomass. The process is rapid and the reactive lignin is easily separated from carbohydrates and other components of the biomass at low cost. This clean lignin product has a very low molecular weight, good hydroxyl content, and low ash and sulfur, making it valuable to many applications.