US20150361616A1 - Process for isolating cellulose from cellulosic biomass, isolated cellulose of type i and composite materials comprising same - Google Patents

Process for isolating cellulose from cellulosic biomass, isolated cellulose of type i and composite materials comprising same Download PDF

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US20150361616A1
US20150361616A1 US14/763,273 US201414763273A US2015361616A1 US 20150361616 A1 US20150361616 A1 US 20150361616A1 US 201414763273 A US201414763273 A US 201414763273A US 2015361616 A1 US2015361616 A1 US 2015361616A1
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cellulose
biomass
source
compound
lignin
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Hatem Essaddam
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Ventix Environment Inc
VENTIX ENVIRONNEMENT Inc
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Ventix Environment Inc
VENTIX ENVIRONNEMENT Inc
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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C3/00—Pulping cellulose-containing materials
    • D21C3/003—Pulping cellulose-containing materials with organic compounds
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C11/00—Regeneration of pulp liquors or effluent waste waters
    • D21C11/0007—Recovery of by-products, i.e. compounds other than those necessary for pulping, for multiple uses or not otherwise provided for
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08H—DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
    • C08H8/00—Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C3/00—Pulping cellulose-containing materials
    • D21C3/04—Pulping cellulose-containing materials with acids, acid salts or acid anhydrides
    • D21C3/16—Pulping cellulose-containing materials with acids, acid salts or acid anhydrides nitrogen oxides; nitric acid nitrates, nitrites
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C9/00—After-treatment of cellulose pulp, e.g. of wood pulp, or cotton linters ; Treatment of dilute or dewatered pulp or process improvement taking place after obtaining the raw cellulosic material and not provided for elsewhere
    • D21C9/001—Modification of pulp properties
    • D21C9/007—Modification of pulp properties by mechanical or physical means
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C9/00—After-treatment of cellulose pulp, e.g. of wood pulp, or cotton linters ; Treatment of dilute or dewatered pulp or process improvement taking place after obtaining the raw cellulosic material and not provided for elsewhere
    • D21C9/02—Washing ; Displacing cooking or pulp-treating liquors contained in the pulp by fluids, e.g. wash water or other pulp-treating agents
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • D21C9/00—After-treatment of cellulose pulp, e.g. of wood pulp, or cotton linters ; Treatment of dilute or dewatered pulp or process improvement taking place after obtaining the raw cellulosic material and not provided for elsewhere
    • D21C9/10—Bleaching ; Apparatus therefor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of biomass delignification and cellulose extraction. More particularly, the invention relates to processes for the production of a cellulose pulp and processes for isolating cellulose from cellulose-containing biomass. The invention further relates to isolated cellulose obtained from these processes and to the use of same in various materials.
  • Plant biomass is primarily composed of cellulose ( ⁇ 50%), lignin ( ⁇ 25%) and hemicelluloses ( ⁇ 25%).
  • Sulfite and bisulfite chemical processes are used mainly on softwood. Both processes are based on wood chips' lignin dissolution in sulfuric acid salts, either sulfites (SO 3 2 ⁇ ) or bisulfite (HSO 3 ⁇ ) depending on the pH. Both processes take place in wide pressurized reactors. Counterions used are sodium (Na + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), potassium (K + ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ) or ammonium (NH 4 + ).
  • the commonly used sulfate or Kraft process has the advantage of treating a great variety of plants such as hardwood and softwood, sugar cane and reed, just to name a few.
  • the Kraft process requires high heat and high pressure for several hours.
  • the pulp obtained is dark in appearance and, for quality papers requiring a high degree of whiteness; the pulp must undergo chemical bleaching. Both processes are highly polluting despite efforts since the 1930's to recover the chemical products used therein.
  • Chemical processes have been periodically improved since their first discovery but they still remain quite similar to the original processes. Almost all processes tend to denature cellulose and lignin fibres due to exposure to high pressures and high temperatures and also due to the use of salts and counterions that change both the chemical and physical structure of molecules. Chemical processes further require massive industrial facilities and huge investments to build and operate since these known processes require large amounts of energy and water and they must also deal with air and water pollutants.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,599 and International PCT publication WO 2005/017001 disclose a method using ionic liquids for obtaining cellulose. According to the method described, the biomass is immersed in ionic liquids and it is subjected to microwave radiation (source of energy) and to pressure conditions of several atmospheres. Although the method provides some advantages over the Kraft process, it still presents some disadvantages, including the need for thermal energy and the use of high pressure and the low yield of pure cellulose.
  • the invention relates to delignification of biomass and extraction cellulose from cellulosic biomass.
  • One particular aspect of the present invention concerns aprocess for the production of a cellulose pulp, comprising:
  • the biomass provides at least a portion of said source of anions A.
  • a related aspect of the invention concerns process for the production of a cellulose pulp, comprising:
  • Another aspect of the invention concerns a process for isolating cellulose from biomass, comprising:
  • Another aspect of the invention concerns isolated cellulose obtained according to the processes described herein.
  • the invention relates to an isolated cellulose characterized by a FTIR spectrum that is distinguishable from the FTIR spectrum for cellulose type II.
  • the FTIR spectrum of said isolated cellulose is characterized by a peak at 1730 cm ⁇ 1 .
  • the invention relates also to an isolated cellulose characterized by a X-ray spectrum distinguishable from the X-ray spectrum for cellulose type II.
  • a further aspect of the invention concerns a composite material comprising a resin and/or a hardener mixed with an isolated cellulose as defined herein.
  • a further aspect of the invention concerns a composite material having distinctive characteristics, such as an improved elasticity and/or incorporating at 15% w/w of cellulose.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that it provides relatively simpler, cheaper and more efficient means than all other chemical processes for making cellulose pulp and extracting cellulose from biomass.
  • the processes of the invention can be implemented in variable sizes, such as large industrial facilities or smaller mobile units installed near or on the very sites of wood processing activities.
  • the processes of the invention can be carried out at ambient pressure conditions and do not require external source of energy such as heating, pressurizing or the like.
  • the chemical processes of the invention are likely more environmental friendly because they use less water and they produce less water and gas pollutants than other existing chemical processes.
  • the cellulose that is obtained from these processes possess advantages in terms of purity (i.e. less lignin and less hemicelluloses), cell integrity, reactivity and abundance, than typical commercial type I and type II celluloses.
  • FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing a process for cellulose extraction, according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic drawings illustrating the process of FIG. 1 , FIG. 2A illustrating steps 160 , 170 and 180 and FIG. 2B steps 200 and 220 of the process of FIG. 1 .
  • the following numbers represent the illustrated elements: (1) Compound A; (2) Biomass; (3) Biomass swelling; (4) Compound B; (5) Heating; (6) Gas emission; (7) Solid substance; (8) heterogeneous viscous mixture; (9) Filter; (10) Filtrate; (11) Washing; (12) Cellulose; (13) Filter; (14) Ventilation; (15) Blending; (16) Sieving; and (17) Cellulose powder.
  • FIG. 3 is a bar graph depicting breakdown analysis of hemicelluloses, lignin and cellulose obtained according to Examples 1 to 4.
  • FIGS. 4A-4C are curves depicting infrared spectrum (IR) of the [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention (Invention, Type I; FIG. 4A ), commercial cellulose Alpha from Sigma Aldrich (Type II, FIG. 4B ) and an overlap of both curves ( FIG. 4C ).
  • IR infrared spectrum
  • FIGS. 5A-5D are RX difractrograms curves of various celluloses.
  • FIG. 5A Avicel PH101 Type I cellulose (Park et al. 2010. Cellulose crystallinity index: measurement techniques and their impact on interpreting cellulose performance. Biotechnol Biofuels. 2010; 3: 10)
  • FIG. 5B Type II cellulose (Biganska O., 2002. Étude physico-chimique des solutions de cellulose dans la N-méthylmorpholine-N-oxyde. Thesis, Institutes, Paris, 133 p.).
  • FIG. 5C [20 ⁇ m, 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention;
  • FIG. 5D overlap of the curves of FIG. 5A and FIG. 5C .
  • FIGS. 6A-6D are pictures of microscopic imaging from scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
  • SEM scanning electron microscopy
  • Avicel PH101 Type I cellulose at a 300 ⁇ m scale ( FIG. 6C ) and 60 ⁇ m scale ( FIG. 6D ) (Ribet J., 2003. Fonctionnalisation des excipients: application à la comprimmatiilia des celluloses et des saccharoses, Thesis, liable Limoges, France, 263 p.).
  • FIGS. 7A and 7B are respectively length and width bar graphs (in ⁇ m) depicting size distribution of the [ ⁇ 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from maple wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 7C is a bar graph depicting a size distribution of cellulose fibers length pictured in FIG. 6C (Avicel PH101 Type I cellulose).
  • FIG. 8 depicts curves of polymerization for [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] and [20 ⁇ m, 45 ⁇ m] sieved fractions of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention, and for a commercial type I cellulose (Avicel PH101, FMC Biopolymer) compared to Epolam 2015TM.
  • FIG. 9A depicts thermogravimetric analysis curves (TGA) for the [ ⁇ 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from maple wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 9B depicts dynamic mechanical analysis curves (DMA) for the [ ⁇ 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from maple wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • the curves for Sample 1 refers to resin epoxy Epon 862TM+10% cellulose, and the curves for sample 2 refers to pure epoxy Epon 862TM.
  • FIG. 10 is a picture of microscopic imaging of a nanoparticle (size smaller than 1 ⁇ m) of cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 11A displays a curve depicting a FTIR spectrum of non-oxidized isolated cellulose (DS close to 0).
  • FIG. 11C displays an overlap of the curves of FIGS. 11A and 11B .
  • the present invention is concerned with the production of a cellulose pulp and with processes for isolating cellulose from cellulose-containing biomass. Contrary to known chemical processes which require large amount of energy (e.g. high heat and high pressure), the processes of the invention have the particularity of generating exothermic reactions through enthalpies of reaction and mixture. Accordingly, the processes of the invention do not require any external energy supply to modulate the temperature, and/or the pressure since the required energy is provided by chemical reagents that are already present in the biomass or added as needed.
  • the essence of the invention relies on the use of two main compounds A and B reacting with the biomass. Chosen compounds are acting both as reagents and as sources of anions and cations for the making of a solution and eventually an ionic liquid which will solubilize lignin and hemicelluloses and strip both components from cellulose. When properly selected, dosed and/or mixed, compounds A and B will react with the biomass to generate sufficient energy through enthalpies of reactions and enthalpies of mixture to break intermolecular bonds existing between cellulose, lignin, and hemicelluloses and will allow a solubilisation of the lignin and hemicelluloses.
  • cellulose fibres obtained according to the invention are depleted from most of the original lignin and these cellulose fibers can conserve native molecular properties or they can be modified chemically according to selected operating conditions.
  • biomass refers to cellulose-containing products such as wood, plant biomass and derivatives including, but not limited to, hard and softwood including trunk, bark, branches, roots and leaves, plants and herbs, hemp, straw, vegetable waste, wood residues, woodchips, algae, papers, cardboards and the like.
  • Ionic liquid refers to liquid salts which possess high thermal stabilities and are liquid around room temperature (typically ⁇ 100° C. to 200° C., but this might even exceed 300° C.) (Wassercheid, P., Welton. T., 2003, Ionic Liquids in Synthesis, Wiley-VCH, p. 1-6, 41-55 and 68-81). Ionic liquids are largely made of ions and short-lived ion pairs, mostly an organic cation combined with an organic or inorganic anion. There are over a million possible cation-anion combinations and new combinations are emerging constantly.
  • ionic liquid may be a quaternary ammonium or a quaternary phosphoniums, where the cations bear amine groups; ethers or alcohols; acids or esters; thiols; vinyl; allyl; alkynes; nitriles or even chiral cations.
  • the ionic liquid may be a compound in which an organic or inorganic anions is selected among chirals functionalized by nitriles, hydroxyborates, Lewis bases, metal salts or heteroplyanions.
  • Particular examples of ionic liquids according to the invention include, but are not limited to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,832 A, U.S. Pat. No.
  • RTIL room temperature ionic liquids
  • liquid electrolytes ionic melts
  • ionic fluids fused salts
  • liquid salts orionic glasses.
  • cellulose includes an organic oligomer or homopolymer (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) n consisting of a linear chain of several ⁇ (1 ⁇ 4) linked D-glucose units with, at the end of each chain, both a reducing group and a non-reducing group.
  • Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth.
  • cellulose encompasses all different form of cellulosic material including, but not limited to, sheets, fibers, fibrils, strands, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and the like.
  • isolated cellulose refers to cellulose obtained, extracted, purified, etc. from cellulose-containing biomass, preferably by using a process according to the present invention.
  • type I cellulose or “cellulose of type I” or “cellulose I” or “native cellulose” refers to cellulose in which all the cellulose strands are parallel and have no inter-sheet hydrogen bonding.
  • Cellulose I contains two coexisting phase cellulose I ⁇ (triclinic) and cellulose I ⁇ (monoclinic) in varying proportions dependent on its origin: I ⁇ being found more in algae and bacteria whilst I ⁇ is the major form of higher plants (Atalla R H. 1999. The individual structures of native celluloses. Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Wood and Pulping Chemistry, Main Symposium; Yokohama, Japan. 07-10 Jun. 1999; pp. 608-614).
  • Cellulose I ⁇ and cellulose I ⁇ can be found in mixed proportion in all sources (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 9 vol. 125, no. 47, 2003 14300-14306; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 9 vol. 124, no. 31, 2002 9074-9082).
  • type II cellulose or “cellulose of type ii” or “cellulose II” refers to cellulose that is generally monoclinic and thermodynamically more stable than cellulose I.
  • the structure of cellulose II shows an antiparallel arrangement of the strands and it has both intra- and inter-sheet hydrogen-bonding.
  • Cellulose II can be obtained by mercerization of cellulose I for example. It is generally generated after chemical (i.e. mercerization) or chemico-mechanical treatment of lingocellulosic biomass.
  • cellulose pulp refers to a viscous or semi-liquid mixture deriving from chemical treatment of cellulose-containing biomass, and comprising fibrous cellulose material, solubilised hemicelluloses, solubilised lignin and other residues or components deriving from the biomass or the chemical-treatment.
  • the term “enthalpy of reaction” refers to an energy change of a reaction ⁇ H. It is the amount of energy or heat absorbed in a reaction. If the energy is required, ⁇ B is positive, and if energy is released, ⁇ H is negative.
  • the term “enthalpy of mixture” refers to the energy that is taken up or released upon mixing of two chemical substances. When the enthalpy of mixing is positive, mixing is endothermic while negative enthalpy of mixing signifies exothermic mixing. Accordingly, as used herein, the term “reacts exothermically” refers to a chemical reaction in which heat and somehow pressure is released upon mixing of two or more chemical substances (e.g. biomass and compound A and/or B, compounds A+B, etc.).
  • One particular aspect of the present invention relates to a process for the production of a cellulose pulp.
  • the pulp may then be washed, dried, grinded and/or milled to yield native or modified cellulose depending on operating conditions.
  • Another particular aspect of the invention concerns a process for isolating cellulose from biomass.
  • the process comprises:
  • the invention may allow the extraction of native and/or modified cellulose or functionalized and/or non-functionalized cellulose, either by partial or total removal of lignin and hemicelluloses.
  • the source of anions is defined as any compound containing a proton in the sense of the Lowry-Bronsted theory and may become an anionic precursor in an ionic liquid.
  • Compound A is then defined as being an anionic precursor of an ionic liquid in the sense that this compound becomes an anionic source when mixed with a cationic source being compound B, in this case.
  • Compound A may be a liquid, a solid or a gas.
  • Compound A may contain the same type of anionic precursor or different types. Compound A may then be defined as A 1 A 2 , . . . A i , index i characterizing the number of different anionic precursors, including all forms comprised in the predominance pH diagram (i.e. compound A can be a salt or an acid).
  • compound A is gaseous (hydrochloric acid, for example) or solid (p-toluensulfonic acid, for example), one can solubilize the gas or solid in a solvent prior to contacting with the biomass, in order to improve the reactivity of compound A and optimize the processes of the invention.
  • the source of cations is a compound that may be selected from: primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines or polyamines or phosphines or polyphosphines molecules, quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphoniums, ethers or alcohols, acids or esters, thiols, vinyl, allyl, alkynes, nitriles or chiral cations, chirals functionalized by nitriles, hydroxyborates, Lewis bases, metal salts or heteroplyanions.
  • Compound B is a cationic source when reacting with compound A (anionic source) to produce solution AB or an ionic liquid.
  • Compound B may contain the same type of cationic precursor or different types. Compound B may then be defined as B 1 B 2 , . . . B j , index j characterizing the number of different cationic precursors including all forms comprised in the predominance pH diagram (i.e. compound B can be a salt or base). In one particular implementation, indexes i and j can be equal or different.
  • Compound B is preferably a liquid, but it can also be solid or gaseous. Particular examples of compound B include, but is not limited to, 2-Aminoethanol, 2,2′-Iminodiethanol and 2,2′,2-nitrilotriethanol. In preferred embodiments, compound B is 2-Aminoethanol or 2,2′-Iminodiethanol.
  • a and B work together and are selected to form a couple AB having an enthalpy of mixture that is sufficient to modify the structure of the biomass without reaching overly high temperature that would partially or totally denature or burn the lignin, the hemicelluloses and/or the cellulose.
  • enthalpies are too strong, it is possible to artificially cool the reaction in order to prevent denaturing or burning either chemically (i.e. by adding a neutral solvent such as ethanol or cold water) or physically (i.e. by cooling the the reactor).
  • the anions (compound A) and cations (compound B) are added separately and in two different phases.
  • compound A is added in a first phase before compound B, while in other embodiments compound B is added in a first phase and then, compound A is added in second phase.
  • a certain period of time is allowed between the two phases (i.e. minimum contacting time before adding the second compound to mixture comprising the first compound).
  • That period of time may be only a few seconds or a few minutes (e.g about 15 sec, about 30 sec, about 45 sec, about 1 min, about 2 min, about 5 min, about 10 min, about 15 min, about 30 min or more) or it may be longer (at least 15 min, at least 30 min, at least 45 min, at least 1 h, at least 2 h or more).
  • the time may vary according to various factors and conditions, including but not limited to the type and condition of the biomass being used as the starting material, the identity and amount of compound A and/or B, etc.
  • compounds A and B can be carried out by the same molecule where a change in pH, corresponding to the field dominance, would predominantly generate compound A or compound B.
  • the source of anions and the source of cations may be a single zwitterion or a zwitterionic compound.
  • the invention envisions the use of zwitterions in combination with or replacement to either or both components A and B.
  • the zwitterion may be selected from and not limited to amino acids (e.g.
  • the source of anions/cations may already be present in the biomass.
  • the compound A or B could be omitted from the reaction.
  • some components may already be present in the biomass such as in the bark of some trees (e.g. betulinol, lupeol, oleanolic acid, betulinic acid and the like, comprised in white birch bark).
  • the impregnation of the biomass with compound A or B may cause a swelling or increase in volume of the biomass causing a rupture of hydrogen and Van der Waals bonds due to space occupation of one or more external molecules.
  • the exothermic reactions occurring during the processes of the invention will weaken and eventually break the intermolecular bonds existing between lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses to produce a cellulose pulp comprising solubilised hemicelluloses and solubilised lignin.
  • the present invention is generally applicable to woody and plant biomass and derivatives including, but not limited to, hard and softwood including trunk, bark, branches, roots and leaves, plants and herbs, hemp, straw, vegetable waste, wood residues, woodchips, algae, papers, cardboards and other. Biomass can also be made of mixed sources of biomass.
  • the processes of the invention comprises cleaning or washing the biomass for removing any undesirable impurity, contaminants, dirt or extractable products (waxes, tannins, minerals, essential oils, pectins, vitamins and other), prior to contacting with the source of anions and/or cations.
  • This cleaning may help to retain only the basic constituents of the biomass (i.e. cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses).
  • the process may include a step intended to prepare or macerate the biomass (e.g. macerating wood chips).
  • the washing of the biomass may be performed according to several known processes, including but not limited to, washing with or without surfactants; washing with cold water, hot water, or steam; by using ultrasounds or microwave; by using maceration in solvents (ethanol, for example).
  • the processes of the invention can be performed at room temperature (about 20° C.) and ambient pressure (1 atm or about 760 mm Hg). As such, it is not necessary to add/or subtract thermal energy since such energy is produced by the added reagents and/or the biomass itself. No mechanism is required either to increase or decrease pressure during the reaction.
  • Suitable reactors may include reactors made of stainless steel, glass, Pyrex, high density polyethylene (HDPE) or other plastics, or any suitable material preferably resistant to corrosion, medium-high temperature and pressure.
  • HDPE high density polyethylene
  • reactions/extraction according to the invention take place in a simple unpressurized HDPE open reactor.
  • the processes of the invention include the possibility to modulate temperature and/or pressure besides those generated by the desired enthalpies of reaction and mixture.
  • the process is carried inside a reactor, and the process comprises controlling the temperature, atmosphere and/or pressure inside the reactor.
  • the temperature inside the reactor may be between about ⁇ 20° C. and about 270° C.
  • the temperature inside reactor is between about 15° C. and about 150° C.
  • the temperature inside reactor is between about 30° C. and about 140° C.
  • the temperature inside the reactor may be controlled and adjusted to be within desirable values using any suitable technique (e.g. cooling, heating, pressurizing, etc.).
  • the atmosphere inside the reactor may consist of air, of a nitrogen inert atmosphere, of an atmosphere free of CO 2 , of an atmosphere free of O 2 , etc. If desired, the atmosphere inside the reactor may be controlled and adjusted to be within desirable conditions, using any suitable technique (injection of a particular gas, elimination of undesirable gases, addition of a chemical reaction with O 2 , etc.).
  • the pressure inside the reactor may vary from about 0.003 atm (about 2 mm Hg) to about 40 atm or more (e.g. 0.003, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 ATM, etc.). In preferred embodiment, the pressure is about 1 or 2 atm.
  • the pressure inside the reactor may be controlled and adjusted to be within desirable ranges using any suitable technique (use of a sealed reactor, creation of a vacuum or pressurization, modification of the proportions of the reactants (e.g. compound A, compound B, biomass) etc.).
  • the processes further comprise a step of decreasing viscosity of the exothermic reaction involving compound A and compound B.
  • This can be done by adding a compound C that will decrease viscosity of the mixture and/or slow down reaction (inert or not).
  • the compound C may be an aqueous solvent (e.g. water), a non-aqueous solvent (e.g. ethanol) or a combination thereof.
  • Compound C is added after the delignification and cellulose extraction step ( FIG. 1 , 180 ) and preferably after compound B (or after compound A, depending on the sequence both products have been added to the reaction).
  • Compound C may be added after a certain time, allowing the reaction to occur.
  • That period of time may be only a few minutes (e.g about 1 min, about 2 min, about 5 min, about 10 min, about 15 min, about 30 min or more) or it may be longer (at least 15 min, at least 30 min, at least 45 min, at least 1 h, at least 2 h or more).
  • adjustable parameters that may influence final results include, but are not limited to, the followings: qualitative and quantitative choice of compound A; qualitative and quantitative choice of compound B; possibility of adding a compound C, the nature and state of the biomass (wood, vegetables, variety, homogeneity, aged, rotten, etc.); whether the biomass is washed or not and the particular washing method being used; the size of the biomass (e.g. size of woodchips and sawdust); temperature and pressure conditions whether artificially increased or lowered by a user or operator; the duration of each steps; the exact sequence of each step (e.g. A before B or vice versa); close vs. open reactor; pressurized or not reactor; the controlled atmosphere conditions inside the reactor (inert, CO 2 free, oxygen free), the temperature, etc.
  • the processes according to the invention further comprise isolating from the cellulose pulp components contained therein.
  • isolating from the cellulose pulp components contained therein For instance, it may be possible to isolate cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses, waxes, tannins, minerals, essential oils, pectins and vitamins.
  • isolation of cellulose may comprise one or more of the following optional steps: washing step, a drying step, a bleaching step, a grinding step and a sieving step.
  • the cellulose obtained may be modified according to specific operating conditions or it can conserve all native molecular properties or it can be functionalized. Ions can be removed as for example using zinc metal to eliminate nitrate ions present in the solution.
  • Other possible washing treatment using bicarbonate will bring cellulose at pH value ranging from 5 to 7.
  • a second series of washing with distilled water and potassium carbonate will remove ions and salts that would have been added through this last step.
  • Type I cellulose including cellulose according to the invention, can be transformed in other allomorphes such as type II, type III and type IV cellulose by mean of simple chemical operations known to those skilled in the art (e.g. Mazza, 2009, Modification chimique de la cellulose en milieu liquide ionique et CO 2 supercritique, elle deière, France, 172 p.). Accordingly, the present invention encompasses such transformations and encompasses type II, type III and type IV celluloses deriving from cellulose I according to the invention.
  • FIGS. 1 , 2 A and 2 B illustrate one particular embodiment for isolating cellulose according to the invention.
  • the process ( 100 ) includes a preparation step ( 120 ).
  • the preparation step ( 120 ) includes one or more preliminary steps before performing the process such as biomass conditioning (e.g. cleaning biomass from coarse contaminants and shredding the biomass), as well as solubilisation of compounds A and B, if need be, and the choice of experimental parameters.
  • biomass conditioning e.g. cleaning biomass from coarse contaminants and shredding the biomass
  • solubilisation of compounds A and B if need be, and the choice of experimental parameters.
  • the process of FIG. 1 further includes an optional biomass washing step ( 140 ).
  • This step typically consists in eliminating undesirable contaminants, dirt and extractable products from the biomass in order to preferably retain only the basic constituents of the biomass (cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses).
  • the biomass washing step ( 140 ) can be done before, after or at the same time defined than the preparation step ( 120 ).
  • the process ( 100 ) involves a mixing step which allows the biomass to be in contact with compound A ( 160 ) as illustrated in FIG. 2A .
  • the biomass ( 2 ) is put in contact with compound A ( 1 ) in a receptacle or reactor, either by adding compound A onto the biomass or by adding biomass within compound A.
  • Bringing biomass and compound A in contact can be done using different types of reactor such as for example, continuous, counter-current or batch reactors. Addition of compound A can be done at any stage prior to delignification, such as washing and shredding stages for example.
  • the contact step ( 160 ) between biomass ( 2 ) and compound A leads to an instant combination of enthalpies of reaction and of mixture ⁇ H leading to exothermic reactions and swelling of the biomass ( 170 ).
  • the process ( 100 ) includes a delignification and cellulose extraction step ( 180 ) following the contact of biomass with compound A ( 160 and 170 ).
  • compound B ( 4 ) is directly added on products or mixture resulting from the contact step ( 160 ) (these products being the solution that contains impregnated biomass with compound A and compound A impregnated).
  • the addition of B can be done like the contact step ( 160 ) such as, for example, in continuous, counter-current or batch reactors.
  • the delignification and cellulose extraction step ( 180 ) may also occur at step ( 160 ) when compound A and biomass are contacted together.
  • the delignification and cellulose extraction step ( 180 ) provokes a reaction between compound A and compound B, a reaction that may be explained by the following chemical equation when compound A is an amin or a polyamine, for example:
  • the reaction between compounds A and B ( 160 ) allows at least partial solubilisation of hemicelluloses and lignin.
  • the process produces a gelatinous substance or cellulose pulp composed of a coloured solid substance ( 7 ) containing native or modified cellulose free from most or all lignin and a heterogeneous viscous or semi-liquid mixture ( 8 ) containing dissolved lignin and hemicelluloses.
  • the heterogeneous viscous mixture ( 8 ) may contain several elements, such as: Compound A; Compound B; Solution AB and/or Ionic liquid residues; hemicelluloses; cellulose and lignin decomposition products (glucose and furfural, for example); waxes; tannins; minerals; essential oils; pectins; vitamins; other extractable products or various residues or contaminants (dirt, metallic dust or pieces, plastic dust or pieces, etc.).
  • the process ( 100 ) includes a separation/filtration step ( 200 ) to separate the solid substance ( 7 ) from the heterogeneous viscous mixture ( 8 ).
  • the solid substance ( 7 ) and the heterogeneous viscous mixture ( 8 ) are positioned over a filter ( 9 ) allowing separation of the heterogeneous viscous mixture ( 8 ) and the solid substance ( 7 ).
  • the solid substance containing the cellulose ( 12 ) is collected from the filter ( 9 ) while the heterogeneous viscous mixture ( 8 ) has flown through the filter.
  • the filter ( 9 ) can be a sintered silica filter, a fibreglass filter, or a polyester or polymer filter.
  • the choice of the separation/filtration method is known by a person skilled in the art and is based on experimental choices. Separation ( 200 ) can be performed through filtration, press-filtration, centrifugation, evaporation or sedimentation, for example, followed by vacuum, pumping or any combination of these methods and others not listed.
  • a washing/whitening/drying step ( 220 ) is realized following or simultaneously with the separation/filtration step ( 200 ). This step is optional and can be omitted.
  • the solid substance ( 7 ) can be washed in a solvent.
  • the selected solvent is preferably neutral in regards with cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses.
  • water or ethanol can be considered as being neutral. If water is chosen, it may be preferable to use distilled, deionised or demineralised water in order to prevent contamination from untreated water.
  • Cellulose ( 12 ) can also be whitened ( 220 ) through several methods and many different reagents such as hydrogen peroxide or hydrochloric acid, for example.
  • Cellulose ( 12 ) may also be dried ( 220 ).
  • the drying can be performed with an oven or in open air ( 14 ), for example.
  • biomass and compound A contacting step ( 160 ), the chemical separation step ( 180 ) and the separation/filtration step ( 200 ) can be performed once or several times to increase the proportion of cellulose in the solid phase ( 7 ). Accordingly, the term “biomass” as used herein also includes solid phases resulting from previous extractions or other steps such as the contacting step ( 160 ), the chemical separation step ( 180 ) or the separation/filtration step ( 200 ).
  • FIGS. 2A and 2B is only one of many possible implementations of a suitable delignification and extraction process. A person versed in the art will understand that some steps may be optional and that the step sequence may change depending on circumstances.
  • the invention also concerns isolated cellulose obtained by the processes described herein.
  • the isolated cellulose comprises at least 95% w/w (dry weight) of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and/or less than 1% w/w (dry weight) nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) after grinding for 3 minutes after delignification, washing and drying processes.
  • MCC microcrystalline cellulose
  • NCC nanocrystalline cellulose
  • the cellulose of the invention comprises many distinctive, advantageous and/or useful characteristics when compared to known type I or type II cellulose.
  • Table 1 provides a summary.
  • Another aspect of the present invention relates to an isolated cellulose of type I comprising one or more of the following characteristics:
  • Cellulose papers, fiber bedding and litter (for pets or livestock), acoustic and thermal insulation, textiles, filters, dietary fibres for human or animal nutrition.
  • Nanocellulose and/or microcellulose Microfiltration papers for potable water, automotive, and analytical filters, oil recovery applications, biocomposites for bone replacement and tooth repair, medical barrier, sunscreens, pharmaceuticals and drug delivery, additives for foods (non-caloric food thickeners) and cosmetics (emulsion/dispersion), improved paper and building products, security papers, advanced or “intelligent” packaging (e.g.
  • hydroxyl groups (—OH) of cellulose can be partially or fully reacted with various reagents to afford derivatives with useful properties like mainly cellulose esters and cellulose ethers (—OR).
  • Organic Ester derivatives include:
  • Inorganic Ester derivatives include:
  • Ether derivatives include:
  • Another aspect of the invention concerns composite materials comprising a resin and/or a hardener mixed with cellulosic material, preferably isolated cellulose as described herein.
  • the composite material comprises many distinctive, advantageous and/or useful characteristics when compared to existing composite as shown in Example 6.
  • any suitable resin and/or hardeners may be used in the composite material, according to the invention.
  • epoxy hardeners include, but are not limited to, aliphatic polyamine, aolyamino-amide, aromatic polyamine, anhydric acids, bore trifluorure complex from monoethylamin (MEA), and dicyan-diamide.
  • epoxy resin include, but are not limited to, bisphenol-formol, phenol-novolac, cycloaliphatic, and hydantoine.
  • polyester hardeners include, but are not limited to, methylethylketone peroxide, acetylaketone peroxide, cycloexanon and peroxide.
  • the resin is a resin epoxy or a resin polyester.
  • the resin is Epolam 2015 or Epon 862TM.
  • the composite material comprises a resin epoxy and more than 10% w/w, or more than 15% w/w, or more than 20% w/w, or more than 25% w/w, or more than 30% w/w, or more than 35% w/w of cellulose.
  • the resin is a resin epoxy.
  • the cellulose is an isolated cellulose as described herein and/or obtained according to the process of the invention.
  • the resin is a resin epoxy which comprises between about 15% to about 36% w/w of isolated cellulose according to the invention.
  • the composite material comprises a resin epoxy and cellulose, the composing material having an improved elasticity of 15% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, or 53% or more, when compared to a resin epoxy without said cellulose, as measured by Young's modulus.
  • the biomass was first chipped and washed (water and ethanol) in order to facilitate delignification and eliminate most of undesirable contaminants, dirt and extractable products.
  • the filtered solid phases obtained was analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to determine the breakdown in cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin content, according to the norm of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The results of the analysis are displayed in Table 3 and in FIG. 3 .
  • HPLC High Performance Liquid Chromatography
  • the pulp was then washed with ethanol to isolate the solid cellulose from the heterogeneous viscous mixture. Typically at least 8 washings were performed. Cellulosic solid fraction was separated through filtration and or decantation. To reach higher level of purity, cellulose was washed with potassium carbonate and demineralised water to eliminate acidic ions, salts and sugars.
  • the washed cellulose was dried at room temperature for 1 day.
  • the cellulose typically weight between 68 g and 72 g.
  • the cellulose was finely ground in a powder to obtain desired fraction sizes.
  • the said powder was sieved for 60 min in a Ro-TapTM through 4 successive sieves of respectively 150 ⁇ m, 45 ⁇ m and 20 ⁇ m, leaving 4 different grades of cellulose powder ( ⁇ 20 ⁇ m; [20, 45] ⁇ m; [45, 150] ⁇ m, >150 ⁇ m).
  • the cellulose obtained from white birch according to the process of Example 5 was further characterized through a series of test analysis. It was also compared to commercial cellulose I and II.
  • the [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to example 5 was subjected to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the spectrum obtained was compared with Alpha cellulose (Sigma Aldrich) in order to validate the cellulosic nature of the cellulose of the invention.
  • FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
  • Alpha cellulose Sigma Aldrich
  • FIG. 4C shows a very good correlation between the curves for the Alpha cellulose and the isolated cellulose, confirming that the solid substance derived from the process of the invention is indeed cellulose.
  • the FTIR spectrum of the isolated cellulose shows at least one visible difference when compared to the FTIR spectrum of Alpha cellulose. This difference appears as a peak at 1730 cm ⁇ 1 .
  • the commercial cellulose tested is a Type II cellulose does not have such a peak.
  • the similarities and differences between the two types of celluloses are even more apparent when the two FTIR spectrum are overlapped ( FIG. 4C ).
  • the peak at 1730 cm ⁇ 1 represents the C ⁇ O bonds (between 1700 and 1750 cm ⁇ 1 ) of the carboxylic function. This function comes from either the C ⁇ O bond on the hemicelluloses or results from the oxidation of the isolated cellulose.
  • the isolated cellulose has a strong propensity to oxidize, as expressed in the following equations:
  • Bacterial cellulose does not present such a peak although being a type I cellulose (Brown E. E., 2007, Bacterial cellulose/thermoplastic polymer nanocomposites, MSC, Washington state university, p. 109) neither does the the Avicel PH101 (Designing enzyme-compatible ionic liquids that can dissolve carbohydrates, Supplementary Material (ESI) for Green Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry 2008, 5 p. FIG. 4 ). This strongly suggests that the peak at 1730 cm ⁇ 1 is a unique feature of the isolated cellulose according to the invention.
  • Samples of the [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to Example 5 were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis in order to determine cellulose crystalline structure and allomorphic type (I or II).
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B show typical X-ray spectrum of cellulose I (Avicel PH101, FMC Biopolymer) and cellulose II (spectrums obtained from Olga Biganska 2002, Étude physico-chimique des solutions de cellulose dans la N-methylmorpholine-N-oxyde, doctorate thesis, Institut des Mines, Paris).
  • crystallinity rate is equal to the peak area of the lattice planes over the whole surface of the curve:
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose characterized by percentage of crystalline cellulose equal or less than about 80% w/w, or equal or less than about 75% w/w, or equal or less than about 74% w/w, or equal or less than about 73% w/w, or equal or less than about 72% w/w, or equal or less than about 71% w/w, or equal or less than about 70% w/w.
  • the crystallinity rate of said cellulose is between 70% w/w and 74% w/w.
  • the fraction [20 to 45 ⁇ m] of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to Example 5 was observed under an electronic microscope at both a 200 ⁇ m and 20 ⁇ m scale with a SEM microscope and compared to Type I Avicel PHP101 cellulose (FMC, Biopolymer).
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B Microscopic imaging from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the isolated cellulose is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B .
  • FIG. 6A displays well defined fibers, homogeneous in size and shape.
  • the ratio length/width is approximately 5. Such a ratio characterizes a shape being 5 times longer than wide and thus, clearly identifies the isolated cellulose as being fibrous in contrast with other type I celluloses having high heterogeneity with few rod shaped fibres and many spherical structures ( FIGS. 6C and 6D ). At smaller scale ( FIG. 6B ), fibrils show a regular shape free from surface holes, fissures or outgrowths.
  • a cellulose fiber By defining a cellulose fiber as being a cellulose particle having a length at least 3 times its width, 55% of the isolated cellulose particles that were analysed can be considered as fibers.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose comprising a population of cellulose particles composed of at least 25%, or at least 30%, or at least 40%, or at least 45%, or at least 50%, or at least 55%, or at least 60%, of particles having a ratio length/width greater than 3.
  • the isolated cellulose comprises a population of cellulose particles that is composed of at least 55% of particles having a ratio length/width greater than 3.
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B The size distribution of the length and width of the cellulose is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B and is depicted in histograms shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B .
  • the histograms of FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate that 90% of all cellulose fibres lay in the length range of 10 to 70 ⁇ m which clearly is not the case for the comparison cellulose in FIG. 7C , where most particles measure between 1 and 40 ⁇ m and are of spherical shape.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose comprising a population of cellulose fibers characterized by a ratio length/width ⁇ 1, or ⁇ 1.5, or ⁇ 2, or ⁇ 2.5, or ⁇ 3, or ⁇ 3.5, or ⁇ 4, or ⁇ 4.5 or ⁇ 5.
  • FIG. 6A Close view of electronic microscopy pictures the fraction [20 to 45 ⁇ m] of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to example 5 ( FIG. 6A ), shows regularity of the cellulose fibres. Cellulose surface appears regular and smooth with little or no holes, fissures or protrusions, in contrast with other type I celluloses available on the market ( FIGS. 6C and 6D ) These pictures shows that said cellulose fibers have conserved their integrity when compared to existing commercial cellulose as calculated in Table 5C.
  • the processes of the invention do not use strong acids to hydrolyse cellulose nor high heat and pressure as in steam explosion characterizing the Avicel PH101 cellulose which is a type I celluloses.
  • the number of counted imperfections on the isolated cellulose in FIG. 6B was 23 imperfections per 50 particles which correspond to a rate of imperfection of 46%. This number is much lower to compared to the rate of imperfection for the commercial celluloses Avicel and Elcema (combined average of 134%).
  • the invention encompasses an isolated cellulose characterized by a rate of imperfection of ⁇ 16 imperfection per fiber, or ⁇ 15 imperfection per fiber, ⁇ 12 imperfection per fiber, or or ⁇ 10 imperfection per fiber, or ⁇ 8 imperfection per fiber, ⁇ 7 imperfection per fiber, ⁇ 6 imperfection per fiber.
  • the invention encompasses an isolated cellulose characterized by ⁇ 3.5 holes per fiber, ⁇ 3 holes per fiber, or ⁇ 2.5 holes per fiber, or ⁇ 2 holes per fiber, or ⁇ 1.5 holes per fiber, or ⁇ 1 holes per fiber, or ⁇ 0.5 holes per fiber.
  • Table 6 hereinafter provides the results of an average size distribution of cellulose obtained according to Example 5 (isolated cellulose) that was measured and calculated over the course of 20 cellulose purification experiments conducted on white birch wood chips.
  • the invention encompasses process resulting in a cellulose extraction rate of at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80%, or at least 85%, or at least 90% or at least 95% or at least 99% or more.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose comprising fibers having average length of about 10 ⁇ m to about 70 ⁇ m. Nanoparticles should represent ⁇ 15 of the total mass.
  • the isolated cellulose of the invention may be less or only slightly sensitive to electrostatic charges that may prevent it from clustering or aggregating. That isolated cellulose of type I according to the invention is therefore naturally well dispersed ( FIG. 6A ) and offers properties of a non-electrostatic powder.
  • An image computation on FIG. 6A shows that particles of isolated cellulose are evenly spread without aggregating, contrary to other commercial type I celluloses such as in FIG. 6C .
  • the isolated cellulose according to the invention exhibits an ability to remain evenly spread, without requiring dispersing agent, for instance at a density of 1000 fibres/mm 2 or even greater, and the present invention encompasses isolated cellulose having such characteristics.
  • Electrostatic charges can be naturally present in biomass and the corresponding ions may still be present after extraction of the cellulose.
  • Table 7 provides the results of analysis performed on the [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to example 5.
  • cellulose has a measured conductivity of 13 ⁇ S ⁇ cm ⁇ 1 . This value is very close to the value of pure demineralised water confirming that, if needed, all free charges could possibly be suppressed from the cellulose.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose having a conductivity lower than 100 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1, or lower than 75 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1 or lower than 50 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1, or lower than 40 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1, or lower than 25 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1, or lower than 20 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1, or lower than 15 ⁇ S ⁇ cm-1.
  • the [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to Example 5 was thoroughly washing with water. The water was then left to evaporate until the cellulose dries on a porous glass, without the addition of any solvents, A thin film made out of 100% pure cellulose was obtained.
  • the bio-film was translucent, flexible but fragile and easily breakable with a thickness of about 100 ⁇ m.
  • one aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming a film comprising: providing an aqueous mixture comprising cellulose solubilised in an aqueous solvent; spreading the aqueous mixture on a surface; evaporating the solvent; and letting the cellulose coalesce and form a film.
  • the film is characterized by one or more of the followings: comprising at least 100% w/w cellulose type I; having a pH of about 6.3, a thickness of about 50 ⁇ m to about 300 ⁇ m.
  • FIG. 8 depicts corresponding curves of polymerization for each of the two fractions and one commercial type I (Avicel PH101, FMC Biopolymer) when compared to the EpolamTM reference. As show in FIG. 8 and Table 8, there is a measurable acceleration of the reticulation time (t_cure) between each composite comprising 10% w/w of the cellulose according to the invention when compared to a reference sample.
  • the invention encompasses an isolated cellulose exhibiting at least 30%, or at least 35%, or at least 40%, or at least 45% or at least 49% acceleration of the reticulation of a resin epoxy when compared to reticulation of the same resin without said isolated cellulose.
  • the invention further encompasses an isolated cellulose improving reticulation of a resin epoxy by at least 18% (e.g. 225 min vs. 275 min) or bay at least 39% (e.g. 167 min vs. 275 min) when compared to Avicel PH101.
  • Purity is regarded as the percentage of molecular cellulose present in the final product after thorough washing. Purity generally depends on the efficiency of the washing step. Examples 2, 3 and Table 3 show a cellulose rate close to 85%, while presence of lignin is reduced to less than 1% after 8 washing sequences with ethanol.
  • Purity may also be enhanced by adding additional washing steps to eliminate acidic ions with potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and then sequences of washing with demineralised water to get rid of sugars and ionic salts.
  • This treatment help obtaining a highly pure cellulose (equal or close to 100%) as shown in the sections referring to film formation and FTIR analysis.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose having at least 70%, or at least 75%, or at least 80%, or at least 85%, or at least 90%, or at least 95%, or at least 99%, or at least 99.9% or more purity (% w/w, as measured by MRN 300 MHz).
  • the cellulose was typically off-white after washing.
  • the cellulose obtained can be whitened by using a whitening agent, such as hydrogen peroxide, or it can be left with a certain level of impurities, depending on customer's requirements.
  • sedimentation of the isolated cellulose of the invention is slower than Avicel PH101 since more particles remained in suspension (higher height).
  • the isolated cellulose of the invention is characterized by a sedimentation rate of at least 20% slower, or at least 25% slower, or at least 30% slower, or at least 35% slower, or at least 38% slower, than Avicel PH101.
  • the isolated cellulose of the invention is characterized by a swelling rate at least 125% greater, or at least 150% greater, or at least 175% greater, or at least 200% greater, or at least 250% greater, or more than Avicel PH101.
  • Thermogravimetric Analysis was made on the [ ⁇ 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from maple wood chips according to Example 5. Resin (Epon 862TM) combined with a curing agent (Epikure WTM) was mixed with 10% w/w of isolated cellulose. The TGA indicates the loss of mass as a function of the temperature. The TGA was carried out in high purity nitrogen and it revealed that the cellulose sample contained about 5.8% of moisture, and that the onset of decomposition is 314° C. ( FIG. 9A ). These results inform on the changes in physical and chemical properties of materials are measured as a function of increasing temperature (with constant heating rate), or as a function of time (with constant temperature and/or constant mass loss).
  • Dynamic mechanical analysis was made on a reference epoxy resin (Epon 862TM) mixed with a curing agent (Epikure WTM), including or not 10% the [ ⁇ 45 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from maple wood chips according to Example 5.
  • the DMA revealed that by adding 10% w/w of cellulose to the epoxy resin, its Tg decreases from 141° C. to 137° C. but its storage modulus increases by 15% ( FIG. 9B ). These results are conformed to those obtained in Young's modulus measurement (see below) and show the ability of the cellulose to improve mechanical properties of resins.
  • Young's modulus also known as the tensile modulus or elastic modulus, is a measure of the stiffness of an elastic isotropic material and is a quantity used to characterize materials. It is defined as the ratio of the stress along an axis over the strain along that axis in the range of stress in which Hooke's law holds.
  • the invention encompasses composite materials comprising a resin and/or a hardener mixed with an isolated cellulose, the composite materials having an improved elasticity when compared to composite materials without isolated cellulose.
  • the elasticity improved by at least 15%, or at least 20%, or at least 25%, or at least 30%, or at least 40%, or at least 45%, or at least 50%, or at least 53%, as measured by Young's modulus, when compared to a composite material without said isolated cellulose.
  • Composites such as epoxy, are made of a resins combined and a fraction of hardener. Resin manufacturers always indicate the best proportion to optimize curing. In the case of Epolam 2015TM and EpikureTM hardener, the ideal proportion is 100:32 (100 parts of resin and 32 parts of hardener). Hardener is costly and/or more toxic than resin itself and there is a demand to lower hardener proportion.
  • Proportion of add-on are calculated on the mass of resin was completed with 5 g of cellulose being incorporated within 50 g of resin in case of mixes with 10% addition and 17.82 g of cellulose were added in the case of mix with 36% addition.
  • the degree of reticulation was calculated through a FTIR analysis of peaks according to the following equation:
  • the degree of reticulation refers to a measure of polymerization reaction kinetic inside the composite. Post curing is performed by heating samples for 1 hour at 70° C. to accelerate chemical reactions and to be sure the polymerization has come to an end.
  • Sieved fraction [ ⁇ 20 ⁇ m] sieved fraction of the cellulose obtained from white birch wood chips according to Example 5 at up de 36% w/w also improved the degree of reticulation of a reference at 100:27 (68% vs 52%).
  • the reticulation at the greatest tested ratio (100:32) was still acceptable and not to remote from the manufacturer's recommendation (68% vs 88%).
  • Cellulose is a polymer made of cellobiose units. Each cellobiose is made of 2 glucoses and each glucose possesses 3 alcohols: 1 primary alcohol and 2 secondary alcohols. Oxydation of these 3 alcohols indicates the Degree of Substitution of these alcohols.
  • the isolated cellulose of the invention was oxidized with NiO(OH) (obtained through oxidation of Ni 2+ by ClO ⁇ ) in order to change the alcohols within the isolated cellulose to acidic functions for increasing the degree of substitution.
  • the oxidized cellulose was subjected to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) the spectrum obtained was compared to the spectrum of non-oxidized cellulose.
  • FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
  • FIGS. 11A , 11 B and 11 C The spectrums are shown in FIGS. 11A , 11 B and 11 C.
  • FIG. 11C displays the overlap of both FTIR spectrum where Sample 1 refers to oxidized cellulose while sample 2 refers to initial cellulose non oxidized showing changes in the peaks. Table 12 summarizes the main changes.
  • the invention encompasses isolated cellulose comprising a degree of Substitution (DS) of alcohol functions equal to 3.

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