Nanocellulose-reinforced corrugated medium
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.
1. A process for producing a corrugated medium pulp composition, said process comprising:
(a) obtaining a first pulp from a steam or hot-water extraction of a first amount of lignocellulosic biomass;
(b) mechanically treating said first pulp to generate nanocellulose;
(c) obtaining a second pulp from a second amount of lignocellulosic biomass;
(d) combining at least a portion of said nanocellulose with said second pulp, to generate a pulp/nanocellulose mixture; and
(e) recovering or further processing said pulp/nanocellulose mixture as a corrugated medium pulp composition,
wherein said second pulp is obtained from fractionation of said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass in the presence of an acid catalyst, a solvent for lignin, and water.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first amount of lignocellulosic biomass and said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass are from the same source of biomass.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first amount of lignocellulosic biomass and said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass are from different sources of biomass.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein said second pulp is selected from the group consisting of kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, soda pulp, mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp, chemithermomechanical pulp, hydrothermal-mechanical pulp, and combinations thereof.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said nanocellulose is lignin-coated hydrophobic nanocellulose.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein said nanocellulose is predominantly in the form of cellulose nanofibrils.
7. A process for producing a corrugated medium pulp composition, said process comprising:
(a) obtaining a first pulp from a steam or hot-water extraction of a first amount of lignocellulosic biomass;
(b) mechanically treating said first pulp to generate nanocellulose;
(c) obtaining a second pulp from a second amount of lignocellulosic biomass;
(d) combining at least a portion of said nanocellulose with said second pulp, to generate a pulp/nanocellulose mixture; and
(e) recovering or further processing said pulp/nanocellulose mixture as a corrugated medium pulp composition,
wherein said nanocellulose is lignin-coated hydrophobic nanocellulose.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein said first amount of lignocellulosic biomass and said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass are from the same source of biomass.
9. The process of claim 7 , wherein said first amount of lignocellulosic biomass and said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass are from different sources of biomass.
10. The process of claim 7 , wherein said second pulp is obtained from fractionation of said second amount of lignocellulosic biomass in the presence of an acid catalyst, a solvent for lignin, and water.
11. The process of claim 7 , wherein said second pulp is selected from the group consisting of kraft pulp, sulfite pulp, soda pulp, mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp, chemithermomechanical pulp, hydrothermal-mechanical pulp, and combinations thereof.
12. The process of claim 7 , wherein said nanocellulose is predominantly in the form of cellulose nanofibrils.