Processes, methods, and systems for chemo-mechanical cellular explosion and solid and liquid products made by the same
Disclosed herein is a process, comprising: combining one or more additives with a feedstock to obtain a first mixture, the feedstock comprising a fibrous material and water, the fibrous material comprising lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose; and conditioning the first mixture to obtain a liquid product and a dry pulp product. Also disclosed herein are condition processes and machines for use with the same. Also disclosed herein are liquid products, dry pulp products, and fibrous pellets made by the disclosed processes, and methods of using the same.
1. A chemo-mechanical cellular explosion process, comprising:
mixing one or more additives to a fibrous material, the fibrous material comprising water;
removing a first portion of water from the fibrous material;
solubilizing the one or more additives with the first portion of water;
weakening cell walls of a plurality of cells of the fibrous material;
applying a shear force to the fibrous material to increase a pressure and a temperature of the fibrous material;
vaporizing a second portion of water in the fibrous material by fractionating the fibrous material; and
exposing the fibrous material to atmospheric pressure to induce exploding of the plurality of cells in the fibrous material to obtain a liquid product and a dry pulp product,
wherein applying the shear force to the fibrous material to increase a pressure and a temperature of the fibrous material occurs in a chamber and comprises rotating a shaft in the chamber, the shaft having one or more threads disposed circumferentially around the shaft, wherein heat from an external source is not injected into the chamber when the shear force is applied.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material further comprises lignin and hemicellulose.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry pulp product comprises water in an amount of about 35% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the dry pulp product.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid product comprises water in an amount of about 50% or greater by weight, based on the total weight of the liquid product.
5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising pelletizing the dry pulp product to form a pellet.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid product comprises one or more bio-stimulant compounds and water.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the one or more bio-stimulant compounds comprise one or more of: minerals, proteins, amino acids, humic acid, fulvic acid, and one or more organic acids.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the minerals comprise one or more of potassium, phosphor, phosphorus, nitrous compounds, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, sulfurous, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper.
9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the liquid product further comprises one or more of: cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein when the fibrous material is mixed with the one or more additives, the fibrous material comprises water in an amount from about 5% to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the fibrous material.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein when the fibrous material is exposed to atmospheric pressure to induce exploding of the plurality of cells, the fibrous material comprises water in an amount of about 35% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the fibrous material.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process occurs at a maximum temperature from about 200° F. to about 350° F.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the additive comprises a surfactant.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the additive has a molecular weight from about 30 g/mol to about 10,000,000 g/mol.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry pulp product comprises water in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the dry pulp product, without additional processing.