Fibrous materials and composites
Fibrous materials, compositions that include fibrous materials, and uses of the fibrous materials and compositions are disclosed. For example, the fibrous materials can be operated on by a microorganism to produce ethanol or a by-product, such as a protein or lignin.
1. A method comprising:
mechanically treating a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material to provide a stressed material having a BET surface area of greater than about 0.25 square meters per gram and a porosity of greater than about 25 percent; and
contacting the stressed material with an enzyme.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanical treatment is grinding.
3. The method of claim 2 , where the grinding is stone grinding or pin grinding.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanical treatment is milling.
5. The method of claim 4 , where the milling is air attrition milling.
6. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanical treatment is shearing, cutting, ripping or tearing.
7. The method of claim 6 , where the material is sheared with a rotary knife cutter.
8. The method of claim 1 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, coconut hair and mixtures thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is dry when it is mechanically treated.
10. The method of claim 1 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is hydrated when it is mechanically treated.
11. The method of claim 1 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is wet when it is mechanically treated.
12. The method of claim 11 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is wet with water when it is mechanically treated.
13. The method of claim 11 , where the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is wet with isopropanol when it is mechanically treated.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mechanically treating the material multiple times.
15. The method of claim 14 , where the mechanical treatments are the same.
16. The method of claim 15 , where the mechanical treatments are different.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising screening the mechanically treated material.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising multiple rounds of mechanical treatment and screening.
19. The method of claim 17 , where the screen has a average opening size of 0.79 mm or less ( 1/32 inch, 0.03125 inch).
20. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a length to diameter ratio of 8:1.
21. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a length to diameter ratio of 10:1.
22. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a length to diameter ratio of 25:1.
23. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a length to diameter ratio of 50:1.
24. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has an average length of about 0.5 to about 2.5 mm.
25. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has an average length of about 0.75 to about 1.0 mm.
26. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has an average width of about 5 um to about 50 um.
27. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has an average width of about 10 um to about 30 um.
28. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 0.5 square meters per gram.
29. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 1.0 square meters per gram.
30. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 1.5 square meters per gram.
31. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 1.75 square meters per gram.
32. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 2.5 square meters per gram.
33. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a BET surface area of 10.0 square meters per gram.
34. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a porosity of greater than about 50 percent.
35. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a porosity of greater than about 75 percent.
36. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a porosity of greater than about 85 percent.
37. The method of claim 1 , where the mechanically treated material has a porosity of greater than about 90 percent.