# US 12,006,421 B2 · Cellulose-based composites and methods of making the same

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- Number: US 12,006,421 B2
- Document ID: US12006421B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/926,263
- Filed: 2020-07-10
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-22
- Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
- Applicants: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
- Inventors: Peter N. Ciesielski; Ruoran Zhang; Michael E. Himmel; Andrew Nolan Wilson; Mark R. Nimlos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006421B2

## CPC

- C08L 1/02: Cellulose; Modified cellulose
- C08K 5/098: Metal salts of carboxylic acids
- C08K 5/19: Quaternary ammonium compounds
- C08L 2203/12: used for fibers
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein are a cellulose particle and a binder, where the cellulose particle has a cellulose core and a surface group, and the binder interacts with the surface group to form a composite.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A composition lacking polylactic acid and comprising a cellulose particle and a binder, wherein:
the cellulose particle comprises a cellulose core and a surface group, and
the binder interacts with the surface group to form a composite.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the cellulose core comprises at least one of a cellulose crystal or a cellulose fibril.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2, wherein the cellulose crystal has a characteristic length between about 100 nm and 1000 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2, wherein the cellulose fibril has a characteristic length between about 1 μm and 100 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The composition of claim 4, wherein the cellulose fibril has a characteristic width between about 3 nm and 500 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the surface group is positively charged, negatively charged, neutral, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, wherein the surface group is positively charged and comprises at least one of an ammonium group, a trimethyl ammonium group, a triethyl ammonium group, or a carbocation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, wherein the surface group is negatively charged and comprises at least one of a carboxylate group, a nitrate group, a sulfate group, a phosphate group, or a silicate group.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, wherein the surface group is neutral and comprises at least one of a carboxyl group, a methoxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a phenyl group, a carbonyl group, an aldehyde group, an azide group, an isonitrile group, or a halogen group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the composite is in the form of at least one of a film, a gel, a foam, or a bulk composite.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The composition of claim 9, wherein the composition is a film having a thickness between 100 nm and 2 mm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises a sugar.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The composition of claim 12, wherein the binder is derived from pyrolysis of biomass.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The composition of claim 13, wherein the binder is isolated from an aqueous phase of an aqueous extraction of a bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of biomass.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises cyclopentenone.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The composition of claim 15, wherein the binder is derived from pyrolysis of biomass.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The composition of claim 16, wherein the binder is isolated from an aqueous phase of an aqueous extraction of a bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of biomass.

### Claim 18

A composition comprising a cellulose particle and a binder, wherein:
the cellulose particle comprises a cellulose core and a surface group wherein the surface group is positively charged, negatively charged, neutral or a combination thereof and wherein a neutral surface group comprises at least one of a carboxyl group, a methoxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a phenyl group, a carbonyl group, an aldehyde group, an azide group, an isonitrile group, or a halogen group, and wherein the binder interacts with the surface group to form a composite.