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

A process for the production of a cellulose pulp, comprising:

• providing a biomass comprising cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin;
• providing a source of anions A and a source of cations B, wherein said source of anions A and said source of cations B are ionic precursors of an ionic liquid of formula AB, and wherein said source of anions A and source of cations B are aqueous and are selected to react exothermically with the biomass and with each other;
• contacting the biomass with the source of anions A and with the source of cations B, wherein said contacting is carried out under conditions and for a period of time allowing the formation of said ionic liquid AB, and wherein said contacting is exothermic and breaks intermolecular bonds existing between lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses;
• obtaining a cellulose pulp comprising i) a solid phase composed principally of cellulose and ii) a heterogeneous viscous mixture comprising solubilised hemicelluloses and solubilised lignin.

A process for isolating cellulose from biomass, comprising:

• a) providing a biomass comprising cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin;
• b) contacting the biomass with a compound A for impregnating at least partially said biomass and for obtaining an impregnated acidic biomass, wherein compound A is aqueous and a source of anions and wherein compound A reacts exothermically with the biomass;
• c) contacting the impregnated acidic biomass with a compound B, wherein compound B is aqueous and a source of cations and wherein compound B reacts exothermically with compound A impregnated within the acidic biomass;
• d) allowing exothermic reactions under conditions and for a period of time sufficient to break intermolecular bonds existing between lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses and produce a cellulose pulp comprising solubilised hemicelluloses and solubilised lignin;
• e) isolating cellulose from said pulp.