# US 2021/0340706 A1 · Nanocellulose production co-located at a pulp and paper mill > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340706 A1 - Document ID: US20210340706A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/321,990 - Filed: 2021-05-17 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-27 - Assignees: GranBio Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC - Applicants: GranBio Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Kimberly NELSON; Theodora RETSINA; Vesa PYLKKANEN; Mikhail IAKOVLEV - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340706A1 ## CPC - D21C 3/06: sulfur dioxide; sulfurous acid; bisulfites {sulfites} - C08B 15/08: Fractionation of cellulose, e.g. separation of cellulose crystallites - C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} - D21C 3/00: Pulping cellulose-containing materials (digesters D21C7/00) - D21C 3/20: with organic solvents {or in solvent environment} - D21C 5/02: Working-up waste paper (mechanical part D21B1/08, D21B1/32) - D21C 9/005: {organic compounds} - D21C 9/007: {by mechanical or physical means} - D21C 9/10: Bleaching {; Apparatus therefor} - D21H 11/04: Kraft or sulfate pulp - D21H 11/06: Sulfite or bisulfite pulp - D21H 11/20: Chemically or biochemically modified fibres - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - Y02W 30/64: Paper recycling - D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - C08B: POLYSACCHARIDES; DERIVATIVES THEREOF (polysaccharides containing less than six saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes C12P19/00; sugar industry C13; production of cellulose D21) - C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10) - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Some variations provide a process for producing a nanocellulose material, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock comprising a bleached or unbleached pulp material; fractionating the feedstock in the presence of an acid, a solvent for lignin, and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form cellulose fibrils and/or cellulose crystals, thereby generating a nanocellulose material. The process is preferably co-located with, or adjacent to, a mill that generates the pulp material. There are several advantages of a bolt-on AVAP® nanocellulose plant to an existing pulp mill, as disclosed herein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for producing a nanocellulose material, said process comprising: (a) providing a biomass feedstock comprising an unbleached pulp material; (b) fractionating said unbleached pulp material in the presence of an acid, a solvent for lignin, and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; (c) mechanically treating said cellulose-rich solids to form cellulose fibrils and/or cellulose crystals, thereby generating a nanocellulose material having a crystallinity of at least 60%; and (d) recovering said nanocellulose material, wherein said process is co-located with a pulping process that generates said unbleached pulp material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said unbleached pulp material is a chemical pulp, a mechanical pulp, a chemimechanical pulp, a thermomechanical pulp, a chemithermomechanical pulp, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein said unbleached pulp material is a chemical pulp consisting of a kraft pulp, a sulfite pulp, a soda pulp, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said unbleached pulp material is recycled pulp from a pulp and paper mill. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said unbleached pulp material is recycled pulp from a paper product. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said acid is a sulfur-containing acid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein said sulfur-containing acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid, sulfur trioxide, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acids, lignosulfonic acids, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin is an aliphatic alcohol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8, wherein said aliphatic alcohol is ethanol. ### Claim 10 A process for producing a nanocellulose material, said process comprising: (a) providing a biomass feedstock comprising a bleached pulp material; (b) fractionating said bleached pulp material in the presence of an acid and water, and optionally a solvent, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; (c) mechanically treating said cellulose-rich solids to form cellulose fibrils and/or cellulose crystals, thereby generating a nanocellulose material having a crystallinity of at least 60%; and (d) recovering said nanocellulose material, wherein said process is co-located with a pulping process that generates said bleached pulp material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein said bleached pulp material is a chemical pulp, a mechanical pulp, a chemimechanical pulp, a thermomechanical pulp, a chemithermomechanical pulp, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process of claim 11, wherein said bleached pulp material is a chemical pulp consisting of a kraft pulp, a sulfite pulp, a soda pulp, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein said bleached pulp material is recycled pulp from a pulp and paper mill. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein said bleached pulp material is recycled pulp from a paper product. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein said acid is a sulfur-containing acid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein said sulfur-containing acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid, sulfur trioxide, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acids, lignosulfonic acids, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein said solvent is present and is an aliphatic alcohol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The process of claim 17, wherein said aliphatic alcohol is ethanol.