Process for fibrillating lignocellulosic material, fibres and their use

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for fibrillating lignocellulosic material wherein the process comprises treating lignocellulosic material with ionic liquid and recovering basically intact fibres of said lignocellulosic material. Another object of the invention is to provide an activated and/or basically intact fibre wherein the lignocellulosic material is treated with ionic liquid and a basically intact fibre of said lignocellulosic material is recovered. The invention further relates to the use of the basically intact fibre of the invention in the production of bio-based materials, preferably bio-plastics, more preferably conductive polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, bio-based polymer composites, ceramics, fabrics, or elastomers. A process for producing paper, board, pulp or the like from fibers of lignocellulosic material which have been treated with ionic liquid and recovered as basically intact fibres is also enclosed.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A process for fibrillating lignocellulosic material, characterized in that said process comprises
 a) treating lignocellulosic material with ionic liquid selected from a list consisting of   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and
 b) recovering basically intact fibres of said lignocellulosic material. 
 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 16  wherein said treating is performed by heating. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 17  wherein said heating is performed at temperatures between 20° C. and 150° C. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 16  further comprising c) physical or chemical modification of the basically intact fibres. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 16  characterized in that the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 5. 
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 20. 
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 50. 
     
     
         23 . A basically intact fibre obtained by the process according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         24 . The basically intact fibre of  claim 23  characterized in that the surface area of the fibre is increased. 
     
     
         25 . The basically intact fibre of  claim 23  characterized in that the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 5. 
     
     
         26 . The basically intact fibre of  claim 25 , wherein the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 20. 
     
     
         27 . The basically intact fibre of  claim 25 , wherein the average 2D aspect ratio of said basically intact fibre is at least 50. 
     
     
         28 . The basically intact fibre of  claim 23  characterized in that said lignocellulosic material is activated during the ionic liquid treatment and/or modified after recovery of the fibre from the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         29 . A method of producing paper, board, pulp or the like or in the production of bio-based materials, preferably bio-plastics, more preferably conductive polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, bio-based polymer composites, ceramics, fabrics, or elastomers comprising the process of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         30 . A method of treating lignocellulosic material comprising the step of contacting lignocellulosic material with