Modified fiber, methods, and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900174-B2
Application number	US-201815976654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Methods of forming crosslinked cellulose include mixing a crosslinking agent with an aqueous mixture of cellulose fibers containing little to no excess water (e.g., solids content of 25-55%), drying the resulting mixture to 85-100% solids, then curing the dried mixture to crosslink the cellulose fibers. Systems include a mixing unit to form, from an aqueous mixture of unbonded cellulose fibers having a solids content of about 25-55% and a crosslinking agent, a substantially homogenous mixture of non-crosslinked, unbonded cellulose fibers and crosslinking agent; a drying unit to dry the substantially homogenous mixture to a consistency of 85-100%; and a curing unit and to cure the crosslinking agent to form dried and cured crosslinked cellulose fibers. Intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers produced by such methods and/or systems have a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an AFAQ capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A crosslinked cellulose product comprising individual intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

2. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 1 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

3. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 1 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

4. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 1 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

5. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 4 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

6. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 1 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

7. The crosslinked cellulose product of claim 1 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

8. A cellulose mat comprising intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

9. The cellulose mat of claim 8 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

10. The cellulose mat of claim 8 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

11. The cellulose mat of claim 8 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

12. The cellulose mat of claim 11 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

13. The cellulose mat of claim 8 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

14. The cellulose mat of claim 8 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

15. A cellulose pad comprising intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

16. The cellulose pad of claim 15 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

17. The cellulose pad of claim 15 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

18. The cellulose pad of claim 15 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

19. The cellulose pad of claim 18 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

20. The cellulose pad of claim 15 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

21. The cellulose pad of claim 15 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

22. A cellulose sheet comprising intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

23. The cellulose sheet of claim 22 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

24. The cellulose sheet of claim 22 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

25. The cellulose sheet of claim 22 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

26. The cellulose sheet of claim 25 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

27. The cellulose sheet of claim 22 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

28. The cellulose sheet of claim 22 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

29. A cellulose web comprising intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

30. The cellulose web of claim 29 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

31. The cellulose web of claim 29 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

32. The cellulose web of claim 29 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

33. The cellulose web of claim 32 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

34. The cellulose web of claim 29 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with a one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

35. The cellulose web of claim 29 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

36. A cellulose composition comprising intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers having a chemical on pulp level of about 2-14% and an automatic fiber absorption quality (“AFAQ”) capacity of at least 12.0 g/g.

37. The cellulose composition of claim 36 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers include softwood cellulose pulp fibers.

38. The cellulose composition of claim 36 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are treated cellulose pulp fibers.

39. The cellulose composition of claim 36 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are hardwood cellulose pulp fibers.

40. The cellulose composition of claim 39 , wherein the hardwood cellulose pulp fibers are eucalyptus pulp fibers.

41. The cellulose composition of claim 36 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers are intrafiber crosslinked with one or more of a polyacrylic acid and a polycarboxylic acid crosslinking agent.

42. The cellulose composition of claim 36 , wherein the intrafiber crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers have an AFAQ capacity of at least 16.0 g/g.

Assignees

• Int Paper Co
• Int Papercompany

Inventors

• Miller Charles E

Classifications

• C08J2301/02

  Cellulose; Modified cellulose · CPC title

• D21C9/00

  After-treatment of cellulose pulp, e.g. of wood pulp, or cotton linters {; Treatment of dilute or dewatered pulp or process improvement taking place after obtaining the raw cellulosic material and not provided for elsewhere (polysaccharides, derivatives thereof C08B; paper-making D21B - D21H)} · CPC title

• D21C9/005

  organic compounds · CPC title

• B01J2219/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside · CPC title

• C08J3/24

  Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules (mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K) · CPC title