Process for preparing a broken-up, cellulose-containing, starting material with a predefined fibre-length distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371856-B2
Application number	US-202017596100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Jun 4, 2019
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A method for providing a treated cellulose-comprising starting material ( 110 ), in particular a starting material for forming a, in particular regenerated, cellulosic molded body ( 102 ) is described. The method comprises: i) supplying a cellulose-comprising starting material ( 101 ) which comprises cellulosic fibers, and treating ( 20 ) the cellulose-comprising starting material ( 101 ), to obtain the treated cellulose-comprising starting material ( 110 ), such that the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material ( 110 ) comprises a predetermined fiber length distribution. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a cellulosic molded body ( 102 ), a treated cellulose-comprising starting material ( 110 ), and a use of used textiles are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing a treated cellulose-comprising starting material for forming a regenerated, cellulosic molded body, wherein the method comprises:
supplying a cellulose-comprising starting material which comprises cellulosic fibers;
wherein the cellulose-comprising starting material entirely or partially comprises remains from a reusable clothing manufacture or reusable old clothes; and
treating the cellulose-comprising starting material, to obtain the treated cellulose-comprising starting material, such that the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material comprise a predetermined fiber length distribution;
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an average length-weighted fiber length in the range 0.75 to 2.5 mm; and
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an amount of 11% or less of fibers with a length of less than 0.2 mm.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the treating further comprises:
singularizing the cellulose-comprising starting material, such that single cellulose fibers are present.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the treating further comprises:
shortening the cellulose fibers such that the predetermined fiber length distribution is obtained; or
selectively separating cellulose fibers which do not correspond to the predetermined fiber length distribution.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cellulose-comprising starting material comprises non-cellulosic foreign matters, and wherein the treating further comprises:
mechanically separating at least a part of the non-cellulosic foreign matters; or
chemically separating at least a part of the non-cellulosic foreign matters.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the treating further comprises:
performing a boiling process,
wherein the boiling process is performed such that the cellulose fibers are at least partially singularized or the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material substantially comprise the predetermined fiber length distribution.

6. A method of providing a treated cellulose-comprising starting material for forming a regenerated, cellulosic molded body, wherein the method comprises:
supplying a cellulose-comprising starting material which comprises cellulosic fibers;
wherein the cellulose-comprising starting material entirely or partially comprises remains from a reusable clothing manufacture or reusable old clothes; and
treating the cellulose-comprising starting material, to obtain the treated cellulose-comprising starting material, such that the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material comprise a predetermined fiber length distribution;
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an average length-weighted fiber length in the range 0.75 to 2.5 mm; and
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an amount of 17.5% or less of fibers with a length in the range 2 to 3.5 mm.

7. A method of providing a treated cellulose-comprising starting material for forming a regenerated, cellulosic molded body, wherein the method comprises:
supplying a cellulose-comprising starting material which comprises cellulosic fibers;
wherein the cellulose-comprising starting material entirely or partially comprises remains from a reusable clothing manufacture or reusable old clothes; and
treating the cellulose-comprising starting material, to obtain the treated cellulose-comprising starting material, such that the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material comprise a predetermined fiber length distribution;
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an average length-weighted fiber length in the range 0.75 to 2.5 mm; and
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an amount of 12.5% or less of fibers with a length of more than 3.5 mm.

8. A method of manufacturing a regenerated, cellulosic molded body, the method comprising:
providing a treated cellulose-comprising starting material by:
supplying a cellulose-comprising starting material which comprises cellulosic fibers;
wherein the cellulose-comprising starting material entirely or partially comprises remains from a reusable clothing manufacture or reusable old clothes; and
treating the cellulose-comprising starting material, to obtain the treated cellulose-comprising starting material, such that the cellulose fibers of the treated cellulose-comprising starting material comprise a predetermined fiber length distribution;
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an average length-weighted fiber length in the range 0.75 to 2.5 mm; and
wherein the predetermined fiber length distribution comprises an amount of 11% or less of fibers with a length of less than 0.2 mm.; and
forming the regenerated cellulosic molded body from the treated cellulose-comprising starting material.

9. The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein forming the regenerated, cellulosic molded body from the treated cellulose-comprising starting material comprises one of the group consisting of a lyocell method, a viscose method or a paper manufacturing method.

10. The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the regenerated, cellulosic molded body is selected from the group consisting of a filament, a fiber, a foil, a sponge, a microsphere, a bead or a paper tissue.

Assignees

• Chemiefaser Lenzing Ag

Inventors

• Herchl Richard
• Weilach Christian

Classifications

• Y02W30/64

  Paper recycling · CPC title

• Y02W30/66

  Disintegrating fibre-containing textile articles to obtain fibres for re-use · CPC title

• D21C9/007

  by mechanical or physical means · CPC title

• D21C3/02

  with inorganic bases or alkaline reacting compounds, e.g. sulfate processes · CPC title

• C08J2301/02

  Cellulose; Modified cellulose · CPC title