Methods of controlling the hydrophilicity of cellulose

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018142411-A1
Application number	US-201615573712-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	May 24, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods including the steps of providing cellulosic material, associating the cellulosic material with an organic acid (e.g., lactic acid) to form a mixture, and heating the mixture to a temperature between 100° C. and 120° C. for at least ten minutes to form a treated cellulosic material, wherein the water retention value of the treated cellulosic material is decreased by at least 10% as compared to untreated cellulosic material.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method comprising
providing cellulosic material; associating the cellulosic material with an organic acid to form a mixture; and
heating the mixture to a temperature between 100° C. and 120° C. for at least ten minutes to form a treated cellulosic material, wherein the water retention value of the treated cellulosic material is decreased by at least 10% as compared to untreated cellulosic material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid is associated with the cellulosic material in a ratio of at least 1:1 by weight.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the organic acid is associated with the cellulosic material in a ratio of at least 6:1 by weight.

4 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, levulinic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, and carbonic acid.

5 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the organic acid is lactic acid.

6 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of wood, wood waste, spent pulping/fractionation liquors, algal biomass, food waste, grasses, straw, corn stover, corn fiber, agricultural products and residuals, forest residuals, saw dust, wood shavings, sludges and municipal solid waste, bacterial cellulose and mixtures thereof.

7 . The method of any one of claims 1 - 5 , wherein the cellulosic material is nanocellulose.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the nanocellulose is or comprises cellulose nanofibrils or cellulose nanocrystals.

9 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the mixture is heated for at least 1 hour.

10 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the mixture is heated for at least 24 hours.

11 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein the WRV is decreased by at least 50%.

12 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein at least one of the associating and heating steps is carried out at or below atmospheric pressure.

13 . The method of any one of the above claims, wherein at least one of the associating and heating steps is carried at a pressure between 20 torr and 3 bar, inclusive.

14 . A composition comprising at least 20% by weight of fibers produced by a method according to any one of the above claims.

Assignees

• Univ Maine System

Inventors

• Bilodeau Michael A
• Spender Jonathan

Classifications

• D21H11/16

  modified by a particular after-treatment · CPC title

• D06M13/184

  Carboxylic acids; Anhydrides, halides or salts thereof · CPC title

• D06M11/76

  with carbon oxides or carbonates (D06M11/75 takes precedence; with percarbonic acids or their salts D06M11/50; with urea D06M13/432) · CPC title

• D21C9/005 Primary

  organic compounds · CPC title

• D06M2101/06

  cellulosic · CPC title