Processes for recovering rubber from aged briquettes and aged briquettes containing plant matter from non-Hevea plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637562-B2
Application number	US-201314383380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2013
Priority date	Mar 6, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

Provided herein are organic solvent-based processes for the removal of rubber from aged briquettes made from compressed plant matter (briquettes) of non- Hevea plants. Also provided are aged briquettes made from the compressed plant matter of non- Hevea plants where the briquettes have been aged for either various time period after formation and the rubber within the briquette has retained its a molecular weight to within a specified range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aged briquette comprising:
78 to 95 weight % compressed chopped plant matter (based upon the total weight of the briquette) from a non- Hevea plant, said plant matter comprising bagasse, rubber, and resin,
2-20 weight % water (based upon the total weight of the briquette),
0.2-2 weight % antioxidant (based upon the total weight of rubber present in the plant matter),
0.1-5 weight % binder (based upon the total weight of the briquette), and
wherein at least 90% of undersize material of less than 30 mesh has been removed from the chopped plant matter prior to briquetting and the briquette has been aged for 18-24 days after formation and the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,000,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

2. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,200,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

3. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the briquette contains 80-100% by weight bark, less than 20% by weight woody material, and less than 1% by weight leaves.

4. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the chopped plant matter has an average size of 0.065-0.5″ prior to being compressed into the briquette.

5. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the chopped plant matter of the briquettes comprises guayule plant matter.

6. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the briquette has been subjected to further aging for a total aging period of 90-200 days after formation, optionally with at least half of those days at a temperature of 20-50° C., and the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 900,000-1,200,000.

7. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the antioxidant is 0.5-2 weight %.

8. The briquette of claim 1 , wherein the chopped plant matter was roll/flake milled prior to being compacted into the briquette.

9. The briquette of claim 5 , wherein the briquette contains 80-100 % by weight bark, less than 20% by weight woody material, and less than 1% by weight leaves.

10. An aged briquette comprising:
78 to 95 weight % compressed chopped plant matter (based upon the total weight of the briquette) from a guayule plant, said plant matter comprising bagasse, rubber, and resin,
2-20 weight % water (based upon the total weight of the briquette),
0.2-2 weight % antioxidant (based upon the total weight of rubber present in the plant matter),
0.1-5 weight % binder (based upon the total weight of the briquette),
wherein at least 90% of undersize material of less than 30 mesh has been removed from the chopped plant matter prior to briquetting and the briquette has been aged for 18-24 days after formation and the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,000,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

11. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,200,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

12. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the briquette contains 80-100% by weight bark, less than 20% by weight woody material, and less than 1% by weight leaves.

13. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the chopped plant matter has an average size of 0.065-0.5″ prior to being compressed into the briquette.

14. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the briquette has been subjected to further aging for a total aging period of 90-200 days after formation, optionally with at least half of those days at a temperature of 20-50° C., and the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 900,000-1,200,000.

15. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the amount of the antioxidant is 0.5-2 weight %.

16. The briquette of claim 10 , wherein the chopped plant matter was roll/flake milled prior to being compacted into the briquette.

17. The briquette of claim 11 , wherein the briquette contains 80-100% by weight bark, less than 20% by weight woody material, and less than 1% by weight leaves.

18. An aged briquette comprising:
78 to 95 weight % compressed chopped plant matter (based upon the total weight of the briquette) from a guayule plant, said plant matter comprising bagasse, rubber, and resin,
2-20 weight % water (based upon the total weight of the briquette), and
0.2-2 weight % antioxidant (based upon the total weight of rubber present in the plant matter),
wherein at least 90% of undersize material of less than 30 mesh has been removed from the chopped plant matter prior to briquetting and the briquette has been aged for 18-24 days after formation and the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 800,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

19. The briquette of claim 18 , wherein the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,000,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

20. The briquette of claim 18 , wherein the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,200,000-1,500,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

21. The briquette of claim 18 , wherein the rubber within the briquette has a molecular weight of 1,000,000-1,200,000, as measured after organic solvent extraction of the rubber from the plant matter of the briquette.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Huang Yingyi
• Smale Mark
• White Robert
• Mouri Hiroshi
• Cole William

Classifications

• C08L97/02

  Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse {(manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N)} · CPC title

• C08C2/02 Primary

  Purification · CPC title

• C08C1/04 Primary

  Purifying; Deproteinising · CPC title

• C08C4/00

  Treatment of rubber before vulcanisation, not provided for in groups C08C1/00 - C08C3/02 · CPC title

• C08C3/02 Primary

  Purification · CPC title