Washing apparatus and method for preparation of cellulose fibers for use in manufacture of biocomposite materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915030-B2
Application number	US-201514662879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mechanism and method is provided to clean and remove or separate cellulose fibers from the source fibrous material without stressing and/or damaging the cellulose fibers. The mechanism includes an agitator that directs the washing fluid in a vertical direction into engagement with the fibrous material to effect maximum cleaning of the cellulose from the remainder of the fibrous material without damaging or stressing the cellulose, thereby providing cellulose that can enhance the strength and other beneficial characteristics of a biocomposite material formed using the cellulose.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for washing fibrous materials to remove cellulose from other components of the fibrous material, the apparatus comprising:
a) a tank having a bottom wall and at least one side wall to define an open upper end for the tank;
b) a screen positioned within the tank over the bottom wall;
c) an agitating device disposed within the tank capable of moving a fluid within the tank in a vertical direction;
d) a potentiometric (pH) sensor communicating with an interior of the tank, the pH meter sensing a pH level of the fluid within the tank; and
e) a controller operatively connected to the pH sensor and the agitating device, the controller controlling operation of the agitating device in response to the pH level sensed by pH sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heating element disposed within the tank.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the heating element is disposed between the screen and the bottom wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the agitating device comprises:
a) a rotating shaft extending through the at least one side wall into the tank; and
b) a blade affixed to the rotating shaft within the tank.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the agitating device is disposed at least partially between the screen and the bottom wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a motor operably connected to the rotating shaft opposite the blade.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller is operably connected to the motor to control the operation of the motor and rotation of the shaft.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the blade is oriented in a vertical plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a) at least one sensor operably connected to the tank to sense an operating parameter of the tank; and
b) the controller operably connected to the at least one sensor to receive data on the operating parameter of the tank from the at least one sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller controls operation of the agitating device in response to the data regarding the operating parameter obtained from the at least one sensor and the pH sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 where in the sensor is a temperature sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the screen includes apertures extending therethrough, the apertures sized to enable hemicellulose, lignin and impurities to pass through the apertures, while retaining cellulose fibers on the screen.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a fluid outlet in the bottom wall.

14. A method for washing fibrous materials to separate cellulose fibers from other components of the fibrous material, the method comprising:
a) placing an amount of the fibrous material and an amount of a washing agent within the apparatus of claim 1 ;
b) operating the agitating device to move the washing agent vertically into contact with the fibrous material; and
c) allowing the hemicellulose, lignin and other impurities to pass through the screen while retaining the cellulose fibers on the screen.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the apparatus further includes at least one sensor disposed on the tank for sending data on an operating parameter of the tank and a controller operably connected to the at least one sensor and the agitating device, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
a) receiving data in the controller from the at least one sensor; and
b) altering the operation of the agitating device in response to the data from the at least one sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:
a) draining the washing agent, hemicellulose, lignin and impurities from the tank;
b) filtering the hemicellulose, lignin and impurities from the washing agent; and
c) replacing the washing agent in the tank with another amount of the fibrous material.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of extracting the hemicellulose and lignin from the impurities.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
a) removing the cellulose from the tank after draining the tank; and
b) forming a biocomposite material with the cellulose fibers.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Henry James
• Panigrahi Satyanarayan
• Lal Kushwaha Radhey

Classifications

• D21C7/14

  Means for circulating the lye · CPC title

• D21C9/001 Primary

  Modification of pulp properties (purification D21C9/08) · CPC title

• D21C7/12

  Devices for regulating or controlling · CPC title

• D10B2201/01

  Natural vegetable fibres · CPC title

• D21C9/10

  Bleaching {; Apparatus therefor} · CPC title