Nanofibrillar cellulose as a phase separation agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975062-B2
Application number	US-201214368013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is the use of a separation agent including fibril cellulose for phase separation, as well as to a method for the separation of at least one liquid phase from at least one phase selected from a second liquid phase, solid phase and semi-solid phase, where the method includes the steps of incorporating a separation agent including fibril cellulose to a mixture where separation of the phases is desired, followed by formation of phases and removing the phases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the separation of phases, said method comprising:
incorporating a separation agent comprising nanofibrillar cellulose into a mixture;
forming more than one phase from the mixture and separation agent, the more than one phase including a first liquid phase and at least one second phase, the at least one second phase including a second liquid phase immiscible in the first liquid phase, a solid phase, or a semisolid phase;
removing the first liquid phase from the at least one second phase,
wherein the separation agent comprises from 0.1 to 20 wt % of nanofibrillar cellulose in an aqueous dispersion, the separation agent forming a barrier or interphase comprising a gel between the first phase and the at least one second phase.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is plant derived cellulose or microbial derived cellulose or any combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is native or chemically modified nanofibrillar cellulose.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is ion exchanged nanofibrillar cellulose.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid phase comprises an aqueous phase, optionally comprising at least one polar solvent.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming more than one phase comprises one or more steps selected from agitation, centrifuging, and settling.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing the first liquid phase from the at least one second phase comprises one or more steps selected from decanting, pipetting, draining and pumping.

Assignees

• Upm Kymmene Corp

Inventors

• Lauraeus Marko
• Laukkanen Antti

Classifications

• C12N15/1006 Primary

  by means of a solid support carrier, e.g. particles, polymers · CPC title

• C02F1/5263

  using natural chemical compounds · CPC title

• B01D17/0202

  by ab- or adsorption · CPC title

• B01D17/047

  with separation aids · CPC title

• C08B15/00

  Preparation of other cellulose derivatives or modified cellulose {, e.g. complexes} · CPC title