Slurry of agricultural fibres and its products

Abstract

Environmental friendliness and biodegradability are important considerations of disposable materials, be it packaging or paper, in order to minimize environmental damage. The present invention relates to a method of producing environmental friendly and biodegradable products using mechanically processed agricultural fibres and rightly formulated adhesive. In particular, mechanical treatment takes place in a pressure vessel under hydrothermal conditions using superheated steam. Treated agricultural fibres are mixed with stoichemtric amount of adhesive, through vigorous agitation, a well furnished agricultural fibre slurry is obtained and ready to be fed into manufacturing process to produce, in this invention, moulded shape bodies and paper liners. Unlike synthetic resin, the said adhesive formulation is biodegradable and made of natural renewable resources. The said adhesive has self-retention property. The agricultural fibre slurry can be easily made into moulded products and paper liners using commonly available processes.

1 . AgroFibre slurry comprising: 
 mechanically processed agricultural fibres, AgroFibre; and a natural adhesive formulation, AgroBinder; and    wherein said mechanical processing of agricultural fibres is chemical-free in which the agricultural fibres are mechanically pressed, digested under hydrothermal conditions, cut and refined;    said natural adhesive formulation is carrier, no-carrier and carrier-no-carrier type which is starch-based, alkaline and viscosity stable that is biodegradable, self-retaining and water resistant, said natural adhesive formulation comprises water, starch carrier, ungelatinized starch, modified starch, green-bond developing agent and caustic.    
   
   
       2 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agricultural fibres are digested at hydrothermal conditions using live superheated steam and at temperature between 150 to 250 deg C., and pressure between 0.3 to 3 MPa for a residence time of 10 to 120 min.  
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein AgroBinder is manufactured by cooking starch carrier phase at pH between 12-14 to give gelatinized starch, and to which ungelatinized starch is added under continuous heating and stirring; green-bond developing agents are subsequently added and mixed for at least 30 min to obtain homogeneous gelatinized mixture.  
   
   
       5 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein AgroBinder is self-retaining to AgroFibre due to the addition of retaining aid, preferably oxidized starch, to the AgroBinder formulation.  
   
   
       6 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein caustic, preferably in the form of aqueous solution, is added to the AgroBinder formulation.  
   
   
       7 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein green-bond developing agent, preferably boron-containing compound, is added to the AgroBinder formulation.  
   
   
       8 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein functional additives such as sizing, wet strength and grease barrier agents are added to the slurry to enhance functional performance as options for specific applications.  
   
   
       9 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 1  is obtained by thoroughly mixing AgroFibre with AgroBinder and water to form aqueous slurry.  
   
   
       10 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 8  is diluted with water to low consistency slurry between 0.1 to 3% as the feedstock for the manufacturing of moulded shape bodies and paper liners.  
   
   
       11 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein vacuum forming and thermal curing process is used to manufacture moulded shape bodies.  
   
   
       12 . The AgroFibre slurry as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein low consistency pulp is substituted with low consistency AgroFibre slurry for the manufacturing of paper liners.