Arundo donax paper product

Abstract

Composite panels and pulp, and paper products of the pulp, are produced from Arundo donax . In the fabrication of the composite panels, Arundo donax is comminuted to a suitable size, combined with a binder, and consolidated into panels that meet standards for construction and/or furniture grade panels. The Arundo donax particulates may be combined with wood particulates to produce a mixed furnish that can be used in the preparation of composite panels. Comminuted Arundo donax is treated, in conventional pulping processes, to produce a high tensile strength pulp that can be used in the production of paper. The pulp has a lighter color than wood pulp, and thereby uses less bleaching chemicals to achieve a desired whiteness. The pulp can be combined with wood pulp to produce a variety of products.

1 . A method for forming an  Arundo donax  pulp, the method comprising: 
 (a) selecting a furnish comprising  Arundo donax  particles;    (b) subjecting the furnish to a pulping process to produce a brown stock of pulp having a yield of about 48% by weight based on the furnish; and    (c) bleaching the brown stock of pulp to a brightness greater than about 55% ISO.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pulp has a CSF level of up to about 750 ml.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the brown stock of pulp is bleached to a brightness of greater than about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the brown stock of pulp is bleached to a brightness of greater than about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the  Arundo donax  particles have a moisture content of less than about 10%.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pulping process comprises kraft pulping.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pulping process comprises soda pulping.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pulping process comprises alkaline peroxide mechanical pulping.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pulping process comprises sulfite pulping.  
     
     
         10 . An  Arundo donax  pulp formed by a method comprising: 
 (a) selecting a furnish comprising  Arundo donax  particles;    (b) subjecting the furnish to a pulping process to produce a brown stock of pulp having a yield of about 48% by weight based on the furnish; and    (c) bleaching the brown stock of pulp to a brightness greater than about 55% ISO.    
     
     
         11 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the pulp has a CSF level of up to about 750 ml.  
     
     
         12 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the brown stock of pulp is bleached to a brightness of greater than about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         13 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the brown stock of pulp is bleached to a brightness of greater than about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         14 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the  Arundo donax  particles have a moisture content of less than about 10%.  
     
     
         15 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the pulping process comprises kraft pulping.  
     
     
         16 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the pulping process comprises soda pulping.  
     
     
         17 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the pulping process comprises alkaline peroxide mechanical pulping.  
     
     
         18 . The pulp of  claim 10  wherein the pulping process comprises sulfite pulping.  
     
     
         19 . An  Arundo donax  pulp having a brightness greater than about 55% ISO and a CSF level of up to about 750 ml.  
     
     
         20 . The pulp of  claim 19  having a brightness of greater than about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         21 . The pulp of  claim 19  having a brightness of greater than about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         22 . A method of forming an  Arundo donax  paper product, comprising: 
 (a) selecting a furnish comprising  Arundo donax  particles;    (b) subjecting the furnish to a pulping process to provide a pulp having a CSF level of up to about 750 ml;    (c) depositing the pulp onto a foraminous support;    (d) dewatering the deposited pulp to provide a fibrous web; and    (e) drying the web to provide a paper product having a burst index of at least about 2.5, a tear index of at least about 3.9, a tensile strength of at least about 39 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising beating the pulp to a CSF level of less than about 605 ml prior to depositing the pulp onto a foraminous support.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the paper product has a burst index of at least about 3.0, a tear index of at least about 8.5, a tensile strength of at least about 50 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the  Arundo donax  furnish further comprises wood fibers.  
     
     
         28 . An  Arundo donax  paper product formed by a method comprising: 
 (a) selecting a furnish comprising  Arundo donax  particles;    (b) subjecting the furnish to a pulping process to provide a pulp having a CSF level of up to about 750 ml;    (c) depositing the pulp onto a foraminous support;    (d) dewatering the deposited pulp to provide a fibrous web; and    (e) drying the web to provide the paper product, wherein the paper product has a burst index of at least about 2.5, a tear index of at least about 3.9, a tensile strength of at least about 39 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.    
     
     
         29 . The paper product of  claim 28  wherein the method further comprises beating the pulp to a CSF level of less than about 605 ml prior to depositing the pulp onto a foraminous support.  
     
     
         30 . The paper product of  claim 29  wherein the paper product has a burst index of at least about 3.0, a tear index of at least about 8.5, a tensile strength of at least about 50 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.  
     
     
         31 . The paper product of  claim 30  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         32 . The paper product of  claim 31  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         33 . The paper product of  claim 28  wherein the  Arundo donax  furnish further comprises wood fibers.  
     
     
         34 . A paper product comprising  Arundo donax  pulp, wherein the paper product has a burst index of at least about 2.5, a tear index of at least about 3.9, a tensile strength of at least about 39 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.  
     
     
         35 . The paper product of  claim 34  wherein the paper product has a burst index of at least about 3.0, a tear index of at least about 8.5, a tensile strength of at least about 50 and brightness of at least about 55% ISO.  
     
     
         36 . The paper product of  claim 35  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 75% ISO.  
     
     
         37 . The paper product of  claim 36  wherein the paper product has a brightness of at least about 82% ISO.  
     
     
         38 . The paper product of  claim 34  comprising at least 5% by weight  Arundo donax  pulp.  
     
     
         39 . The paper product of  claim 38  comprising up to 85% by weight  Arundo donax  pulp.  
     
     
         40 . The paper product of  claim 38  comprising up to 100% by weight  Arundo donax  pulp.  
     
     
         41 . An  Arundo donax  composite panel, the composite comprising: 
 (a) a binder resin; and    (b)  Arundo donax  particles bonded into a contiguous material with the resin,    wherein the composite meets at least the M-3 standard for composite panels.    
     
     
         42 . The panel of  claim 41  wherein the panel comprises from about 1 to about 10 percent by weight of a resin binder based on the total weight of the panel.  
     
     
         43 . The panel of  claim 41  wherein the panel comprises from about 1.5 to about 3.0 percent by weight of a resin binder based on the total weight of the panel.  
     
     
         44 . The panel of  claim 41  wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of methyl diisocyanate, urea-formaldehyde, phenolic, and inorganic binders.  
     
     
         45 . The panel of  claim 41  further comprising wood fibers.  
     
     
         46 . The panel of  claim 45  having from about 10% to about 90% by weight  Arundo donax  based on the total weight of the panel.  
     
     
         47 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the bending strength of the panel is increased proportionally relative to the amount of  Arundo donax  in the panel compared to a wood-based panel.  
     
     
         48 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the moisture resistance of the panel is increased proportionally relative to the amount of  Arundo donax  in the panel compared to a wood-based panel.  
     
     
         49 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the bending strength of the panel is at least about 55% greater than a similarly constituted wood-based panel.  
     
     
         50 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the moisture resistance of the panel is about 2.6 times greater than a similarly constituted wood-based panel.  
     
     
         51 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the bending strength of the panel is about 5% greater than a similarly constituted wheatstraw-based panel.  
     
     
         52 . The panel of  claim 45  wherein the moisture resistance of the panel is 15% greater than a similarly constituted wheatstraw-based panel.  
     
     
         53 . A method of manufacturing an  Arundo donax  composite panel, the method comprising: 
 (a) comminuting  Arundo donax  into particles of a size distribution suitable for use as furnish in a composite panel;    (b) mixing the particles with a binder to provide a binder-particle mixture; and    (c) consolidating the binder-particle mixture into a composite panel.    
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the particle-binder mixture further comprises wood particles.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the binder is methyl diisocyanate.