US2021262164A1PendingUtilityA1

Process for the production of nano-fibrillar cellulose suspensions

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Assignee: FIBERLEAN TECH LTDPriority: Mar 30, 2009Filed: Mar 5, 2021Published: Aug 26, 2021
Est. expiryMar 30, 2029(~2.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Patrick A.C. GaneJoachim SchoelkopfDaniel GantenbeinMichel SchenkerMichael PohlBeat Kübler
Y02W30/64D21H 15/04D21D 1/00A61P 17/02D21H 17/68D21B 1/16D21C 9/00D21H 17/675D21H 17/67D21H 11/18D21C 9/007D21H 11/00D21H 11/16
72
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the production of suspensions of nano-fibrillar cellulose by providing cellulose fibres and at least one filler and/or pigment; combining the cellulose fibres and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and fibrillating the cellulose fibres in the presence of at least one filler and/or pigment, as well as the suspensions of nano-fibrillar cellulose obtained by this process and their uses.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A process for the production of a nano-fibrillar cellulose suspension comprising the steps of: (a) providing cellulose fibres, wherein all or part of the cellulose fibres may be obtained from a recycled pulp; (b) providing at least one filler and/or pigment; (c) combining the cellulose fibres and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and (d) fibrillating the cellulose fibres in an aqueous environment in the presence of the at least one filler and/or pigment in a homogenizer or an ultra-fine friction grinder until a nano-fibrillar cellulose suspension is formed, wherein in step (d) the weight ratio of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment on a dry weight basis is from 1:10 to 10:1. 
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose fibres in step (a) are provided in the form of a suspension at a solids content of from 0.2 to 35 wt-%. 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose fibres in step (a) are provided in the form of a suspension at a solids content of from 0.25 to 10 wt-%. 
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose fibres in step (a) are provided in the form of a suspension at a solids content of from 1 to 5 wt-%. 
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose fibres in step (a) are provided in the form of a suspension at a solids content of from 2 to 4.5 wt-%. 
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose fibres in step (a) are provided in the form of a suspension at a solids content of from 1.3 to 3.5 wt-%. 
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is precipitated calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 31 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is precipitated calcium carbonate having a vateritic, a calcitic or an aragonitic crystal structure. 
     
     
         33 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is natural ground calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         34 . The process according to  claim 33 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is natural ground calcium carbonate selected from marble, limestone and/or chalk. 
     
     
         35 . The process according to  claim 31 , wherein the precipitated calcium carbonate in step (b) is ultrafine discrete prismatic, scalenohedral or rhombohedral precipitated calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         36 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is in the form of particles having a median particle size of from 0.03 to 15 μm. 
     
     
         37 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is in the form of particles having a median particle size of from 0.2 to 5 μm. 
     
     
         38 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is in the form of particles having a median particle size of from 0.2 to 4 μm. 
     
     
         39 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) is in the form of particles having a median particle size of about 1.5 or about 3.2 μm. 
     
     
         40 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one filler and/or pigment in step (b) comprises a dispersing agent. 
     
     
         41 . The process according to  claim 40 , wherein the dispersing agent is selected from homopolymers or copolymers of polycarboxylic acids and/or their salts or esters, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, acryl amide or acrylic esters, or mixtures thereof, alkali polyphosphates, phosphonic-, citric- or tartaric acids, salts or esters thereof, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein before fibrillating in step (d), the pH of the combination of the cellulose fibres and the at least one filler and/or pigment is adjusted to a pH of 10 to 12. 
     
     
         43 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein after fibrillating in step (d), the pH of the suspension is re-adjusted to a pH of 7.5 to 9.5. 
     
     
         44 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein after fibrillating in step (d), the pH of the suspension is re-adjusted to a pH of about 8.5. 
     
     
         45 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination resulting from step (c) is stored for 2 to 12 hours prior to fibrillating in step (d). 
     
     
         46 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination resulting from step (c) is stored for 3 to 10 hours, prior to fibrillating in step (d). 
     
     
         47 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination resulting from step (c) is stored for 4 to 8 hours, prior to fibrillating in step (d). 
     
     
         48 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein a cellulose solvent is added to the combination in step (c) prior to fibrillating in step (d). 
     
     
         49 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the cellulose solvent is copper(II)ethylenediamine, iron-sodium-tartrate or lithium-chloride/dimethylacetamine. 
     
     
         50 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein in step (d) the weight ratio of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment on a dry weight basis is from 1:6 to 6:1. 
     
     
         51 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein in step (d) the weight ratio of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment on a dry weight basis is from 1:4 to 4:1. 
     
     
         52 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein in step (d) the weight ratio of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment on a dry weight basis is from 1:3 to 3:1. 
     
     
         53 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein in step (d) the weight ratio of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment on a dry weight basis is from 1:2 to 2:1. 
     
     
         54 . A material composite, plastic, paint, rubber, concrete, ceramic, adhesive, food or wound-healing composition comprising the nano-fibrillar cellulose suspension according to  claim 25 . 
     
     
         55 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the fibrillating in step (d) is carried out by an ultra-fine friction grinder or a homogenizer, and wherein the temperature of the suspension in the ultra-fine friction grinder or the homogenizer is above 60° C. 
     
     
         56 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the fibrillating in step (d) is carried out by an ultra-fine friction grinder or a homogenizer, and wherein the temperature of the suspension in the ultra-fine friction grinder or the homogenizer is above 80° C. 
     
     
         57 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the fibrillating in step (d) is carried out by an ultra-fine friction grinder or a homogenizer, and wherein the temperature of the suspension in the ultra-fine friction grinder or the homogenizer is above 90° C. 
     
     
         58 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a Schopper Riegler degree is increased by ≥6° SR. 
     
     
         59 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a Schopper Riegler degree is increased by ≥8° SR. 
     
     
         60 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a Schopper Riegler degree is increased by ≥10° SR. 
     
     
         61 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a Schopper Riegler degree is increased by ≥15° SR. 
     
     
         62 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a final Schopper-Riegler degree of ≥60° SR is reached. 
     
     
         63 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a final Schopper-Riegler degree of ≥70° SR is reached. 
     
     
         64 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the combination of fibres to the at least one filler and/or pigment filler from step (c) is fibrillated in step (d) until a final Schopper-Riegler degree of ≥80° SR is reached.

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