Ligno cellulosic materials and the products made therefrom

Abstract

A process comprising treating a lignocellulosic material preferably pulp in the presence of a transition metal catalyst with a oxidizing agent selected from a group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and any combination thereof to form a treated lignocellulosic material having a viscosity equal to or less than about 17 cp and having reducing functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C6 and C1 positions but predominating at the C1 position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A treated lignocellulosic material having a viscosity equal to or less than about 17 cp and having reducing functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C6 and C1 positions but predominating at the C1 position. 
     
     
         27 . A personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids, the article comprising:
 at least one fluid permeable top sheet layer and at least one substantially fluid impermeable back sheet layer; and   an absorbent sub layer material interposed between the top sheet layer and the back sheet layer, the sub layer material comprising a treated lignocellulosic material having a viscosity less than 17 cp and having reducing functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C6 and C1 positions but predominating at the C1 position.   
     
     
         28 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A composition comprising a treated lignocellulosic material having a capillary viscosity equal to or less than about 17 cps and functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde functional groups, hemiacetal functional groups, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is comprised of a wood pulp. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 32 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is comprised of a treated bleached Kraft pulp. 
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 32 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is comprised of a bleached Southern softwood Kraft pulp. 
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the capillary viscosity of the treated lignocellulosic material is equal to or less than about 10 cps. 
     
     
         36 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the capillary viscosity of the treated lignocellulosic material is from about 1 to about 10 cps. 
     
     
         37 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the capillary viscosity of the treated lignocellulosic material is from about 2 to about 7 cps. 
     
     
         38 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
         39 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 3. 
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 4.4. 
     
     
         41 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5. 
     
     
         42 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5.5. 
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 3.5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material. 
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 4 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material. 
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material. 
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 31 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 5.5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material. 
     
     
         47 . The A treated lignocellulosic material of  claim 26 , wherein the amount of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C1 position is greater than about 75%. 
     
     
         48 . The A treated lignocellulosic material of  claim 26 , wherein the amount of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C1 position is greater than about 80%.