International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation

Fred W Snyder, Jr

Albin F Turbak

Karen R Sandberg

Andrew B Auerbach

Adel El-Kafrawy

A suspension of a finely divided material in a liquid suspending medium which swells cellulose, the suspension containing microfibrillated cellulose in an amount sufficient to produce a stable, homogeneous suspension. The microfibrillated cellulose, a form of cellulose having a very large available surface area per unit of weight, acts to confer, among other benefits, greater stability on the suspension. The suspensions are useful in a variety of end use products including foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paints and drilling muds.

Suspensions containing microfibrillated cellulose

Microfibrillated celluloses having properties distinguishable from all previously known celluloses, are produced by passing a liquid suspension of cellulose through a small diameter orifice in which the suspension is subjected to a pressure drop of at least 3000 psig and a high velocity shearing action followed by a high velocity decelerating impact, and repeating the passage of said suspension through the orifice until the cellulose suspension becomes a substantially stable suspension. The process converts the cellulose into microfibrillated cellulose without substantial chemical change of the cellulose starting material.

Microfibrillated cellulose

A suspension of a finely divided material in a liquid suspending medium which swells cellulose, the suspension containing microfibrillated cellulose in an amount sufficient to produce a stable, homogeneous suspension. The suspensions are oil-in-water emulsion.

A suspension of a finely divided material in a liquid suspending medium which swells cellulose, the suspension containing microfibrillated cellulose in an amount sufficient to produce a stable, homogeneous suspension. The finely divided material is a dense solid such as coal or sand.

A suspension of a finely divided material in a liquid suspending medium which swells cellulose, the suspension containing microfibrillated cellulose in an amount sufficient to produce a stable, homogeneous suspension. The finely divided materials are hydrophilic polymers.

An edible suspension of a finely divided food material in a liquid suspending medium which swells cellulose, the suspension also containing microfibrillated cellulose in an amount sufficient to produce a stable, homogeneous suspension. The microfibrillated cellulose, a form of cellulose having a very large available surface area per unit of weight, acts to confer, among other benefits, greater stability on the suspension.

Cellulose is activated by penetration of the cellulose with a polar medium and mixed at a temperature at which no significant degradation occurs with an amide selected from the group consisting of dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and mixtures thereof and from 3 to 15% by weight of lithium chloride. The cellulose is then dissolved in the amide and lithium chloride in the substantial absence of any polar medium other than the amide. Shaped cellulosic products may be formed by reconstituting the cellulose in fiber, sheet or other form.

Process for forming shaped cellulosic product

A food product containing microfibrillated cellulose is prepared by mixing together an edible liquid which swells cellulose, a food additive and fibrous cellulose to form a liquid suspension. The suspension is repeatedly passed through a small diameter orifice in which the mixture is subjected to a pressure drop of at least 3000 psig and a high velocity shearing action followed by a high velocity decelerating impact. The process converts the cellulose into microfibrillated cellulose and forms a stable homogeneous suspension of the microfibrillated cellulose, liquid and food additive.

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Wharton, NJ, United States of America

Fred W Snyder, Jr