International Paper Company

Ahlstrom Corporation

Raymond A Volpe

Ashok M Adur

Thomas Z Fu

Gerald A Marano

Donna J Wenzel

Gene W Bartholomew

Keith S Shih

Dinkar G Wagle

Henry L Mei

Carlos Vaca-Garcia

Paul C Lucas

Julien Bras

Noël Cartier

Alan Wightman

Michael Dennis Black

Jongchul Kim

This specification is generally related to reinforced, parchmented paper, composite, reinforced parchmented paper and methods of manufacture thereof. The reinforced, parchmented paper may be used to form a sausage casing.

Methods of forming a reinforced parchmented nonwoven product

The specification discloses a layered composite containing a barrier layer comprising clay homogeneously dispersed in a continuous phase of polymeric material. The barrier layer is especially useful in the manufacture of liquid food containers. The clay/polymer barrier layer is formed by dispersing the clay in molten polymeric material to form a homogeneously dispersed clay in a continuous polymer phase. The barrier layer is then applied adjacent one surface of a paperboard component of the composite at a thickness ranging from about 1 to 30 microns. The paperboard may be coated or uncoated at the time the barrier layer is applied, and additional polymeric barrier layers and tie or adhesive layers may be used in combination with the barrier layer to provide reduced oxygen and water vapor transport through the composite. The method of preparing and applying the barrier layer to a paperboard substrate also significantly reduces process steps required to provide coated paperboard with improved barrier properties.

Clay-filled polymer barrier materials for food packaging applications

The specification discloses a polymer blend especially well-suited for coating paperboard substrates used in food packaging, particularly acidic or acid-generating foods such as fruit and vegetable juices. The blend contains an acid-activatable oxygen scavenger dispersed in a film-forming synthetic polymer such as an EVOH copolymer. When placed as a film or layer on the side of the substrate inside the container in contact with the food the blend is effective to reduce the oxygen in the container over time to a very low concentration, replacing the same with carbon dioxide, for an excellent preservative effect.

Oxygen-scavenging filled polymer blend for food packaging applications

A substrate coated with a liquid crystal polymer with an intervening tie layer. A second embodiment provides a surface layer disposed on the LCP layer, sandwiching the LCP layer between the surface layer and the substrate. Methods for constructing the above also is provided.

Multi-layer structure with heat stable high barrier polymer, method

Hybrid sol-gel barrier coatings are produced by hydrolyzing a tetrafunctional alkoxide silicate and a silane having one or two pendant crosslinkable groups in water or water plus a water miscible organic solvent and a catalytic amount a protic acid, Lewis acid, or metal chelate, until a viscosity of from about 2,600 to about 3,200 cps is obtained. The product is then diluted water or water plus a water miscible organic solvent, optionally containing a protic acid, Lewis acid, or metal chelate, until a viscosity of about 0.5 to about 10 cps is obtained. The diluted product is blended with a photoinitiator, coated onto a substrate, dried and irradiated to obtain oxygen barrier films having a very low oxygen transmission rate.

Hybrid sol-gel barrier coatings

A relaxed sol-gel composition and a coated substrate article which is produced therefrom. A tetrafunctional alkoxide silicate is hydrolyzed in an aqueous solution together with a Lewis acid or metal chelate catalyst with optional protic acid until a viscosity of 2600-3200 cps is obtained to form a crosslinked sol-gel polymer composition. The polymer is relaxed by diluting it with water or water plus alcohol optionally containing a Lewis acid or metal chelate until a viscosity of about 1 cps is obtained while not depolymerizing the polymer. The relaxed polymer has substantially no visible polymer particles. The relaxed polymer composition is uniformly coating a substrate and dried without requiring an in-situ curing.

Sol gel barrier films

The specification discloses an improved method for drying a paper or paperboard web emerging from the press section of a papermaking machine as it traverses a dryer unit. The method comprises continuously rewetting the web across its width during the initial web drying stage when the web has a solids content of no more than about 65 wt. %. The method improves the water removal rate and decreases the shrinkage rate of the web during drying.

Rewetting of paper products during drying

Electrically conductive polymeric materials, having microwave susceptive characteristics, are produced by suspending a fibrous based material and a monomer precursor of a conductive polymer in an aqueous solution. Addition of a chemical oxidant induces polymerization of the monomer resulting in coating of the fibrous based material. The invention provides a susceptor material useful for cooking food items in a microwave oven, and enhances the browning and/or crispening of the items. Conductive polymer coated fibrous based materials can be formed into a paper product by conventional papermaking techniques or molded into an integral structures having microwave interactive properties.

Growing community of inventors

Highland Mills, NY, United States of America

Raymond A Volpe