Fpinnovations

Other

The University of British Columbia

Thomas Hu

Richard M Berry

Gilles Marcel Dorris

Ivan I Pikulik

Ali Hayek

Xujun Hua

Raed Hashaikeh

Yuxia Ben

Brian R James

Denys Francois Leclerc

Natalie Pagé

Victor Charles Uloth

Patrick Neault

Guy Roger Njamen Tchapda

Trevor Williams

Tom Owston

Ronald Peter Van Heek

Dominggus Yawalata

Maria B Ezhova

A novel method is disclosed to make cellulose filaments (CF) from wood or other plant fibers with lower energy consumption. The method consists of multi-stage, high consistency refining, followed by low consistency refining or by low consistency, non-refining mechanical treatment, of wood or other plant fibers. The total specific refining energy for the multi-stage, high consistency refining is preferably 2,000-18,000 kWh/t, and more preferably 2,000-12,000 kWh/t. The CF produced can be used as a superior reinforcement additive in the production of paper, tissue or paperboard and in the production of plastic composites. It can also be used as a viscosity or rheology modifier in food products, coatings or drilling muds. The CF produced can also be used to make strong films for application in packaging and in composites.

Method for producing cellulose filaments with less refining energy

A molecule possessing a primary or secondary amino group and an additional functionality capable of providing a novel or improved property to a cellulose material has been permanently attached to the cellulose material in aqueous media using a water-soluble carbodiimide as the coupling agent/activator. One such molecule is 5-aminofluorescein (abbreviated as 'A-fluo') and one such cellulose material is a papermaking pulp. Papers made from a pulp furnish containing, for example, 0.01 wt. % of the 'A-fluo'-attached pulp show an embedded marker feature authenticable upon UV or visible light excitation. The &#x201c;A-fluo&#x201d;-attached pulp can also be used for the marking and identification of a pulp furnish.

Cellulose materials with novel properties

A method for producing crystalline sulphated cellulose II materials with relatively low degree of polymerization from spent liquors of sulphuric acid (HSO) hydrolysis of cellulose has been discovered. The method involves: 1) separating the spent liquors from the hydrolysed, acid-insoluble, cellulose I materials by dilution from, for example, a 64% HSOhydrolysis medium to a residual sulphuric acid concentration of 10-50% with 0-40% HSO, followed by settling (or centrifuging) and decanting; 2) adding the diluted spent liquors to water or heating the diluted spent liquors at 30-80&#xb0; C. for &#x2266;48 h; and 3) recovering the recrystallized sulphated cellulose II materials with relatively low degree of polymerization either by filtration and washing or by washing and freeze drying. The method can be used to concurrently produce both crystalline, sulphated cellulose I and the crystalline, sulphated cellulose II materials.

Crystalline sulphated cellulose II and its production from sulphuric acid hydrolysis of cellulose

A novel method for the production of light-stable and process-stable lignocellulosic materials, in particular, the production of mechanical wood pulps with much improved light and process stability is described, as well as the resulting pulps of improved light and process stability and papers containing such pulps. The novel method involves the reaction of lignocellulosic materials such as bleached chemithermomechanical pulps (BCTMP) with (a) a water-soluble, fibre-reactive yellowing inhibitor possessing two or more secondary amino or ammonium (&#x2014;NHR' or &#x2014;HNHR&#x2032;), tertiary amino or ammonium (&#x2014;NR&#x2032;R&#x2033; or &#x2014;HNR&#x2032;R&#x2033;), and/or quaternary ammonium (&#x2014;NR&#x2032;R&#x2033;R&#x2032;&#x2033;) functional groups in an aqueous medium, or (b) a water-soluble, fibre-reactive hindered amine light stabilizer possessing said amino or ammonium functional groups in an alkaline peroxide bleaching medium or in an aqueous medium with a subsequent bleaching of the materials in an alkaline peroxide bleaching medium. Examples of the water-soluble, fibre-reactive yellowing inhibitors are the novel, N-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxyl-piperidin-4-yl)-N&#x2032;-{2-[2-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxyl-piperidin-4-ylamino)-ethylamino]-ethyl}-ethane-1,2-diamine (abbreviated as TETA-2TEMPO) and its hydroxylamine hydrochloride derivative, N-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-hydroxyl-piperidin-4-yl)-N&#x2032;-{2-[2-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-hydroxyl-piperidin-4-ylamino)-ethylamino]-ethyl}-ethane-1,2-diamine hexahydrochloride (abbreviated as TETA-2TEMPOH-6HCl).

Light-stable and process-stable lignocellulosic materials and their production

Oxidized white liquor is heat treated to increase the concentration of polysulphide measured at 285 or 286 nm (PS) or measured at 416 nm (PS) and the PS/PSor PS/PSratio, whereby the content of active polysulphide in the total polysulphide is increased which active polysulphide can be exploited to increase pulp yield in Kraft pulping.

Kraft pulp yield by heat treatment of polysulphide liquors generated by oxidation

A method for the bleaching and brightness stabilization of lignocellulosic materials is described. The method involves the treatment of lignocellulosic materials, in particular, (a) wood pulps such as thermomechanical pulps (TMP) and chemithermomechanical pulps (CTMP), and (b) papers made from wood pulps, with a water-soluble phosphine or a phosphonium compound preferably containing at least one phosphorus hydroxyalkyl bond/linkage, for example a phosphorus hydroxymethyl bond/linkage (P&#x2014;CHOH). One example of such a water-soluble phosphine is the commercially available, tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine (THP), P(CHOH). One example of such a phosphonium compound is the commercially available, tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride (THPC), [P(CHOH)]Cl.

Bleaching and brightness stabilization of lignocellulosic materials with water-soluble phosphines or phosphonium compounds

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Thomas Hu