Hydrocolloids coprocessed with cellulosic fibers when being sheared into highly refined cellulose

Abstract

An improved method refines cellulose to produce a highly refined cellulosic material in combination with a hydrocolloid. The method comprises soaking raw material from primarily parenchymal cell wall structures in an aqueous solution which need not contain an agent to modify the fiber (e.g., a mild alkalizing or alkaline agent and/or solution) using reduced temperatures and pressures, and refining the material with a plate refiner so that a waste water stream is reduced in volume. The mass of fiber is combined with a hydrocolloid and the combined mass is then sheared is dried to produce the Highly Refined Cellulose in an intimately associated or bound structure with the hydrocolloid. The highly refined fiber/hydrocolloid product can also provide excellent thickening properties to a degree unexpected from simple additive effects of the materials. The unique methodology in the combining of the ingredients surprisingly affects the final properties of the combined materials.