# US 11,299,852 B2 · Method for producing parenchymal cell cellulose

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- Number: US 11,299,852 B2
- Document ID: US11299852B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/062,493
- Filed: 2016-12-14
- Published: 2020-10-01
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15
- Assignees: Betulium Oy
- Applicants: Betulium Oy
- Inventors: Antti Laukkanen; Marko Lauraeus; Jason McKee; Timo Pääkkönen; Tapio Saarinen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299852B2

## CPC

- D21C 9/007: {by mechanical or physical means}
- C08B 1/00: Preparatory treatment of cellulose for making derivatives thereof {, e.g. pre-treatment, pre-soaking, activation}
- C08L 1/02: Cellulose; Modified cellulose
- D21C 3/02: with inorganic bases or alkaline reacting compounds, e.g. sulfate processes
- D21C 7/06: Feeding devices
- D21C 7/08: Discharge devices
- D21C 9/002: {by chemical means; preparation of dewatered pulp, e.g. in sheet or bulk form, containing special additives}
- D21C 9/004: {inorganic compounds}
- D21C 9/02: Washing {; Displacing cooking or pulp-treating liquors contained in the pulp by fluids, e.g. wash water or other pulp-treating agents}
- D21C 9/10: Bleaching {; Apparatus therefor}
- D21D 1/20: Methods of refining
- D21H 11/12: Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse
- D21H 11/18: Highly hydrated, swollen or fibrillatable fibres
- D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C08B: POLYSACCHARIDES; DERIVATIVES THEREOF (polysaccharides containing less than six saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes C12P19/00; sugar industry C13; production of cellulose D21)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- D21D: TREATMENT OF THE MATERIALS BEFORE PASSING TO THE PAPER-MAKING MACHINE
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method for producing parenchymal cell cellulose by using a high consistency alkali treatment and an optional refinement step, as well as an apparatus for its manufacture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A continuous method for producing parenchymal cell cellulose comprising:
a. Treating parenchymal cellulose raw material selected from sugar beet pulp, cassava pulp, and potato pulp, and mixtures thereof with an alkali;
b. recovering a first solid extract;
c. washing the recovered first solid extract with a solvent and recovering a second solid extract; and
d. refinging the second solid extract to obtain nanofibrillar parenchymal cellulose, wherein the solids content of the first recovered solid extract and/or the recovered second solid extract comprising parenchymal cell cellulose is at least 8 wt%, and wherein the step a and step c are conducted using a counter-current process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 carried out using a concentrating screw conveyor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the parenchymal cellulose raw material has, in average, at least one dimension having a length of at least 3 mm during the step a, and optionally during the step c.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claims 1 comprising a bleaching and/or chemical modification step selected from oxidation, cationization, acetylation, electrophilic substitution, esterification, and etherification, the chemical modification step being carried out before, during or after steps a or c.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising a concentrating step to increase concentration to above 8 wt%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the refining step is carried out to obtain a nanofibrillar parenchymal cellulose having solids content corresponding to or being higher than the solids content after the step a or step c.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtained nanofibrillar parenchymal cellulose is concentrated to a concentration above 8%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the nanofibrillar parenchymal cellulose is further processed into a form of a granulate, dry or wet powder, pellet, tablet, briket, or any other discrete physical entity having at least one dimension less than 10 cm, or any combination of these, by compressing, extruding, cutting, blowing or milling.