US 11,766,835 B2 · Methods, processes, and apparatuses for producing welded substrates

Abstract

A welding process may be configured to convert a substrate into a welded substrate by applying a process solvent to the substrate, wherein the process solvent interrupts one or more intermolecular force between one or more component in the substrate. The substrate may be configured as a natural fiber, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and silk. The process solvent may be configured as an ionic-liquid based solvent and the welded substrate may be a congealed network after the process solvent has been adequately swollen and/or mobilized the substrate. A welding process may be configured such that individual fibers of a substrate are not fully dissolved such that material in the fiber core may be left in the native state by controlling process variables. The welding process fibers may have a tenacity 10% or 20% greater or a diameter 25% less than that of a cellulosic-based yarn substrate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of joining a fibrous material, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substrate comprised of said fibrous material;
b. selecting a mixed organic process solvent to interact with said substrate, wherein said mixed organic process solvent swells and mobilizes at least one polymer within said substrate, and wherein said mixed organic process solvent includes a molecular additive in a ratio of less than one mole molecular additive to one mole of an ionic liquid;
c. applying said mixed organic process solvent to said substrate to create a process wetted substrate;
d. controlling at least a temperature and a pressure under which, and a duration of time for which said mixed organic process solvent interacts with said process wetted substrate, wherein said duration of time is from 5 to 15 seconds;
and,
e. applying a reconstitution solvent to said process wetted substrate before 50% of a native cellulose I crystal structure of said fibrous material is disrupted.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods, processes, and apparatuses for producing welded substrates

Life of this patent

Methods, processes, and apparatuses for producing welded substrates

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20