Cellulosic articles made from cellulosic materials and methods therefor
AssigneeMasonite Corporation
InventorsMohamad Reza Barzegari, James P. Pfau, Bei-Hong Liang, Elizalde Exconde
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Abstract
The invention relates to systems and techniques for manufacturing articles containing cellulosic material, a coupling agent, and a binder resin, and related processes of making and using the cellulosic articles. In particularly exemplary embodiments, the manufactured articles are door skins, sometimes known as door facings, and doors made from the door skins. The article contains a lipophilic cellulosic material, a coupling agent, and a binder. The coupling agent is believed to increase the hydrophilicity (wetability) of the lipophilic cellulosic material.
Claims19
A composite article, comprising:
- a hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material, a non-lipophilic cellulosic material, a coupling agent increasing hydrophilicity of the hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material, and a binder, wherein the non-lipophilic cellulosic material and the hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material form a total cellulosic material, and the total cellulosic material comprises about 10 wt % to about 98 wt % of the liphophilic cellulosic material base on the total weight of the total cellulosic material, wherein the total cellulosic material comprises greater than 25 wt % of Acacia fibers, with the balance being made up of mixed tropical hardwood.
A method of making a composite article, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a mixture by combining a hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material, a non-lipophilic cellulosic material, a coupling agent increasing hydrophilicity of the hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material, and binder, wherein the non-lipophilic cellulosic material and the hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material form a total cellulosic material, and the total cellulosic material comprises about 10 wt % to about 98 wt % of the hydrophobic and lipophilic cellulosic material base on the total weight of the total cellulosic material, wherein the total cellulosic material comprises greater than 25 wt % of Acacia fibers, with the balance being made up of mixed tropical hardwood;
- b) forming a cellulosic mat from the mixture;
- and
- c) consolidating the cellulosic mat under pressure and heat to form the composite article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.