# US 12,215,464 B2 · Dispersible non-wood pulp

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- Number: US 12,215,464 B2
- Document ID: US12215464B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/251,940
- Filed: 2021-11-05
- Published: 2024-01-04
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-06
- Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
- Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
- Inventors: David J. Paulson; Thomas G. Shannon; Samantha C. Ackerly; Richard L. Underhill; Zhiying Yu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215464B2

## CPC

- D21H 11/12: Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse
- D21C 3/02: with inorganic bases or alkaline reacting compounds, e.g. sulfate processes
- D21C 9/10: Bleaching {; Apparatus therefor}
- D21C 9/16: with per compounds
- D21H 11/20: Chemically or biochemically modified fibres
- 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
- D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

Disclosed are non-wood pulps having a fiber length greater than about 1.70 mm and a Very Long Fiber (VLF) content of about 0.50% or less. The fibers are readily dispersible in water and useful in the formation of fibrous sheets, particularly wet-laid sheets and more particularly wet-laid tissue sheets having a relatively low basis weight. In addition of having a relatively long fiber length and a low VLF content, the pulps may also have a Dispersivity Index of about 2.00 or less, which is indicative of a relatively narrow fiber length distribution. The pulps may be prepared from plants of the family Asparagaceae by mechanical pulping and more preferably by a chemi-mechanical pulping process using an alkaline and hydrogen peroxide where the plant biomass is cut to size prior to pulping.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-wood pulp comprising a plurality of fibers derived from a plant of the family Asparagaceae, the pulp having a Freeness from about 400 to about 600 mL, a fiber length from about 1.70 to about 2.50 mm and a Very Long Fiber content of about 0.50% or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Dispersivity Index of about 2.0 or less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Dispersivity Index from about 1.50 to about 2.00.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Very Long Fiber content of about 0.25% or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a coarseness less than about 10.0 mg/100 m.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Dispersivity Index from about 1.50 to about 1.80 and a coarseness from about 4.0 to about 10.0 mg/100 m.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fibers are derived from a plant of the genus Hesperaloe.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The non-wood pulp of claim 7 wherein the plurality of fibers are derived from one or more plants selected from H. funifera, H. parviflora, H. nocturna, H. chiangii, H. tenuifolia, H. engelmannii and H. malacophylla.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Fines content of less than about 2.0% and a Freeness of about 400 mL or greater.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Brightness of at least about 80%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The non-wood pulp of claim 1 having a Brightness from about 80 to about 92%.

### Claim 12

A bleached, chemi-mechanical, non-wood pulp comprising a plurality of bleached, chemi-mechanical pulped fibers derived from one or more plants selected from H. funifera, H. parviflora, H. nocturna, H. chiangii, H. tenuifolia, H. engelmannii and H. malacophylla, the pulp having a Freeness from about 400 to about 600 mL, a fiber length from about 1.70 to about 2.50 mm, a Dispersivity Index of about 2.00 or less and a coarseness from about 4.0 to about 10.0 mg/100 m.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The bleached, chemi-mechanical, non-wood pulp of claim 12 having a Very Long Fiber content of about 0.25% or less.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The bleached, chemi-mechanical, non-wood pulp of claim 12 having a Very Long Fiber content of about 0.10% or less.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The bleached, chemi-mechanical, non-wood pulp of claim 12 having a fines content of less than about 2.0%.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The bleached, chemi-mechanical, non-wood pulp of claim 12 having a Brightness from about 80 to about 92%.