Air-laid blank, a method of producing an air-laid blank and a method of producing a three dimensional product from said air-laid blank
AssigneeStora Enso OYJ
InventorMartin Malmqvist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air-laid blank (10) comprises natural fibers at a concentration of at least 70% by weight of the air-laid blank (10) and a thermoplastic polymer binder at a concentration selected within an interval of from 2.5 up to 30% by weight of the air-laid blank (10). The air-laid blank (10) has an average density and a portion (11) of the air-laid blank (10) has a density different from the average density. The air-laid blank (10) is produced by modifying the air-permeability of a portion (121) of an air-permeable collector (120) to form a portion (11) of the air-laid blank (10) having a density from the average density. The air-laid blank (10) has two parallel planar major surfaces (12, 14).
Claims15
An air-laid blank comprising:
- natural fibers at a concentration of at least 70% by weight of the air-laid blank;
- and
- a thermoplastic polymer binder at a concentration selected within an interval of from 2.5 up to 30% by weight of the air-laid blank,
- wherein the air-laid blank has an average density, wherein the average density is selected within an interval of from 10 up to 60 kg/m3;
- wherein a portion of the air-laid blank has a density equal to 95% or less of the average density prior to exposing the air-laid blank to any compression;
- wherein the air-laid blank has two parallel planar major surfaces;
- wherein the portion of the air-laid blank with a density different from the average density has a two-dimensional extension parallel with the two parallel planar major surfaces and extends through an entire thickness of the air-laid blank.
An air-laid blank comprising:
- natural fibers at a concentration of at least 70% by weight of the air-laid blank;
- and
- a thermoplastic polymer binder at a concentration selected within an interval of from 2.5 up to 30% by weight of the air-laid blank,
- wherein the air-laid blank has an average density;
- wherein a portion of the air-laid blank has a density equal to 95% or less of the average density prior to exposing the air-laid blank to any compression;
- wherein the air-laid blank has two parallel planar major surfaces;
- wherein the air-laid blank comprises a cavity extending into but not through an entire thickness of the air-laid blank;
- and
- wherein the portion of the air-laid blank with a density different from the average density is aligned with the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.