Fibrillated Cellulose Consolidation of Mineralized Particulates
AssigneePerformance Biofilaments Inc.
InventorsKeith Gourlay, Nicholas Beier, Gurminder Minhas
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Abstract
Processes are provided for stabilization of particulate materials, including processes that make use of cellulose fibrils that are dimensioned to provide a degree of stabilization for particulates that include particles in a selected size range. In select embodiments, a relatively small volume of nanofibrillated cellulose provide fibres of an appropriate length to effect a significant degree of stabilization for a range of unconsolidated particulate materials that comprise mineralizations on a micron to millimetre scale.
Claims13
A process for stabilization of particulate materials, comprising:
- providing an unconsolidated particulate material comprising a weight fraction of at least 50% mineralized particles in a size range of from <1 μm to 2 mm, the unconsolidated particulate material having a shear strength of less than 1 kPa, and a geotechnical water content of from 10 wt % to 1000 wt %;
- admixing the unconsolidated particulate material with from about 0.025 wt % to 1 wt % on a dry weight basis of a fibrillated cellulose to provide an admixed material, the fibrillated cellulose comprising a weight fraction of at least 75% cellulose fibrils having an aspect ratio of length to width of ≥20 in a fibrillated cellulose fibrils fraction, the fibrillated cellulose fibrils fraction comprising more than 50% cellulose fibrils that have widths of less than 1 μm and lengths of more than 10 μm;
- and,
- emplacing the admixed material at a site to provide a stabilized material over a stabilization time, wherein the stabilized material at a stabilization time endpoint has a stabilized shear strength at least 50% higher than the shear strength of the unconsolidated particulate material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.