Fuel pellets
OwnerIan F. Johnstoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high heating value, fuel pellet comprises from about 50 to about 99% by weight natural cellulosic material and from about 1 to about 50% by weight synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material. The synthetic thermoplastic material is uniformly distributed throughout the fuel pellet. The thermoplastic material is solid at room temperature and has an injection molding temperature of at least 200.degree. F. Such a fuel pellet can be prepared in a pelletizer where the temperature of the pellet as it emerges from the die is from about 150 to about 250.degree. F.
Claims21
A fuel pellet comprising from about 90 to about 99 percent by weight natural cellulosic material, and from about 1 to about 10 percent by weight particulate, synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material, the synthetic thermoplastic material being distributed as discrete particles throughout the fuel pellet, the thermoplastic material being solid at room temperature, being at least substantially minus 5 mesh, and having an injection molding temperature of at least 95.degree. C., the cellulosic material having a free moisture content of from about 5 to about 15% by weight, and being at least substantially minus 5 mesh.
A method for preparing a fuel pellet from particulate natural cellulosic material and particulate synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing particulate natural cellulosic material having a free moisture content of from about 5 to about 15 percent by weight, and substantially all of the particulate cellulosic material being minus 5 mesh;
- (b) providing particulate synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material which is solid at room temperature and has an injection molding temperature of at least 90.degree. C., substantially all of the particulate thermoplastic material being minus 5 mesh;
- (c) preparing a homogeneous feed comprising from about 90 percent to about 99 percent by weight of the particulate cellulosic material and from about 1 percent to about 10 percent by weight of the particulate thermoplastic material;
- and
- (d) compressing and extruding the feed in a die at a pressure whereby the temperature of the resulting pellet as it emerges from the die is from about 66.degree. C. to about 122.degree. C., and substantially all the thermoplastic material within the pellet remains particulate and unmelted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.