Bacterial cellulose binding agent
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsJohn A. Westland, R. Scott Stephens, William C. Johnston, Jr., Harold J. Rosenkrans
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Abstract
A binding agent comprising fiber strands of microbially produced cellulose is disclosed. The cellulose is synthesized by certain strains of microorganisms of the genus Acetobacter grown under agitated culture conditions to produce fine, interconnected fiber strands forming a three-dimensional reticulated structure. The binding agent is effective for binding fibers and fragments of material, such as natural and treated wood fragments and particles as well as synthetic materials, and it imparts wet and dry tensile strength to the bound material.
Claims16
A method for binding biomass fragments selected from the group consisting of:
- natural wood fragments;
- chemically or physically treated wood fragments;
- natural or treated plant-derived fragments;
- and combinations thereof having average fragment lengths of at least about 0.3 inches and average fragment diameters of at least about 0.02 inches, which comprises mixing the biomass fragments with a binder comprising microbially produced cellulose formed under agitated culture conditions by Acetobacter microorganisms to distribute the microbially produced cellulose over the surface of the biomass fragments and adhere the microbially produced cellulose to the biomass fragments.
A composition comprising biomass fragments selected from the group consisting of:
- natural wood fragments;
- chemically or physically treated wood fragments;
- natural or treated plant-derived fragments;
- and combinations thereof having an average fragment length of at least about 0.3 inches and an average fragment diameter of at least about 0.02 inches and a binding agent comprising microbially produced cellulose formed under agitated cell culture conditions by Acetobacter microorganisms, the microbially produced cellulose being distributed over the surface of and adhered to the biomass fragments.
A hydraulic mulch composition comprising a pumpable mixture of biomass fragments having an average particle length of at least about 0.3 inches, and an average particle diameter of at least about 0.02 inches, microbially produced cellulose, and an aqueous liquid whereby the biomass fragments bind to one another as a consequence of distribution of the microbially produced cellulose over the surface of the biomass fragments and adherence of the microbially produced cellulose to the biomass fragments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.