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US 5,308,896 AGranted
Particle binders for high bulk fibers
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsMichael R. Hansen, Richard H. Young, Sr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing easily densified high bulk fibers that have adhered particulates. The fibers have hydrogen bonding or coordinate covalent bonding functionalities, and a binder is applied to the fibers to bind the particles to the fibers. The binder has a functional group that forms a hydrogen bond or a coordinate covalent bond with the particles, and a functional group that forms a hydrogen bond with the fibers A substantial portion of the particles that are adhered to the fibers are adhered in particulate form by hydrogen bonds or coordinate covalent bonds to the binder, and the binder is in turn adhered to the fibers by hydrogen bonds. Fibers containing particles bound by this method are easily densified.
Claims50
A method of producing individualized high bulk fibers with adhered particles comprising:
- providing individualized cellulose fibers that have hydrogen bonding functional sites, wherein the individualized fibers are cured in the presence of a crosslinking material at an elevated temperature to produce cured high bulk fibers with intrafiber covalent crosslinks while leaving hydrogen bonding functional sites available on the cured fibers for hydrogen bonding, and the fibers are fiberized to reduce interfiber bonding between the cured fibers;
- adding particles to the fibers before, during or after the fibers are cured, wherein the particles have a hydrogen bonding or a coordinate covalent bonding functionality;
- and
- applying a binder to the fibers before, during or after the fibers are cured or fiberized, wherein the binder binds the particles to the fibers by chemically bonding the particles to the fibers at the interface between the particle and fiber while the particle retains its individual particulate form on the surface of the fiber, wherein the particles are chemically bonded to the binder by hydrogen bonds or coordinate covalent bonds, and the binder that binds the particle is in turn bonded to the fibers by a hydrogen bond, the binder having a volatility less than water, the binder also having a functional group that forms the hydrogen bond or coordinate covalent bond with the particles, and a functional group that forms the hydrogen bond with the fibers, wherein at least 0.05% by weight of the fibers, binder and particles is particles bound to the binder by hydrogen bonds or coordinate covalent bonds, with the binder that binds the particle in turn to the individualized fibers by a hydrogen bond.
1 more element
A method of producing high bulk fibers with a binder adhering particles to the fibers, the method comprising:
- providing cellulosic fibers that have hydrogen bonding functional sites;
- adding superabsorbent particles to the fibers, wherein the particles have a hydrogen bonding or a coordinate covalent bonding functionality, and the particles retain their particulate form when bound to the fibers by the binder;
- applying a binder to the fibers that binds the particles to the fibers, the weight ratio of particle to binder being between 2:1 and 4:1, the binder being selected from the group consisting of
- (a) a polymeric binder with repeating units, wherein each repeating unit has a functional group capable of forming a hydrogen bond or a coordinate covalent bond with the particles, or a hydrogen bond with the fibers;
- and
- (b) a non-polymeric organic binder with a functional group capable of forming a hydrogen bond or a coordinate covalent bond with the particles, and a functional group capable of forming a hydrogen bond with the fibers;
- providing a crosslinking material on the fibers, the crosslinking material being curable to produce internally crosslinked high bulk fibers;
- and
- curing the crosslinking material and fibers at an elevated temperature to produce cured high bulk fibers that are internally crosslinked while leaving hydrogen bonding functional sites available on the cured fibers for hydrogen bonding, wherein 5-80% by weight of the fibers, binder and particles is particles bound to the binder by hydrogen bonds or coordinate covalent bonds, the binder is in turn bound to the fibers by a hydrogen bond, further wherein the curing step comprises
- (a) curing the crosslinking material before applying the binder;
- or
- (b) curing the crosslinking material in the presence of the binder wherein neither the binder or crosslinking material is selected from the group consisting of a polycarboxylic acid, a polyol and a polyamine;
- or
- (c) curing the crosslinking material in the presence of the binder, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of a polycarboxylic acid, a polyol and a polyamine, and the fibers contain at least 20% water by weight when the curing step begins.
11 more elements
A high bulk fiber, comprising:
- individualized fibers that have hydrogen bonding functional sites and intrafiber covalent bonds that provide the fiber with increased bulk;
- a binder on the fibers for binding the particles to the fibers, the binder having a volatility less than water and a functional group that forms a hydrogen bond or a coordinate covalent bond with the particles, and a functional group that forms a hydrogen bond with the fibers, the binder being present on the high bulk fiber in a sufficient amount to bind particles in an amount of at least 1% by weight of the fiber, binder and particles.
A method of producing individualized high bulk fibers with adhered particles to the fibers, the method comprising:
- providing individualized high bulk cellulose fibers that have been cured in the presence of a crosslinking material to form intrafiber covalent bonds and fiberized to reduce interfiber bonding between the fibers;
- adding particles to the fibers that binds the particles to the fibers by chemically fusing the particles to the fibers while the particle retains its individual particulate form on the surface of the fiber, the binder being selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymeric binder selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyacrylic acid, poly (caprolactone) diol, polyamides, polyamines, and copolymers thereof;
- and (b) a non-polymeric organic binder that includes a functionality selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid, an alcohol, an amino acid, and amide, and an amine, wherein there are at least two functionalities on the molecule selected from this group, and the two functionalities are the same or different,
- wherein the particles are chemically bonded to the binder by hydrogen bonds or coordinate covalent bonds, and the binder that binds the particle is in turn chemically bonded to the fibers by a hydrogen bond.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.