Process for producing workpieces and molded pieces out of cellulose and/or cellulose-containing fiber material

A process for producing a work piece, comprising:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material by continuously grinding same into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• freezing the microfiber pulp while in a watery state to cause formation of an internal structure;
• forming the microfiber pulp to provide a shaped green body;
• and
• drying the shaped green body by removing water therefrom to harden the shaped green body and form a work piece which is provided with a porous, gas-containing and light-weight structure due to prevention of contraction because of the internal structure so that a dense, high-strength material is formed,
• wherein the shaped green body is hardened into the work piece by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the work piece has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the work piece having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process of producing a work piece, comprising:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material by continuously grinding same into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• introducing gas bubbles into the microfiber pulp by at least one of (a) vortexing the microfiber pulp to introduce gas therein, (b) introducing compressed gas into the microfiber pulp, (c) introducing gas into the microfiber pulp by gas jets, (d) admixing into the microfiber pulp a gas-producing expanding agent, and (e) fermenting the microfiber pulp;
• forming the microfiber pulp to provide a shaped green body;
• and
• drying the shaped green body by removing water therefrom to harden the shaped green body and form a work piece which has a porous, gas-containing, light-weight structure,
• wherein the shaped green body is hardened into the work piece by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the work piece has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the work piece having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process for producing an article, comprising:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous, and which is selected from the group consisting of crude plant fibers, pure cellulose, waste paper, and waste cardboard;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material in a machine by continuously grinding the raw material with a total energy expenditure of at least 0.5 kWh/kg, based on dry weight of the raw material, into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• applying the microfiber pulp to at least one article as one of (a) an adhesive or (b) a coating to provide an assembly;
• and
• drying the assembly by removing water from the microfiber pulp to harden the microfiber pulp,
• wherein the microfiber pulp is produced without any preliminary chemical treatment step,
• wherein the microfiber pulp is hardened by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the microfiber pulp after drying has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the microfiber pulp after drying having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process for producing an article, comprising:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous, and which is selected from the group consisting of crude plant fibers, pure cellulose, waste paper, and waste cardboard;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material in a machine by continuously grinding the raw material with a total energy expenditure ranging from 2 to 2.5 kWh/kg, based on dry weight of the raw material, into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• applying the microfiber pulp to at least one article as one of (a) an adhesive or (b) a coating to provide an assembly;
• and
• drying the assembly by removing water from the micro fiber pulp to harden the microfiber pulp,
• wherein the microfiber pulp is hardened by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the microfiber pulp after drying has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the microfiber pulp after drying having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process for producing a work piece which includes no preliminary chemical treatment step, comprising:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous, and which is selected from the group consisting of crude plant fibers, pure cellulose, waste paper, and waste cardboard;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material in a machine by continuously grinding the raw material with a total energy expenditure ranging from 2 to 2.5 kWh/kg, based on dry weight of the raw material, into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• forming the microfiber pulp to provide a shaped green body;
• and
• drying the shaped green body by removing water therefrom to harden the shaped green body and form a work piece,
• wherein the shaped green body is hardened into the work piece by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the work piece has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the work piece having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process for producing a work piece which includes no preliminary chemical treatment step and consists essentially of the steps of:

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous, and which is selected from the group consisting of crude plant fibers, pure cellulose, waste paper, and waste cardboard;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material in a machine by continuously grinding the raw material with a total energy expenditure of at least 0.5 kWh/kg, based on dry weight of the raw material, into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• forming the microfiber pulp to provide a shaped green body;
• and
• drying the shaped green body by removing water therefrom to harden the shaped green body and form a work piece,
• wherein the shaped green body is hardened into the work piece by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the work piece has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the work piece having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.

A process for producing an article, consisting essentially of the steps of;

• providing raw material which is cellulose-containing and fibrous, and which is selected from the group consisting of crude plant fibers, pure cellulose, waste paper, and waste cardboard;
• adding water to the raw material;
• finely chopping the raw material in a machine by continuously grinding the raw material with a total energy expenditure of at least 0.5 kWh/kg, based on dry weight of the raw material, into a microfiber pulp having an increased internal fiber surface and an increased degree of interlinking;
• applying the microfiber pulp to at least one article as one of (a) an adhesive or (b) a coating to provide an assembly;
• and
• drying the assembly by removing water from the microfiber pulp to harden the microfiber pulp,
• wherein the microfiber pulp is hardened by drying only without admixture of bonding agents to the microfiber pulp and without use of external pressure, and
• wherein the microfiber pulp after drying has characteristics which depend on degree of grinding to produce the microfiber pulp and which range from (a) paper carton-like to (b) wood-like to (c) horn-like, the microfiber pulp after drying having a specific gravity which ranges up to that of pure cellulose, 1.5.