Cellulose food casing, cellulose composition and production method therefor
AssigneeViskase Corporation
InventorsPaul Edmund Ducharme, Jr., Myron Donald Nicholson, Norman Abbye Portnoy
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of preparing a cellulose solution suitable for extrusion as a seamless tubular film by providing a pulp of substantially open-ended fibrillated softwood fibers having a mean fiber length less than 2.0 mm and then dissolving the pulp in a suitable solvent to produce the cellulose solution. In addition, the present invention provides a method of preparing a cellulose food casing from a cellulose solution of the present invention.
Claims9
A method of preparing a nonderivatized cellulose solution for extrusion as a seamless tubular film, said method comprising:
- providing fibrillated softwood fibers having a mean fiber length of about 2.0 mm or greater wherein the fibers are derived from the group consisting of pines, firs, hemlocks and spruces;
- comminuting said softwood fiber to produce a pulp comprising fibrillated softwood fibers having a mean fiber length of less than about 2.0 mm and having ends which are open such that said ends are not crimped or crushed;
- and
- dissolving said pulp in a solvent comprising an amine oxide to produce said cellulose solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.