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US 6,706,237 B2Granted
Process for making lyocell fibers from pulp having low average degree of polymerization values
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsMengkui Luo, Vincent A. Roscelli, Amar N. Neogi, James E. Sealey, II, Richard A. Jewell
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to methods of making lyocell fibers. In particular, the process includes reducing the average degree of polymerization of a pulp to about 200 to 1100 without substantially reducing the hemicellulose content of the pulp, and reducing the copper number to less than 2.0.
Claims7
A process for making lyocell fibers comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting a pulp comprising cellulose and hemicellulose with an amount of a reagent sufficient to reduce the average degree of polymerization of the cellulose to the range of from about 200 to 1100 without substantially reducing the hemicellulose content of the pulp;
- (b) reducing the copper number of the pulp treated in accordance with step (a) to a value less than about 2.0;
- and
- (c) forming fibers from the pulp treated in accordance with steps (a) and (b).
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.