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US 7,094,317 B2Granted
Process of manufacturing and using highly refined fiber mass
AssigneeFiberstar, Inc.
InventorsBrock Lundberg, Dale C. Lindquist
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFiberstar, Inc.
InventorsBrock Lundberg, Dale C. Lindquist
Estimating the term…
The present invention comprises an improved method for refining cellulose that produces a highly refined cellulosic material. The method comprises soaking raw material from primarily parenchymal cell wall structures in an aqueous solution which need not contain an agent to modify the fiber (e.g., a mild alkalizing or alkaline agent and/or solution) using reduced temperatures and pressures, and refining the material with a plate refiner so that a waste water stream is reduced in volume. The mass is dried to produce the HRC fiber. The HRC fiber displays a water retention capacity of about 25 to at least about 56 g H2O/g dry HRC and retains moisture under conditions that are ordinarily used to remove moisture from materials. The highly refined fiber product can also provide excellent thickening properties and can be used in a wide variety of materials, including edible materials.
A method for refining cellulosic material from organic fiber plant mass comprising:
A method of drying a highly refined cellulose material comprising microfibers derived from organic fiber plant mass comprising at least 30% by weight of all fiber mass as parenchymal fiber mass, the highly refined cellulose product having a water retention capacity of at least about 20 g H2O/g dry highly refined cellulose product, using room temperature or higher air temperatures that dries the expanded fiber product and maintains its functionalities of at least two properties of surface area, water holding capacity and viscosity.
A process of rehydrating the highly refined cellulose product comprising microfibers derived from organic fiber plant mass comprising at least 30% by weight of all fiber mass as parenchymal fiber mass, the highly refined cellulose product having a water retention capacity of at least about 20 g H2O/g dry highly refined cellulose product, wherein the highly refined cellulose product is rehydrated to a level of less than 60 g H2O/g fiber mass.
A method for refining cellulosic material from organic fiber plant mass comprising:
A method of drying an expanded cellulose product comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.