Lignocellulose fiber-resin composite material
AssigneeTembec Industries Inc.
InventorMichael A. N. Scobie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of making a formed, dried lignocellulose fiber material comprising (a) providing an aqueous lignocellulose fiber pulp slurry having an effective consistency; (b) de-watering the slurry to provide a de-watered material at an effective de-watering rate under an effective pressure to prevent or reduce the formation of fissures and voids within the material; (c) drying an effective amount of the de-watered material at an effective temperature and period of time to provide the formed, dried lignocellulose fiber material having a thickness of at least 5 mm. The formed, dried lignocellulose material may be used to make a lignocellulose fiber-resin composite material of use as a cost effective structural member, as a substitute for steel, in, for example, bridges, processing equipment, and the like.
Claims21
A method of making a formed, dried lignocellulose fiber material, said method consisting of:
- (a) providing an aqueous lignocellulose fiber pulp slurry having an effective consistency;
- (b) de-watering said slurry by applying a compression pressure to provide a de-watered material at an effective de-watering rate under an effective pressure to prevent or reduce the formation of fissures and voids within said material;
- and
- (c) drying an effective amount of said de-watered material at an effective temperature and period of time to provide said formed, dried lignocellulose fiber material of a shape having a thickness of at least 5 mm.
A method of making a lignocellulose fiber-resin composite material consisting of the steps of
- (a) providing an aqueous lignocellulose fiber pulp slurry having an effective consistency;
- (b) de-watering said slurry by applying a compression pressure to provide a de-watered material at an effective de-watering rate under an effective pressure to prevent or reduce the formation of fissures and voids within said material
- (c) drying an effective amount of said de-watered material at an effective temperature and period of time to provide said formed, dried lignocellulose fiber material of a shape having a thickness of at least 5 mm;
- (d) impregnating said dried formed fiber material with a liquid thermoset resin under an effective pressure for an effective period of time to effect impregnation of said resin in said dried formed fiber material at a desired rate and to a desired degree to produce a resin-treated material;
- and
- (e) curing said resin in said resin-treated material to produce said composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.