# US 8,771,463 B2 · Cellulose fiber assembly and method for preparing the same, fibrillated cellulose fibers and method for preparing the same, and cellulose fiber composite > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,463 B2 - Document ID: US8771463B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/885,741 - Filed: 2011-11-15 - Published: 2013-10-31 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-16 - Assignees: Oji Holdings Corporation - Applicants: Tomokazu Umemoto; Hideko Akai; Yasutomo Noishiki; Go Banzashi - Inventors: Tomokazu Umemoto; Hideko Akai; Yasutomo Noishiki; Go Banzashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771463B2 ## CPC - D21J 3/00: Manufacture of articles by pressing wet fibre pulp, or papier-mâché, between moulds - C08B 3/06: Cellulose acetate {, e.g. mono-acetate, di-acetate or tri-acetate} - C08B 15/00: Preparation of other cellulose derivatives or modified cellulose {, e.g. complexes} - C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} - C08J 5/045: {with vegetable or animal fibrous material} - C08J 5/06: using pretreated fibrous materials - C08L 1/02: Cellulose; Modified cellulose - C08L 1/12: Cellulose acetate - D21H 11/18: Highly hydrated, swollen or fibrillatable fibres - C08L 2205/16: Fibres; Fibrils - D21H 15/02: characterised by configuration - D21J: FIBREBOARD; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM CELLULOSIC FIBROUS SUSPENSIONS OR FROM PAPIER-MACHE (manufacture of articles by dry processes B27N) - C08B: POLYSACCHARIDES; DERIVATIVES THEREOF (polysaccharides containing less than six saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes C12P19/00; sugar industry C13; production of cellulose D21) - C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10) - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An object of the present invention is to provide a cellulose fiber assembly and a cellulose fiber composite, each having low coloration. The present invention is directed to a method for preparing a fibrillated cellulose fiber assembly, in which the cellulose fiber raw materials are subjected to a fibrillation treatment and a reduction treatment. The present invention provides a method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly, comprising a fibrillation step of fibrillating cellulose fiber raw materials to obtain fibrillated cellulose fibers, an assembly preparation step of obtaining a cellulose fiber assembly using the fibrillated cellulose fibers, and a step of carrying out a reduction treatment. Further, the present invention provides a cellulose fiber composite comprising the prepared cellulose fiber assembly and a matrix material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly, comprising: fibrillating cellulose fiber raw materials to obtain fibrillated cellulose fibers in a dispersion medium, removing the dispersion medium from the fibrillated cellulose fibers to obtain a cellulose fiber assembly, and reacting the cellulose fibers with a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of metal hydride, dithionite, sulfite, bisulfite, thiourea dioxide, formamidinesulfinic acid, hydrazine, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose fibers are reacted with the reducing agent subsequent to removing the dispersion medium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 2, further comprising reacting the cellulose fibers with a chemical modifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 3, wherein the chemical modifier is selected from the group consisting of an acid, an acid anhydride, an alcohol, a halogenation reagent, a cyclic ether, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 4, wherein the chemical modifier is an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, 2-butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 4, wherein the chemical modifier is an acid anhydride selected from the group consisting of acetic anhydride, acrylic anhydride, methacrylic anhydride, propanoic anhydride, butanoic anhydride, 2-butanoic anhydride, pentanoic anhydride, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 4, wherein the chemical modifier is an isocyanate selected from the group consisting of methyl isocyanate, ethyl isocyanate, propyl isocyanate, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 4, wherein the chemical modifier is an alkoxysilane selected from the group consisting of methoxysilane, ethoxysilane, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 4, wherein the chemical modifier is a cyclic ether selected from the group consisting of ethyloxirane, ethyloxethane, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A cellulose fiber assembly prepared by the method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A cellulose fiber composite comprising the cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 10 and a matrix material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 1, further comprising reacting the cellulose fibers with a chemical modifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reducing agent is a metal hydride selected from the group consisting of sodium borohydride, sodium cyanoborohydride, lithium triethylborohydride, lithium tri(sec-butyl)borohydride, potassium tri(sec-butyl)borohydride, lithium borohydride, zinc borohydride, sodium acetoxyborohydride, lithium aluminum hydride, sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride, diborane, diisobutylaluminum hydride, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reducing agent is a dithionite selected from the group consisting of sodium dithionite, potassium dithionite, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 15 A method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly, comprising: fibrillating cellulose fiber raw materials to obtain fibrillated cellulose fibers in a dispersion medium, removing the dispersion medium from the fibrillated cellulose fibers to obtain a cellulose fiber assembly, reacting the cellulose fibers with a reducing agent, and reacting the cellulose fibers with a chemical modifier, wherein the chemical modifier is a halogenation reagent selected from the group consisting of acetyl halides, acryloyl halides, methacryloyl halides, propanoyl halides, butanoyl halides, 2-butanoyl halides, pentanoyl halides, benzoyl halides, naphthoyl halides, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 16 A method for preparing a cellulose fiber assembly, comprising: fibrillating cellulose fiber raw materials to obtain fibrillated cellulose fibers in a dispersion medium, removing the dispersion medium from the fibrillated cellulose fibers to obtain a cellulose fiber assembly, reacting the cellulose fibers with a reducing agent, and reacting the cellulose fibers with a chemical modifier, wherein the chemical modifier is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-propanol, and combinations thereof.