HYDROGEL FORMING MATERIAL FROM BYPRODUCT PULP FINES

摘要

A process for making a hydrogel forming material from an unbleached cellulose pulp comprised of isolating pulp fines from the cellulose pulp by screening and/or dissolved air filtration, reacting the isolated pulp fines with alkaline hydroxide to form an alkali cellulose composition, preparing a heterogeneous mixture of the alkali cellulose composition and an etherifying agent, and optionally organic cross-linking agent, and reacting the components of the mixture to produce a hydrogel forming material. A polyvalent metal cross-linking agent can optionally be reacted with the hydrogel forming material to enhance its gel strength.

主权项

1. A process for making a hydrogel forming material from an unbleached cellulose pulp byproduct of the pulp and paper industry comprised of pulp fines, hemicellulose compounds and lignin comprising:
isolating pulp fines from the cellulose pulp by screening and/or dissolved air filtration, wherein said isolated pulp fines comprise hemicellulose compounds, lignin, flocculant, and cellulose fibers having fiber length in the range of 0.005 mm to 0.2 mm, a Kappa number in the range of 2.0 to 20.0, and said hemicellulose compounds have a concentration between 2.0% and 10% on a dry weight basis; reacting the isolated pulp fines with alkaline hydroxide to form an alkali cellulose composition; preparing a heterogeneous mixture comprising the alkali cellulose composition and at least one etherifying agent; and reacting the etherifying agent and the alkali cellulose composition at a temperature in the range of 30° C. to 100° C. for about 0.5 hours to about 12 hours to produce a hydrogel forming material.