Cellulose particulate material

• US 10,131,715 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CelluComp Limited
• Original Assignee: CelluComp Limited
• Inventors: Hepworth, David, Whale, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayes, Melvin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Stefanie J
• Application Number:
  US14/778,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20160168273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/262 Cellulose; Derivatives thereof, e.g. ethers
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/24 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/10 General cosmetic use
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/412 Microsized, i.e. having sizes between 0.1 and 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0241 Containing particulates characterized by their shape and/or structure see also A61K8/04, A61K8/11, and A61K8/14, further aspects are classified in A61K2800/40 and subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/731 Cellulose; Quaternized cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/97 from algae, fungi, lichens or plants; from derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/9789 Magnoliopsida [dicotyledons]
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/00 Preparations for care of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/248 from specific plants, e.g. hemp fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/023 Chemical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2641 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/383 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 15/00 Preparation of other cellulose derivatives or modified cellulose , e.g. complexes
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/18 Spheres
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 63/00 Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 97/02 : Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 101/02 : Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 197/02 : Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/024 : characterised by the additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/43 : Thickening agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/65 : macromolecular C09D7/41-C09D7/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/02 : Material of vegetable origin proteins D21H17/22; lignins D21H17/23; polysaccharides D21H17/24; rosin D21H17/62
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/24 : Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/25 : Cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/14 : characterised by function or properties in or on the paper D21H19/66, D21H27/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

The invention relates to plant-derived cellulose-containing particles useful as rheology modifiers and to a process for preparing cellulose-containing particles from plant material, which process involves treating said plant material with a peroxide reagent. The process can be controlled to produce cellulose-containing particle having a viscosity up to about 7500 or 8000 cps.

Claims

1. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material comprising

less than 30 wt % extractable glucose;

and

extractable xylose in an amount of at least 0.8 wt %, and wherein the cellulose particulate material increases viscosity of an aqueous composition greater than 2500 cps when added at a concentration of 1 wt %.

2. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, comprising less than 60 wt % cellulose.

3. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the plant material is derived from sugar beet.

4. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, having a non-carbohydrate content of 20 to 50% by dry weight.

5. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose particulate material comprises particles having a mean major dimension of from 1 to 250 μ

m.

6. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose particulate material comprises a plurality of particles having a water-holding capacity in the range of 90 to 99.5% by weight.

7. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose particulate material comprises particles having a cellulose content of from 40 to 60 wt %, a mean major dimension of 10 to 70 μ

m and wherein the cellulose particulate material increases viscosity of an aqueous composition up to 5000 cps when added at a concentration of 1 wt %.

17. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose particulate material comprises extractable xylose in an amount of at least 1.5 wt %.

18. Plant-derived cellulose particulate material according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose particulate material comprises hemicellulose less than 2 wt %.

8. A process for preparing cellulose-containing particulate material from a herbaceous plant material, the process comprising the steps of:

(i) contacting the herbaceous plant material with a peroxide reagent and water to form a mixture;

(ii) heating the mixture to a temperature of from 30 to 110°

C. and maintaining said mixture at a temperature of from 30 to 110°

C. until the pH of the mixture has dropped by from about 1 to 2 pH units; and

(iii) isolating the cellulose-containing particulates,

wherein the cellulose containing particulate material contains less than 30 wt % extractable glucose, extractable xylose in an amount of at least 0.8 wt %, and wherein the particulate material increases viscosity of an aqueous composition greater than 2500 cps when added at a concentration of 1 wt %.

9. The process according to claim 8, wherein the herbaceous plant material comprises greater than 30% by volume of parenchymal cell material.

10. The process according to claim 8, wherein the herbaceous plant material comprises less than about 10 wt % lignocellulose.

11. The process according to claim 8, wherein the herbaceous plant material is a root vegetable.

12. The process according to claim 8, wherein the contacting step includes mechanically treating the herbaceous plant material so that it comprises particles with a major dimension of less than 10 mm.

13. The process according to claim 8, wherein the heating step involves mechanically homogenizing the mixture while the mixture is being maintained at said temperature.

14. The process according to claim 8, wherein heating the mixture comprises heating to a temperature of from 70 and 100°

C. and maintaining at a temperature of from 70 and 100°

C.

15. The process according to claim 8, wherein the process is carried out in the absence of an alkali or acid reagent and wherein the process is carried out in the absence of a pH-modifying additive.

16. The process according to claim 8, further comprising contacting the cellulose-containing particulates with an oxidant.

19. The process according to claim 8, wherein the cellulose-containing particulate material comprises extractable xylose in an amount of at least 1.5 wt % and hemicellulose less than 2 wt %.