Textiles and Process for Making Textiles and Dyes from Tobacco Plants

• US 20110287681A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Osage Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Osage Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: DeVall, Suzanne M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,587,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/415
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4266 Natural fibres not provided for in group D04H1/425
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/12 Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/697 Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials

Abstract

A textile and a dye manufactured from fibers that are derived from tobacco plants and a process for making the textile and dye from the tobacco plants. In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco is organically grown and the entire tobacco plant, including stem and leaves, is utilized to produce the tobacco plant fiber used for making a textile and a natural dye utilized to color the textile or other textiles. One or more secondary material fibers can be mixed with the tobacco plant fiber to produce the textile. The process percolates a hot liquid solution onto tobacco plant material to cause a chemical reaction with the tobacco plant material to produce the tobacco plant fiber. Preferably, the process is a closed-loop system that minimizes the impact on the environment and utilizes less material, fuel and other resources. The dye does not require a mordant to bind with the textile.

Claims

1. A textile, comprising a tobacco plant fiber derived from a tobacco plant.

2. The textile of claim 1, wherein said tobacco plant is at least substantially organically grown.

3. The fabric of claim 1, wherein said textile comprises said tobacco plant fiber mixed with one or more secondary material fibers, said secondary fibers comprising at least one of a natural fiber and a synthetic fiber.

4. The textile of claim 1, wherein said tobacco plant fiber is manufactured to form a fabric.

5. The textile of claim 1, wherein said tobacco plant fiber is derived from said tobacco plant by treating a tobacco plant material with a liquid solution.

6. The textile of claim 1, wherein said tobacco plant fiber is colored with a dye produced from said tobacco plant while producing said tobacco plant fiber.

7. A fabric, comprising a textile consisting essentially of a tobacco plant fiber derived from a tobacco plant.

8. The fabric of claim 7, wherein said tobacco plant is at least substantially organically grown.

9. The fabric of claim 7, wherein said textile comprises said tobacco plant fiber mixed with one or more secondary material fibers, said secondary fibers comprising at least one of a natural fiber and a synthetic fiber.

10. A process for deriving a tobacco plant fiber from a tobacco plant, said process comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a tobacco plant material from said tobacco plant; and

b) treating said tobacco plant material in a treating system to transform said tobacco plant material into said plant fiber.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein said tobacco plant is organically grown.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein said treating system is at least substantially a closed-loop system.

13. The process according to claim 10, wherein said treating step comprises exposing said tobacco plant material to a hot liquid solution for a sufficient amount of time to transform said tobacco plant material into a pulp material from which said tobacco plant fiber is obtained.

14. The process according to claim 13, wherein said treating step comprises percolating said hot liquid solution onto said tobacco plant material.

15. The process according to claim 13, wherein said hot liquid solution comprises water, ammonia-dioxide and sulphur-dioxide.

16. The process according to claim 15, wherein said treating step further comprises percolating said hot liquid solution onto said tobacco plant material.

17. The process according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

c) removing steam from said treating system;

d) condensing said steam into a liquid; and

e) reintroducing said liquid into said treating system.

18. The process according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

c) removing excess liquid from said tobacco plant material; and

d) producing a dye form said excess liquid.

19. The process according to claim 10 further comprising the step of producing a textile from said tobacco plant fiber after said treating step.

20. The process according to claim 10 further comprising the step of mixing one or more secondary material fibers with said tobacco plant fiber after said treating step to produce a textile.