APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TREATMENT OF FIBERS

• US 20120125550A1
• Filed: 11/21/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aicardo Roa-Espinosa
• Original Assignee: Aicardo Roa-Espinosa
• Inventors: Roa-Espinosa, Aicardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,444,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 162/60
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 1/00 Pretreatment of the finely-divided materials before digesting of waste paper D21C5/02
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 1/02 with water or steam

Abstract

A process for treatment of fibers is disclosed. The treatment comprises simultaneously and continuously macerating the fibers and exposing the fibers to superheated steam, ammonia gas and ethylenediamine gas. The treatment is carried out in a chamber where the fibers are subjected to the mechanical rubbing and crushing action of a plurality of rotating pins against channels disposed on the chamber interior wall. The treatment results in improved fiber water holding capacity and improved conversion efficiency in the production of ethanol from the treated fibers.

Claims

1. A process for treating fibers and fiber bundles containing cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses, said process comprising the steps of:

macerating the fibers;

removing at least a portion of the lignin from the fibers;

softening the fibers; and

swelling the fibers.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the process steps are carried out substantially simultaneously.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the process steps are carried out substantially continuously.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein an apparatus for carrying out the process for treating fibers comprises:

a chamber having a longitudinal central axis, a cylindrical enclosure, a feed opening and an exit opening, an interior portion having an interior surface and an exterior portion, said feed opening being adapted for communication with a fiber feeding device;

a shaft disposed along the longitudinal central axis of said chamber, said shaft being adopted for rotation around said axis;

a plurality of pins affixed to said central axis, said pins protruding from the central axis, said pins being substantially perpendicular in relation to the central axis; and

channels disposed in an inner wall surface of the cylindrical enclosure having a predetermined width, a predetermined depth and a predetermined clearance from the pins.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein removing at least a portion of the lignin from the fibers comprises treating the fibers with a mixture of a gaseous amine and superheated steam in a gas phase.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein softening the fiber bundles comprises subjecting the fiber bundles to superheated steam.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein swelling the fibers comprises treating the fibers with a mixture of gaseous ammonia and superheated steam in a gas phase.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the gaseous ammonia is produced by heating anhydrous ammonia to an anhydrous ammonia boiling point.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the gaseous ammonia is produced by heating urea to a urea decomposition temperature.

10. The process of claim 5, wherein the amine comprises ethylenediamine.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein a gaseous ethylenediamine is produced by heating a water solution of ethylenediamine to a boiling point of said ethylenediamine, said heating resulting in a mixture of ethylenediamine gas and superheated steam.

12. A process for treating fibers comprising:

feeding fibers and fiber bundles into a feed opening of a treatment apparatus;

macerating the fibers and fiber bundles;

feeding a gaseous mixture containing steam, ammonia and ethylenediamine into the treatment apparatus at a temperature of between about 140 degrees C. and about 180 degrees C. and a pressure of about 2 kilopascals gauge;

moving the fibers from the feed opening to an exit opening of said treatment apparatus; and

collecting the fibers at an exit opening of said treatment apparatus.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the treatment apparatus comprises:

a chamber having a longitudinal central axis, a cylindrical enclosure, an interior portion having an interior surface and an exterior portion, said feed opening being adapted for communication with a fiber feeding device, said chamber being adapted for utilization under pressure;

a shaft disposed along the longitudinal central axis of said chamber, said shaft being adopted for rotation around said axis;

a plurality of pins affixed to said central axis, said pins protruding from the central axis, said pins being substantially perpendicular in relation to the central axis; and

channels disposed in an inner wall surface of the cylindrical enclosure having a predetermined width, a predetermined depth and a predetermined clearance from the pins.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the clearance between the channels and the pins ranges from about 0.1 inches to about 0.3 inches.

15. The process of claim 13, wherein the depth and the width of said groves range from about 0.2 inches to about 0.5 inches.

16. The process of claim 12, wherein a method for producing the mixture of steam, gaseous ammonia, and gaseous ethylenediamine comprises heating an aqueous solution containing an ammonium base compound and ethylenediamine to a temperature between 140°

C. and 180°

C.

17. The process of claim 12, further comprising spraying the fibers with a solution of calcium oxide at an application rate of about between 2% and 10% by weight of the dry fibers prior to feeding the fibers into the treatment apparatus.

18. The process of claim 13, further comprising washing the fibers collected at the exit of the treatment apparatus, and drying the fibers.

19. The process of claim 13, wherein macerating the fibers comprises rotating the shaft in a revolution range of between 800 and 2000 rpm.

20. The process of claim 12, further comprising defiberizing the fiber bundles prior to treatment.

21. The process of claim 12, wherein the gaseous mixture further comprises 10% ethanol by volume.

22. The process of claim 16, wherein a content of the ammonium base compound in the aqueous solution ranges from about 5 percent to about 15 percent by weight of the dry fibers.

23. The process of claim 16, wherein a content of the ethylenediamine in the aqueous solution ranges from about 5 percent to about 15 percent by weight of the dry fibers.

24. The process of claim 16, wherein the ammonium base compound comprises urea.