Cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials and compositions and composites made therefrom

• US 7,408,056 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall, Lagace, Arthur P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peselev; Elli
• Application Number:
  US11/494,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20070015855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 428/292.1, 428/292.4
• US Class Current: 536/56
• 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 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• 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: Y10T 428/249924 Noninterengaged fiber-containing paper-free web or sheet which is not of specified porosity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249925 Fiber-containing wood product [e.g., hardboard, lumber, or wood board, etc.]

Abstract

Cellulosic or lignocellulosic materials, and compositions and composites made therefrom, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a fibrous material including fibers comprising a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, the fibrous material having a bulk density less than about 0.5 g/cm³, and wherein at least about 50 percent of the fibers have a length/diameter ratio of at least about 10; and

combining the fibrous material with a bacterium and/or an enzyme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material has been sheared with a rotary cutter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bacterium is combined with the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enzyme is combined with the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of paper, paper products, byproducts of paper manufacture, newsprint, effluent from paper manufacture, wood, wood fibers, wood-related materials, kenaf, grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo bast fibers, bamboo core fibers, leaf plants, sisal, abaca, agricultural fibers, cereal straw, corn cobs, rice hulls, coconut hair, offal, rags, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material comprises agricultural fibers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 50% of the fibers have a length/diameter ratio of at least about 25.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material has been sheared to the extent that it has a bulk density less than about 0.2 g/cm³.