Method for preparing cellulose-based film and cellulose-based film

• US 8,883,056 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kolon Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kolon Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, Woo Chul, Jung, Jong Chul, Oh, Young Sae
• Primary Examiner(s): PEETS, MONIQUE R
• Application Number:
  US12/331,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20090152493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 252/182.12, 264/210.1, 264/180, 264/559
• US Class Current: 264/210.1
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2301/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing a cellulose-based film from raw material pulp, the method including the steps of: preparing a dope from a composition comprising 5-15 wt % of a pulp having an alpha-cellulose content of more than 90% and 85-95 wt % of an aqueous N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide solution; extruding the dope from a die onto a running support; casting the extrudate to form a sheet-shaped material; washing the cast sheet with water to remove N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide therefrom; and drying the washed sheet. The method enables the cellulose-based film to be prepared from environmentally friendly wood pulp through an environmentally friendly process.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a cellulose-based film, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a dope of a composition comprising 5-15 wt % of a pulp having an alpha-cellulose content of more than 90% and 85-95 wt % of an aqueous N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide solution;

extruding the dope from a die onto a running support;

casting the extrudate to form a sheet;

washing the cast sheet with water to remove N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide therefrom; and

drying the washed sheet,

wherein the running support is placed with a gap from the die and immersed partially in a solidifying bath so that the extrudate from the die is brought to contact with the running support at a position of the running support where the running support is not immersed in the solidifying bath; and

wherein the running support is allowed to run while being partially immersed in the solidifying bath containing N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, the concentration of said N-methylmorpholine N-oxide being controlled to be 3˜

50%, so that the casting of the extrudate is carried out in air first and then in the solidifying bath.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preparing the dope is carried out at a temperature of 90-150°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an additive is used in the step of preparing the dope.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additive is an additive for minimizing the degradation of cellulose at high temperature or plasticizer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide in the aqueous N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide solution is 85-95 wt %.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the running support is in the form of a roll or a belt.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of casting the extrudate to form the sheet is carried out in such a manner that about 20-80% of the area of the running support, which is in contact with the extruded sheet, is immersed in the solidifying bath.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of casting the extrudate to form the sheet is carried out such that the extruded sheet coming in contact with the running support is separated from the running support at least 1 second after the immersion thereof in the solidifying bath.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of casting the extrudate to form the sheet is carried out such that the cast film is separated from the running support at least 3 seconds after its immersion in the solidifying bath.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the temperature of the running support is higher than 0°

C. and, at the same time, lower than the temperature of the extrudate by 10°

C.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the running support is made of an SUS material having one coating layer selected from the group consisting of a hard chromium coating, a tungsten carbide coating, an alumina-based ceramic coating, a titanium coating and a titanium oxide coating.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the solidifying bath is maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature of the running support.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the washing step is carried out such that the concentration of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide in the washed sheet is less than 50 ppm.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the washing step is carried out using a method of sequentially washing the cast sheet by passing the sheet through a plurality of water washing stages sequentially disposed in the movement direction of the sheet.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the washing step is carried out using a method of supplying purified water so as to maintain the concentration of washing water in each water washing stage at a constant level, in which the supply of purified water is carried out by allowing purified water to flow in a direction from a water washing stage at the end in the movement direction of the sheet toward a water washing stage at the entrance in the movement direction of the sheet.