Fiber Compact Manufacturing Using Fine Binder Powder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing paper using a dry process without water require significant resin for binding, which can increase environmental loading and energy consumption, and replacing resin with natural materials like starch necessitates high moisture addition to develop binding properties.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mixing fibers with a binder powder, forming a web, humidifying it with water to enhance binding, and then heating and pressurizing to create a compact, where the binder powder has an average particle diameter of 20.0 μm or less, allowing for effective binding with minimal moisture and energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If resin is used as a binder in dry method papermaking, then binding strength is improved, but environmental loading increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the particle size parameter of the starch binder from conventional larger sizes to 20.0 μm or less (D50). This parameter change enables the starch to effectively bind fiber molecules with minimal moisture addition, achieving resin-level binding strength while maintaining the environmental benefits of natural materials.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If natural binder like starch is used to reduce environmental loading, then environmental impact is reduced, but large amount of moisture must be added to develop binding properties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the particle size parameter of the starch binder to 20.0 μm or less (D50), which fundamentally alters how the starch interacts with water and fiber. This enables effective binding with minimal moisture addition, eliminating the need to add large amounts of moisture that would otherwise be required when using conventional-sized starch particles.
3Strength
If large amount of moisture is added to develop binding properties of natural binder, then binding properties are improved, but energy consumption in drying process increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the starch particle size to 20.0 μm or less (D50), the invention enables the starch to develop binding properties with minimal moisture addition. This directly reduces the energy required for drying, as there is significantly less water to evaporate compared to conventional methods that require large moisture addition.
4Ease of operation
If powder binder with larger particle diameter is used, then ease of handling is improved, but binding efficiency between fiber molecules decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the particle size parameter to 20.0 μm or less (D50), which is small enough to effectively bind fiber molecules but can still be handled as a powder. This parameter represents an optimal balance point where binding efficiency is maximized while maintaining practical handling characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a compact includes a mixing step of mixing a fiber and a powder of a binder to obtain a mixture; an accumulating step of accumulating the mixture to form a web; a humidifying step of adding water to the web; and a forming step of heating and pressurizing the water-added web to obtain a compact. The binder binds between fiber molecules by the addition of water. The powder has an average particle diameter (D50) of 20.0 μm or less.