Ozone Treatment of Sanitary Pulp Fibres for Saccharification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recycling pulp fibers from used hygiene products struggle to produce fibers suitable for saccharification due to high lignin content and broad distribution, which hinders their reuse and saccharification efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an ozone treatment process where a liquid mixture of pulp fibers and super absorbent polymers is treated with ozone gas in a treatment tank, allowing the ozone to contact and decompose the super absorbent polymers and pulp fibers, resulting in pulp fibers with a low lignin content ratio and narrow distribution, enhancing their saccharification properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional ozone treatment methods are used to decompose super absorbent polymers, then the polymers are solubilized and removed, but the pulp fibers form connected structures that are difficult to separate and have high lignin content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by treating the pulp fiber mixture with ozone gas before the main separation process. The ozone treatment is performed on the mixture of pulp fibers and super absorbent polymers prior to separation, which decomposes the polymers and prevents them from forming connected structures with the fibers. This preliminary decomposition ensures that when separation occurs, the fibers remain individual and easily separable, while also reducing lignin content to improve saccharification properties.
2Ease of manufacture
If physical force is applied to disassemble used hygiene products, then super absorbent polymers are separated from pulp fibers, but the fibers retain high lignin content and broad distribution unsuitable for saccharification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing ozone gas treatment as an additional processing step that changes the chemical parameters of the pulp fibers. The ozone treatment modifies the lignin content and chemical composition of the fibers, transforming them from a state suitable only for hygiene products to a state suitable for saccharification. This parameter change occurs after the physical disassembly process, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively reduces lignin content and improves the saccharification properties of pulp fibers, making them more suitable for reuse and efficient saccharification processes.
Implementation Method 1
the super absorbent polymers are oxidatively decomposed and are solubilized, whereby being removed from the pulp fibers
Implementation Method 2
a method of putting the ozone containing aqueous solution in a treatment tank, and further putting the separated pulp fibers in the ozone containing aqueous solution
Data Source
AI summary
The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a method for producing pulp fibres for saccharification from the pulp fibres of used sanitary items, said pulp fibres for saccharification having low lignin contents distributed within a narrow range, and enabling the production of pulp fibres for saccharification having superior saccharification properties. The production method according to the present disclosure is characterised by comprising the following: a step for supplying a mixed solution (51) containing pulp fibres and highly-absorbent polymers sourced from used sanitary items to a treatment tank (31) via a mixed-solution supply port (32); a step for supplying an ozone-containing gas (53) to a treatment solution (52) within the treatment tank (31) via an ozone-containing-gas supply port (43); a step for lifting the ozone-containing gas (53) whilst lowering the pulp fibres and highly-absorbent polymers within the treatment tank (31), thereby bringing the ozone-containing gas (53) into contact with the pulp fibres and highly-absorbent polymers, and forming pulp fibres for saccharification from the pulp fibres; and a step for discharging the treatment solution (52) via a treatment-solution discharge port (33). The method is further characterised in that the pulp fibres for saccharification have lignin contents of 0.1% or less.