Fibrillated Parenchymal Cellulose Activator Prevents Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microfibrillated cellulose products face challenges with high water content, leading to increased costs in transportation, storage, and shelf-life, and the removal of water results in aggregation and hornification, causing a loss of intended properties upon re-suspension, with existing drying methods being difficult to scale-up and not fully preventing agglomeration.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising fibrillated parenchymal cellulose, a liquid activator, and optionally water, processed into a powder-like substance or granules with specific Carr index and Hausner ratio values, which can be re-activated by mixing with water and high shear mixing to restore original viscosity and properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If water is removed from microfibrillated cellulose suspension, then transportation and storage costs are reduced, but aggregation and hornification occur causing loss of properties upon re-suspension
Solution Approach 1:
A liquid activator is introduced as an intermediary substance during the drying process. This activator prevents direct contact and aggregation between cellulose fibrils while water is being removed, thereby maintaining fibril separation and preventing hornification. The activator acts as a protective mediator that enables low moisture content achievement without property loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid activator is added to the cellulose suspension before the drying process begins. This preliminary action ensures that the fibrils are protected from aggregation from the start of water removal, preventing hornification before it can occur during the drying and storage phases.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional drying methods are used to remove water, then moisture content is reduced, but scaling up is difficult and agglomeration is not fully prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical environment parameter by introducing a liquid activator with specific properties (surface tension, viscosity, chemical composition) that differ from water. This parameter change enables effective drying at higher solids content and prevents agglomeration during concentration, making the process scalable to industrial levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system becomes a composite of cellulose fibrils, liquid activator, and water. This composite approach allows the liquid activator to modify the interfacial properties between fibrils and water, enabling stable high-solids suspensions that can be processed and dried effectively at industrial scale.
3Productivity
If solids content is increased in cellulose suspension, then transportation efficiency is improved, but aggregation and hornification occur more readily
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid activator serves as a mediator between cellulose fibrils at high concentrations. It maintains steric or electrostatic barriers that prevent fibril aggregation even when solids content is increased for efficient transportation, thereby preserving fibril separation and suspension stability at high concentrations.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for manufacturing, re-activating and using compositions including fibrillated parenchymal cellulose and activator are provided. The activator has a low molecular weight and is used to facilitate reactivation.