Sheet Material with Nano-Microscale Organic Fibrillated Filler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing high-strength paper materials, such as those using nanocellulose, are complex and costly due to the need for chemical or enzyme pretreatment of wood pulp, and do not effectively utilize organic agricultural waste as a sustainable filler source.
Innovation Solution
A sheet material comprising nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler made from organic agricultural waste, where microfibrillated cellulose is dispersed with starch granules, is produced using a method that applies shear force at high pressure without prior chemical or enzyme treatment, enhancing the paper's physical properties and reducing production complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If nanocellulose from wood pulp is used to improve paper strength, then the strength properties are enhanced, but the production process becomes complicated and costly due to required chemical or enzyme pretreatment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and utilizes nanocellulose directly from agricultural waste fibers without requiring the complex chemical or enzyme pretreatment steps needed for wood pulp. This extraction approach simplifies the production process while maintaining the strength-enhancing properties of nanocellulose.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes expensive wood pulp with cheaper agricultural waste materials as the source of nanocellulose. This replacement reduces production costs while still providing the desired strength properties, making the process more economically viable.
2Ease of manufacture
If chemical or enzyme pretreatment is applied to wood pulp to produce nanocellulose, then suitable pulp for mechanical disintegration is obtained, but production cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes the natural properties of agricultural waste fibers that require no pretreatment to achieve suitable conditions for mechanical disintegration. The fibers are naturally prepared for nanocellulose extraction, eliminating the need for additional chemical or enzyme treatment steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional fillers are used in paper production, then the process is simple, but the strength properties of the paper are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite material by incorporating nanocellulose extracted from agricultural waste into the paper matrix. This composite approach combines the simplicity of traditional papermaking with the strength-enhancing properties of nanocellulose, achieving both ease of manufacture and improved strength.
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 results in paper with improved tensile index, burst index, tear index, and other physical properties, while reducing drainage time and energy consumption, and effectively utilizes agricultural waste, making it environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a high-pressure homogenizer is used to disintegrate the organic agricultural waste, thereby providing the microfibrillated cellulose and starch granule
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a sheet material comprising fiber and nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler, wherein the nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler comprises microfibrillated cellulose and starch granule in such a way that the microfibrillated cellulose is dispersed with starch granule, and the nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler has starch granule at least 15 wt %. Besides, this invention also relates to a method of producing said sheet material comprising fiber and nano-microscale organic filler, wherein the method comprises the steps of (i) preparing pulp suspension, (ii) preparing nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler, (iii) adding the nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler into the pulp suspension, (iv) forming sheet material by pressing, and (v) drying the sheet material, wherein the preparation step of nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler provides the nano-microscale organic fibrillated filler comprising microfibrillated cellulose and starch granule in such a way that the microfibrillated cellulose is dispersed with starch granule.