Vegetable Paper Plant Fiber Solvent Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The paper industry's high energy consumption and environmental impact due to the use of wood fibers, particularly from forests, and the limitations of recycling and bleaching processes, which result in poor-quality recycled paper and significant ecological damage.
Innovation Solution
A vegetable paper made from plant fibers extracted using a mild solvent process, where at least 50% of the fibers are extracted with less than 10% soluble extract by weight, avoiding harsh chemicals and energy-intensive delignification and bleaching treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional delignification and bleaching treatments are used on wood fibers, then paper production can proceed, but energy consumption increases and harmful chemical factors are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes lignin from wood fibers using organic solvents before papermaking. This extraction process eliminates the need for energy-intensive delignification and chemical bleaching treatments, directly resolving the contradiction by removing the harmful process while maintaining paper production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the fiber preparation process by using organic solvent extraction instead of conventional delignification and bleaching. This parameter change eliminates harmful chemicals and reduces energy consumption while maintaining the ability to produce paper
2Ease of manufacture
If delignification treatments are used to separate wood fibers, then paper pulp can be produced, but harmful chemical factors are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses organic solvents to extract and remove lignin from wood fibers, replacing harmful delignification chemicals with more environmentally friendly solvents. This achieves fiber separation while eliminating harmful chemical factors
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs organic solvents that can be easily removed or degraded, replacing persistent harmful chemicals. The solvents serve their extraction purpose and then can be discarded or recovered without long-term environmental harm
3Manufacturing precision
If bleaching treatments are used to produce white paper, then paper quality improves, but harmful chemical factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes lignin through organic solvent extraction before papermaking, preventing the need for subsequent bleaching treatments. This achieves clean white paper without using hazardous bleaching compounds
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs lignin removal in advance of papermaking, eliminating the need for post-papermaking bleaching. This preliminary action achieves the desired whiteness quality without exposing the final product to harmful bleaching chemicals
4Object-affected harmful factors
If wood fiber substitution with vegetable fibers is increased, then ecological impact decreases, but mechanical properties of paper deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of vegetable fibers by removing lignin through organic solvent extraction. This parameter change allows higher substitution levels (above 40%) while maintaining mechanical properties that would otherwise deteriorate
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 process reduces the ecological impact of paper production, enhances mechanical and sensory properties, and allows for the use of plant residues, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional paper with improved quality and reduced environmental footprint.
Implementation Method 1
The fibres according to the invention correspond to the fibrous parts of the plant, whereas the extract of the plant that is soluble in the solvent corresponds to all of the non-fibrous parts of the plant which are soluble in the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vegetable paper comprising fibres of a plant that has undergone extraction in a solvent.