Process for producing dried singulated crosslinked cellulose pulp fibers
View Patent ↗This invention provides a dried singulated crosslinked cellulose pulp fiber product as well as an apparatus and a method for forming singulated, crosslinked, and dried fibers. In accordance with the process, a feed pulp containing a crosslinker is delivered to a jet drier. The jet drier singulates and dries the feed pulp. The singulated and dried fibers are collected from the jet drier. The feed pulp may be further treated with a treatment substance. The jet drier may be maintained at negative pressure. The product fibers may have low knot count, a low fines count, as well improved kink, curl and twist. The apparatus for carrying out the process may include a pretreatment station for supplying the treatment substance, a pulp feed device designed for pulp, a pulp feed device designed for pulp and foam suspensions, and/or a fiber separation station having a vacuum conveyor.
1. A process for producing crosslinked, singulated pulp fibers comprising:
treating never-dried wet pulp received directly from a pulp mill with a crosslinker;
introducing said never-dried wet pulp directly from a pulp mill and air into a jet drier;
thereafter drying and crosslinking said pulp in said jet drier to form singulated pulp fibers; and
removing said pulp from said jet drier and separating said dried pulp fibers from said air in said jet drier, thereby producing a crosslinked singulated pulp fibers having knots, fines and accepts.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, glyoxal, malic acid, and tartaric acid.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein said wet pulp is at least partially dewatered prior to introducing said pulp into said drier.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein said wet pulp is further treated with a treatment substance to reduce the knot content of said pulp fibers, selected from the group consisting of a surfactant and a mineral particulate.
5. The process of claim 4 , wherein said treatment substance is a mineral particulate.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 2%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 77%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 21%.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein said treatment substance is a surfactant.
8. The process of claim 4 , wherein said dried pulp fibers have a knot count less than 15%.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein said dried pulp fibers have a knot count less than 10%.
10. The process of claim 8 , wherein said dried pulp fibers have a knot count less than 5%.
11. The process of claim 8 , wherein said dried pulp fibers have a knot count less than 2%.
12. The process of claim 7 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
13. The process of claim 7 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 13%.
14. The process of claim 7 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 85%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
15. The process of claim 7 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 2%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein said wet pulp is further treated with a substance selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobic material, a superplasticizer, a foam, a surfactant and a water reducing agent.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than 15%.
18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than 10%.
19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than 5%.
20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than 2%.
21. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
22. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 13%.
23. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 5%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 85%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
24. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knot count of said dried pulp fibers is less than or equal to 2%, the accepts in said dried pulp fibers are greater than or equal to 80%, and the fines in said dried pulp fibers are less than or equal to 15%.
25. The process of claim 1 , wherein said supply pulp has a consistency of from 0.01% to 10% before introduction into said jet drier.
26. The process of claim 25 , wherein said supply pulp has a consistency of from 3% to 10% before introduction into said drier.
27. The process of claim 1 , wherein said singulated pulp is dried to a moisture content of 2 percent to 10 percent by weight.
28. A process for producing crosslinked, singulated pulp fibers comprising:
treating never-dried wet pulp received directly from a pulp mill with a crosslinker;
introducing air and said never-dried wet pulp directly from a pulp mill without mechanical defibering into a jet drier;
thereafter drying said pulp in said jet drier to form singulated pulp fibers; and
removing said pulp from said jet drier and separating said dried pulp fibers from said air in said jet drier, thereby producing a crosslinked singulated pulp fibers having knots, fines and accepts.