Products Utilizing Fiber and/or Fiber Pulp
The invention relates to the provision of an article which includes a quantity of defibrillated cellulose fibres, in which, in certain embodiments, the fibres can be used to form substantially the entire article by the cellulose fibres acting as self bonding agents such as for example in the formation of heating briquettes which can be ignited to create a heating and/or flame effect. In another embodiment, a plastics material can be incorporated into the article with the cellulose fibres acting as a matrix in which the plastics material is held.
1 . An article formed from a plurality of defibrillated cellulose fibres which are bound together to form the article wherein the density of the said bound defibrillated cellulose fibres is in the range of 0.4-1.5 grams per cubic centimetre.
2 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the density of the article is increased by the addition of filler components.
3 . An article according to claim 2 wherein the filler is provided in a quantity of more than 35% of the overall material.
4 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the article is formed as any of casings, boards, panels, or paper.
5 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the article includes plastics material to an amount of no more than 50% of the total content of the material of the article.
6 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the article includes defibrillated cellulose fibres as a material matrix wherein an amount of more than 50% of bio or standard plastic material is included in said article once formed.
7 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the article comprises the defibrillated cellulose fibre and carrier materials of organic or mineral nature.
8 . An article according to claim 7 wherein the article includes waste and new organic and mineral sources.
9 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the article is a rigid or semi-rigid article.
10 . An article according to claim 9 wherein the article is a heating briquette which, for use, is ignited to create heat and/or a flame with the cellulose fibre content used as a binder means to maintain the briquette as a substantially unitary formation.
11 . (canceled)
12 . An article according to claim 10 wherein the article includes at least one flame colouring agent.
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . An article according to claim 10 wherein the briquette has a material density in the range of 1.0-1.5 grams per cubic centimetre.
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the briquette has a gross calorific value of at least 14/MJ kg-1.
19 . (canceled)
20 . An article according to claim 1 wherein the cellulose fibres which are used in the article formation are provided from any, or any combination, of; cellulose from long fibred lignocellulosic plant feed stock such as bast, leaf, seed and seed pod fibres (e.g. hemp/jute/abaca/flax/kenaf/ramie/sisal/sun hemp/Indian hemp/roselle/urena/Henequen/yucca/bowstring hemp/New Zealand flax/coir/milk weed/kapok); cereals and straws such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice; grasses such as bamboo, bagasse, kahi, miscanthus; natural reed; wood cellulose, natural wood, fruit cellulose and/or recycled (waste) paper.