Highly absorbent polysaccharide fiber and use thereof
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a method for the production of highly absorbent polysaccharide fibers which contain a mixture of cellulose and α(1→3)-glucan as a fiber-forming substance, as well as to the highly absorbent fibers made thereby, and to their use.
1. A method for the production of a highly absorbent polysaccharide fiber by a xanthogenate process comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing an xanthogenate comprising alkali cellulose;
(b) preparing a solution comprising α(1→3)-glucan and NaOH;
(c) combining the xanthogenate of step (a) with the solution of step (b) to form a spinning solution, wherein a fiber forming substance in said spinning solution is a mixture of cellulose and α(1→3)-glucan; and
(d) extruding said spinning solution to form said polysaccharide fiber.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber-forming substance contains between 1 and 99% by weight of α(1→3)-glucan.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the fiber forming substance contains between 5 and 45% by weight of α(1→3)-glucan.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is a viscose process.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the α(1→3)-glucan are hexose units and at least 50% of the hexose units are linked via α(1→3)-glycosidic bonds.
6. The method according to claims 1 , 2 , 4 , or 5 , wherein the fiber is selected from the group consisting of a staple fiber and a continuous filament.
7. A highly absorbent polysaccharide fiber produced according to claim 1 , wherein a fiber-forming substance of the polysaccharide fiber is a mixture of cellulose and α(1→3)-glucan.
8. A highly absorbent polysaccharide fiber comprising a fiber-forming substance, wherein the fiber forming substance is a mixture of cellulose and α(1→3)-glucan.
9. The fiber according to claim 8 , wherein the fiber-forming substance contains between 1 and 99% by weight of α(1→3)-glucan.
10. The fiber according to claim 8 , wherein at least 90% of the α(1→3)-glucan are hexose units and at least 50% of the hexose units are linked via α(1→3)-glucosidic bonds.
11. The fiber according to claim 8 , wherein the fiber has a water retention capacity of at least 90%.
12. The fiber according to claim 7 , wherein the fiber-forming substance contains between 1 and 99% by weight of α(1→3)-glucan.
13. The fiber according to claims 12 or 9 , wherein the fiber forming substance contains between 5 and 45% by weight of α(1→3)-glucan.
14. The fiber according to claim 7 , wherein at least 90% of the α(1→3)-glucan are hexose units and at least 50% of the hexose units are linked via α(1→3)-glycosidic bonds.
15. The fiber according to claim 7 , wherein the fiber has a water retention capacity of at least 90%.
16. The fiber according to claims 15 or 11 , wherein the water retention capacity is greater than 100%.
17. The fiber according to claims 7 , 12 , 14 , 9 , or 8 , wherein the fiber is selected from the group consisting of a staple fiber and a continuous filament.
18. A product comprising the fiber according to claims 7 or 8 , wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of nonwovens, hygiene articles, and of other, absorbent nonwoven products and papers.
19. The product according to claim 18 , wherein the hygiene products are selected from the group consisting of tampons, panty liners, and diapers.
20. A textile product comprising the fiber according to claims 7 or 8 , wherein the textile product is selected from the group consisting of yarns, woven fabrics, and knitted fabrics.