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US5008359A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Isocyanate modified cellulose products and method for their manufacture

Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Co
•
Filing: 1988-11-25
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Granted: 1991-04-16
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Expires: 2008-11-25
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Abstract

Abstract The invention is a method of making a cellulose based polymeric material and the products of the invention. A cellulosic substrate is impregnated with an essentially uncatalyzed polyfunctinal isocyanate and pressed at elevated temperature and pressure. The substrate may be a chemical or thermomechanical pulp or paper while the isocyanate is preferably diphenylmethane diisocyanate or its oligomers. Pressing conditions are preferably in the range of about 150°-245° C. at pressures in the range of about 2700-8300 kPa for times less than 2 minutes. Moisture content of the cellulosic substrate is not highly critical and may be as high as 7% without adverse effects. The product is especially useful as overlays and for forming strong, water resistant laminates which can be molded in either flat or three dimensional forms.

Inventors

  • 👤 Frank R. Hunter

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 23:24
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B23/00; B32B23/14; B32B23/16; B32B23/04; B32B23/044; B32B38/00; B32B38/08; C; C08; C08G; C08G18/00; C08G18/06; C08G18/28; C08G18/40; C08G18/64; C08G18/6484; C08L; C08L1/00; C08L1/02; C08L97/00; C08L97/02; D; D21; D21H; D21H17/00; D21H17/20; D21H17/33; D21H17/46; D21H17/54; D21H17/57; D21H25/00; D21H25/04; D21H25/06; D21H27/00; D21H27/30; B32B2260/00; B32B2260/02; B32B2260/021; B32B2260/023; B32B2260/04; B32B2260/046; B32B2317/00; B32B2317/12; B32B2317/122; B32B2317/16; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31971; Y10T428/31975; Y10T428/31978; Y10T428/31982; Y10T428/31986; Y10T428/31989

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
A method for making a modified cellulose product which comprises: impregnating a cellulosic material with an amount of essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; and heating the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulosic material at a temperature within a range of about 105°-245° C. (221°-473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 5 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 85 words
A method for making a modified cellulose product which comprises: impregnating a cellulosic material with an amount of essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; and heating the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulosic material at a temperature within a range of about 105°-245° C. (221°-473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 5 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
The method of claim 1 in which the cellulosic material is in a sheet form having first and second sheet surfaces substantially parallel to each other and a Z or thickness dimension extending in a direction between the first and second sheet surfaces perpendicular to the first and second sheet surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method of claim 2 in which the concentration of polyisocyanate by weight percent relative to the concentration of cellulose is greater at least at one surface of the sheet than in the balance of the Z or thickness dimension of the sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method of claim 3 in which the concentration of polyisocyanate by weight percent relative to the concentration of cellulose is greater at each surface than in a central portion of the material at a location spaced from the surfaces of the material in the Z or thickness dimension of the sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 2 in which the concentration of polyisocyanate is essentially uniform throughout the Z or thickness dimension of the sheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1 in which the cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of chemically purified, kraft, and thermomechanical celluloses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 1 in which the polyisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, oligomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 7 in which the polyisocyanate is in a blocked form before curing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1 in which the polyisocyanate is impregnated as a concentrate without dilution by a solvent into the cellulosic material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 1 in which the polyisocyanate is impregnated as a solution into the cellulosic material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1 in which the cellulosic material has a moisture content not exceeding about 7 percent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 1 in which the impregnated cellulosic material is plied on either face of a core material which has not been impregnated with a polyisocyanate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1 in which the core material is selected from wood veneer and reconstituted wood products.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 7 words
The cellulose-based polymeric material of claim 1.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method for making a cellulose-based polymeric material as recited in claim 2 wherein the cellulosic material is a paper material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method for making a cellulose-based polymeric material as recited in claim 15 wherein the paper material is a kraft paper.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 116 words
A method for making a modified cellulose product which comprises: impregnating a sheet of cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of kraft and thermomechanical celluloses with an amount of essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, oligomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof, within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; and heating the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulosic material at a temperature within a range of about 105° to 245° C. (221° to 473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 2 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 116 words
A method for making a modified cellulose product which comprises: impregnating a sheet of cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of kraft and thermomechanical celluloses with an amount of essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, oligomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof, within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; and heating the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulosic material at a temperature within a range of about 105° to 245° C. (221° to 473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 2 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 7 words
The cellulose-based polymeric material of claim 17.
Claim 21
Independent Claim 112 words
A method for making a laminated cellulose-based polymeric material comprising the steps: individually impregnating each of plural sheets of cellulosic material with an essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; plying at least two of the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulose sheets together so as to form a stack of said polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulose sheets; and heating the stack of plied sheets at a temperature in a range of about 105°-245° C. (221°-473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 5 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 22
Independent Claim 112 words
A method for making a laminated cellulose-based polymeric material comprising the steps: individually impregnating each of plural sheets of cellulosic material with an essentially uncatalyzed polyisocyanate within a range of about 8 to 20% by weight of polyisocyanate to cellulosic material; plying at least two of the polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulose sheets together so as to form a stack of said polyisocyanate-impregnated cellulose sheets; and heating the stack of plied sheets at a temperature in a range of about 105°-245° C. (221°-473° F.) for a time not exceeding about 5 minutes and at a pressure within a range of about 2700 to 8300 kPa (390 to 1200 psi) so as to cure the polyisocyanate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 19 in which the cellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of chemically purified, kraft, and thermomechanical celluloses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 19 in which the polyisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, oligomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 21 in which the polyisocyanate is in a blocked form before curing.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 19 in which the polyisocyanate is impregnated as a concentrate without dilution by a solvent into the cellulosic material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 19 in which the polyisocyanate is impregnated as a solution into the cellulosic material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 19 in which the cellulosic material has a moisture content not exceeding about 7 percent by weight.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 8 words
The laminated cellulose-based polymeric material of claim 19.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 86 words
A method for making a laminated cellulose-based polymeric material as recited in claim 19 wherein each sheet of cellulosic material has first and second sheet surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other and having a thickness dimension between the first and second sheet surfaces substantially perpendicular to the first and second sheet surfaces, and wherein there is a greater weight percent of polyisocyanate relative to cellulose at at least one of the first and second sheet surfaces than in the other portions of the laminated material.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method for making a laminated cellulose-based polymeric material as recited in claim 27 wherein the weight percent of polyisocyanate relative to cellulose is greater at the first and second sheet surfaces than at locations along the thickness dimension spaced from the first and second sheet surfaces.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 69 words
A method for making a laminated cellulose-based polymeric material as recited in claim 19 wherein each sheet of cellulosic material has first and second sheet surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other and a thickness dimension between the first and second sheet surfaces substantially perpendicular to the first and second sheet surfaces, and wherein the weight percent of polyisocyanate relative to cellulose is substantially uniform throughout the laminated material.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-04-15 1994-10-15 1995-04-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-04-15 1998-10-15 1999-04-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-04-15 2002-10-15 2003-04-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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