Method of measuring non-aqueous constituents in a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix

Claim 1

A method of measuring in a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/celluose matrix of at least one non-aqueous constituent wherein the filtrate consists of 99% and a total amount of non-aqueous constituents of not more than about 1% by weight the steps comprising preparing a dilute aqueous dispersion of one or more non-aqueous constituents comprised of at least about 99% by weight of water and not more than about 1% of nonaqueous constituent, exposing said dispersion to radiation from a spectrometer across the near-infrared spectrum from 1000 to 2500 nm to produce a recorded voltage that is directly proportional to the absorption by the non-aqueous constituent in the dispersion, repeating said exposing to radiation of said dispersion after each of successive recorded incremental additions of non-aqueous constituent and obtaining a succession of recorded voltge levels each a corresponding to the respective recorded successive concentrations of said non-aqueous constitutent to provide in said dilute aqueous dispersion non-auqoue constituents in a concentration of not more than about 1% of said dispersion storing the recorded concentrations and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituent in a computer, analysing said recorded concentration and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituents in the computer, subsequently exposing a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix comprising of about 99% water and not more than about 1% of one or more non-aqueous constituents to the same near-infrared radiation and producing a recorded voltage, storing said recorded voltage in said computer and establishing the amount of the non-aqueous constituency in the filtrate, the non-aqueous constituency in the filtrate being detectable so as to measure the amount of the non-aqueous constituent or constituents in said filtrate.

Claim 2

A method of measuring in a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/celluose matrix of at least one non-aqueous constituent wherein the filtrate consists of 99% and a total amount of non-aqueous constituents of not more than about 1% by weight the steps comprising preparing a dilute aqueous dispersion of one or more non-aqueous constituents comprised of at least about 99% by weight of water and not more than about 1% of nonaqueous constituent, exposing said dispersion to radiation from a spectrometer across the near-infrared spectrum from 1000 to 2500 nm to produce a recorded voltage that is directly proportional to the absorption by the non-aqueous constituent in the dispersion, repeating said exposing to radiation of said dispersion after each of successive recorded incremental additions of non-aqueous constituent and obtaining a succession of recorded voltge levels each a corresponding to the respective recorded successive concentrations of said non-aqueous constitutent to provide in said dilute aqueous dispersion non-auqoue constituents in a concentration of not more than about 1% of said dispersion storing the recorded concentrations and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituent in a computer, analysing said recorded concentration and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituents in the computer, subsequently exposing a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix comprising of about 99% water and not more than about 1% of one or more non-aqueous constituents to the same near-infrared radiation and producing a recorded voltage, storing said recorded voltage in said computer and establishing the amount of the non-aqueous constituency in the filtrate, the non-aqueous constituency in the filtrate being detectable so as to measure the amount of the non-aqueous constituent or constituents in said filtrate.

Claim 7

A method of differentiating in a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix between fines and at least one other non-aqueous constituent wherein the filtrate consists of 99% water and a total amount of non-aqueous constituent of not more than about 1% by weight the steps comprising preparing a dilute aqueous dispersion of fines and one or more additional non-aqueous constituents in an amount of less than 1% by weight of the dispersion exposing said dispersion to radiation from spectrometer across the near-infrared spectrum from 1000 to 2500 nm to produce a recorded voltage that is directly proportional to the absorption by the non-aqueous constituent in the dispersion, repeating said exposing to radiation of said dispersion after each of successive recorded incremental additions consisting of fines and at least one additional non-aqueous constituent and obtaining a succession of recorded voltage levels each corresponding to respective recorded successive concentrations of fines and an additional non-aqueous constituent to provide in said dilute aqueous dispersion, non-aqueous constituents in a concentration of not more than about 1% by weight of said dispersion storing the recorded concentrations and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituents in a computer, analyzing said recorded concentration and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituent in the computer, subsequently exposing a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix comprised of about 99% water and not more than about 1% of fines and at least one additional non-aqueous constituent to the same near-infrared radiation and producing a recorded voltage, storing said recorded voltage in said computer and establishing the amount of the fines in the filtrate, fines in an amount of not more than about 1% in the filtrate are detectable so as to differentiate between fines and at least one other non-aqueous constituent.

Claim 8

A method of differentiating in a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix between fines and at least one other non-aqueous constituent wherein the filtrate consists of 99% water and a total amount of non-aqueous constituent of not more than about 1% by weight the steps comprising preparing a dilute aqueous dispersion of fines and one or more additional non-aqueous constituents in an amount of less than 1% by weight of the dispersion exposing said dispersion to radiation from spectrometer across the near-infrared spectrum from 1000 to 2500 nm to produce a recorded voltage that is directly proportional to the absorption by the non-aqueous constituent in the dispersion, repeating said exposing to radiation of said dispersion after each of successive recorded incremental additions consisting of fines and at least one additional non-aqueous constituent and obtaining a succession of recorded voltage levels each corresponding to respective recorded successive concentrations of fines and an additional non-aqueous constituent to provide in said dilute aqueous dispersion, non-aqueous constituents in a concentration of not more than about 1% by weight of said dispersion storing the recorded concentrations and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituents in a computer, analyzing said recorded concentration and corresponding voltage data for the non-aqueous constituent in the computer, subsequently exposing a filtrate from a pulp slurry of a water/cellulose matrix comprised of about 99% water and not more than about 1% of fines and at least one additional non-aqueous constituent to the same near-infrared radiation and producing a recorded voltage, storing said recorded voltage in said computer and establishing the amount of the fines in the filtrate, fines in an amount of not more than about 1% in the filtrate are detectable so as to differentiate between fines and at least one other non-aqueous constituent.