Ligno cellulosic materials and the products made therefrom

Abstract

A process comprising treating a lignocellulosic material preferably pulp in the presence of a transition metal catalyst with a oxidizing agent selected from a group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and any combination thereof to form a treated lignocellulosic material having a viscosity equal to or less than about 17 cp and having reducing functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde and aldehyde type functional groups at the C6 and C1 positions but predominating at the C1 position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process of making a kraft fiber, comprising
 bleaching a lignocellulosic kraft pulp using a bleaching process; and   oxidizing the lignocellulosic kraft pulp by adding 0.01% to 0.1% by weight of the lignocellulosic kraft pulp of a catalyst consisting of a transition metal and/or salt thereof in the presence of from 0.5 to 5% oxidizing agent by weight of the lignocellulosic kraft pulp under acidic pH, wherein
 the oxidizing occurs after a pulping process or after the bleaching process, 
 the lignocellulosic kraft pulp is not refined directly after oxidizing the lignocellulosic kraft pulp, and 
 the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, cerium, any combination of the foregoing, and any combination of the foregoing with zinc, tungsten, zirconium, or chromium. 
   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition metal and/or salt thereof consists of iron, copper, an iron salt, a copper salt, and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent is selected form the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypocholorous acid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing acidic pH is from 2 to 7. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent is peroxide. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing is at a pH of from 2 to 6. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition metal is iron. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition metal salt is ferrous sulfate. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing occurs at a temperature of at least 20° C. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing occurs at a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 120° C. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing occurs at a temperature ranging from 40° C. to 90° C. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing occurs at a temperature ranging from 60° C. to 90° C. 
     
     
         14 . A process for preparing a fluff pulp comprising the steps of:
 treating a lignocellulosic material by adding from 0.01 to 0.1 % by weight of the lignocellulosic material of a catalyst consisting of a transition metal and/or salt thereof in the presence of from 0.5 to 5% oxidizing agent by weight of the lignocellulosic material at a pH from about 1 to about 9 to form a treated lignocellulosic material having a viscosity equal to or less than about 10 cps,
 wherein said transition metal is selected from copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, cerium, any combination of the foregoing, and any combination of the foregoing with zinc, tungsten, zirconium, or chromium and said oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and any combination thereof; and 
   drying the treated lignocellulosic material to form the fluff pulp.   
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the process occurs without refining directly after said treating step. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the transition metal salt is selected from a halide salt, a sulfate salt, a nitrate salt, a phosphate salt, a carbonate salt, or a combination of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing forms a treated lignocellulosic material with a viscosity from 2 cps to 7 cps. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the treating step occurs at a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 120° C. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the transition metal and/or salt thereof at least comprises iron, copper, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a viscosity from 2 cps to 7 cps.