Process of using non-wood fibers to create paper pulp

Abstract

Disclosed herein are novel methods to prepare paper pulp from non-wood fiber sources, and preferably from a variety of different non-homogeneous fiber sources. The methods use a unique combination of caustic and temperature without a digestor to improve performance of the resulting fibers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming fiber pulp suitable for paper, the method comprising
 selecting a non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber   optionally treating the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber with anti-microbial solution and/or UV light;   mechanically pre-treating, and optionally chemically pre-treating, the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber by dry refining and optionally pre-screening the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber to remove contaminants and any undesirable pulp feedstock fibers;   heating or cooking the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber with low concentrations of sodium hydroxide and/or peroxide at low temperatures to form cooked fibers;   high consistency refining of the cooked fibers to develop desired strength properties;   diluting and/or rinsing the heated or cooked fibers;   screening the rinsed fibers and optionally re-processing rejected fibers through chemical and refining processing; and   drying the fibers to form the fiber pulp.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating is with about 1 to about 15 weight percent sodium hydroxide and at temperatures of about 15° C. to about 90° C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a caustic ratio of the heating temperature to the weight percent of sodium hydroxide is about 6.5° C./percent to about 22° C./percent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating is with about 1 to about 15 weight percent hydrogen peroxide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein no acid is used in the diluting and/or rinse step. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber is selected from non-food portion of crops including rye, brome, bluestem, cottonwood, corn silage, alfalfa, corn stover, bamboo, hemp stalk, cotton stalk, sorghum stalk, sunflower stalk, kenaf, switchgrass, fescue, bluestem varieties, buffalo grass, king grass, alfalfa, clovers, bunker waste, bin waste, silo waste, manure, manure bunker waster, old bales, moved weed fiber, marsh vegetation, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the non-homogeneous agricultural waste fiber is a non-digested fiber. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method does not use a digestor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the refining is to a freeness consistency of about 300 CSF to about 600 CSF as measured pursuant to TAPPI T227. 
     
     
         10 . A paper pulp product including virgin and/or recycled fibers and fibers obtained from the methods of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , including about 20 to about 50 weight percent of the pulp fibers obtained from the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , wherein the paper pulp product is formed into a roll pulp, a sheet pulp, pressed block pulp, or pellets. 
     
     
         13 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , wherein paper formed form the fiber pulp has a STFI of at least about 8 lb/in. 
     
     
         14 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , wherein paper formed form the fiber pulp has a scott bond of at least about 100 ft-lb/1000. 
     
     
         15 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , wherein paper formed form the fiber pulp has a ring crush of at least about 60 lbf/6 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The paper pulp product of  claim 10 , wherein paper formed form the fiber pulp has a concora of at least about 40 lbf/10 flutes.