Method and apparatus for molding of cnf-cmc onto molded pulp

Abstract

A method of overmolding an object of interest with a protective coating is disclosed, which includes receiving a mold having a top half and a bottom half dimensioned for an object of interest, placing the object of interest into the bottom half of the mold, spreading a layer or laying a sheet of a mixture cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on to the object of interest, placing the top half of the mold onto the CNF/CMC layer, applying a predetermined pressure between the top and bottom halves of the mold, applying a predetermined amount of heat to the mold, to thereby molding the CNF/CMC mixture onto the object of interest, and removing the object of interest with the layer of CNF/CMC formed thereon from the mold after a predetermined amount of time.

1 . A method of overmolding an object of interest with a protective coating, comprising:
 receiving a mold having a top half and a bottom half dimensioned for an object of interest;   placing the object of interest into the bottom half of the mold;   spreading a layer or laying a sheet of a mixture cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on to the object of interest;   placing the top half of the mold onto the CNF/CMC layer;   applying a predetermined pressure between the top and bottom halves of the mold;   applying a predetermined amount of heat to the mold, to thereby molding the CNF/CMC mixture onto the object of interest;   removing the object of interest with the layer of CNF/CMC formed thereon from the mold after a predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object of interest is a molded pulp including at least one of a food carton or a pharmaceutical carton. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of CNF/CMC has a CMC to CNF weight ratio range of at least one of between about 0.03:1 to about 0.3:1, between about 0.03:1 to about 0.2:1, between about 0.03:1 to about 0.1:1, between about 0.05:1 to about 0.2:1, between about 0.05:1 to about 0.15:1, between about 0.1:1 to about 0.2:1, or between about 0.1:1 to about 0.15:1. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CNF/CMC coated object of interest can withstand at least one of about 3× or about 1.6× higher stress as compared to an uncoated object of interest prior to onset of plastic deformation. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the top half or the bottom half of the mold includes a plurality of through-holes. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , prior to spreading the layer of mixture of CNF/CMC, further comprising applying a layer of a primer or bonding agent to the object of interest, wherein the bonding agent includes at least one of chitosan, cationic starch, and starch. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 placing an item of interest in the object of interest with the layer of CNF/CMC formed thereon; and   lidding the item of interest with a pliable wrap.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the pliable wrap is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polylactic acid (PLA), and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the pliable wrap is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein LDPE includes linear low-density polyethylene as an additive. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the pliable wrap is made from a bio-degradable material. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of CNF/CMC further includes additives selected from the group consisting of polyvinylalcohol, starch, polyacrylamides, polyaziridine, polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrins, polycarbodiimides, ammonium zirconium carbonate, alkyl ketene dimers, silanes, anhydrides, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         28 . A method of co-molding an object of interest with a protective coating, comprising:
 receiving a mold having a top half and a bottom half dimensioned for an object of interest;   placing a moldable material constituting raw material for the object of interest into the bottom half of the mold;   spreading a layer or laying a sheet of a mixture of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on to the moldable material;   placing the top half of the mold onto the CNF/CMC layer;   applying a predetermined pressure between the top and bottom halves of the mold;   applying a predetermined amount of heat to the mold, to thereby simultaneously molding both the object of interest and the CNF/CMC layer thereon; and   removing the molded object of interest with the CNF/CMC layer formed thereon from the mold after a predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the moldable material for the object of interest is a slurry of a fibrous pulp. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the mixture of CNF/CMC further includes additives selected from the group consisting of polyvinylalcohol, starch, polyacrylamides, polyaziridine, polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrins, polycarbodiimides, ammonium zirconium carbonate, alkyl ketene dimers, silanes, anhydrides, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the object of interest is a molded pulp including at least one of a food carton or a pharmaceutical carton. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the mixture of CNF/CMC has a CMC to CNF weight ratio range at least one of between about 0.03:1 to about 0.3:1, between about 0.03:1 to about 0.2:1, between about 0.03:1 to about 0.1:1, between about 0.05:1 to about 0.2:1, between about 0.05:1 to about 0.15:1, between about 0.1:1 to about 0.2:1, or between about 0.1:1 to about 0.15:1. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the CNF/CMC coated object of interest can withstand at least one of about 3× or about 1.6× higher stress as compared to an uncoated object of interest prior to onset of plastic deformation. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the top half of the mold includes a plurality of through-holes. 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 28 , prior to spreading the layer of mixture of CNF/CMC, further comprising applying a layer of a primer or bonding agent to the object of interest, wherein the bonding agent includes at least one of chitosan, cationic starch, and starch. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 placing an item of interest in the object of interest with the layer of CNF/CMC formed thereon; and   lidding the item of interest with a pliable wrap.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the pliable wrap is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polylactic acid (PLA), and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the pliable wrap is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein LDPE includes linear low-density polyethylene as an additive. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the pliable wrap is made from a bio-degradable material.