KR102369548B1 - Tree-free fiber compositions and uses in containerboard packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The corrugated packaging material comprises at least one corrugated board stock layer comprising a wood-based pulp material and at least one fluted wicking layer comprising a non-wood-like pulp material, wherein the non-wood-like pulp material comprises from about 5% to about 5% to It is present in the wick layer in an amount of about 100%. The wick layer pulp material may be a non-wood type pulp material. The non-woody pulp material may be straw pulp and red algae pulp.

Description

TREE-FREE FIBER COMPOSITIONS AND USES IN CONTAINERBOARD PACKAGING

preference

This non-provisional application claims priority as a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Application Serial No. 13/631,183, filed September 28, 2012. The entire contents of supra US application Ser. No. 13/631,183 is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to non-wooden fiber compositions and use in corrugated packaging.

The present invention relates to the use of non-wood alternative natural fibers in a corrugated medium for corrugated cardboard packaging. Conventional hardwood fibers are replaced by hybrid fiber compositions that provide sufficient mechanical strength for corrugated packaging applications.

Typically, pulp derived from fast-growing trees, such as pine, has been used as a raw material for corrugated cardboard packaging. Corrugated cardboard includes a linerboard and a medium. Corrugated board stock is generally made from softwood, which has the longest fibers and produces the strongest corrugated board. The wick is made from hardwood fibers, which tend to be shorter and stiffer than softwood fibers. In recent years, the use of recycled old corrugated container (OCC) materials as corrugated paper or corrugated paper has gained popularity due to concerns about environmental sustainability. However, OCC often requires repulping and de-inking treatments. As such, recycled fibers shorten, weaken, and become contaminated as the number of recycling increases. Along with the increasing use and demand for recycled fibers by many corrugated board producers, the cost of recycled fibers has also increased. The move towards single stream recycling increases contamination (staples, plastic tapes, hot melt adhesives) and mixing of fibers in existing recovered fiber streams. Critical performance requirements such as strength (compression, edge crush, burst, tensile strength), stiffness, stiffness, moisture resistance, grease resistance, and freeze/thaw resistance can be combined with recycled paper or paperboard. It can be even more difficult to achieve with a paperboard.

These approaches rely on wood-based fibers. The ability to use shorter-lived growing textile raw materials and use residues from agricultural or industrial processes helps companies achieve their sustainability goals and reduce their carbon footprint (measured in eCO2) as well as their environmental impact on forests. can help

Hybrid fiber compositions comprising non-wood substitute natural fibers, such as those derived from seaweed, algae, corn stalk, wheat straw, rice straw, bamboo, sheep's linen, etc., overcome these aforementioned problems by creating a tree-like product. This could be an option to solve. Replacing the fibers in the corrugated core using only land-based, non-wood replacement fibers such as straw can be a challenge at high levels of content. One of the factors relates to the fines associated with the pulp fibers. Straw fibers contain more fins (about 38 to about 50%) than hardwood (about 20 to about 40%) or OCC fibers (about 20 to about 25%). Accordingly, straw fiber dimensions (fiber length and diameter) are comparable to hardwood fibers, such as those pulped from maple and oak, but shorter than OCC fibers due to the presence of softwood fibers in the recycled corrugated material. . The pins may be viewed as fillers; Having more pins from straw pulp than others does not contribute to strength.

In a conventional approach (see US Pat. No. 1,829,852 to Darling), cardboard was made using chopped straw (rather than the fibers themselves ). Another approach (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0070295 to Huang and Peng) describes a non-woody fiber (corn or wheat) mulching mat to control weeds in plant-based agriculture and tillage. Finally, chitosan was used in addition to agricultural residue fibers to improve the flat crush resistance of the corrugated core (see US Pat. No. 4,102,738 to Dzurik).

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a wood substitute pulp material to replace the conventional fiber material used in corrugated cardboard packaging. There is also a greater need for stronger and lighter corrugated materials that can reduce packaging weight. Although there have been previous attempts to produce synthetic boards for building materials and furniture applications using alternative fibers, sustainable attempts to produce non-wood natural fiber-based corrugated cores for use in corrugated packaging applications are lacking. As a result, the present invention fills this gap by providing a wood replacement material that can be used in environmentally sustainable corrugated packaging.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to corrugated cardboard packaging materials comprising tree-free materials such as red algae free of ram, straw, cornstalk, and/or hardwood pulp. The hybrid fiber composition can be processed by conventional papermaking, fluting, and case changing machines for rigid packaging applications.

The results indicate that the corrugated medium can be completely prepared based on non-wood substitute fibers such as sheep hemp, straw, pampas grass, corn stalk, bamboo, and red algae fibers. The present invention describes a non-wooden corrugated core, in stark contrast to current practice that relies on OCC, hardwood pulp, or a combination of both.

A corrugated packaging material is provided comprising at least one corrugated base paper layer comprising a wood-based pulp material and at least one fluted wicking layer comprising a non-wood-like pulp material, wherein the non-wood-like pulp material comprises about present in the wick layer in an amount from 5% to about 100%.

Also provided is a corrugated packaging material comprising at least one corrugated base paper layer comprising a wood-based pulp material and at least one fluted wicking layer made of a wick layer pulp material, wherein the wick layer pulp material is non-wood. It is a type of pulp material.

Also, at least one corrugated base paper layer comprising a wood-based pulp material; and at least one fluted wicking layer made of a wicking layer pulp material, wherein the wicking layer pulp material is a tree-like pulp material, wherein the non-wood-like pulp material comprises: straw pulp and red algae pulp.

The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present invention and manner of obtaining them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings.
1 is a 500X micrograph of cornstalk and red algae handsheet surface SEM;
2 is a 500X micrograph of cornstalk, wheat straw and red algae hybrid handsheet surface SEM; And
3A to 3D are schematic views showing various arrangements of corrugated cardboard in the present application.
Repeat use of reference characters in the specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the invention. The drawings are for the purpose of representation and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Certain proportions of the drawings are exaggerated while others are minimized.

While this specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description.

Unless otherwise specified herein, all percentages, parts and ratios are based on the total weight of the compositions of the present invention. All such weights pertaining to the ingredients listed are based on the active level and, therefore, do not include solvents or by-products that may be included in commercially available materials, unless otherwise specified. The term “weight percent” may be referred to herein as “weight percent”. Except where specific examples of actual measurements are given, numerical values recited herein are to be considered limited by the term "about."

As used herein, the term “comprising” means that other steps and other ingredients may be added that do not affect the final result. Such terms include the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”. The compositions and methods/processes of the present invention may include additional or optional components, components, steps or limitations disclosed herein, as well as essential elements and limitations of the present invention described herein, and these may consist of, and may consist essentially of these.

As used herein, the terms "non-wood", "tree-free" and "wood alternative" refer generally to crops such as straw; Refers to processing residues from wetland non-tree plants such as cattail, aquatic plants such as water hyacinth, microalgae such as spirulina, and macroalgae such as red algae or brown algae. Examples of non-woody natural materials of the present invention include straw, rice straw, flax, flax, bamboo, cotton, jute, hemp, sisal, sugar cane, hesperaloe, switchgrass, silver grass, marine or freshwater algae/algae, and combinations thereof, but are not limited to these examples.

As used herein, the term "red algae fiber" refers to any cellulosic fiber material derived from a red algae plant as described herein. Particularly preferred red algae fibers include, gelidium corneum , gelidium . Amansi ( Gelidium amansii ) , Gelidium Robustum ( Gelidium robustum ) , Gelidium _ _ chilense ) , and gelidium There is a cellulosic fibrous material derived from Gelidium asperum . Red algae fibers generally have an aspect ratio (measured as average fiber length divided by average fiber width) of at least about 80.

As used herein, the term "OCC" refers to scrap corrugated cardboard having layers of paper glued together with a fluted inner layer. It is the material used to make corrugated cardboard boxes (the industry's most recycled product). The four main components of OCC pulp are: unbleached softwood kraft pulp (primarily from corrugated paper), semi-chemical hardwood pulp (from fluted wick), starch (as adhesive), and water (often more than 8% )am.

As used herein, the term "pulp" or "pulp fiber" refers to a fibrous material obtained through conventional pulping treatments known in the art. This can be for woody materials and for non-woody materials.

As used herein, the term “fines” refers to portions that pass through a 200 mesh screen (75 μm). The median size of the pins is a few micrometers. The pins are made of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extract. There are two types of pins: primary pins and secondary pins. Primary pin content appears to be a genetic feature of the plant. For hardwood pulp, the content is from about 20% to about 40%, while for wheat straw, the content is from about 38% to about 50%. Secondary pins are pieces of fibrils from the outer layers of fibers that are broken during refining.

As used herein, the term "basis weight" generally refers to the weight per unit area of a corrugated sheet or wick. Basis weight is determined herein using TAPPI Test Method T-220. Pulp sheets, often of 30 cm x 30 cm or other convenient dimensions, are weighed and dried to determine the solids content. The area of the sheet is then determined and the ratio of dry weight to sheet area is reported as basis weight in grams per square meter (gsm). The basis weight of the corrugated board is at least about 130gsm or more, and the wicking basis weight is about 90gsm or more. The moisture content of the corrugated paper and the wick is less than about 10%.

As used herein, the term "corrugated cardboard" refers to a sheet containing a corrugated sheet as a facing and a fluted wick. There are a number of configurations, single-sided, single-walled or double-sided, double-walled, and triple-walled for a variety of product packaging applications.

As used herein, the term "flute" refers to an inverted S-shaped "arch" or "arch" of the cortex that generally runs parallel to the depth of the vessel and provides stiffness and crushing (stacking) strength. refers to "wave". The flutes of the present invention can range from about 98 flutes per meter to about 492 flutes per meter. The five main classifications and sizes of flutes are: 1) A-flutes: the largest arch size, from about 105 to about 121 flutes per meter, 2) B-flutes: the second largest arch size, per meter from about 148 to about 171 flutes, 3) C-flutes: intermediate between A and B, from about 128 to about 141 flutes per meter, 4) E-flutes: from about 302 to about 322 flutes per meter, 5) F-flutes: Last flute size, about 420 flutes per meter. These flutes can also be joined together to form multi-flute grades ranging from AAA (triple wall), AA (double wall) to E/F (micro flute) combinations. Single flute heights range from A (0.477 cm) to F (0.079 cm).

As used herein, the terms "single side", "single wall", "double wall", and "triple wall" refer to one or more fluted sheets of paperboard (corrugated paper) on one or more corrugated backing surfaces. Refers to a packaging material formed by bonding between (facings). There are 4 common types:

1) "Single side" refers to one fluted wick adhered to one flat sheet of corrugated paper as shown in FIG. 3A (two sheets in total).

2) "Single wall" refers to one fluted wick glued between two sheets of corrugated paper. As shown in Fig. 3b, also referred to as "double-sided" (three sheets in total).

3) "Double wall" refers to two fluted wicks glued between three sheets of corrugated paper as shown in Fig. 3c (five sheets in total).

4) "Triple wall" refers to three fluted wicks glued between four sheets of corrugated base paper (a total of seven sheets), as shown in Fig. 3D.

As used herein, the term "Tensile index" refers to the quotient of tensile strength expressed in Nm/g and expressed in Newton-meters (N/m) divided by basis weight.

As used herein, the term "Burst index" refers to the quotient of burst strength, usually expressed in kilopascals (kPa), divided by the basis weight, usually expressed in grams per square meter (gsm). points to

As used herein, the term "corrugated medium test" (CMT) refers to the crushing resistance of a fluted strip of corrugated medium, generally expressed in Newtons (N) or pound force (lbf). resistance).

As used herein, the term "ring crush" refers to the resistance of paperboard and paper to compression along the edge, generally expressed in kilonewtons per meter (kN/m).

As used herein, the term "compression" refers to the ability of corrugated shipping containers to resist external compressive forces, which relates to the stacking strength of containers subjected to forces occurring during transport and warehousing. do. It is usually expressed in Newtons (N).

As used herein, the term "edge crush" refers to the compressive strength along the edge parallel to the flutes of a corrugated board, generally expressed in kilonewtons per meter (kN/m).

As used herein, the term "web forming apparatus" includes fourdrinier formers, twin wire paper machines, cylinder machines, press paper machines, crescent paper machines, and the like, generally known to those skilled in the art. .

As used herein, “Canadian Standard Freeness” (CSF) generally refers to the rate at which a slurry of fibers is expelled and is measured as described in TAPPI Standard Test Method T 227 OM-09. The unit for CSF is mL.

The major problems affecting the pulp and paper industry worldwide are concerns about the competitive use of forest land, the environmental impact of forestry operations, and the increased cost of adequate wood fibers due to sustainable forest management. In recent years, major tissue manufacturers have been motivated to experiment with alternative uses for non-wood natural fibers for manufacturing products because of sustainability concerns with raw material pulp. Also, by reducing reliance on raw wood pulp, pressure from consumers and NGOs to prefer green products can be reduced. However, the use of recycled fibers in various products is technically limited by the end product quality acceptable to users.

Recycled fibers may be derived from any paper and board collected for reuse as a raw fiber material in paper and board manufacturing. Conversely, raw wood pulps include softwood pulp derived from softwoods such as spruce, pine, fir, larch, and hemlock, and hardwood pulp derived from hardwoods such as eucalyptus, aspen, and birch. classified as

The present invention relates to the use of a hybrid fiber composition obtained from the pulping or bleaching of wheat straw, corn stalk, sheep yam, seaweed, etc. obtained by chemical means, mechanical means, or a combination thereof for use in corrugated cardboard packaging applications. will be. This is distinctly different from fiberboard, composite boards for the construction of buildings, houses, and furniture applications. The combination of red algae, straw, sheep's linen, cornstalk, pulp, etc. provides a non-tree-like structure that exhibits acceptable properties for the cortex.

Pulping processes for non-wood natural fibers are raw material dependent; Detailed steps are described in Sridach, W. (2010), The Environmentally Benign Pulping Process of Non-wood Fibers, Suranaree J. Sci. Technol., 17(2), 105-123. For example, red algae pulp can be processed by simple bleaching steps with much less energy and capital cost, in part because lignin is not present (Seo, YB et al. (2010), Red Algae and Their See Use in Papermaking, Bioresource Technology, 101, 2549-2553).

The use of non-wood replacement natural fibers, such as the use of crop fibers and agricultural residues instead of wood fibers, is considered more sustainable, in part because of the classification of these materials as waste or as a by-product of other processes. Suppliers can pay consumers to help them dispose of these materials. Examples of such raw material natural materials include: sheep hemp, flax, bamboo, cotton, jute, hemp, sisal, sugar cane, corn stalk, rice straw, straw, hesperaloe, switchgrass, reed, water stalk, seawater or freshwater algae/seaweed , or water plants such as water hyacinth. Non-wood fiber resources account for only about 5-10% of global pulp production for a number of reasons including seasonal availability, chemical recovery concerns, pulp clarity, silica content, and the like.

Straw (e.g., wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, grass) and stems (e.g., corn, sorghum, and cotton) are large potential global sources of crop-based alternative natural fibers (dry metric per year) in excess of 1 million tons). For any annual crop, harvesting must be done at a certain time and in storage, and drying, washing, and separation are required prior to product manufacture. The advantages of using annual growing lignocellulosic fibers for corrugated wicking applications are: 1) a very short harvest cycle than conventional lignocellulosic pulp sources, 2) low cost due to residual properties, 3) no need to bleach the fibers, and energy 4) reducing the global greenhouse gas effect by removing carbon dioxide from the air (ie reducing the “carbon footprint” or eCO2 value as seen from LCA calculations). These benefits enhance environmental sustainability.

The present invention discloses the use of at least one non-wood or non-wood substitute pulp material in corrugated cardboard packaging to replace a significant portion of the conventional fibrous material, in particular for the wicking layer. The composition of the present invention comprises at least one non-wood replacement pulp material selected from seaweed such as red algae, corn stalk, straw, other land-based natural fibers, and combinations thereof. Red algae, Gelidium Elegance, Gelidium Cornium, Gelidium Amansi, Gelidium Robostum , Gelidium Chilens , Gelidium Asperum , Gracelaria Verucosa , Eucuma Courtney , Eucuma Spinosom, Belludulu, and combinations thereof. Straw may include wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, grass, and combinations thereof. Other land-based natural fibers may include flax, bamboo, cotton, jute, hemp, sisal, sorghum, sheep hemp, hesperaloe, switchgrass, pampas grass, and combinations thereof. Individual fibrous materials from such non-wood materials can be prepared by conventional pulping, such as thermal mechanical pulping, kraft pulping, chemical pulping, enzyme assisted biological pulping, or organosolve pulping, known in the art. can be derived from processing.

Red algae pulping (US Pat. No. 7,622,019 to You et al.), because it contains no lignin, uses less energy and capital costs, which clearly differentiates red algae from other pulp materials. In addition, when red algae fibers are used in the hybrid composition, a low basis weight can be achieved.

Corrugated or fluted wicks are typically formed from semi-chemical pulp or recycled materials. Within current manufacturing practice, about 75% of the product uses about 80% semi-chemical pulp and 20% recycled fibers. The remainder of the product is formed from 100% recycled materials, often referred to as "bogus medium". Corrugated wicks are lightweight boards used for the fluted inner plies of corrugated box stock. The basis weight for corrugated paper ranges from about 18 pounds to about 36 pounds per 1000 ft ² . A preferred basis weight is from about 26 pounds to about 32 pounds per 1000 ft ² . The corrugated core of the present invention may have a basis weight of about 90 g/m ² to about 200 g/m ² . As illustrated in the examples below, by using non-wood substitute natural fibers, the overall mechanical properties of corrugated paper and corrugated cardboard can be improved.

Red algae is an example of seaweed that can be used in the present invention. Red algae belong to the phylum Red algae, which is part of the agaraceae family. The red algae fibers obtained after agar or bioethanol extraction have a large aspect ratio and, surprisingly, improve the mechanical properties of the corrugated core, such as tensile index, ring crush, rupture index, tear index, etc. in the hybrid fiber composition. The presence of red algae fibers allows the cortex to meet or exceed the main mechanical property requirements. This allows a high proportion of non-wood fibers, such as straw, to be effectively used to still fully meet product performance requirements. Thus, the use of non-wood replacement fibers is environmentally friendly, represents a significant shift away from the use of conventional raw materials (hardwood pulp or OCC), and offers potential cost savings for various manufacturers.

The pulp material composition of the present invention may include various amounts of non-wood substitute natural pulp fibers. The composition may have a combination of elements, wherein only at least one non-wood replacement natural pulp fiber is present or may be combined with wood pulp fibers. For example, the amount of non-wood substitute natural pulp fibers of the present invention may be from about 5%, about 10%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30% to about 40%, about 50%, about 50%, by weight of the composition. 60%, about 75%, about 100%. In addition, the pulp material composition of the present invention may contain, by weight of the composition, from about 5%, about 10%, about 20%, or about 30% to about 40%, about 50%, about 60%, or about 70% by weight of the composition. wood short fiber pulp. Where there are only non-wood replacement pulp materials that combine with each other or with wood pulp fibers, the composition can be used in corrugated packaging to replace some of the conventional fiber materials.

The composition of the present invention comprises a combination wherein the chemical hardwood pulp to non-wood substitute natural pulp ratio is about 70:30, about 60:40, about 50:50, about 30:70, about 5:95, or about 0:100. may represent, but is not limited to this example. Any of the non-wood replacement natural pulps may be used as one type of non-wood replacement natural pulp or in combination of two or more types. For example, the composition may use a hardwood:non-wood substitute natural pulp in a ratio of 30:70, wherein the non-wood substitute is only wheat straw or a combination of straw and red algae. Also, as noted above, any combination of non-wood substitute natural pulps may be used.

The present invention was further demonstrated through corrugated paper papermaking, fluteization, and case transformation. For example, in papermaking, aspects of hardwood pulp and straw (30:70) and 100% OCC paper at a low basis weight of 112 g/m ² were run as standards for comparison, respectively. Another example containing the same 30% hardwood with a 70% combination balance of straw and red algae (85.7:14.3) was run on a pilot paper machine. Cationic starch was used as the dry strength additive of about 0.1%, about 0.5%, about 0.1% to about 2%, about 5% by weight of the composition. Any starch derived from corn, wheat, or potato, etc. will be suitable after cationic modification.

In attaching the corrugated base paper to the fluted wick, some resins such as a water-soluble corn starch-based adhesive and polyvinyl acetate may be used as an adhesive. Flutes come in several standard shapes or flute profiles. Different flute profiles can be combined in one combined board. For example, in a triple wall board (see, eg, FIG. 3D ), one layer of the wick may be A-flutes while the other two layers are C-flutes. By mixing flute profiles in this way, designers can manipulate the compressive strength, cushioning strength and total thickness of the joined board.

Case sizes of 34.4 cm x 34.3 cm x 39.1 cm were converted using corrugated sheets by a flexo-folder-gluer press with scores and slots attached to the manufacturer's joints prior to gluing. Several tests were selected to evaluate corrugated cardboard boxes, including edge crush, ring crush, and three-dimensional compression tests (top-to-bottom (T-B), end-to-end (E-E) and side-to-side (S-S)). All of the results for corrugated paper containing non-wood natural fibers exceed the control samples.

Example

The following examples further illustrate and depict aspects that are within the scope of the present disclosure. The examples are provided for illustrative purposes only, and many variations of these embodiments are possible and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The results indicate that the corrugated core can be completely manufactured based on non-wood replacement fibers such as sheep hemp, straw, pampas grass, corn stalk, bamboo, and red algae fibers. The present invention relates to non-wood corrugated paper, which is in sharp contrast to current practice which relies on OCC, hardwood pulp, or a combination of both.

A mixture of virgin hardwood pulp containing 40% poplar aspen, 30% birch, and 30% maple was used as a control. OCC after re-pulping was also used as a control. Each blend of hardwood pulp:OCC (70:30 and 20:80) was prepared and tested.

Straw pulp was obtained through simplified Alkali Peroxide Mechanical Pulping (APMP) using raw straw collected from North Carolina in 2012. The straw pulp has 250 ml of CSF (Canadian Standard Freeness).

Whole kenaf (bust:core (35:65)) as grown and blended sheep bart and core (70:30) pulps were obtained from simplified APMP pulping, respectively. The CSFs for both whole sheep and blended sheep horse pulp were 300 ml each.

Corn stalk pulp was supplied by USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Red algae pulp of wet lap was obtained from Pegasus International located in Daejeon, Korea.

All handsheets of the present invention were prepared according to TAPPI standard T205, except that the basis weight was targeted to be about 112 or 120 g/m ² to simulate the range of basis weight for corrugated paper.

All handsheet samples were tested for mechanical properties (rupture, tensile, rupture, density) (TAPPI standard T220), ring crush (T822), corrugated core test (T809), and STFI (T826). At least 5 replicates (n=5) were tested to generate average values reported for each parameter. The conditions of all samples were 50% humidity and 75 ^° F for 24 hours before any tests were performed.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of selected handsheets were acquired using a JSM-6490LV scanning electron microscope under operating conditions of 10 kV accelerating voltage, 40 spot size, 20 mm working distance, and 300X to 500X magnification.

contrast example

Five handsheets containing virgin hardwood and recycled fiber (70:30) were prepared for each code according to TAPPI T205, and each handsheet had a target weight of 112 gsm for a handsheet with a total dry weight of 2.24 g.

Five handsheets containing virgin hardwood and recycled fibers (20:80) were similarly prepared and used as controls. The results of each of these tests are shown in Table 1.

Control handsheet mechanical properties sample code control composition Tensile Index
(Nm/g) STFI
(kN/m) ring crush
(kN/m) CMT
(N) % hardwood % OCC Control Example 1 70 30 17.3 1.5 0.46 52 Control Example 2 20 80 31.4 2.06 0.64 100

Examples 1 to 8

As shown in Table 2, Examples 1-8 were prepared using red algae, whole yam, and straw pulp fibers. The handsheet basis weight for Examples 1 to 8 is 112 g/m ² . The fibrous composition is a 100% non-wood natural material without hardwood pulp for corrugation. All mechanical properties are better than those for the control materials shown in Table 1.

Mechanical Properties of Whole Sheep, Straw, and Red Algae Handsheets sample code Composition Design 1 Tensile Index
(Nm/g) STFI
(kN/m) ring crush
(kN/m) CMT (N) % red algae % whole sheep % straw Example 1 5 30 65 36.7 3.39 1.10 104.4 Example 2 5 42 53 35.2 3.36 1.17 119.6 Example 3 5 50 45 30.3 3.17 1.21 134.7 Example 4 10 50 40 31.1 3.35 1.28 126.7 Example 5 11 39 50 34.8 3.91 1.29 138.7 Example 6 13 30 57 35.9 3.55 1.29 113.3 Example 7 20 30 50 31.6 3.81 1.27 133.8 Example 8 20 40 40 31.7 3.5 1.19 114.7

Example 9 to 16

As shown in Table 3, Examples 9-16 were prepared using red algae, blended sheep horse bust, and core (70:30), and straw pulp. The handsheet basis weight for Examples 9-16 was 112 g/m ² . The fibrous composition is a 100% non-wood natural material without hardwood pulp for corrugation. Again, all mechanical properties are better than those for the control materials shown in Table 1.

Mechanical Properties of Blended Sheep Bust/Core, Straw, and Red Algae Handsheets sample code Composition Design 2 Tensile Index
(Nm/g) STFI
(kN/m) ring crush
(kN/m) CMT (N) % red algae % straw % blended sheep Example 9 5 30 65 39.0 3.46 1.25 185.8 Example 10 5 42 53 40.2 3.21 1.26 148.9 Example 11 5 50 45 37.2 3.5 1.42 135.1 Example 12 10 50 40 43.7 3.76 1.18 141.3 Example 13 11 39 50 41.1 3.69 1.09 149.3 Example 14 13 30 57 44.0 3.9 1.34 136.4 Example 15 20 30 50 39.1 3.68 1.33 152.9 Example 16 20 40 40 45.9 3.78 1.52 128.9

Example 17

Straw pulp (80%) and red algae fibers (20%) were used to prepare handsheets containing 100% non-wood substitute natural fibers. This example demonstrates the use of straw and red algae without sheep. The handsheet basis weight is 124 g/m ² . The test results are shown in Table 4 together with the test results of Examples 18 and 19.

Examples 18 and 19

A handsheet was prepared by blending corn stalk pulp and red algae fiber (90:10 and 80:20, respectively). The test results are shown in Table 4. Compared to the handsheets of cornstalk and red algae fibers, the handsheets of straw and red algae fibers showed stronger mechanical properties. The handsheet basis weight was 120 g/m ² . 1 depicts a handsheet SEM of Example 19 comprising 80% corn to fiber and 20% red algae fiber, magnification 500X.

Mechanical properties of straw/red algae and cornstalk/red algae handsheets sample code Non-Wood Fiber Compositions Tensile Index
(Nm/g) STFI
(kN/m) ring crush
(kN/m) CMT (N) % straw % Corn Vs. % red algae Example 17 80 20 58.1 N/A 1.37 248.9 Example 18 90 10 69.9 2.26 1.12 164.6 Example 19 80 20 73.6 2.56 1.13 186.8

Examples 20-22

Handsheets were prepared using cornstalks, wheat straw and red algae. The respective fiber content and the corresponding handsheet test data are presented in Table 5, indicating that the tensile index, STFI, CMT, and ring crush all improved as red algae fibers increased from 0 to 20% in the handsheet. The handsheet basis weight for Examples 20-22 was 120 g/m ² . 2 shows a handsheet SEM of Example 22 comprising 40% cornstalk, 40% wheat straw and 20% red algae fiber, the SEM magnification is 500X.

Mechanical properties of straw, cornstalk and red algae handsheets sample code Hybrid fiber composition Tensile Index
(Nm/g) STFI
(kN/m) ring crush
(kN/m) CMT (N) % straw % Corn Vs. % red algae Example 20 50 50 80.7 2.75 1.21 182.4 Example 21 45 45 10 82.7 2.87 1.20 213.5 Example 22 40 40 20 90.8 3.08 1.17 235.8

Packaging Applications

The construction of corrugated board for packaging applications includes corrugated board and corrugated core, both of which are made from corrugated board. The corrugated sheet is a flat surface that is adhered to the wick. The wick is a wavy fluted paper attached to or between liners. The layers can be glued together using a water-soluble cornstarch-based adhesive and some resin. There are several configurations as shown in Figures 3a to 3d.

One wick of the present invention comprising non-wood replacement fibers of straw and red algae (Example 5 or similar), in a single sided structure (FIG. 3A), is a long kraft softwood fiber by a fourdrinier process. It is adhered to one flat sheet of corrugated base paper made of corrugated paper. Others shown below are similar but different in construction. In the single wall construction (FIG. 3B), the wick is between two sheets of corrugated paper. This structure is also known as double-sided. The double wall structure (FIG. 3C) includes three sheets of corrugated paper with two wicks interposed therebetween. The triple wall construction ( FIG. 3D ) comprises four sheets of corrugated paper with three wicks interposed therebetween.

Flutes come in several standard shapes or flute profiles. Different flute profiles can be combined in one combined board. For example, in a triple wall board, one layer of the wick can be A-flutes while the other two layers are C-flutes. By mixing flute profiles in this way, designers can manipulate the compressive strength, cushioning strength and total thickness of the joined board.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be construed as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding the value. By way of example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are hereby incorporated in relevant part by reference; Citation of any document should not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term set forth herein conflicts with any meaning or definition of a term in documents incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term set forth herein shall control.

While specific aspects of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the various spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims (20)

at least one corrugated board stock layer comprising from 50% to 95% by weight of a wood-based pulp material; and
at least one fluted wicking layer comprising a non-tree-like pulp material, wherein the non-wood-like pulp material is present in the wicking layer in an amount of 80% to 100% by weight, and wherein the at least one wherein the non-tree pulp material included in the fluted wick layer comprises 10 to 60 weight % of a first non-wood pulp material selected from cornstalk, straw, other land-based natural fibers, and combinations thereof and 5 to 30% by weight of a second non-tree-like pulp material selected from seaweed;
wherein the other land-based natural fibers are selected from flax, bamboo, cotton, jute, hemp, sisal, sugar cane, yams, hesperaloe, switchgrass, pampas grass, and combinations thereof.
Cardboard packaging material. delete The corrugated packaging material of claim 1 , wherein the non-wooden pulp material is present in the wicking layer in an amount from 95% to 100% by weight. delete delete According to claim 1, wherein the seaweed is Gelidium Elegance, Gelidium Cornium, Gelidium Amansi, Gelidium Robostum , Gelidium Chilens , Gelidium Asperum , Grace Laria Verucosa, Eucuma Courtney , Eucuma A corrugated cardboard packaging material, which is a red algae selected from spinosum, beludulu , and combinations thereof. The corrugated packaging material of claim 1 , wherein the straw is selected from the group consisting of wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, grass, and combinations thereof. delete The corrugated cardboard packaging material according to claim 1, comprising 20% to 100% by weight of wheat straw and red algae pulp combined. The corrugated packaging material of claim 1 comprising 5% to 30% by weight of seaweed red algae pulp and 70% to 95% by weight of non-tree fibers excluding seaweed red algae pulp. The corrugated cardboard packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the fluted wicking layer has a basis weight of 90 g/m ² to 200 g/m ² . The corrugated cardboard packaging material of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive selected from starch, polyvinyl acetate, and combinations thereof. The corrugated cardboard packaging material of claim 1 , wherein the fluted wicking layer comprises flutes ranging in size from 98 flutes per meter to 492 flutes per meter. The corrugated cardboard packaging material of claim 1 , wherein the non-woody pulp material is straw pulp and red algae pulp. delete delete delete delete delete delete

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