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EP-4735685-A1 - A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A FIBER BASED ARTICLE

EP4735685A1EP 4735685 A1EP4735685 A1EP 4735685A1EP-4735685-A1

Abstract

There is provided a method for producing a moulded fiber based article. There is also provided a moulded fiber based article.

Inventors

  • LAINE, Jaana
  • ROBERTSÉN, Leif
  • OJANEN, MARI
  • KVIST, Markus
  • VALDESUEIRO, David

Assignees

  • Kemira OYJ

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240523

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for producing a moulded fiber based article, the method comprising providing a fibre stock comprising cellulosic fibers; introducing to the fiber stock at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide; and moulding the fiber stock.
  2. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises introducing alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) to the fiber stock.
  3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polysaccharide comprises starch, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC),nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), alpha-glucan or a mixture thereof.
  4. 4. The method according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the polysaccharide is alphaglucan, preferably cationic alpha-glucan, anionic alpha-glucan, a complex of cationic alphaglucan and anionic alpha-glucan or a mixture thereof.
  5. 5. The method according to any of claims 1 -4, wherein the fatty alcohol has carbon chain length of C4-C26, preferably C6-C22, more preferably C16-C22.
  6. 6. The method according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the at least one fatty alcohol, the at least one polysaccharide and optional alkyl ketene dimer are introduced sequentially to the fiber stock.
  7. 7. The method according to any of claims 1-6, wherein dry amount of the at least one fatty alcohol is 0.1-50 kg, preferably 1-10 kg, more preferably 1.5-8 kg per ton of dry fiber stock.
  8. 8. The method according to any of claims 1-7, wherein dry amount of the at least one polysaccharide is 1-100 kg, preferably 10-90 kg, preferably 10-60 kg per ton of dry fiber stock.
  9. 9. The method according to any of claims 1-8, wherein dry amount of the alkyl ketene dimer is 0.1-40 kg, preferably 1-10 kg, more preferably 1.5-8 kg, even more preferably 1.5- 6 kg, yet even further preferably 1 .5-4.5 kg per ton of dry fiber stock.
  10. 10. The method according to any of claims 1-9, wherein the fiber stock is formed to a sheet.
  11. 11. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sheet is formed to a three- dimensional, 3D, article.
  12. 12. The method according to any of claims 1-11 , wherein the fiber stock is moulded to a three-dimensional, 3D, article.
  13. 13. The method according to any of claims 1-12, wherein the fiber stock is wet moulded and the wet moulded fiber stock is moulded to a three-dimensional, 3D, article
  14. 14. The method according to any of claims 1-13, wherein the moulding comprises wet forming, wet moulding, vacuum forming, vacuum forming coating, vacuum moulding, extrusion forming, extrusion moulding, compression molding, thermoforming, dry moulding, hot pressing, hot press drying, hot moulding, heat pressing, heat moulding, thermomoulding or a combination thereof.
  15. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein pigment material is introduced to the fiber stock.
  16. 16. The method according to any of claims 1-15, wherein sizing chemical, fixative, retention aid, drainage aid, wet strength agent, dry strength agent or a mixture thereof is introduced to the fiber stock.
  17. 17. A moulded fiber based article, wherein the moulded fiber based article comprises at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide, and optionally alkyl ketene dimer, or wherein the moulded fiber based article is produced with the method according to any of claims 1-16.
  18. 18. The moulded fiber based article according to claim 17, wherein the moulded fiber based article comprises food packages, food service items drink packages, goods packages, preferably oven proof trays, microwave safe trays, clamshell boxes, other food boxes, soup cups, fresh meat and poultry trays, plates or cup lids.
  19. 19. Use of at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide, and in addition optionally alkylene ketene dimer for improving grease and oil resistance of a moulded fiber based article.
  20. 20. A composition comprising at least one fatty alcohol and cationic alpha-glucan, anionic alpha-glucan or a complex of cationic alpha-glucan and anionic alpha-glucan, and optionally alkyl ketene dimer.

Description

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A FIBER BASED ARTICLE TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to a method for producing a fiber based article. The disclosure relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a method for producing a fiber based article by moulding a fiber stock. BACKGROUND This section illustrates useful background information without admission of any technique described herein representative of the state of the art. Pollution caused by single use plastic containers and packaging materials is epidemic, scarring the global landscape and threatening delicate ecosystems and the life forms that inhabit them. Single use containers migrate along waterways to the oceans in the form of Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging, to-go containers, bottles, thin film bags and photo-degraded plastic pellets. Sustainable solutions for reducing plastic pollution are gaining momentum. However, continuing adoption requires that these solutions not only be good for the environment, but also competitive with plastics from both a performance and a cost standpoint. By way of brief background, molded paper pulp (molded fiber) has been used since the 1930’s to make containers, trays and other packages, but experienced a decline in the 1970s after the introduction of fossil based plastic foam packaging. Paper pulp can be produced from old newsprint, corrugated boxes and other plant fibers. Today, molded pulp packaging is widely used for electronics, household goods, automotive parts and medical products, and as an edge/corner protector or pallet tray for shipping electronic and other fragile components. Cellulose fiber-based packaging products are biodegradable, compostable and, unlike fossil based plastics, do not migrate into the ocean. However, presently known fiber technologies are not well suited for use with meat and poultry, prepared food, produce, microwavable food, or as lids for beverage containers such as hot coffee. In particular, selectively integrating one or more oil, water, vapor, and/or oxygen barriers into the slurry, and/or selectively applying one or more of the barrier layers to all or a portion of the surface of the finished packaging product, can be cumbersome, time consuming, and expensive. Depending on molded pulp application, oil, grease, water, water vapor, oxygen and/or other gas or liquid barrier properties are needed in different container types. Use of suitable slurry chemicals can improve process efficiency, mechanical properties, barrier properties and/or surface coatability and therefore, make production of molded pulp products more competitive against products made from planar board. SUMMARY In a first aspect the present invention provides a method for producing a moulded fiber based article, the method comprising providing a fibre stock comprising cellulosic fibers; introducing to the fiber stock at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide; and moulding the fiber stock. In a second aspect the present invention provides a moulded fiber based article, wherein the moulded fiber based article comprises at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide, and optionally alkyl ketene dimer, or wherein the moulded fiber based article is produced with the method according to the present invention. In a third aspect the present invention provides a use of at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide; and in addition optionally alkylene ketene dimer for improving grease and oil resistance of a moulded fiber based article. In a fourth aspect the present invention provides a composition comprising at least one at least one fatty alcohol and cationic alpha-glucan, anionic alpha-glucan or a complex of cationic alpha-glucan and anionic alpha-glucan, and optionally alkyl ketene dimer and/or pigment material. It has now been surprisingly found that moulded, such as thermoformed, fiber based articles comprising at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide, such as alpha-glucan, has increased oil resistance. It was surprisingly found that the at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide act as oil barrier in the fiber based article. It is also believed that the at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide act also as a grease barrier in the fiber based article. Without bounding to any theory it is believed that the at least one fatty alcohol improves formation and/or retention of the polysaccharide, such as alpha-glucan, to fiber in production of fiber based article and, thus, improving the oil resistance and grease resistance. It has been found that the at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one polysaccharide gives oil resistance, i.e. penetration time and/or uptake of a moulded fiber based article compared to a moulded fiber based article without the at least one at least one fatty alcohol and at least one