Inventors:
Gay M. Jividen - Raleigh NC
R. Heath Reeves - Raleigh NC
Assignee:
Cotton Incorporated - New York NY
International Classification:
D21C 908
D21C 500
D21C 302
Abstract:
Cellulosic fibers are removed from seed hulls such as cottonseed hulls by a process including (a) in the absence of mechanical action sufficient to cause degradation of fiber properties, contacting the seed hulls which comprise both cellulosic fibers (linters and hull fibers) and non-fibrous hull components with an alkaline solution and an oxygen-containing gas until the cellulosic fibers are substantially free of the non-fibrous hull components, and (b) recovering the cellulosic fibers from the non-fibrous hull components so as to produce readily washable cellulosic fibers having substantially unimpaired mechanical properties. The cellulosic fibers may then be washed and separated according to known fiber fractionation procedures. The cellulosic fibers produced according to this improved process have substantially unimpaired mechanical properties and contain substantially no polyphenolic materials or extraneous color components. The process provides a more selective and complete removal of polyphenolic materials and extraneous color material requiring less alkali and resulting in higher carbohydrate yields than prior art processes.