There is a continuing need in the Pulp and Paper industry to find alternatives to manufacturing methods used across the years. The need to conserve capital, to offer improved products, and to conserve the environment have all become important factors in doing business. There are indications that applied biotechnology could offer alternatives to some of the standard technologies used currently in this industry.
The history of enzymes in this industry dates back more than 40 years with the adoption of the use of amylases to modify starch used for the coating of paper. Novozymes has developed a patent portfolio which touches on pulp bleaching, recycling, and papermaking. As an example, the use of oxidative enzymes to improve the strength properties of paper and board is at the leading edge of this technology.
A selected number of the patent titles applicable to the pulp and paper industry is shown below. If you are interested in one of these patents, or in a technology not shown here, don?t hesitate to contact us for further details.
Title of Technology: BINDING AGENT WITH LACCASE
Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a lignocellulose-based product. The use of the process confers excellent tensile, tear and compression strength on lignocellulose-based products, especially paper products such as liner board, cardboard and corrugated board.
This patent is a typical ?first generation? patent, i.e. it covers ? in a generic way - the conc
ept of using oxidases in the process of preparing lignocellulose-based products.
Detailed Description: Virtually all grades of paper, cardboard and the likes are produced from aqueous pulp slurry. Typically, the pulp is suspended in water, mixed with various additives and then passed to equipment in which the paper, cardboard ect. Is formed, pressed and dried. Irrespective of whether mechanically produced pulp, semichemically produced pulp, unbleached chemical pulp or pulp made from recycled fibres is employed, it is often necessary to add various strengthening agents to the pulp in the order to obtain an end product having adequate strength properties.
Among the strengthening agents used today there are a number of environmentally undesirable substances which it would be desirable to replace by more environmentally acceptable materials. As examples hereof may be mentioned epichlorohydrin, urea-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde.The present invention provides a process which are not only more acceptable from an environmental and toxicity point of view, but it can also compete economically with traditionally processes.
The present invention is a process for the manufacture of a lignocellulose-based product from a lignocellulosic material comprises treating the lignocellulosic material and a phenolic polysaccharide having substituents containing a phenolic hydroxy group with an enzyme capable of catalyzing the oxidation of phenolic groups in the presence of an oxidizing agent.
Patent References
| Patent Number: |
Title of Patent: |
| US5846788 |
Process for preparing a lignocellulose-based product, and product obtainable by the process |