Claims
- 1. A method for preparing a film-polymer product comprising the sequential steps of:
- (a) treating separated fibers with a heated solvent solution of a polyolefin polymer to coat the fibers;
- (b) precipitating the polymer on the fibers by cooling the coated fibers to a temperature at which the polyolefin is not soluble;
- (c) removing at least the major portion of the solvent as a liquid;
- (d) heat treating the coated fibers at a temperature sufficient to fuse the polymer and to form an article.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which said fibers are cellulose fibers.
- 3. The method of claim 1 in which said article is a sheet.
- 4. The method of claim 1 in which said article is a container.
- 5. The method of claim 1 in which said polymer is a polyolefin.
- 6. The method of claim 1 in which said polymer is a polymer of ethylene or of propylene.
- 7. The method of claim 1 in which said fibers are in the form of an air-laid mat, the mat is treated with the polyolefin solution, the solvent is removed and the mat is formed into a sheet under heat and pressure.
- 8. The method of claim 1 in which said polyolefin treated fibers are dispersed in an aqueous medium, formed into a sheet on papermaking equipment, and the sheet treated under heat and pressure.
- 9. The method of claim 1 in which the fibers are cellulosic fibers, the polyolefin polymer is polypropylene, and said solvent is xylene.
- 10. The method of claim 1 in which said fibers are wood fiber fluff.
- 11. The method of claim 9 in which said cellulosic fibers are wood fiber fluff.
- 12. The method of claim 1 in which said polymer treated fibers are deposited with additional fibers which are not polymer treated.
- 13. The method of claim 12 in which said additional fibers are cellulosic fibers.
- 14. The method of claim 12 in which said additional fibers are glass fibers.
- 15. The method of claim 1 in which the ratio of said polyolefin polymer to said fibers is from 0.1:1 to 2:1.
- 16. The method of claim 1 in which said step (d) is conducted with the application of pressure.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
A copending application Ser. No. 566,987 filed Dec. 30, 1983 entitled "Paper-Polymer Product" in the name of James G. Murray, co-inventor herein, describes a method for making a paperlike product by impregnating cellulose fibers with monomer, polymerizing the monomer and forming the treated monomer into sheets.
US Referenced Citations (6)