Patents by Inventor Rajai H. Atalla
Rajai H. Atalla has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11608385Abstract: A method is provided for the post-treatment of nanoporous celluloses with an eye to scale up to plant operation wherein recycling and recovery of reagents is crucial in the efficient and cost effective operation of a full-scale plant. The instant method includes diminishing the alkali (e.g., sodium hydroxide) concentration of the treatment solution by converting it to a salt (e.g., a sodium salt).Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2016Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: CELLULOSE SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INCInventors: Rajai H. Atalla, Rowan S. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20170121427Abstract: A method is provided for the post-treatment of nanoporous celluloses with an eye to scale up to plant operation wherein recycling and recovery of reagents is crucial in the efficient and cost effective operation of a full-scale plant. The instant method includes diminishing the alkali (e.g., sodium hydroxide) concentration of the treatment solution by converting it to a salt (e.g., a sodium salt).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Rajai H. Atalla, Rowan S. Atalla
-
Patent number: 9187571Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2011Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: CELLULOSE SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20140262087Abstract: Fibrous cellulosic products incorporating both conventional cellulosic fibers and laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit exceptional porosity, bulk, absorbency and resiliency properties. Typical products include absorbent tissue products, absorbent fluff products and flat papers. The laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit: (i) a broadened X-Ray diffraction peak for the most prominent reflection having a width at half-height, (W1/2h)A, of at least about 3.0° 2?, (ii) broad overlapping maxima in their Raman spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1, the height of the two tallest of said maxima in said spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1 being between 35 and 50% of the height of the peak near 1098 cm?1 and (iii) a blue stain when treated with Graff C-stain, the stain exhibiting less red than the stains exhibited with bleached hardwood kraft fibers and bleached softwood kraft fibers.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Inventors: Steven L. Edwards, Rajai H. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20140220228Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for a first stage of fractionating a lignocellulosic material or lignocellulosic-containing biomass to extract phytochemicals and low molecular weight lignins and lignans, collectively identified as extractives, by treating lignocellulosic material or biomass with an alkali in an exemplary alcohol/water co-solvent system. The extractives are species specific and can later be separated and isolated individually. The system has the added advantage that it renders the residual polymeric biomass, sometimes referred to as bagasse, as an enhanced digestibility animal feed or more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The extractives separated in the methods of the invention are in a form closer to their native state than any form that can be obtained from other biomass pretreatment processes.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2013Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: Cellulose Sciences International, Inc.Inventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Patent number: 8741104Abstract: Fibrous cellulosic products incorporating both conventional cellulosic fibers and laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit exceptional porosity, bulk, absorbency and resiliency properties. Typical products include absorbent tissue products, absorbent fluff products and flat papers. The laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit: (i) a broadened X-Ray diffraction peak for the most prominent reflection having a width at half-height, (W1/2h)A, of at least about 3.0° 2?, (ii) broad overlapping maxima in their Raman spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1, the height of the two tallest of said maxima in said spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1 being between 35 and 50% of the height of the peak near 1098 cm?1 and (iii) a blue stain when treated with Graff C-stain, the stain exhibiting less red than the stains exhibited with bleached hardwood kraft fibers and bleached softwood kraft fibers.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2012Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Inventors: Steven L. Edwards, Rajai H. Atalla
-
Patent number: 8617851Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2009Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Cellulose Sciences International, Inc.Inventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20130172544Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2011Publication date: July 4, 2013Applicant: CELLULOSE SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20120273147Abstract: Fibrous cellulosic products incorporating both conventional cellulosic fibers and laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit exceptional porosity, bulk, absorbency and resiliency properties. Typical products include absorbent tissue products, absorbent fluff products and flat papers. The laterally expanded cellulose fibers exhibit: (i) a broadened X-Ray diffraction peak for the most prominent reflection having a width at half-height, (W1/2h)A, of at least about 3.0° 2?, (ii) broad overlapping maxima in their Raman spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1, the height of the two tallest of said maxima in said spectrum between 285 and 500 cm?1 being between 35 and 50% of the height of the peak near 1098 cm?1 and (iii) a blue stain when treated with Graff C-stain, the stain exhibiting less red than the stains exhibited with bleached hardwood kraft fibers and bleached softwood kraft fibers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Inventors: Steven L. Edwards, Rajai H. Atalla
-
Publication number: 20110091940Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2009Publication date: April 21, 2011Applicant: CELLULOSE SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Patent number: 5695606Abstract: A method for delignifying wood pulp and fiber is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a wood pulp and exposing the wood pulp to a polyoxometalate of the formula ?V.sub.l Mo.sub.m W.sub.n Nb.sub.o Ta.sub.p (TM).sub.q X.sub.r O.sub.s !.sup.x- where l is 0-18, m is 0-40, n is 0-40, o is 0-10, p is 0-10, q is 0-9, r is 0-6, TM is a d-electron-containing transition metal ion, and X is a heteroatom, which is a p or d block element, where l+m+n+o+p.gtoreq.4, l+m+q>0 and s is sufficiently large that x>0. The exposure is under conditions wherein the polyoxometalate is reduced. In a preferable form of the invention, the method additionally comprises the step of reoxidizing the polyoxometalate.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1996Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of AgricultureInventor: Rajai H. Atalla
-
Patent number: 5552019Abstract: A method for delignifying wood pulp and fiber is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a wood pulp and exposing the wood pulp to a polyoxometalate of the formula [V.sub.l Mo.sub.m W.sub.n Nb.sub.o Ta.sub.p (TM).sub.q X.sub.r O.sub.s ].sup.x- where l is 0-18, m is . 0-40, n is 0-40, o is 0-10, p is 0-10, q is 0-9, r is 0-6, TM is a d-electron-containing transition metal ion, and X is a heteroatom, which is a p or d block element, where l+m+n+o+p.gtoreq.4, l+m+q>0 and s is sufficiently large that x>0. The exposure is under conditions wherein the polyoxometalate is reduced. In a preferable form of the invention, the method additionally comprises the step of reoxidizing the polyoxometalate.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 1994Date of Patent: September 3, 1996Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Emory UniversityInventors: Ira A. Weinstock, Craig L. Hill, Rajai H. Atalla
-
Patent number: 5549789Abstract: A method for oxidative degradation of lignin and polysaccharide fragments dissolved during polyoxometalate delignification or bleaching of wood pulp, wood fiber or pulp obtained from a non-woody plant. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a spent polyoxometalate bleaching solution containing a polyoxometalate of the formula [V.sub.l Mo.sub.m W.sub.n Nb.sub.o Ta.sub.p (TM).sub.q X.sub.r O.sub.s ].sup.x- where 1 is 0-18, m is 0-40, n is 0-40, o is 0-10, p is 0-10, q is 0-9, r is 0-6, TM is a d-electron-containing transition metal ion, and X is a heteroatom which is p or d block element, provided that l+m+n+o+p.gtoreq.4, l+m+q>0 and s is sufficiently large that x>0, and heating the solution in the presence of an oxidant under conditions wherein the dissolved organic compounds are oxidatively degraded to volatile organic compounds and water.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 1994Date of Patent: August 27, 1996Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Emory UniversityInventors: Rajai H. Atalla, Ira A. Weinstock, Craig L. Hill, Richard S. Reiner
-
Patent number: 5410034Abstract: The present invention provides a cellulose solution prepared by dissolving a cellulose which has not previously been subject to explosive disruption at atmospheric pressures in an aqueous alkali solution which can be shaped into a fiber, film or other article or applied to the surface or treatment of other materials by coating, dipping, or other suitable methods.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1994Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of AgricultureInventors: Akira Isogai, Rajai H. Atalla