Patents by Inventor Isko Kajanto

Isko Kajanto 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: 11918966
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, and has at most 50 ?mol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose; and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Publication number: 20230148352
    Abstract: A method for recovering mono-propylene glycol from a mixture comprising bio-derived diols and an organic impurity is disclosed. The method may comprise: (ia) separating the organic impurity from mono-propylene glycol in a first distillation process, wherein the first distillation process is carried out at a temperature within the range of 140-200° C. and a pressure within the range of 0.3-1.0 bar; and (ii) recovering mono-propylene glycol. Further is disclosed mono-propylene glycol obtainable by the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 11555079
    Abstract: A process for producing an oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is disclosed, wherein the process comprises oxidizing cellulose pulp fibers in the presence of hypochlorite as an oxidant and a heterocyclic nitroxyl radical as a catalyst; and disintegrating the oxidized cellulose pulp fibers to obtain a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel; wherein all steps of the process after oxidizing are performed under aseptic conditions. An oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and a system for producing the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 11274396
    Abstract: In a method for producing nanofibrillar cellulose, cellulose based fibre material, in which internal bonds in cellulose fibres have been weakened by 5 preliminary modification of cellulose, is subjected to disintegration treatment in form of pulp comprising fibres and liquid. The fibre material is supplied at a consistency higher than 10 wt-%, preferably at least 15 wt-%, to a disintegration treatment where fibrils are detached from the fibre material by joint effect of repeated impacts to the fibre material by fast moving 10 successive elements and the weakened internal bonds of the cellulose fibres. The nanofibrillar cellulose is withdrawn from the disintegration treatment at dry matter which is equal or higher than the consistency of the fibre material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Juha Tamper, Isko Kajanto
  • Publication number: 20210229057
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, and has at most 50 ?mol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose; and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 11046788
    Abstract: A method for controlling the catalytic oxidation of cellulose includes using a heterocyclic nitroxyl compound as catalyst; oxidizing cellulose in a reaction mixture comprising liquid medium, the catalyst and hypochlorite as main oxidant; analyzing one or more oxidative chlorine species dependent on the hypochlorite concentration of the reaction mixture on line in the reaction mixture or in a gas composition which is in contact with the reaction mixture; and controlling supply of hypochlorite to the reaction mixture on the basis of the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Markus Nuopponen
  • Patent number: 10981135
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the nanofibrillar cellulose is oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein the oxidation has been carried out through N-oxyl mediated catalytic oxidation of cellulose-based raw material, and has at most 50 ?mol of aldehyde groups per gram of dry nanofibrillar cellulose; and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 10822743
    Abstract: A process for producing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises obtaining bleached cellulose pulp fibers and providing an aqueous suspension thereof; and subjecting the cellulose pulp fibers in the aqueous suspension to at least 2 cycles of high pressure mechanical disintegration to obtain a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and thereby reducing the number of viable microorganisms present in the suspension by a factor of at least 102; wherein all steps of the process after obtaining the bleached cellulose pulp fibers are performed under conditions of ISO 8 of ISO 14644-1 cleanroom standards or stricter. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, a system for producing the same and the use of a disintegrating apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20200270810
    Abstract: In a method for producing nanofibrillar cellulose, cellulose based fibre material, in which internal bonds in cellulose fibres have been weakened by preliminary modification of cellulose, is subjected to disintegration treatment in form of pulp comprising fibres and liquid. The fibre material is supplied at a consistency higher than 10 wt-%, preferably at least 15 wt-%, to a disintegration treatment where fibrils are detached from the fibre material by joint effect of repeated impacts to the fibre material by fast moving successive elements and the weakened internal bonds of the cellulose fibres. The nanofibrillar cellulose is withdrawn from the disintegration treatment at dry matter which is equal or higher than the consistency of the fibre material. In the disintegration treatment, the fibre material is supplied through several counter-rotating rotors (R1, R2, R3 . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Markus NUOPPONEN, Juha TAMPER, Isko KAJANTO
  • Patent number: 10697116
    Abstract: In a method for producing nanofibrillar cellulose, cellulose based fibre material, in which internal bonds in cellulose fibres have been weakened by preliminary modification of cellulose, is subjected to disintegration treatment in form of pulp comprising fibres and liquid. The fibre material is supplied at a consistency higher than 10 wt-%, preferably at least 15 wt-%, to a disintegration treatment where fibrils are detached from the fibre material by joint effect of repeated impacts to the fibre material by fast moving successive elements and the weakened internal bonds of the cellulose fibres. The nanofibrillar cellulose is withdrawn from the disintegration treatment at dry matter which is equal or higher than the consistency of the fibre material. In the disintegration treatment, the fibre material is supplied through several counter-rotating rotors (R1, R2, R3 . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Juha Tamper, Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 10604893
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing fibrillated cellulose, the method comprising providing pulp, treating said pulp at a consistency of at least 10% with a cellulase, and fibrillating said pretreated pulp to obtain fibrillated cellulose. The present invention also provides a nanofibrillar cellulose product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Markus Nuopponen, Jaakko Pere, Teija Jokila
  • Patent number: 10604589
    Abstract: Cellulose is oxidized catalytically using a heterocyclic nitroxyl radical as catalyst, main oxidant acting as oxygen source, and an activator of the heterocyclic nitroxyl radical. The oxidation is performed in a reaction medium which is at medium consistency of cellulosic pulp, which is above 6%, more preferably equal to or higher than 8%, and most preferably in the range of 8-12%. The reaction medium is mixed in a reactor through circulation of the reaction medium back to the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taisto Tienvieri, Isko Kajanto, Tero Ojala, Sami Saarela, Markus Nuopponen, Timo Paakkonen, Tapani Vuorinen
  • Patent number: 10570564
    Abstract: The method for preparing nanofibrillar cellulose comprises disintegrating (DIS1) fibrous cellulosic raw material to a first disintegration level to a half-fabricate, transporting (TRANS) the half-fabricate in the first disintegration level in concentrated form to a destination, and at the destination, disintegrating (DIS2) the half-fabricate from the first disintegration level to the second disintegration level to nanofibrillar cellulose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Markus Nuopponen, Juha Tamper
  • Patent number: 10322196
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel; and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment, wherein the heat treatment is carried out by transferring the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel through at least one heat exchanger or through at least one insulated holding tube, during which heat treatment the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is kept at a predetermined temperature within the range of 110-150° C. for a period of time in the range of 15 seconds to 20 minutes, wherein the pre-determined temperature and period of time are chosen such that the number of viable micro-organisms in the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is reduced by a factor of at least 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isko Kajanto
  • Patent number: 10307722
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reducing the viscosity of a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises mixing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel with an aqueous growth medium for cell culture, wherein the aqueous growth medium contains one or more salts and optionally one or more sugars, using shearing forces so that a homogeneous dispersion is formed. The invention further relates to a dispersion comprising a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and an aqueous growth medium for cell culture and to a use of an aqueous growth medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Isko Kajanto, Anne Meriluoto, Kari Luukko, Lauri Paasonen
  • Patent number: 10214855
    Abstract: Method for making modified cellulose products comprises —processing cellulose pulp to modified cellulose pulp at a manufacturing location to increase the susceptibility of fibers to disintegration, —setting the modified cellulose pulp to a suitable dry matter content, and —transporting the modified cellulose pulp at set dry matter content to a location of use, where the modified cellulose pulp is disintegrated to nanofibrillar cellulose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Juha Tamper, Markus Nuopponen, Tarja Sinkko, Taisto Tienvieri
  • Patent number: 10119919
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method for monitoring the quality of nanofibrillar cellulose produced in a process comprising disintegrating fibers of cellulose pulp, the method comprising measuring in real-time optically the turbidity of a dispersion containing nanofibrillar cellulose obtained from a disintegrating process, and determining the quality of said produced nanofibrillar cellulose using a correlation between the measured turbidity and said quality of the produced nanofibrillar cellulose, wherein lowered turbidity indicates increased quality of the nanofibrillar cellulose. One embodiment provides a device for monitoring the quality of nanofibrillar cellulose produced in a process comprising disintegrating fibers of cellulose pulp, arranged to carry out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Juha Tamper, Isko Kajanto
  • Publication number: 20180179703
    Abstract: A process for producing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel comprises obtaining bleached cellulose pulp fibers and providing an aqueous suspension thereof; and subjecting the cellulose pulp fibers in the aqueous suspension to at least 2 cycles of high pressure mechanical disintegration to obtain a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and thereby reducing the number of viable microorganisms present in the suspension by a factor of at least 102; wherein all steps of the process after obtaining the bleached cellulose pulp fibers are performed under conditions of ISO 8 of ISO 14644-1 cleanroom standards or stricter. A nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, a system for producing the same and the use of a disintegrating apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Markus Nuopponen
  • Patent number: 9976256
    Abstract: A method for making nanofibrillar cellulose includes mixing anionized or cationized cellulose fibers and cellulose pulp to a mixture including at least 1% and below 90 wt-% cellulose pulp based on dry weight, and subjecting the mixture to a refiner stage where the anionized or cationized cellulose fibers are at least partly reduced to nanofibrillar cellulose and the cellulose pulp acts as auxiliary pulp, and obtaining a mixture of nanofibrillar cellulose and cellulose pulp from the refining stage. The mixture can be used for making paper by adding it to base pulp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isko Kajanto, Taisto Tienvieri, Juha Tamper
  • Publication number: 20170368211
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel; and subjecting the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel to a heat treatment, wherein the heat treatment is carried out by transferring the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel through at least one heat exchanger or through at least one insulated holding tube, during which heat treatment the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is kept at a predetermined temperature within the range of 110-150° C. for a period of time in the range of 15 seconds to 20 minutes, wherein the pre-determined temperature and period of time are chosen such that the number of viable micro-organisms in the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is reduced by a factor of at least 103.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Isko KAJANTO