Patents by Inventor Markus Nuopponen

Markus Nuopponen 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).

  • Publication number: 20150322171
    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: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Taisto Tienvieri, Isko Kajanto, Tero Ojala, Sami Saarela, Markus Nuopponen, Timo Paakkonen, Tapani Vuorinen
  • Publication number: 20150308429
    Abstract: In a method for transporting nanofibrillar cellulose in the form of viscous liquid dispersion, the nanofibrillar cellulose is unloaded from a container (3) through a discharge point (3b) which is the lowermost point with respect to the volume of nanofibrillar cellulose in the container at least at the time of unloading. The nanofibrillar cellulose is unloaded and transported to a target location along a pipe (2) using a progressive cavity pump (P2) operating on a positive displacement principle with the suction side of the pump at a distance from the discharge point (3b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Juha Tamper, Isko Kajanto, Maria Alajaaski, Taisto Tienvieri, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20150299955
    Abstract: In a method for preparing nanofibrillar cellulose, fibrous dispersion of ionically charged cellulose is repeatedly passed through a mechanical process of disrupting fibers into fibrils until the viscosity starts to decrease. The number average diameter of the nanofibrillar cellulose after the mechanical process is in the range of 2-10 nm, and the zero-shear viscosity is below 10 Pa·s, preferably below 1 Pa·s, when measured in the concentration of 0.5 wt-%. The nanofibrillated cellulose is low aspect ratio nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC-L).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Antti Laukkanen, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20150057442
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing fibril cellulose, cellulose based fibre raw material is processed mechanically in a refining gap for separating fibrils. The fibres to be refined are subjected to the action of a surface roughness Ra provided by grits elevated from a refining surface delimiting the refining gap, said surface roughness being lower than 3 ?m, advantageously lower than 2 ?m. The refining surface is formed by spraying grits and binder onto a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomas Björkqvist, Sirkka Gustafsson, Timo Koskinen, Markus Nuopponen, Annikki Vahniäinen, Antti Fredrikson
  • Publication number: 20150045549
    Abstract: A method for processing fibril cellulose which is in the form of aqueous fibril cellulose gel includes lowering the pH of the aqueous fibril cellulose gel to provide aqueous fibril cellulose gel of reduced water retention capacity, and dewatering the aqueous fibril cellulose gel of reduced water retention capacity to provide dewatered fibril cellulose. The dewatering is performed by pressure filtration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Antti Laukkanen, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20150034263
    Abstract: A method for fibrillation of cellulose includes the following steps: introducing fibre pulp of anionic cellulose at a consistency of 1 to 4% into a homogenizer, and homogenizing fibre pulp in the homogenizer at a pressure of 200 to 1000 bar, advantageously 300 to 650 bar, and by using 2 to 4 passes through for the same fibre pulp under these conditions, and after passes through, taking pulp from the homogenizer, which pulp has been fibrillated by homogenization to a degree than can be expressed as Brookfield viscosity exceeding 10,000 mPa.s (consistency 0.8%, 10 rpm).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Markus Nuopponen
  • Patent number: 8945346
    Abstract: Described herein is nanocellulose produced by introducing a mixture of cellulose based fiber raw material and water through a refining gap, having a width smaller than 0.1 mm. In the refining gap, the fiber raw material is subjected to processing forces varying in the direction of introducing said mixture, by means of refining zones provided in the gap one after each other in the feeding direction, whereby the refining surfaces differ in surface patterning and/or surface roughness. The mixture of fiber raw material and water is guided past the refining surfaces in the feeding direction to different locations in the refining zone by by-pass channels provided in the stator. The width of the refining gap is maintained by the combined effect of the feeding pressure of the mixture of fiber raw material and water fed into the refining gap and the axial force of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Upm-Kymmene Corporation
    Inventors: Tomas Bjoerkqvist, Timo Koskinen, Markus Nuopponen, Annikki Vehniaeinen, Sirkka Gustafsson
  • Publication number: 20140374045
    Abstract: A Method of pretreating native cellulose pulp in the manufacture of nanofibrillated cellulose, and a nanofibrillated cellulose product obtainable by the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Monika Osterberg, Janne Laine, Jaakko Pere
  • Publication number: 20140329094
    Abstract: A method for concentrating fibril cellulose including subjecting aqueous fibril cellulose at a concentration of not higher than 5% to pressure filtration where water is removed from the fibril cellulose by applying pressure to the aqueous fibril cellulose, and continuing the pressure filtration continued to an end point where over 50% of the water initially present is removed from the fibril cellulose. The pressure filtration is performed at a temperature of 30° C. or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Annikki Vehniäinen, Markus Nuopponen, Pentti Pirkonen, Martina Lille, Hannu Mursunen
  • Publication number: 20140323714
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing cellulose material, the method comprising introducing cellulose fibers as raw material pulp (1) to a system, adding an alkalizing agent into the system in order to absorb the alkalizing agent into the cellulose fibers (1), adding an anionic agent into the system in order to absorb said agent into the cellulose 2, 2a, 2b fibers (1), feeding the cellulose fibers (1) to a sieve plate press (6), performing a reaction between the cellulose fibers and the anionic agent at least partly in the sieve plate press (6) in order to produce anionized cellulose fibers having a degree of substitution between 0.05 and 0.35, wherein the reaction is performed at least partly at a consistency of at least 50%. In addition, the invention relates to a system for manufacturing cellulose material and to fibril cellulose produced from anionized cellulose fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE Corporation
    Inventors: Eino Sivonen, Kyösti Valta, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20140284407
    Abstract: In a method for producing nanofibril cellulose, cellulose based fibre material, in which internal bonds in the cellulose fibre have been weakened by chemical modification, are supplied, for separating fibrils, through several counter-rotating rotors outwards in the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis of the rotors in such a way that the material is repeatedly subjected to shearing and impacting forces by the effect of the blades of the different counter-rotating rotors, whereby it is simultaneously fibrillated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Juha Tamper, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20140114059
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing cellulosic material includes: introducing cellulose fibers as cellulosic raw material to a system, conveying the cellulose fibers to an extruder comprising a mixing part and/or a refining part, dosing at least one chemical to the system before the extruder and/or in the extruder and performing a reaction between the cellulose fibers and the chemical(s) at least partly in the extruder, wherein the reaction is performed at a consistency of at least 40%, and/or dosing at least one chemical to the system before the extruder and/or in the extruder and mixing the cellulose fibers and the chemical(s) in the mixing part of the extruder, wherein the mixing step is performed at a consistency of at least 40%, and/or refining the introduced cellulose fibers at least partly in the refining part of the extruder, wherein the refining step is performed at a consistency of at least 5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Juha Tamper, Markus Nuopponen, Harri Kosonen
  • Publication number: 20140110070
    Abstract: In a method for catalytic oxidation of cellulose a heterocyclic nitroxyl radical is used as catalyst, hypochlorite is used as main oxidant acting as oxygen source, and a tertiary amine or chlorine dioxide as an activator of the heterocyclic nitroxyl radical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tapani Vuorinen, Timo Pääkkönen, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20140083634
    Abstract: Described herein is nanocellulose produced by introducing a mixture of cellulose based fiber raw material and water through a refining gap, having a width smaller than 0.1 mm. In the refining gap, the fiber raw material is subjected to processing forces varying in the direction of introducing said mixture, by means of refining zones provided in the gap one after each other in the feeding direction, whereby the refining surfaces differ in surface patterning and/or surface roughness. The mixture of fiber raw material and water is guided past the refining surfaces in the feeding direction to different locations in the refining zone by by-pass channels provided in the stator. The width of the refining gap is maintained by the combined effect of the feeding pressure of the mixture of fiber raw material and water fed into the refining gap and the axial force of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Annikki Vehniaeinen, Tomas Bjoerkqvist, Sirkka Gustafsson, Timo Koskinen
  • Publication number: 20140083416
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing micro- and nanocrystailine cellulose material in the presence of an acid. More specifically, the invention relates to a process, in which the cellulose material is hydrolyzed in the presence of an acid in the gas phase while the moisture content of cellulose is between 1% and 80%, the cellulose material is surface-modified, and mech anically treated in order to obtain micro- and/or nanocrystailine cellulose material. The invention also relates to a cellulose product prepared by the said process and the use thereof in food and liquid crystal applications as well as in optical, cosmetic and medical applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Anne Meriluoto, Eero Kontturi
  • Publication number: 20130345416
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing an aqueous gel of nanofibrillar cellulose by removing water from the aqueous gel by means of an organic solvent miscible with water. In the method: aqueous gel is introduced into a volume of organic solvent miscible with water in a controlled manner so that the aqueous gel is kept as a separate phase and forms discrete physical entities containing the nanofibrillar cellulose within the phase; water is changed with the organic solvent in said discrete physical entities of nanofibrillar cellulose; and the physical entities are separated from the volume of organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Antti Laukkanen, Jan-Erik Teirfolk, Markus Nuopponen
  • Publication number: 20130000855
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing pulp. The manufactured pulp includes at least 30 w-% nanofibrillated cellulose material measured from the dried pulp. A raw material is introduced to a system. The raw material includes cellulose. At least one type of an optical brightening agent is dosed as a refining additive to the system. The raw material is refined in the presence of the dosed optical brightening agent in at least one pre-refining stage or fibrillation stage to form fibrillar cellulose material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Nuopponen, Taru Päiväläinen, Antti Laukkanen, Jouni Paltakari