	US 12,215,459 B2
	Separation of fibers
Michael Ternström, Skoghall (SE); Amy Tran Carlström, Kristinehamn (SE); Mikael Lindström, Lidingo (SE); and Zaheer Ahmad Mansoor, Kristinehamn (SE)
Assigned to CIRCULOSE AB, Stockholm (SE)
Appl. No. 17/415,978
Filed by CIRCULOSE AB, Stockholm (SE)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/085901 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 18, 2021, PCT Pub. No. WO2020/127453, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1851612-0 (SE), filed on Dec. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0112658 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. D21B 1/26 (2006.01); D21B 1/02 (2006.01); D21B 1/30 (2006.01); D21B 1/38 (2006.01)

CPC D21B 1/026 (2013.01) [D21B 1/30 (2013.01); D21B 1/38 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method for separation of fibers comprising the steps of:

a) providing a mixture of textile fibers comprising cellulose fibers and non-cellulose fibers,

b) reducing the cellulose chain length of the cellulose fibers so that the limiting viscosity number determined according to ISO 5351 is in the interval 200-900 ml/g,

c) subjecting the mixture of textile fibers to mechanical treatment to break agglomerates of textile fibers into smaller pieces,

d) adjusting the concentration of textile fibers in the mixture so that it is in the interval 0.1-4 wt % textile fibers calculated by weight, and

e) subjecting the mixture to flotation to remove the non-cellulose fibers.