US 12,269,927 B2
System and method of extruding a hemp composite board using hemp feedstocks
John D. Graham, Portland, OR (US); and John J. Bradley, Harlingen, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/278,434
Filed by John D. Graham, Portland, OR (US); and John J. Bradley, Harlingen, TX (US)
PCT Filed May 26, 2023, PCT No. PCT/US2023/023771
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 23, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2024/049520, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 7, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/440,352, filed on Jan. 20, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/403,450, filed on Sep. 2, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0084093 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. C08J 9/04 (2006.01); C08J 9/236 (2006.01); C08J 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC C08J 11/06 (2013.01) [C08J 9/04 (2013.01); C08J 9/236 (2013.01); C08J 2201/03 (2013.01); C08J 2201/032 (2013.01); C08J 2300/30 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for making a mono-extruded hemp composite board (EHB) comprising the steps of:
obtaining hemp feedstock comprising at least one of hemp hurd and hemp fiber, obtaining a binder material comprising at least one of thermoplastic/thermoset, any/other polymer binder, natural binder/glue or non-natural binder/glue obtaining an EHB extruding system comprising an extruder, puller, and plurality of rollers,
injecting said hemp hurd, hemp fiber, and binder material into said extruder,
wherein said extruder creates an extrudate using said hemp feedstock and binder material,
wherein a heated barrel of said extruder keeps said extrudate within a desired temperature range,
wherein said desired temperature range is higher than a melting point of said binder material and lower than a combustion point of said hemp hurd and said hemp fiber,
wherein a combined volume percentage of said hemp hurd and said hemp fiber makes up at least 8% of a total volume percentage of said hemp hurd, hemp fiber, and binder material transferred to said extruder,
obtaining a blowing agent configured to foam said extrudate,
wherein gasses of said blowing agent dissolve into said extrudate to create a foamed extrudate,
injecting said blowing agent into said extruder to create said foamed extrudate,
controlling a shear force of said extruder to manipulate a viscosity of said foamed extrudate,
wherein said foamed extrudate is expelled from extruder via a die outlet of a manifold at a rate relative to said viscosity,
wherein said die outlet forms said foamed extrudate into a foamed extrudate sheet,
pulling said foamed extrudate sheet from said extruder via a puller,
wherein said puller removes said foamed extrudate sheet from said die outlet at a desired speed,
wherein said desired speed is used to control a thickness of said foamed extrudate sheet, and
molding said foamed extrudate sheet into shaped EHB using said plurality of rollers,
wherein said plurality of rollers alter at least one of an EHB thickness and EHB width,
wherein said foamed extrudate sheet is heated as said plurality of rollers alter at least one of said EHB thickness and said EHB width.