Methods and apparatus for vacuum forming and subsequently applying topical coatings fiber-based food containers. The slurry includes one or more of an embedded moisture barrier, vapor barrier, and oil barrier, and the topical coating comprises one or more of a vapor barrier, a moisture barrier, an oil barrier, and an oxygen barrier. For food containers having deep sidewalls, a spray coating system includes a first nozzle for applying a full cone spray pattern to the bottom surface of the container, and a second nozzle for applying a hollow cone spray pattern to the inside surfaces of the side walls.

Methods and apparatus for vacuum forming and subsequently applying topical coatings fiber-based food containers. The slurry includes one or more of an embedded moisture barrier, vapor barrier, and oil barrier, and the topical coating comprises one or more of a vapor barrier, a moisture barrier, an oil barrier, and an oxygen barrier. For food containers having deep sidewalls, a spray coating system includes a first nozzle for applying a full cone spray pattern to the bottom surface of the container, and a second nozzle for applying a hollow cone spray pattern to the inside surfaces of the side walls.

Contoured articles formed in a mold from a fiber slurry are provided. The articles comprise a blend of cellulose fibers and cellulose ester, such as cellulose ester staple fibers. The articles are suitable in a wide array of end uses, including as cups, lids, boxes or pouches, storage containers, trays, plates, food trays, cutlery, coffee cups, coffee cup lid, packaging, bowls, clam shells, bottle caps, straws, covers, and packaging inserts.

A process for making a sheet of paper or cardboard from a fiber suspension, includes injection of a polymer P3 into a cellulosic fiber suspension, formation of a sheet of paper or cardboard, and drying of the sheet of paper or cardboard. The P3 polymer is prepared, prior to the injection, from a water-soluble P1 polymer of at least one nonionic monomer, such as acrylamide, methacrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, and acrylonitrile. The P1 polymer is subjected to a Re1 reaction to give a P2 polymer, which is then subjected to a Re2 reaction to give the P3 polymer, which is injected into the fibrous suspension within 24 hours of the start of the Re1 reaction.

A process for making a sheet of paper or cardboard from a fiber suspension, includes injection of a polymer P3 into a cellulosic fiber suspension, formation of a sheet of paper or cardboard, and drying of the sheet of paper or cardboard. The P3 polymer is prepared, prior to the injection, from a water-soluble P1 polymer of at least one nonionic monomer, such as acrylamide, methacrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, and acrylonitrile. The P1 polymer is subjected to a Re1 reaction to give a P2 polymer, which is then subjected to a Re2 reaction to give the P3 polymer, which is injected into the fibrous suspension within 24 hours of the start of the Re1 reaction.

The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing a molded fiber article. The process comprises the steps of dissolving fibrous materials in water to form a fibrous material suspension in a pulper, removing moisture from the fibrous material suspension by pressing to form a molded fiber article in a mold and/or drying the molded fiber article by supplying heat, demolding the molded fiber article from the mold. The process is characterized by the feature whereby, in mold drying of the molded fiber article in the mold, a moisture content of the molded fiber article of not more than 10% by weight or not more than 7.5% by weight or not more than 5% by weight is achieved.

The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for producing a molded fiber article. The process comprises the steps of dissolving fibrous materials in water to form a fibrous material suspension in a pulper, removing moisture from the fibrous material suspension by pressing to form a molded fiber article in a mold and/or drying the molded fiber article by supplying heat, demolding the molded fiber article from the mold. The process is characterized by the feature whereby, in mold drying of the molded fiber article in the mold, a moisture content of the molded fiber article of not more than 10% by weight or not more than 7.5% by weight or not more than 5% by weight is achieved.

An apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional paper-molded products with zero-draft angles is disclosed herein, which comprises at least one conveying rail and at least three sets of mold assemblies for sequentially applying a pre-compression, a first thermo-compression and a second thermo-compression on each semi-finished product. The at least three sets of mold assemblies are collocated, in ascending order of their transversally cross-sectional concave widths, along the at least one conveying rail. By gradually compressing the semi-finished product in sequence of compression operations of the at least three sets of mold assemblies, a specific transversally cross-sectional width of the semi-finished product are gradually and transversally widened to finalize a formation of a three-dimensional paper-molded product having zero-draft angles, thereby enhancing a structural strength of the entire product, shortening its manufacturing time and saving its manufacturing cost.

An apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional paper-molded products with zero-draft angles is disclosed herein, which comprises at least one conveying rail and at least three sets of mold assemblies for sequentially applying a pre-compression, a first thermo-compression and a second thermo-compression on each semi-finished product. The at least three sets of mold assemblies are collocated, in ascending order of their transversally cross-sectional concave widths, along the at least one conveying rail. By gradually compressing the semi-finished product in sequence of compression operations of the at least three sets of mold assemblies, a specific transversally cross-sectional width of the semi-finished product are gradually and transversally widened to finalize a formation of a three-dimensional paper-molded product having zero-draft angles, thereby enhancing a structural strength of the entire product, shortening its manufacturing time and saving its manufacturing cost.

Example approaches are disclosed for manufacturing composite or fiber reinforcement preforms. Liquid, fibrous, binding and potentially other materials are mixed into a composite mixture slurry in a slurry container. A porous tool having a specific porous outer surface portion approximating a specific exterior surface portion of a spatial shape of a final product is immersed in the slurry container. A suction pressure is applied to draw a portion of the fibrous material intermixed with a corresponding portion of the binding material in the slurry onto the specific outer surface portion. The porous tool attached with the wet preform is removed from the slurry container. The wet preform is partially dried into a partially dried preform attached to the porous tool. The partially dried preform is dried, solidified and/or consolidated and/or injected with a resin and cured into a solid composite preform of the spatial shape of the final product.