Equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure in the present disclosure includes: a defibrator configured to pulverize and defibrate a fiber material containing fibers; a transport pipe through which a defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator is transported; a melting-material mixing section configured to mix a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport pipe; a fibrous-web forming machine configured to accumulate the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and form a fibrous web; a sheet supply section configured to supply a shape-maintaining sheet to the fibrous web; and a heating-and-compression mechanism configured to compress the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web between planar plates and heat the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web to a temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the melting material softens.

A sheet manufacturing method includes a mixing step of mixing a fiber and a resin powder in air, and a sheet forming step of accumulating and heating a mixture mixed in the mixing step to form a sheet. The resin powder has a volume average particle diameter of equal to or less than 50 μm, and an absolute value of an average charging amount in a range of 5 (μC/g) to 40 (μC/g).

A sheet manufacturing method includes a mixing step of mixing a fiber and a resin powder in air, and a sheet forming step of accumulating and heating a mixture mixed in the mixing step to form a sheet. The resin powder has a volume average particle diameter of equal to or less than 50 μm, and an absolute value of an average charging amount in a range of 5 (μC/g) to 40 (μC/g).

Cellulosic materials modified with a surface modifier to promote compatibility with a hydrophobic material and methods for producing surface-modified cellulosic materials are provided. The methods include providing a slurry of a cellulosic material and adding a surface modifier to the slurry. The surface modifier may be added to the slurry in a soluble form and precipitated by adjusting the pH. The surface-modified cellulosic material may be solvent-dried and/or dried using conventional drying methods to enhance hydrophobicity. To solvent-dry the surface-modified cellulosic material, a solvent is added to an aqueous slurry of the surface-modified cellulosic material to form an azeotrope. The azeotrope has a boiling point that is less than the boiling point of the solvent. The slurry is distilled to remove the azeotrope from the surface-modified cellulose material. The solvent is removed from the surface-modified cellulose material.

Cellulosic materials modified with a surface modifier to promote compatibility with a hydrophobic material and methods for producing surface-modified cellulosic materials are provided. The methods include providing a slurry of a cellulosic material and adding a surface modifier to the slurry. The surface modifier may be added to the slurry in a soluble form and precipitated by adjusting the pH. The surface-modified cellulosic material may be solvent-dried and/or dried using conventional drying methods to enhance hydrophobicity. To solvent-dry the surface-modified cellulosic material, a solvent is added to an aqueous slurry of the surface-modified cellulosic material to form an azeotrope. The azeotrope has a boiling point that is less than the boiling point of the solvent. The slurry is distilled to remove the azeotrope from the surface-modified cellulose material. The solvent is removed from the surface-modified cellulose material.

The invention concerns a method of manufacturing paper or board, the paper or board obtained by the method, and a method of producing a tray from the board. In a fibrous stock for papermaking is incorporated an amount of polymer coated fibrous particles, which even have a foaming agent such as moisture contained therein. A web is formed from the fibrous stock on a forming fabric of a paper or board machine, followed by pressing and drying to a finished paper or board. As the paper or board is sufficiently heated the foaming agent within the particles evaporates, causing expansion and foaming of the polymer coating, which adds to malleability of the board as it is moulded into a shaped article such as a board tray. The invention even covers production of doubly coated fibrous particles for use in said methods, the inner coating layer being of a foamable polymer with a higher melt flow rate and the outer coating layer being of a non-foaming polymer of a lower melt flow rate.

An electrical device including a cellulose based electrically insulating composite material in the form of a paper or pressboard, the composite material having cellulose fibres; and an electrically insulating thermoplastic polymer material; wherein the polymer material is arranged around and between the cellulose fibres, and binds the fibres to each other.

A laminated panel is provided which comprises, or consists of, a core panel to which an elastomeric resin impregnated single finishing printed paper layer has been applied. The paper for the single finishing printed paper layer is printed to provide a design feature on the laminated panel. Preferably, the design feature has been printed on a lower surface of the single finishing printed paper layer. As a result of the resin impregnation and heating and pressing operations, the single finishing printed paper layer becomes translucent or transparent, and thus allows the printed design feature to become visible. The design feature can be printed onto the single finishing printed paper prior to treatment with the elastomeric resin, or printed onto the previously treated elastomeric resin impregnated paper. The laminated panels can be used in the production of laminated flooring, wall panels or furniture panels.

Fast-wetting (hydrophilic) coform fibrous structures, more particularly fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, for example dry fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, employing a wet-laid fibrous structure such as a paper web, and a coform fibrous structure, multi-ply fibrous structures, for example multi-ply sanitary tissue products such as multi-ply absorbent products for example multi-ply paper towel products, employing one or more fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, and methods for making same.

Fast-wetting (hydrophilic) coform fibrous structures, more particularly fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, for example dry fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, employing a wet-laid fibrous structure such as a paper web, and a coform fibrous structure, multi-ply fibrous structures, for example multi-ply sanitary tissue products such as multi-ply absorbent products for example multi-ply paper towel products, employing one or more fast-wetting composite fibrous structures, and methods for making same.