Apparatus for crosslinking individualized cellulose fibers

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted for preparing a quantity of individual crosslinked cellulose fibers from one or more mats comprised of non-crosslinked cellulose fibers.
The apparatus comprises: an applicator that applies a crosslinking substance to a mat of cellulose fibers at a fiber treatment zone; a fiberizer having a fiberizer inlet; a conveyor that conveys the mat through the fiber treatment zone and directly to the fiberizer inlet without stopping for curing.
The fiberizer provides sufficient hammering force to separate the cellulose fibers of the mat into a fiber output of substantially unbroken individual cellulose fibers.
A dryer coupled to the fiberizer receives the fiber output, dries the fiber output, and cures the crosslinking substance, thereby forming dried and cured fibers.
The fiberizer preferably fiberizes the treated mat to form a fiber output having a low nit level, such as a nit level of no more than about 3.
The apparatus also includes a reduced pressure conduit between the fiberizer and dryer in which the individual cellulose fibers are heated and the velocity of their flow is increased after they leave the fiberizer.
This conduit opens into an expansion chamber that allows the fiber flow to expand and increase fiber separation.
The flow velocity of the fibers in the conduit is preferably increased by reducing the diameter of the conduit between the fiberizer and dryer.
A downstream connection between the conduit and dryer gradually increases in diameter to provide art expansion zone between the conduit and expansion chamber.
The reduced diameter conduit provides an area of reduced pressure that promotes evaporation of moisture from the fibers of the conduit.
The expansion chamber subsequently provides another evaporation zone in which moisture is quickly and explosively released from the fibers, thereby further enhancing their separation and production of individualized fibers.
The apparatus further includes a hot air blower that blows hot air into the conduit toward the expansion chamber