ARTIFICIAL WOOD FROM FRUIT KERNELS OR NUT SHELLS; ARTIFICIAL MARBLE

Abstract: Artificial wood is manufactured from fruit kernels or nut shells by grinding the kernels or shells, sieving the ground material, mixing this with a polyester and/or other binding agents and feeding the result into moulds to provide a product of the desired shape, which contains 10-15% by weight of binding agent. Artificial marble, containing 7-10% by weight of binding agent, is similary manufactured from chips of natural marble.

Description: TITLE OF THE INVENTION Artificial wood from fruit kernels or nut shells; artificial marble. I.. ± DtCTlUN In view of the fact that the specified requirements for the manufacture of products destined for numerous appliances in intricate problems on buildings of present day technology they become more every passing day. In view of the fact that the demand for a lot of appliances in v/ood constantly goes up, coupled v/ith the universal crisis of energy,has had as a result the leaping price increase with a dire direct effect the increase of inflation and the dis¬ couragement of a great number of investors for manufactmring works on v/ood and other natural raw material. In view of the fact that there is a general tendency in using useless sofar materials for the construction of products wi*h . improved specifications fc especially _a a_lpwer_price & wi . '" a greater span of life * In v fuv of the fact that there is a necessity in simplifying manufactures with the use of ready made products, with lower manual hands and with a lesser time for the finishing touches, without reducing the durability and the thorough technival behavior. .... For this reason it came to my thought that it is possible for me to manufacture an artificial product, with the use of har fruilr kernels such as those of the olive, peach, cherry, apri¬ cot plum, date and palm or fruit shells such as those of the almond, hazel-nut, chestnut, pistachio-nut, or in the long run marble chippings or any other hard minerale which ere what is left from the wastage of the fruit after the extβction of the olive oil, and the morsels of all the other biproducts, which to their greater part are discarded for waste. Well, after long years of ivestigation, I succeeded by mixing chipped grains from the above kernels or chippings of marble, with various binding- materials to manufacture very valuable pro ducts which combine in an admirable way money saving with dura bility and with a thoroughly technical requirement. II. BAW HASERIALS !• Kernels-shells-marble The raw materials from the aforementioned kernels and shells is taken, after undergoing the biproduct process (extraction of olive oil,extraction of kerne": oil, methylated spirits etc.) The raw materiel usually comprises besides the kernel chippings and the peels, the pupls on an average b etweβn 10 % to 50riβ 2he minor marble chippings are taken from the marble manufactur ing works and form the wastes, which are discarded as being minor chips and thrown away as entirely useless. - 5 - After selecting the sort of grains which we desire, we follow the following manufacturing method, which is likely to differ slightly from one kind of raw material to another. 2, Glues By way of hinging materials en assortment of mixture are in use with basis the polyesters or other materials devised by me * These mixtures differ appropriately with the properties we wish to administer to the product under manu acture, for instance a floor tile should have a greater endurance to friction, a fact which a wall tile does not need, or a panel should be elastic or fire resistant etc. III. PESCRIPIIOl. OP BE IKVEKTIOK-METEOD OF KANUE7CTUBE I, Objects in moulds a* Cleaning The kernels undergo a drying process until they fully discard the remains of oil and odour, separation of the kernel chipping from the rest of the foreign matter, washing ofthe kernel chippings with water with various chemical additives, until the they ere thoroughly cleaned, and soon after dried until they discard any sign of moisture. b« Grinding From tb/jS stage starts the processing of the cleaned kernels and shells ' or the marbles ths latsr not being necessary to unde go as a x-βw materiel the cleaning process. Well, the raw material is grindod in a pulveriser-crusher and the grains after passing through a sieve are being separated in equel sizes, for our having the possibility of selecting the granulometric gradation we desire for the particular product we wish to manufacture each time, + mi-tture Soon after the grains are admixtured with polyester or other OMPI WIPO _,_-.,,—_« -" • ' ' « r_ • -J- —i n-, » binding materials into a mixing machine anf from there they are channelled to the moulds (matrix), where they will take the final form which we desire. The pulp of the grains and the binding material which has . been channelled to the mould, will freeze under pressure in a mill, or with no compression, on a prefixed time period, corresponding to the compound of the binding materir-1, the temperature, and with all other environmental and space conditions, e, _ginal elaboration The finished articles are cooled at the temperature of the envi¬ ronment or under artificial cooling,and afterwards, if this would be necessary are glazed and cut to the desired dimensions* !! • Plastering pulp Besides articles procured in moulds, it is possible to have the mixture used in the foro of pulp (in bulk) for the coating of wall* floors " ,etc. both on internal and external house surfaces After the speeding of the pulp and its cooling, it is possible to have its surface abraded by means of an abrading agent, with a coating of dye or varnish, without the need of U3ing any other polish or oiling etc. III, l?t eτ Owing to the woody structure of the kernels and/or the shells, one of the appliencβ of this invention is the manufacture of paper. To this effect, the raw material is ground in a mill end rendered to powder, soon after it is boiled in a furnace with the addition of a minor quantity of subsidiary materials. The pulp formed passes through a paper manu-tacfcuring machine which turns it out to a high quality paper from fruit kernels and shells, IV, MANUFACTURING CHARACTERS ,. -_ OMP " a '^ &«£ IV, M/.KUPACTURING CHARACTERS The compound of the binding materials depends on the properties and the characters we wish to give at a final stage to any parti cular product, I could mention by way of indication as a binding material a particular glue which h s an appropriate firm: SYNOLITE 573-67-7000 EX SΪDRES SΪKOL-EEE 5 -63-0050 EX SYDKES - In any case I could mention and some other materials such as for instance quartz powder for rendering to it self-extinguishing properties or chalk for giving to it a better surface, or cemen mortar or asbestos etc, for giving to it other desired propertie The additive percentage of the binding material to the mixture also varies and depends on the filler sort, the size of the grains and the way the tiles or the articles are being elaborat Generally speaking, in order to succeed in apobtaingin a satis- factory compound of grains as the raw material, I make use of th following percentage on the weight of the final productt - " I0~I5# binding glue when the raw material is a wooden product — -I0£ binding glue when the raw material is marble or other one. The hardening eoull be effected at the temperature of the envi- * tonment after several hours, or for time saving in a few minutes at the temperature of I20°C, . I could also reduce the reactionary time by adding an accelerato In any case I can use other materislβ as well such * as polyester glues which are used unheated in which case the products could b quickly hardened in the temperature of the environment, I have experimented an a multitude of appliances, and I am in the posi¬ tion to render diverse properties to the mβnufacted articles corresponding to the sort and to the quality of the binding mate rial as also the manner of the manufacturing process. For this reason the foregoing ways should be considered to be recommendations liable to replacement with any other adequate manner which will give to us an identical or similar result, in all cases the manufacture of artificial wood from the following: - Kernels of olives, peaches, epricots, cherries, plums, grapes, n OMPI __ — r - .- * rτrτ-r $ v- WIPO dates and palms ' - — Shells of almonds, hazel-nuts, chestnuts, pistachionuts - Artificial marble from natural marble chppings Y. BEKEglTS-UTILITIES With the foregoing method under development, I as able to manu¬ facture parts from artificial εrble or artificial wood and these bene its were con irmed om laboratory studies held with the Public Works Investigating Centre of Athens end from the ETERNIT Laborator cf Brussels, Belgium, I, They have no absorptivity of moisture even at their cutting parts. This has been proved with a set of experiments which were made and the storage of the testing pieces in a damp enviton ent at 1002, 2 * Compared with products of a similar sort, they have a low -.coefficient of heat conductivity, dependent on the density end the size of the grains, as also of the binding material. This is .of en exceptionally high significance, because with a combined function they could substitute other more costly insolating materials* -.-3m They have exceptional mechanical properties and are harder ;than the wood and of the manutel marble respectively* • 4, They form a binding material undiluted, resistent to sea water to ήilphatic hydrocarbons, to oils and to acids. Therefor they constitute an excellent material for the manufacture of ∑loorings vehicles, or vessels, for the transportation of livestock and of special containers etc, 5 * It is flame retβrdant and with certain admixture self- extinguishing* In case of fire, they produce an insignificant quantity of deleterious gases, 6, They have a very good span of life and they could be perfor. - 'ated, cut or glued in a facile way and quickly * They are resisten to weather conditions and without any change of their properties, 7, They easily take the form of the mould which we desire to form and whatever colour we desire them to have, therefor their appliances are numerous, 8, They need no coating and no elaboration whsteevor after the articles have been prepored(oil, painting, polishing etc). £ ..- r—rir-;-—T"? TT----* r * » . *, - * -" ** 9» -JCbey present a perfect esthetic surface and they could form en excellent decorative material* VI. AFH-I.'KCES Due tυ the foregoing properties of the novel artificial products which constitute an invention of nine and are dispayed for the first time the world over, it is quite possible to obtain most satis actory and money saving solutions to a very great number of appliances, 3?or instance we can -aanufaciure the followings: 1, Large sise panels 2. Parquetry 3 * liles and slabs for wall and floors 4, Blocks and paving stones for ga ens and pp.vements 5, Corrugated and heat insolsting and water tight sheetings 6, Coatings of cold storage chambers, isothermic chambers end studios 7 * Containers for liquids, powders etc, 8 * "Doors, windows, frames .etc, 9* Purniture, benches and stools IO,Ccntainers for television sots, βtβreos, lound speakers etc. II.Switches, plugs and other electrical equipment 12 * Ceramic slabs of sundry widths and dimensions I3 * ϊubes, angles and other profiles I *Dβcorative parts in automobiles, panels etc I5 * Boards of all kinds I6,-_-re<-fnbricated houses and trailers 17,Boats 18,-Decorative in relief surfaces for both indoors and outdoor spaces 33,Church altars 20.Beehives 21, illars 22,Joys, gift articles etc. 23,Plaster coatings as well as a wide assortment of other articles offering to them benefits but βlso dropping the cost of their manufacture, which today for reasons which I mentioned above is much too high. OMPI —, „.,— T xf , WIPO VII * ACKKOW EBGEMEHTS _ Subsequent to the decisiveness of my invention following ten years of experiments, the fixation of the appropriate admixtures in each particular case, and the formation of suitable testing pieces, it was my desire to confirm scientifically the properties and the benefits of this novel invention of mine. To this effect I applied to the accredited laboratories of EEDCO and ETEE IT in Brussels and Bayer, as well as to the Public Works Resea-ech Center of Athens. These laboratories placed the testing of tiles of my invention which I forwarded to them to laboratory controlling tests, and they full confirmed the above reported properties of the novel artificial wood and the artificial marble, with their reported appliances. Their kernel is organic. Its destruction in burning at a tempe¬ rature of IOO0°G is 96 * £ and the diagram of diffraction of the XR does not show any crystalline structure in the body. The nucleus are formed from fine celluloid fibers (neurines), lignin and oil. They form a peculiar hardness. In one of Mr ROEI2Ps trial tests at the BEDCO laboratory, the olive kernels were milled, and a place was found for the lot, fo lowing sifting through 100 mesh,(of a diameter less than 0,I50mm) which were used for the manufacture of fiber cement according to the method of the Fiber Value Test(QAMA). The addition of the olive kernel powder reduces the density of the compound, which on normal conditions is I,6GGR/CM * . Tests were also carried out on moulded panels, and the results of the physical and mechanical tests fully confirmed the aforesaid properties, although the testing piece formed an amateurish ap¬ plication and one sample alone from the variety of applications which could be obtained with divers admixtures. The panels also were subjected to accelerate weathering tests wit UV(lamda 30OHN) radiation with one Seather-O-Matic BraiveζCyclej 102 minutes of XENON light and 18 minutes XΞKON light and spray ing with distilled water for 200 hours. The observations made after 100 and 200 hours, showed no ocher -J TT-™ 1 _f i » ~n ..* than a slight discoloration(from a dpker tint) which stood'homo¬ geneous. t the Public Works Sesβarch Center of Athens many testing piece of the novel products were inspected for all possible strains an the rαsults obtained confirmed the foregoing properties. Particularly in the effect caused by a flame, β flame of SULSEN lamp was set vertical on the surface of a testing piece of 25XI0X3cm for 5 minutes. After withdrawal of the flame, a slight blackening of the surfac was observed * The test was resumed for a second time with simila conditions and findings* In continuation the flβme was set at the tip of the testing piece for 5 minutes, when the testing piece started to burn in flames * But after the withdrawal of the BULSEH leap the flame of the testing piece went out entirely and the testing piece stoppe burning * The absorption of water subsequent to a 2 hour immersion in wate presented a percentage of 0,20£ of the testing piece weight. The endurance to acids, alkalis is satisfactory* After dipping in a solution of hydrochroric acid of 5# for 24hours, we obtaine an increase of weight of O,265# and in a solution of caustic potasiura of 556 an increase of 0,3 Z *8#* The endurance to friction as per DIN 52103 was found to be 0-4,5 Gfi/50 G¥T of surface, Tests on saline nephosiβ and to the interchange of- temperature showed that the product in ten roun cycles does not present an blisters,sealing, cracks or other abnormalities, With the conviction that with this invention cf mine, the best possible exploitation will be made of products useless sofar, to the bonefi-b of our National and βlso Universal .economy, I remain willing to offer any supplementary information.if the case may b

Claims: _-. :- io - "What I said to claim is: π I * The production of ligneous products of fruits kernels or shells, as well as products of artificial marble as they mentioned at the description of the invention* Z * The elaboration of raw material, the mixture of binding materials, the mechanical equipments and the method of production, which are requested for th^ industrialisation of the above products * OMPI SUBSTITUTE SH! ^

Inventors: STAVRAKELIS PANAGIOTIS, STAVRAKELIS, PANAGIOTIS
Applicants: STAVRAKELIS ALEX, STAVRAKELIS PANAGIOTIS, STAVRAKELIS, ALEX, STAVRAKELIS, PANAGIOTIS
Application year: 1982
Main classification: C08L97
IPC codes: C04B18, C04B26, C08L97, D21C5