# US 11,939,569 B2 · Biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foams

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- Number: US 11,939,569 B2
- Document ID: US11939569B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/110,715
- Filed: 2023-02-16
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2024-03-26
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-29
- Assignees: Evoco Limited
- Applicants: Evoco Ltd.
- Inventors: Jason James Robinson; Natalie Beth Ashdown; Gregory Allan Whitton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11939569B2

## CPC

- C12N 11/093: Polyurethanes
- C08G 18/18: containing secondary or tertiary amines or salts thereof
- C08G 18/22: containing metal compounds
- C08G 18/4238: {derived from dicarboxylic acids and dialcohols}
- C08G 18/6633: {Compounds of group C08G18/42}
- C08G 18/7671: {containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group}
- C08K 11/00: Use of ingredients of unknown constitution, e.g. undefined reaction products
- C08L 75/06: from polyesters
- C08L 101/16: the macromolecular compounds being biodegradable
- C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor
- C12N 11/04: entrapped within the carrier, e.g. gel or hollow fibres
- C12N 11/08: the carrier being a synthetic polymer
- C12N 11/098: formed in the presence of the enzymes or microbial cells
- C12N 11/14: Enzymes or microbial cells immobilised on or in an inorganic carrier
- C08G 2101/00: Manufacture of cellular products
- C08G 2110/0008: flexible
- C08G 2110/0041: having specified density
- C08G 2110/005: < 50kg/m3
- C08G 2110/0058: ≥50 and <150kg/m3
- C08G 2110/0066: ≥ 150kg/m3
- C08G 2110/0083: prepared using water as the sole blowing agent
- C08G 2230/00: Compositions for preparing biodegradable polymers
- C12R 2001/07: Bacillus
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C12R: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS

## Abstract

A biodegradable foam which includes a polyester-based polyurethane foam and a mixture comprised of a soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria embedded in a carrier compound. The mixture of the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria is homogenously dispersed throughout the polyester-based polyurethane foam. This biodegradable foam exhibits biodegradation rates higher than a polyester-based polyurethane foam absent the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing a biodegradable foam, comprising:
a) mixing polyester polyol with
i) one or more catalysts,
ii) water, and
iii) soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria, or a soil-dwelling carbon digesting bacteria embedded in a carrier compound to produce a mixture, and
b) mixing isocyanate into said mixture to induce a chemical reaction between the isocyanate and the water to produce carbon dioxide gas, and simultaneously induce a chemical reaction between the isocyanate and the polyester polyol to produce a polyester based polyurethane polymer with carbon dioxide bubbles trapped within to produce said biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foam, said biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foam characterized in that it exhibits biodegradation rates which are higher than the same polyester-based polyurethane foam absent the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said carrier compound is calcium carbonate, zeolite, or sodium bicarbonate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria embedded in the carrier compound is present in said mixture in a range from about 0.001 to about 10.0 wt % of the total foam.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said isocyanate is 4,4′-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, 2,4-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, 2,2′-Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, 2,4-Toluene diisocyanate, 2,6-Toluene diisocyanate, polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, or carbodiimide-modified methylene diphenyl diisocyanate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more catalysts are selected to catalyze the reaction between isocyanate and water and simultaneously between isocyanate and polyester polyol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more catalysts are a tertiary amine catalyst.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more catalysts are triethylenediamine, N-methylmorpholine, N-methylimidazole, bis(dimethylaminopropyl)amine, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, Bis-(2-diemthylaminoethyl)-ether, dimethylaminopropylurea, N-dimethylaminopropyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-methylamine, or N-dimethylaminoethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-methylamine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more catalysts are dibutyltin dilaurate, Tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate bismuth neodecanoate, potassium octoate, potassium acetate, zinc carboxylates, or nickel carboxylates.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria comprises at least one strain of the genus Bacillus.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria is Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cerus, Bacillus alvei, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus simplex, Bacillus brevis, or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further including mixing into said mixture surfactants, plasticizers and chain extenders.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further including mixing into said mixture flame retardants, anti-oxidants, cell openers, emulsifiers, hardening agents, non-functional fillers, cross-linking agents, dyes, pigments, or other hydroxy or amine functionalized materials.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a modulus in a range from about 2 kg/cm2 to about 100 kg/cm2.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a density in a range from about 5 kg/m3 to about 1000 kg/m3.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having an elongation at break in a range from about 15 to about 700%.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a percent modern carbon in a range from about 0 to about 100%.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having an isocyanate index in a range from about 70 to about 200.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having an average isocyanate functionality in a range from about 2.0 to about 6.0.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a polyester polyol molecular weight in a range from about 500 to about 5000 g/mol.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a polyester polyol average hydroxyl functionality in a range from about 1.1 to about 6.0.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said biodegradable polyurethane foam is characterized by having a polyester polyol hydroxyl number in a range from about 20 to about 300 mg KOH/g polyol.