US 12,576,571 B2 · Pellet manufacturing for foam and products

Abstract

A method is described. The method comprising inputting starch into an extruder, inputting a plasticizer into the extruder, outputting an extrudate from the extruder, and chopping the extrudate output from the extruder into pellets. The extrudate includes the starch and the plasticizer. A pellet for manufacturing a biodegradable product is described. The pellet comprises starch and a plasticizer. A composition of the pellet, by weight percent, includes a starch weight percent representative of the starch included in the pellet and a plasticizer weight percent representative of the plasticizer included in the pellet. The starch weight percent is greater than the plasticizer weight percent and a density of the pellet is at least 0.5 g/cm3.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

inputting starch into an extruder;
inputting a primary plasticizer and a secondary plasticizer into the extruder, wherein the primary plasticizer includes urea, and wherein the primary plasticizer is different than the secondary plasticizer;
outputting an extrudate from the extruder, wherein the extrudate includes the starch, the primary plasticizer, and the secondary plasticizer, wherein a density of the extrudate is from 0.5 g/cm3 to 1.6 g/cm3;
and
chopping the extrudate output from the extruder into pellets, wherein more of the primary plasticizer is input into the extruder relative to the secondary plasticizer such that a primary plasticizer weight percent is greater than a secondary plasticizer weight percent for the pellets.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Pellet manufacturing for foam and products

Life of this patent

Pellet manufacturing for foam and products

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19