Bio-based products and methods for manufacturing the same
OwnerKatherine A. Kimmerleinventor
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Abstract
A product adapted to cleanse at least a portion of a user's body, including a bio-based material, wherein the bio-based material includes the shape of a cleansing product, and wherein the bio-based material is derived from sugar cane and/or tapioca starch. The bio-based material provides an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based cleansing products while maintaining desirable sensory characteristics including softness and flexibility. The products may be manufactured using a heat treatment process that enhances both composability and user experience.
Claims3
A cleansing sponge for a user's body, consisting of:
- a body consisting of a bio-based low-density polyethylene derived from sugar cane, wherein the bio-based low-density polyethylene has a density ranging from approximately 917 to approximately 930 kg/m3 and comprises at least 98% by weight bio-based content;
- and
- a fixing string attached to the body, wherein the cleansing sponge is compostable within 90 days according to ASTM 6400.
A cleansing loofah for a user's body, consisting of:
- a body consisting of (i) a bio-based material derived from tapioca starch, wherein the bio-based material consists of a hydrophobic thermoplastic starch having at least 80% by weight bio-based content, and (ii) a biodegradation additive present in a concentration ranging from approximately 0.50% to approximately 2.00% by weight;
- and
- a fixing string attached to the body.
A method of manufacturing a bio-based cleansing product, consisting of the steps of:
- (a) providing a body of a bio-based material derived from sugar cane, tapioca starch, or a combination thereof, the body being shaped as a sponge, a loofah, or a shower glove;
- (b) attaching a fixing string to the body;
- (c) heating the body in a convection oven at a temperature ranging from approximately 80 to approximately 100 degrees Centigrade, at a pressure of approximately one atmosphere, with a convection air velocity ranging from approximately 100 to approximately 200 feet per minute, for a duration ranging from approximately 3 to approximately 5 minutes, under an atmosphere consisting of nitrogen, argon, or a combination thereof;
- (d) cooling the body to ambient temperature;
- and
- (e) packaging the body under positive pressure of an inert gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and argon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.