# US 2020/0399474 A1 · Biocomposite materials and related compositions, methods and systems

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- Number: US 2020/0399474 A1
- Document ID: US20200399474A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/911,269
- Filed: 2020-06-24
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-24
- Assignees: California Institute of Technology
- Applicants: California Institute of Technology
- Inventors: Eleftheria Roumeli; Luca Bonanomi; Chiara Daraio; Rodinde Hendrickx
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399474A1

## CPC

- C08L 97/02: Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse {(manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N)}
- C08L 5/04: Alginic acid; Derivatives thereof
- C08L 5/06: Pectin; Derivatives thereof
- C08L 5/14: Hemicellulose; Derivatives thereof
- C08L 97/005: {Lignin}
- C08L 101/16: the macromolecular compounds being biodegradable
- C08L 2201/06: Biodegradable
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

Biocomposites and related fabrication methods and systems are described, the biocomposites comprising compacted plants and/or algae cells having a water content of less than 15 wt %, and a minimized pore presence and/or dimensions, in which the compacted cells are in a lamellar stacked configuration with a plurality of lamellae arranged one above the other, each lamella independently having a thickness of 20 nm to 5 μm and comprising a semi-crystalline structure formed by biopolymers of cell walls of the compacted plant and/or algae cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A biocomposite comprising compacted plant and/or algae cells having a water content of less than 15 wt %, the compacted plant and/or algae cells being poreless or having pores with a diameter of less than 10 μm,
the compacted plant and/or algae cells being in a lamellar stacked configuration with a plurality of lamellae arranged one above the other,
each lamella independently having a thickness of 20 nm to 5 μm, and comprising a semi-crystalline structure formed by cell walls of the compacted plant and/or algae cells,
the semi-crystalline structure having a crystalline component with a glucose-based biopolymer in a matrix of amorphous sugar-based biopolymers and/or phenol-based biopolymers polysaccharides of the cell walls.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the compacted plant and/or algae cells have pores with a diameter of less than 5 μm or less than 3 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein each lamella independently has a thickness of 20 nm to 300 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein each lamella independently has a thickness of 100 nm to 300 nm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1 wherein the water content is less than 10 wt %.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the crystalline glucose based biopolymer comprise cellulose, alginic acid or calcium alginate, a polysaccharide of beta-1,3-xylan, and/or a polysaccharide of beta-1,4-xylan, a polysaccharide of beta-1,4-mannan.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the sugar-based biopolymers and/or phenol-based biopolymers comprise hemicellulose, pectin, ligninol, carrageenan, agar, a polysaccharide containing at least one of xylogalactoarabinan, glucuronoxylorhamnan, rhamnoxylogalactogalacturonan and 3-deoxylxo-2-heptulosaric acid or any sulfated derivative thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the plant and/or algae cells comprise plant cells, the crystalline glucose-based biopolymer comprises cellulose fibrils and the sugar-based biopolymers and/or phenol-based biopolymers comprise hemicellulose, pectin and optionally ligninol or lignin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the plant and/or algae cells comprise algae cells, the crystalline glucose based biopolymer comprises a polysaccharide and/or a glycoprotein and the sugar-based biopolymers and/or phenol-based biopolymers comprise carrageenan, agar, and/or a polysaccharide containing xylogalactoarabinan or sulfated xylogalactoarabinan.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the plant and/or algae cells comprise tobacco cells Arabidopsis cells and/or Chlamydomonas cells.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the plant and/or algae cells consist of plant cells.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, wherein the plant and/or algae cells consist of algae cells.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The biocomposite of claim 1, further comprising up to 40 wt % of an additive.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The biocomposite of claim 13, wherein the additive is a filler,

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The biocomposite of claim 14, wherein the filler is a natural or artificial fiber,

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The biocomposite of claim 14, wherein the filler is an inorganic particulate selected from carbon fiber, graphene, halloysite, montmorillonite nanoclay, iron oxide nanoparticle or a combination thereof.

### Claim 17

A biocomposite material fabrication method, comprising:
compacting along a plane a cultured biomass comprising cultured plant and/or algae cells from a suspension culture, the cultured plant and/or algae cells having a water content of at least 10 wt %, and a turgor pressure,
the compacting performed by continuously applying to the cultured biomass an increasing pressure perpendicular to the plane until reaching an applied pressure corresponding to the turgor pressure of the cultured plant and/or algae cells to provide a compacted biomass;
the method further comprising
drying the compacted biomass by
a) applying a drying pressure to the compacted biomass, and/or
b) applying a drying temperature to the compacted biomass,
to obtain a biocomposite material having water content of 0.1-15 wt %, a mass loss from the cultured biomass of 80-99 wt % and/or a dry density of 500-1500 kg/m3.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the cultured biomass has a water content of at least 60 wt %

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the increasing pressure comprises a start pressure of 5% to 15% the turgor pressure.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the increasing pressure is a linearly increasing pressure from 0.1 MPa to 0.8 MPa to 1 MPa.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the continuously applying to the cultured biomass is performed from 6 to 8 days.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the compacted biomass has a water content of at least 50 wt %.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the drying pressure is the applied pressure corresponding to the turgor pressure, or a pressure up to 2 or 3 times applied pressure corresponding to the turgor pressure.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, wherein the drying temperature ranges from 20° C. to 100° C.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, further comprising mixing at least one additive to the cultured biomass before the compacting.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The biocomposite material fabrication method of claim 17, further comprising providing the cultured biomass by preparing a suspension culture from cells from feedstock biomass comprising agricultural waste and/or agricultural residue, algae, dedicated energy crop, forestry residue, waste stream and/or re-useable carbon biosource.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

A biocomposite fabrication system comprising
a cultured biomass comprising cultured plant and/or algae cells from a suspension culture having a water content of at least 10 wt %, and
a compression tool, the compression tool configured to interact with the cultured biomass in accordance with the method of claim 17 to provide a biocomposite material having water content of 0.1-15 wt %, a mass loss from the cultured biomass of 80-99 wt % and/or a dry density of 500-1500 kg/m3.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The biocomposite fabrication system of claim 27, wherein the cultured biomass comprises cells from a feedstock biomass selected from agricultural residues, algae, dedicated energy crop, forestry residue, waste stream and/or re-useable carbon bio source.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The biocomposite fabrication system of claim 27, wherein the compression tool is a compression mold.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The biocomposite fabrication system of claim 28, wherein the compression mold is a porous compression mold.