Biodegradable Products and Methods of Production
AssigneesRJSalter, LLC, Eastman Chemical Company
InventorsRobert SALTER, Jos Simon DE WIT, Andrew Ervin MCLEOD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example biodegradable tubular members and methods of producing biodegradable tubular members are described. A biodegradable product includes an elongated tubular member. The elongated tubular member includes one or more cellulose esters and a plurality of pores in the tubular member. The plurality of pores are sized and structured in the elongated tubular member to allow permeation or infiltration of at least one of water or bacteria into at least a portion of the plurality of pores and promote biodegradability of the elongated tubular member.
Claims32
A biodegradable product comprising:
- an elongated tubular member including one or more cellulose esters and a plurality of pores in the elongated tubular member;
- wherein the plurality of pores are sized and structured in the elongated tubular member to allow permeation or infiltration of at least one of water or bacteria into at least a portion of the plurality of pores and promote biodegradability of the elongated tubular member, and
- wherein the elongated tubular member is configured as a drinking straw.
(canceled)
6-9. (canceled)
11-13. (canceled)
15-18. (canceled)
(canceled)
24-31. (canceled)
A process for producing a biodegradable elongated tubular member, the process comprising:
- providing a cellulosic dope composition comprising a biodegradable cellulosic component dissolved in one or more solvents, said biodegradable cellulosic component comprising one or more cellulose esters;
- processing the cellulosic dope composition to form a tubular shape;
- transferring the one or more solvents from the tubular shaped cellulosic dope composition by mass transfer into a solvent capturing medium that comprises one or more non-solvents that removes the one or more solvents from the cellulosic dope composition to form a substantially solid tube having a plurality of pores;
- and
- cutting the substantially solid tube such that the elongated tubular member is sized and dimensioned as a drinking straw.
(canceled)
36-39. (canceled)
41-43. (canceled)
46-47. (canceled)
(canceled)
53-58. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.