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US 2024/0270966 A1Published application
Method to produce a casein-based biopolymer matrix fiber and thermal and acoustic insulating panel made with said fiber
AssigneesPolitecnico Di Milano, Universita' Degli Studi Della Basilicata
InventorsAngelo LUCCHINI, Enrico Sergio MAZZUCCHELLI, Antonello PAGLIUCA, Donato GALLO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns the production of a rigid or flexible thermal and acoustic insulating panel, made with one or more casein-based biopolymer matrix fibers, thermoset with a reduced percentage of thermoplastic fibers or bio-based and biodegradable binders.
Claims12
1:
- Method to produce a biopolymer matrix fiber (2), comprising a step of solubilizing casein (5) in a basic solution in aqueous solution comprising an amphoteric metal (6) and a base selected from hydroxides, a step of polymerizing the casein (5) in a first acid solution (9) in order to form a fiber (10), and a step of setting said fiber (10) in a second acid solution (12) different from the first acid solution (9).
2:
- Method as in claim 1, characterized in that the amphoteric metal (6) is copper carbonate.
3:
- Method as in claim 1, characterized in that the base is selected from sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide.
4:
- Method as in claim 1, characterized in that the step of solubilizing the casein (5) in the basic solution comprises a first sub-step of solubilizing the casein (5) in aqueous solution of the base, and a second sub-step of putting in the presence of the amphoteric metal (6).
5:
- Method as in claim 1, characterized in that the polymerization step provides a first sub-step of forming the casein (5), and a second sub-step of immersing the casein (5) in the first acid solution (9).
6:
- Method as in claim 5, characterized in that the sub-step of forming and the second sub-step of immersing are simultaneous.
7:
- Method as in claim 1, characterized in that the step of setting provides a crosslinking of the casein fiber (10) in a solution (12) of one or more of amongst carboxylic acids and polycarboxylic acids.
8:
- Insulating panel (1) characterized in that it is made up of one or more casein-based fibers (2) obtained by means of the method as in claim 1.
9:
- Insulating panel (1) as in claim 8, characterized in that it comprises biopolymer-based and biodegradable thermoplastic or binding fibers (3).
10:
- Insulating panel (1) as in claim 9, characterized in that the thermoplastic or binding fibers (3) are selected from polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, mixtures of vegetable origin such as pectin, cellulose and starch, and mixtures of animal origin such as chitin and whey proteins.
11:
- Use of casein in the form of fiber (2) to make a fibrous matrix thermoacoustic insulating panel (1), wherein the casein fiber (2) is obtained by means of the method as in claim 1.
12:
- Use as in claim 11, wherein the fiber (2) is made by means of a method as in claim 1.