Compositions and methods for manufacturing thermoplastic starch blends
AssigneeBiotec Biologische Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsJurgen Lorcks, Winfried Pommeranz, Harald Schmidt
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Abstract
A biologically degradable polymer mixture containing at least one biopolymer made from renewable raw materials and a polymer selected from the following materials: an aromatic polyester; a polyester-copolymer with both aliphatic and aromatic blocks; a polyesteramide; a polyglycol; a polyester urethane; and/or mixtures of these components. The preferred renewable raw material is starch, more preferably native starch, most preferably native starch that has been predried.
Claims33
A method of manufacturing an at least partially biodegradable thermoplastic starch/polymer blend comprising:
- (a) combining starch and at least one plasticizing agent under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch melt having a water content of less than 5% by weight while in a melted state;
- and
- (b) combining at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aromatic polyesters, polyester copolymers having both aliphatic and aromatic blocks, polyester amides, polyethylene oxide polymers, polyglycols, and polyester urethanes with the thermoplastic starch melt under conditions that result in the formation of the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend,
- wherein the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend includes a thermoplastic starch portion, comprising the starch and plasticizing agent, in an amount in a range from about 10% to about 95% by weight of the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend.
A method of manufacturing an at least partially biodegradable thermoplastic starch/polymer blend comprising:
- (a) mixing starch and at least one plasticizing agent under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch melt;
- (b) mixing at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aromatic polyesters, polyester copolymers having both aliphatic and aromatic blocks, polyester amides, polyethylene oxide polymers, polyglycols, and polyester urethanes with the thermoplastic starch melt under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch/polymer melt having a water content of less than about 1% by weight and
- (c) cooling the thermoplastic starch/polymer melt with water in order to solidify the blend and allow it to reabsorb water so that the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend has a final water content in a range from about 1% to about 6% by weight when solidified.
A method of manufacturing at least partially biodegradable thermoplastic starch/polymer blends comprising:
- (a) mixing starch and at least one plasticizing agent under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch melt;
- (b) mixing at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aromatic polyesters, polyester copolymers having both aliphatic and aromatic blocks, polyester amides, polyethylene oxide polymers, polyglycols, and polyester urethanes with the thermoplastic starch melt under conditions that result in the formation of the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend and of a phase mediator dispersed therein comprising at least one condensation reaction product of starch and the at least one polymer.
A method of manufacturing an at least partially biodegradable thermoplastic starch/polymer blend comprising:
- (a) mixing starch and at least one plasticizing agent under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch melt;
- (b) mixing at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of aromatic polyesters, polyester copolymers having both aliphatic and aromatic blocks, polyester amides, polyethylene oxide polymers, polyglycols, and polyester urethanes with the thermoplastic starch melt under conditions that result in the formation of a thermoplastic starch/polymer melt;
- and
- (c) cooling the thermoplastic starch/polymer melt with water in order to solidify the blend and allow it to reabsorb water so that the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend has a final water content in a range from about 1% to about 6% by weight when solidified,
- wherein the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend includes a thermoplastic starch portion, comprising the starch and plasticizing agent, in an amount in a range from about 10% to about 95% by weight of the thermoplastic starch/polymer blend, and wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out, at least in part, at one or more temperatures in a range from about 120° to about 260° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.