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AssigneePolyvalor, SociéTé En Commandite
InventorsBasil D. Favis, Francisco Rodriguez, Bruce A. Ramsay
Estimating the term…
There is provided a method of preparing a thermoplastic starch and synthetic polymer blend, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a starch suspension comprising starch, water and a plasticizer, preferably glycerol; (b) obtaining a thermoplastic starch from the starch suspension by causing gelatinization and plasticization of said starch suspension by exerting heat and pressure on said starch suspension in a first extrusion unit; (c) evaporating and venting off residual water from said thermoplastic starch to obtain a substantially moisture-free thermoplastic starch; (d) obtaining a melt of a synthetic polymer or polymer blend in a second extrusion unit; and (e) combining the melt obtained from step (d) with the substantially moisture-free thermoplastic starch. Also provided are compositions of matter comprising immiscible blends of thermoplastic starches, polymers, and compatibilizers.
A composition of matter comprising a co-continuous blend of thermoplastic starch and synthetic polymer, wherein the co-continuous blend comprises a mixture of a thermoplastic starch phase and a synthetic polymer phase, and wherein both thermoplastic starch and synthetic polymer phases, when considered separately, are essentially constituted of a network of interconnected domains of thermoplastic starch and synthetic polymer, respectively, and wherein said composition is substantially water free.
A composition of matter comprising a dispersed phase of thermoplastic starch present in fiber-like strands in a primary phase of synthetic polymer, wherein said dispersed phase of thermoplastic starch is highly continuous in that it is constituted a phase of nearly all interconnected domains of thermoplastic starch such that at least 50% wt of the thermoplastic starch is accessible to extraction using an appropriate solvent in which the thermoplastic starch is soluble, and wherein said composition is substantially water free.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.