Degradation control of environmentally degradable disposable materials
AssigneeCargill Dow Polymers, LLC
InventorsDonald M. Bigg, Richard G. Sinclair, Edward S. Lipinsky, John H. Litchfield, Billy R. Allen
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method for reducing waste accumulation by using an environmentally degradable disposable material. The disposable material, which includes a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer, degrades hydrolytically during operative and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of the material is accelerated relative to the operative degradation rate of the material.
Claims159
A method for reducing waste accumulation comprising using an environmentally degradable disposable material, wherein said material comprises a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer and wherein said material degrades hydrolytically during storage, use and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of said material is accelerated relative to the average of the storage and use degradation rates of said material, and wherein said average of said storage and said use degradation rates is less than about 50 percent of said disposal degradation rate.
A method for producing an environmentally degradable disposable material comprising:
- (I) providing a material comprising a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer that hydrolytically degrades during operative and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of said material is accelerated relative to the operative degradation rate of said material, and wherein the operative degradation rates is less than about 50 percent of the disposal degradation rate;
- and
- (II) selecting at least one step from the group consisting of:
- (a) adding at least one activator compound to said material;
- (b) adding at least one blotting compound to said material;
- (c) coating said material with at least one coating compound;
- (d) producing a material comprising a copolymer;
- (e) adding at least one platicizer to said material;
- (f) decreasing the crystallinity of said material;
- (g) increasing the free volume of said material;
- (h) decreasing the orientation of said material;
- (i) decreasing the molecular weight of said material;
- (j) increasing the surface area of said material
- (k) applying a stress to said material;
- (l) adding at least one hydrophobic compound to said material;
- (m) adding at least one end-capping agent to said material;
- and
- (n) cross-linking said material.
An environmentally degradable disposable material comprising a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer, wherein said material degrades hydrolytically during operative and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of said material is accelerated relative to the operative degradation rate of said material, and wherein said operative degradation rate is less than about 50 percent of said disposal degradation rate.
The disposable material of 101, wherein said material is capable of being about 100 percent hydrolytically degraded after discard.
An environmentally degradable disposable material comprising a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer, wherein said material degrades hydrolytically during operative and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of said material is accelerated relative to the operative degradation rate of said material, wherein said operative degradation rate is less than about 50 percent of said disposal degradation rate and wherein said material is produced by a method comprising at least one step selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) adding at least one activator compound to said material;
- (b) adding at least one blotting compound to said material;
- (c) coating said material with at least one coating compound;
- (d) producing a material comprising a copolymer;
- (e) adding at least one platicizer to said material;
- (f) decreasing the crystallinity of said material;
- (g) increasing the free volume of said material;
- (h) decreasing the orientation of said material;
- (i) decreasing the molecular weight of said material;
- (j) increasing the surface area of said material
- (k) applying a stress to said material;
- (l) adding at least one hydrophobic compound to said material;
- (m) adding at least one end-capping agent to said material;
- and
- (n) cross-linking said material.
The disposable material of claim herein said material is at least about 98 percent hydrolytically degraded within about five years after discard.
An environmentally degradable disposable material comprising a hydroxycarboxylic acid-containing polymer, wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, L-lactide, D-lactide, D,L-lactide, and mixtures thereof, wherein said material degrades hydrolytically during operative and disposal stages in a controlled manner such that the disposal degradation rate of said material is accelerated relative to the operative degradation rate of said material, and wherein said operative degradation rate is less than about 50 percent of said disposal degradation rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.