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AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsJames H. Wang, Gregory J. Wideman, Bo Shi, Sarah A. Funk
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An injection molding material that includes a renewable resin containing a combination of renewable polymers (e.g., starch and plant protein) and a plasticizer is provided. Although such compounds are normally difficult to process into thermoplastics, the present inventors have discovered that injection molding materials may nevertheless be formed by melt blending the renewable resin with a synthetic resin (e.g., polyolefin) while selectively controlling the nature of the resins and their relative concentrations. In this manner, a morphology may be achieved in which the renewable resin is present as a discontinuous phase that is dispersed within a continuous phase of the synthetic resin (e.g., “island-in-the-sea” morphology). The discontinuous and continuous phases may each constitute from about 30 vol. % to about 70 vol. %, and in some embodiments, from about 40 vol. % to about 60 vol. %. With such a morphology, the continuity of the synthetic resin can minimize the aggregate properties of the renewable resin such that the molding material possesses melt properties similar to that of the synthetic resin. Further, this morphology may also minimize the need to use different molding tools as the shrinkage properties of the overall composition may be substantially similar to that of the synthetic resin.
An injection molding material comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of a renewable resin and from about 50 wt. % to about 95 wt. % of a synthetic resin, wherein the renewable resin contains a chemically modified starch component in an amount from about 25 wt. % to about 85 wt. %, wherein the chemically modified starch component comprises a starch ether, a starch ester, or a combination thereof, a plant protein component in an amount from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, and a plasticizer component in an amount from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of the renewable resin.
An injection molded article formed from a material comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of a renewable resin and from about 50 wt. % to about 95 wt. % of a synthetic resin, wherein the renewable resin contains a chemically modified starch component in an amount from about 25 wt. % to about 85 wt. %, wherein the chemically modified starch component comprises a starch ether, a starch ester, or a combination thereof, a plant protein component in an amount from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, and a plasticizer component in an amount from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of the renewable resin.
A method for forming a molded article, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.