Composite materials comprising at least one thermoplastic resin and granular shive from hemp and/or flax

• US 10,450,429 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Hemp Plastic Company
• Original Assignee: Mica S.R.L.
• Inventors: Milazzo, Giovanni
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US15/562,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20180118902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/046 PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2511/10 Natural fibres, e.g. wool or cotton
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 11/00 Recovery or working-up of waste materials recovery of plastics B29B17/00; polymerisation processes involving purification or recycling of waste polymers or their depolymerisation products C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G, C08H
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/045 with vegetable or animal fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/047 with mixed fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/00 Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/14 containing polymeric additives characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/04 Starch derivatives , e.g. crosslinked derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 55/02 ABS [Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene] polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 97/02 : Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N

Abstract

A composite material may include at least one thermoplastic resin; and from 5 to 180 parts by weight of granular shive from hemp and/or flax, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, with particles having an average particle size lower than 0.2 millimeters (mm). A method for the manufacture of a composite material may include: melting the at least one thermoplastic resin; mixing the at least one molten resin with from 5 to 180 parts by weight, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, of granular shive from hemp and/or flax with an average particle size lower than 0.2 mm; and cooling the mixture obtained in order to form the composite material.

Claims

1. A composite material, comprising:

at least one thermoplastic resin; and

from 5 parts by weight to 180 parts by weight of granular shive from hemp and/or flax, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, with particles of the shive having an average particle size lower than 0.2 millimeters (mm);

wherein the particles of the shive have an aspect ratio from 0.8 to 1.2.

2. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the average particle size is lower than 0.1 mm.

3. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising;

from 0.1 parts by weight to 60 parts by weight of bast fibers from hemp and/or flax having a length from 0.5 centimeters (cm) to 4 cm.

4. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin is of natural or synthetic origin.

5. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of synthetic origin is selected from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer, polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, or ethylene-propylene copolymer.

6. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of natural origin is selected from polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), modified starches, or polyethylene from bioethanol.

7. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising:

a component, with an average particle size lower than 0.2 mm, derived from coconut shell.

8. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising:

a binding agent selected from alkali metal oxides and/or alkaline-earth metal oxides.

11. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio is from 0.9 to 1.1.

12. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising:

from 0.1 parts by weight to 60 parts by weight of bast fibers from hemp and/or flax having a length from 0.6 centimeters (cm) to 2 cm.

13. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of natural origin comprises polylactic acid (PLA).

14. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising:

calcium oxide.

15. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising:

a component, with an average particle size lower than 0.1 mm, derived from coconut shell.

9. A method for manufacturing a composite material comprising at least one thermoplastic resin, and from 5 parts by weight to 180 parts by weight of granular shive from hemp and/or flax, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, with particles of the shive having an average particle size lower than 0.2 millimeters (mm), the method comprising:

melting the at least one thermoplastic resin;

mixing the melted at least one thermoplastic resin with the from 5 parts by weight to 180 parts by weight, with respect to the 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, of the granular shive from hemp and/or flax with the average particle size lower than 0.2 mm; and

cooling the mixture obtained in order to form the composite material; and

wherein the particles of the shive have an aspect ratio from 0.8 to 1.2.

10. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) object using fused deposition modeling, the method comprising:

providing a filament of composite material;

directing the filament to an application head, where the filament is melted and placed on a platform by nozzles; and

forming subsequent layers of the 3D object according to a 3D model of the 3D object;

wherein the composite material comprises;

at least one thermoplastic resin; and

from 5 parts by weight to 180 parts by weight of granular shive from hemp and/or flax, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the at least one thermoplastic resin, with particles of the shive having an average particle size lower than 0.2 millimeters (mm); and

wherein the particles of the shive have an aspect ratio from 0.8 to 1.2.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the composite material further comprises from 0.1 parts by weight to 60 parts by weight of bast fibers from hemp and/or flax having a length from 0.5 centimeters (cm) to 4 cm.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin is of natural or synthetic origin.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of synthetic origin comprises one or more of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer, polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, or ethylene-propylene copolymer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of natural origin comprises one or more of polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), modified starches, or polyethylene from bioethanol.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one thermoplastic resin of natural origin comprises polylactic acid (PLA).