Biodecomposable or biodisintegrable moldable material

• US 5,206,087 A
• Filed: 02/26/1991
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chuokagaku Limited, Director-General of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: Chuokagaku Limited, Director-General of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masahiro, Koyama, Masatoshi, Tokiwa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Hoa T.
• Application Number:
  US07/659,958
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 428/403, 428/35.6, 428/35.7, 428/36.4, 428/407, 428/317.9, 428/318.4, 428/331, 428/327, 428/903, 428/325, 220/DIG. 30, 526/914
• US Class Current: 428/403
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/00 Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2201/06 Biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/26 Natural polymers, natural resins or derivatives thereof according to C08L1/00 - C08L5/00, C08L89/00, C08L93/00, C08L97/00 or C08L99/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/903 Microfiber, less than 100 micron diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1348 Cellular material derived from plant or animal source [e.g., wood, cotton, wool, leather, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1372 Randomly noninterengaged or randomly contacting fibers, filaments, particles, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/252 Glass or ceramic [i.e., fired or glazed clay, cement, etc.] [porcelain, quartz, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/254 Polymeric or resinous material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/259 Silicic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

A biodecomposable or biodisintegrable moldable material which comprises a mixture of 10-70 vol. % of a natural high molecular substance, 30-70 vol. % of a thermoplastic resin and 0-45 vol. % of a filler.

Claims

1. A biodecomposable or biodisintegrable moldable material in the form of porous granules each having a diameter of 0.1-20 mm and including (a) a plurality of thermoplastic resin particles which are fuse-bonded to each other, (b) a naturally-occurring high molecular weight substance which is in the form of particles having an average volume within the range of 4.2×

1/10³ μ

m³ -520×

10³ μ

m³ or in the form of fibers having a diameter of less than 100 μ

m and a length of less than 10 mm, and (c) a filler which is in the form of particles having an average volume within the range of 4.2×

1/10³ μ

m³ -910×

10³ μ

m³ or in the form of fibers having a diameter of less than 100 μ

m and a length of less than 10 mm, said naturally-occurring high molecular weight substance and said filler being attached to the outer surfaces of said thermoplastic resin particles, said thermoplastic resin, said naturally-occurring high molecular weight substance and said filler being present in amounts of 30-70% by volume, 10-70% by volume and 0-45% by volume, respectively.

2. A biodecomposable moldable material according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is a biodecomposable resin.

3. A moldable material according to claim 2 wherein said biodecomposable resin is selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxybutyrate derivatives, polycaprolactones, polyethyleneadipate, aliphatic polyesters, and copolymers of cycloaliphatic polyesters with other thermoplastic resins.

4. A biodisintegrable moldable material according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is a mixed resin of a biodecomposable resin and a non-biodecomposable resin.

5. A moldable material according to claim 4 wherein said biodecomposable resin is a member selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxybutyrate derivatives, polycaprolactones, polyethyleneadipate, aliphatic polyesters, and copolymers of cycloaliphatic polyesters with other thermoplastic resins and wherein said non-biodecomposable resin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyesters, vinyl resins, styrene resins, polyamides and polycarbonates.

6. A biodisintegrable moldable material according to claim 4, wherein the proportion of the biodecomposable resin in the mixed resin is 1-80 tw. % based on the total weight of the mixed resin.

7. A moldable material according to claim 1 wherein said naturally-occurring high molecular weight substance is selected from the group consisting of starches, starch copolymers with vinyl monomers, plant powders, cellulosic fibers, gums, animal proteins and plant proteins.

8. A biodecomposable or biodisintegrable molded article obtained from the biodecomposable or biodisintegrable moldable material as set forth in claim 1.

9. A molded article according to claim 8, wherein the article has a moisture-proof film on the surface thereof.

10. A biodecomposable or biodisintegrable moldable material in the form of porous granules, each of said granules having a diameter of 0.1-20 mm and including 30-80% by volume of a plurality of biodegradable, thermoplastic resin particles which are fuse bonded to each other and 20-70% by volume of a filler which is in the form of particles having an average volume within the range of 4.2×

1/10³ μ

m-910×

10³ μ

m³ or in the form of fibers having a diameter of less than 100 μ

m and a length of less than 10 mm and which is attached to the outer surfaces of said thermoplastic resin particles.

11. A biodecomposable molded article obtained from the biodisintegrable moldable material as set forth in claim 10.

12. A moldable material according to claim 10 wherein said filler is selected from the group consisting of talc, calcium carbonate, clay, silica, alumina, glass powder, metal powder, thermocurable resin powder, mica, metal flake, glass fibers, carbonaceous fibers and mineral fibers.