Melt processable starch composition

• US 7,041,369 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: James, Michael David, Mackey, Larry Neil, Bailey, Valerie Ann, Trokhan, Paul Dennis, Gordon, Gregory Charles, Michael, John Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODWARD, ANA LUCRECIA
• Application Number:
  US10/220,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 428/373, 524/47, 523/220, 127/32, 127/67, 127/71, 127/29, 521/109.1
• US Class Current: 428/373
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/20 containing organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/28 Polysaccharides or their derivatives A61L15/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/42 Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties liquid bandages A61L26/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2303/02 Starch; Degradation products thereof, e.g. dextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/02 Starch; Degradation products thereof, e.g. dextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/12 Amylose; Amylopectin; Degradation products thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/10 with at least one other macromolecular compound obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds as constituent
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/00 Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 Fibers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249924 Noninterengaged fiber-containing paper-free web or sheet which is not of specified porosity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/268 Monolayer with structurally defined element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2857 including metal or compound thereof or natural rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 Physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3146 Strand material is composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3171 : Strand material is a blend of polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 : Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/637 : Including strand or fiber material which is a monofilament composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/642 : Strand or fiber material is a blend of polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/643 : Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/68 : Melt-blown nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/681 : Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/697 : Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/698 : Containing polymeric and natural strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/699 : Including particulate material other than strand or fiber material

Abstract

The present invention relates to starch compositions which contain starch and additives. The starch has a weight average molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 2,000,000. The additives can be plasticizers or diluents. The composition containing the starch and the additive is formed by means of passing the composition through a die to produce fibers, foams or films. These compositions have an extensional viscosity in the range from about 50 to about 20,000 pascal seconds. The starch compositions preferably contain a polymer that is substantially compatible with starch and has a weight-average molecular weight of at least 500,000.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a starch, wherein said composition has an extensional viscosity in the range of from about 50 pascal•

seconds to about 20,000 pascal•

seconds and wherein said composition exhibits a capillary number of at least 1.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the starch has a molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 2,000,000 and wherein from about 20 to about 99 wt % of the starch is amylopectin.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the capillary number ranges from about 1 to about 100.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein said composition comprises from about 70% to about 95% by weight of the composition of the starch and from about 5% to about 30% by weight of the composition of an additive and wherein said composition has an extensional viscosity in the range of from about 100 pascal•

seconds to about 15,000 pascal•

seconds.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the composition is processed at a temperature ranging from about 80°

C. to about 180°

C.

6. The composition of claim 3 wherein said composition comprises from about 40% to about 70% by weight of the composition of the starch and from about 30% to about 60% by weight of the composition of an additive and wherein said composition has an extensional viscosity in the range of from about 100 pascal•

seconds to about 15,000 pascal•

seconds.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the composition is processed at a temperature ranging from about 80°

C. to about 140°

C.

8. The composition of claim 6 wherein said composition has an extensional viscosity in the range of from about 200 pascal•

seconds to about 10,000 pascal•

seconds and a capillary number in the range of from about 3 to about 50.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein said composition has an extensional viscosity in the range of from about 300 pascal•

seconds to about 5000 pascal•

seconds and a capillary number ranging from about 5 to about 30.

10. The composition of claim 9 which has a Trouton ratio in the range of from about 3 to about 10,000 when measured at 90°

C. and 700 s<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the starch ranges from about 2,000 to about 500,000.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the composition comprises from about 45 to about 65% by weight of the composition of the starch and from about 35% to about 55% by weight of the composition of the additive.

13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the additive comprises water.

14. A fiber, filament foam and/or film prepared by a process comprising:

(1) forming a composition comprising;

(a) from about 5% to about 99.99% by weight of the compositions of a starch, wherein the starch has a weight-average molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 2,000,000; and

(b) from about 0.001% to about 95% by weight of the composition of an additive selected from the group consisting of plasticizers and diluents; and

(2) passing said composition, which has a capillary number of at least 1, through a die to produce the fiber, filament foam and/or film.

15. A composition comprising a starch, wherein said composition exhibits a capillary number of at least 1.

16. A process for making a fiber from a starch composition comprising a starch, wherein said process comprises the step of spinning the starch composition into a fiber, wherein the starch composition exhibits a capillary number of at least 1.