Composition for use in biodegradable articles and method of use

• US 7,553,363 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Availa Bank (Carroll County Bancshares, Inc. (Iowa))
• Original Assignee: Biosphere Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Helou, Elie Jr., Dellinger, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Brunsman; David M
• Application Number:
  US10/928,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20050089606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 106/126.1, 106/127.7, 106/132.1, 106/133.1, 106/137.1, 106/141.1, 106/145.1, 106/162.51, 106/205.1, 106/206.1, 106/209.1, 106/214.1, 106/215.1, 106/216.1, 106/217.01, 524/9, 524/21, 524/35, 524/55, 523/128
• US Class Current: 106/162.51
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• 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: C08L 3/02 Starch; Degradation products thereof, e.g. dextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/00 Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof foodstuff preparations A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/005 Casein

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for use in making a starch-based food or beverage container, the formulation allowing the container to be water resistant for a usable amount of time without the need for coatings or similar. An embodiment of the formulation comprising water, native and pregelatinized starch, an insolubilizing compound, proteins or natural polymeric compounds, fibers, a wax emulsion, and a fiber-sizing agent.

Claims

1. A composition for use in making a biodegradable container comprising:

water;

starch, wherein the starch comprises pregelatinized and native starch and wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 0% to less than 30% by weight of the total starch in the composition;

fibers, wherein a dispersion of the composition is such that the fibers are substantially separated from one another throughout a starch based matrix; and

a wax.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 5% to less than 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 7% to less than 15% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

4. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an insolubilizing compound and wherein the insolubilizing compound comprises an aqueous solution containing modified ethandial, glyoxal-based reagents, ammonium zirconium carbonate, potassium zirconium carbonate or polyamide-epichlorohydrin compounds.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.05% to about 3.0% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

6. The composition of claim 4 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration less than 20% by weight of total starch in the composition.

7. The composition of claim 4 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

8. The composition of claim 1 further comprising casein and latex.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the latex is natural uncured latex.

10. The composition of claim 8 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is in a range between about 1 to 1 and about 2 to 1.

11. The composition of claim 8 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is in a range between about 1.2 to 1 and about 1.8 to 1.

12. The composition of claim 8 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is about 1.45 to 1.

13. The composition of claim 1 wherein the fibers comprise long fibers having a length of more than 4 mm, medium fibers having a length of 0.5 to 4 mm, and short fibers having a length of less than 0.5 mm.

14. The composition of claim 13 wherein the fibers comprise natural fibrous materials.

15. The composition of claim 14 wherein the fibers have an average fiber length less than about 2 mm.

16. The composition of claim 15 wherein the fibers have an average aspect ratio in the range of 5:

1 to 25;

1.

17. The composition of claim 1 comprising filler material.

18. The composition of claim 17 wherein the filler material is organic.

19. The composition of claim 17 wherein the filler material comprises calcium carbonate, silica, calcium sulfate hydrate, magnesium silicate, micaceous minerals, clay minerals, titanium dioxide or talc.

20. The composition of claim 17 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 25% by dry weight of the composition.

21. The composition of claim 17 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 5%by dry weight of the composition.

22. The composition of claim 17 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 10% by dry weight of the composition.

23. The composition of claim 1 wherein the fibers comprise fibers from grasses or reeds.

24. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises fibers available as the by product of agricultural production.

25. The composition of claim 1 wherein the wax comprises paraffin or microcrystalline wax.

26. The composition of claim 25 further comprising rosin.

27. The composition of claim 1 wherein the wax comprises natural wax.

28. The composition of claim 1 wherein the wax comprises hydrocarbon wax.

29. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a fiber sizing agent, wherein the fiber sizing agent forms a coating on at least a portion of the surface of at least a portion of the fibers to serve as an adhesion promoter, to protect the surface of the fibers from damage, as an aid in handling, to add strength or stiffness to the fiber, or to reduce absorbency.

30. The composition of claim 29 wherein the fiber sizing agent comprises alkylketene dimer emulsion, alkenyl succinic anhydride, styrene acrylate copolymer or alkylated melamine.

31. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a mold release agent.

32. The composition of claim 31 wherein the mold release agent comprises magnesium stearate, talc, fats or oils.

33. A composition for use in making biodegradable containers comprising:

water;

starch, wherein the starch comprises pregelatinized and native starch and wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 0% to less than 30% by weight of the total starch in the composition;

an insolubilizing compound, wherein the insolubilizing compound comprises an aqueous solution comprising polyamide-epichlorohydrin compounds;

fibers, wherein a dispersion of the composition is such that the fibers are substantially seperated from one another throughout a starch based matrix;

a wax; and

a mold release agent.

34. The composition of claim 33 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 5% to less than 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

35. The composition of claim 33 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 7% to less than 15% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

36. The composition of claim 33 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.5% to about 3.0% by weight of total starch in the composition.

37. The composition of claim 36 wherein the fibers comprise long fibers having a length of more than 4 mm, medium fibers having a length of 0.05 to 4 mm, and short fibers having a length of less than 0.5 mm.

38. The composition of claim 37 wherein the fibers comprise natural fibrous materials.

39. The composition of claim 38 wherein the fibers have an average fiber length less than about 2 mm.

40. The composition of claim 39 wherein the fibers have an average aspect ratio in the range of 5:

1 to 25;

1.

41. The composition of claim 36 comprising filler material.

42. The composition of claim 41 wherein the filler material is organic.

43. The composition of claim 41 wherein the filler material comprises calcium carbonate, silica, calcium sulfate hydrate, magnesium silicate, micaceous minerals, clay minerals, titanium dioxide or talc.

44. The composition of claim 41 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 25% by dry weight of the composition.

45. The composition of claim 41 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 5% by dry weight of the composition.

46. The composition of claim 41 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 10% by dry weight of the composition.

47. The composition of claim 36 wherein the wax-comprises paraffin or microcrystalline wax.

48. The composition of claim 47 further comprising rosin.

49. The composition of claim 36 wherein the wax comprises natural wax.

50. The composition of claim 36 wherein the wax comprises hydrocarbon wax.

51. The composition of claim 36 further comprising a fiber sizing agent, wherein the fiber sizing agent forms a coating on at least a portion of the surface of at least a portion of the fibers to serve as an adhesion promoter, to protect the surface of the fibers from damage, as an aid in handling, to add strength or stiffness to the fiber, or to reduce absorbency.

52. The composition of claim 51 wherein the fiber sizing agent comprises alkylketene dimer emulsion, alkenyl succinic anhydride, styrene acrylate copolymer or alkylated melamine.

53. The composition of claim 36 wherein the mold release agent comprises magnesium stearate, talc, fats or oils.

54. The composition of claim 33 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration less than 20% by weight of total starch in the composition.

55. The composition of claim 54 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

56. The composition of claim 33 further comprising casein and latex.

57. The composition of claim 56 wherein the latex is natural uncured latex.

58. The composition of claim 56 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is in a range between about 1 to 1 and about 2 to 1.

59. The composition of claim 56 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is in a range between about 1.2 to 1 and about 1.8 to 1.

60. The composition of claim 56 wherein the ratio of latex solids to casein solids is about 1.45 to 1.

61. The composition of claim 33 wherein the fibers comprise fibers from grasses or reeds.

62. The composition of claim 33 wherein the composition comprises fibers available as the by product of agricultural production.

63. A composition for use in making biodegradable containers comprising:

water;

starch comprising pregelatinized and native starch wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 0% to less than 30% by weight of the total starch in the composition;

an insolubilizing compound comprising an aqueous solution comprising polyamide-epichlorohydrine compounds;

natural fibers, wherein a dispersion of the composition is such that the fibers are substantially separated from one another throughout a starch based matrix.

64. The composition of claim 63 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 5% to less than 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

65. The composition of claim 63 wherein the pregelatinized starch is in a range from more than 7% to less than 15% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

66. The composition of claim 63 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration less than 20% by weight of total starch in the composition.

67. The composition of claim 63 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the total starch in the composition.

68. The composition of claim 63 wherein the insolubilizing compound is in a concentration in a range from about 0.5% to about 3.0% by weight of total starch in the composition.

69. The composition of claim 63 further comprising a wax.

70. The composition of claim 69 wherein the wax comprises paraffin or microcrystalline wax.

71. The composition of claim 69 further comprising rosin.

72. The composition of claim 69 wherein the wax comprises natural wax.

73. The composition of claim 69 wherein the wax comprises hydrocarbon wax.

74. The composition of claim 63 wherein the fibers comprise long fibers having a length of more than 4 mm, medium fibers having a length of 0.05 to 4 mm, and short fibers having a length of less than 0.5 mm.

75. The composition of claim 63 wherein the fibers have an average fiber length less than about 2 mm.

76. The composition of claim 75 wherein the fibers have an average aspect ratio in the range of 5:

1 to 25;

1.

77. The composition of claim 63 further comprising a mold release agent.

78. The composition of claim 77, wherein the mold release agent comprises magnesium stearate, talc, fats or oils.

79. The composition of claim 63 further comprising a fiber sizing agent, wherein a fiber sizing agent comprises alkylketene dimer emulsion, alkenyl succinic anhydride, styrene acrylate copolymer or alkylated melamine.

80. The composition of claim 63 further comprising filler material.

81. The composition of claim 80 wherein the filler material is organic.

82. The composition of claim 80 wherein the filler material comprises calcium carbonate, silica, calcium sulfate hydrate, magnesium silicate, micaceous minerals, clay minerals, titanium dioxide or talc.

83. The composition of claim 80 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 25% by dry weight of the composition.

84. The composition of claim 80 further comprising short fibers, wherein the filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 5% by dry weight of the composition.

85. The composition of claim 80 further comprising short fibers, wherein filler material and/or short fibers have a combined concentration less than 20% and greater than 10% by dry weight of the composition.