Polymer composition and molded articles produced therefrom

• US 8,496,748 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smartfiber AG
• Original Assignee: Smartfiber AG
• Inventors: Zikeli, Stefan, Endl, Thomas, Martl, Michael Gert
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, Carol M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoban, Matthew E
• Application Number:
  US13/049,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 106/162.2, 106/162.5, 106/162.71, 106/162.9, 442/414, 162/157.6, 162/157.7
• US Class Current: 106/162.71
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/007 for continuous mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/42 with screw or helix
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/48 with intermeshing devices, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/885 with means for treating, e.g. milling, the charges B29B7/905 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/92 Wood chips or wood fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/26 Carbonates; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/00 Compositions of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2201/06 Biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/04 Alginic acid; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/08 Chitin; Chondroitin sulfate; Hyaluronic acid; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/00 Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof foodstuff preparations A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 1/10 Other agents for modifying properties
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/00 Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/06 from viscose
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/10 Addition to the spinning solution or spinning bath of substances which exert their effect equally well in either
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/448 Yarns or threads for use in medical applications D02G3/449 takes precedence; surgical suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/01 : Natural vegetable fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/02 : Cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/24 : Viscose
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/28 : Cellulose esters or ethers, e.g. cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/022 : polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/10 : polymers of unsaturated nitriles, e.g. polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene cyanide
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/02 : polyamides D10B2331/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/04 : polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/06 : Details of garments
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2503/06 : Bed linen
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/08 : Upholstery, mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 : Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2915 : including textile, cloth or fabric
• 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 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• 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 442/637 : 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 442/696 : Including strand or fiber material which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous compositions, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/699 : Including particulate material other than strand or fiber material

Abstract

The invention relates to a polymer composition formed from a biologically degradable polymer and a material from sea plants and/or shells of sea animals or at least two components selected from the group consisting of saccharides and the derivatives thereof, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and metal ions. The invention additionally relates to a molded article formed from the polymer composition. The molded article may be packaging material or fibrous material, in the form of fibrous material as a mixing component for the production of yarns, and in the form of fibrous material for the production of nonwoven fabrics or woven fabrics.

Claims

1. Fibers comprising a polymer composition that comprises a biologically degradable polymer selected from the group consisting of cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof and a filler chosen from sea plant particles, ground shells of sea animals and mixtures thereof.

2. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein the sea plant particles comprise at least one of algae, kelp, seaweed and mixtures thereof.

3. The fibers according to claim 2, wherein the sea plant particles comprise at least one of brown algae, kelp, seaweed and mixtures thereof.

4. The fibers according to claim 2, wherein the sea plant particles have a particle size of approximately 6 μ

m to approximately 10 μ

m.

5. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein the ground shells of sea animals comprise at least one of ground shells of shrimps, crabs, lobsters, crawfish, crustaceans and mussels and mixtures thereof.

6. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein the sea plant particles, ground shells of sea animals or both are provided in an amount of 0.1 to 30 weight % based on the weight of the biologically degradable polymer.

7. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein the biologically degradable polymer comprises cellulose and the sea plant particles comprise algae.

8. A woven or knitted fabric comprising fibers according to claim 1.

9. A nonwoven fabric comprising fibers according to claim 1.

10. The fabric according to claim 8, wherein the fabric is woven fabric.

11. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sea plant particles or ground shells of sea animals have a particle size in the range of 200 μ

m to 400 μ

m or 150 μ

m to 300 μ

M.

12. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sea plant particles or ground shells of sea animals have a particle size of 1 μ

m to 100 μ

m.

13. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sea plant particles or ground shells of sea animals have a particle size of 0.1 μ

m to 1.0 μ

m.

14. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein said polymer composition further comprises at least two components selected from the group consisting of saccharides and derivatives thereof, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and metal ions.

15. The fibers according to claim 14, wherein said vitamins are selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, tocopherol, carotene, vitamin B3, vitamin K, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid, folinic acid, biotin, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

16. The fibers according to claim 14, wherein said metal ions are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, barium, boron, calcium, chromium, iron, germanium, gold, potassium, cobalt, copper, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, rubidium, selenium, silicon, titan, vanadium, tungsten, zinc and tin.

17. The fibers according to claim 14, wherein said saccharides or derivatives thereof are selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

18. The fibers according to claim 14, wherein said saccharides or derivatives thereof are mixtures containing alginic acid, laminarin, mannitol and methylpentosanes.

19. The fibers according to claim 14, wherein the proteins contain alanine, arginine, asparagic acid, glutamic acid, glycin, leucine, lysine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine and methionine.

21. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein said fiber exhibits smaller fibrillation than a comparable fiber formed without said filler when subjected to cryo-breaking in liquid nitrogen.

22. The fibers according to claim 1, wherein said fibers range in fineness from 1.18 to 3.3 dtex.

20. Fiber formed from a composition consisting of (i) a biologically degradable polymer, (ii) a filler chosen from sea plant particles, ground shells of sea animals and mixtures thereof and (iii) optional propyl gallate.