ALIPHATIC-AROMATIC BIODEGRADABLE POLYESTER

• US 20110071238A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novamont S.p.a.
• Original Assignee: Novamont S.p.a.
• Inventors: Capuzzi, Luigi, Borsotti, Giampietro, Vallero, Roberto, Bastioli, Catia
• Granted Patent: US 10,316,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/17
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/16 Dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/181 Acids containing aromatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/672 Dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2403/00 Characterised by the use of starch, amylose or amylopectin or of their derivatives or degradation products
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2467/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08J2467/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2203/16 used for films
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/18 Polyesters or polycarbonates according to C08L67/00 - C08L69/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/02 Starch; Degradation products thereof, e.g. dextrin
• 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 93/00 Compositions of natural resins; Compositions of derivatives thereof of polysaccharides C08L1/00 - C08L5/00; of natural rubber C08L7/00

Abstract

The invention refers to aliphatic-aromatic biodegradable polyesters obtained from aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, aromatic acids of renewable origin and diols, and also to blends of said polyesters with other biodegradable polymers of either natural or synthetic origin.

Claims

1. Biodegradable polyesters of the aliphatic-aromatic type obtained from aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, diols and polyfunctional aromatic acids, characterised in that the aromatic acid is a dicarboxylic acid of renewable origin.

2. Polyesters according to claim 1, wherein the aromatic dicarboxylic acid of renewable origin is 2.5 furandicarboxylic acid and its derivatives.

3. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids are of the type C₂-C₂₂.

4. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 3, wherein the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids are adipic acid and acids originating from renewable sources.

5. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 4, wherein the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids originating from renewable sources are dicarboxylic acids of the type C₈-C₁₃ and their esters.

6. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 4, wherein the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids originating from renewable sources are azelaic acid, sebacic acid, suberic acid, brassylic acid and their esters.

7. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 1, wherein the content of aromatic dicarboxylic acids comes between 5% and 90% mol of the total molecular weight of the dicarboxylic acids.

8. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 7, wherein the content of aromatic dicarboxylic acids comes between 10% and 80%.

9. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 8, wherein the content of aromatic dicarboxylic acids comes between 20% and 70%.

10. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 1 each of the previous claims, wherein the molecular weight M_n of the polyester according to the present invention is preferably between 5,000 and 150,000 and the polydispersity index M_w/M_n comes between 1.4 and 8.

11. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 10, wherein the molecular weight M_n of the polyester comes between 10,000 and 120,000.

12. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 11, wherein the molecular weight M_n of the polyester comes between 20,000 and 100,000.

13. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 1, wherein the diols are 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-haxanediol, 1,7-heptanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 1,11-undecanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol, 1,13-tridecanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, propylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dianhydrosorbitol, dianhydromannitol, dianhydroiditol, cyclohexanediol, cyclohexane-methanediol, aromatic diols such as phenols, and furan diol.

14. Biodegradable polyesters according to claim 13, wherein the diols are of the type C₂-C₁₀, and preferably C₂-C₄.

15. Polyesters according to claim 1, obtained also by reactive extrusion, both with polyesters of the same type and with other biodegradable polymers of either natural or synthetic origin.

16. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 15, wherein the polymers of synthetic origin are biodegradable polyesters such as aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters, poly-L-lactic acid, poly-D-lactic acid and stereo-complexed polylactic acid, poly-ε

-caprolactone, polyhydroxybutyrates such as polyhydroxybutyrate valerate, polyhydroxybutyrate propanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate hexanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate decanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate dodecanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate hexadecanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate octadecanoate, polyalkylene succinates, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, polysuccinates and particularly polybutylene succinate and its copolymers with adipic acid and lactic acid, or polymers other than polyesters.

17. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 15, wherein the polymers of natural origin are starch, cellulose, chitin and chitosan, alginates, proteins such as gluten, zein, casein, collagen, gelatine, natural rubbers, rosinic acid and its derivatives, lignins and their derivatives.

18. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 17, wherein the starches and the celluloses are modified.

19. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 18, wherein the modified starches and celluloses are starch or cellulose esters with a degree of substitution coming between 0.2 and 2.5, hydroxypropylated starches, and modified starches with fatty chains.

20. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 17, wherein the starch is added in either destructured or gelatinised form, or as a filler.

21. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 20, wherein the starch represents the continuous or dispersed phase, or may even be in co-continuous form.

22. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 21, wherein the dispersed starch has dimensions smaller than one micron, and preferably smaller than 0.5 um in mean diameter.

23. Blends of biodegradable polyesters according to claim 16, wherein the polymer of synthetic origin is polylactic acid and the polymer of natural origin is starch.

24. The use of polyesters according to claim 1 for the manufacture of:

mono- and bi-oriented films, and films multilayered with other polymers;

films for use in the agricultural sector, such as films for use in mulching;

cling films for use with foodstuffs, for bales in agriculture, and for wrapping waste;

bags and bin liners for the organic waste collection, e.g. the collection of food scraps and gardening waste;

thermo formed foodstuff packaging, both mono- and multi-layered, as in containers for milk, yoghurt, meats, beverages, etc;

coatings obtained using the extrusion coating method;

multilayer laminates with layers of paper, plastic, aluminium, or metallic films;

expanded or expandable beads for the production of pieces obtained by sintering;

expanded and semi-expanded products, including foam blocks formed using pre-expanded articles;

foam sheets, thermosetting foam sheets, and containers obtained from them for use in foodstuff packaging;

fruit and vegetable containers in general;

composites with gelatinised, destructured and/or complexed starch, natural starch, flours, or vegetable or inorganic, natural fillers;

fibres, woven and nonwoven fabrics for use in sanitary and hygiene products, and in the agricultural and clothing sectors.