STARCH-BASED THERMOPLASTIC MIXTURE FOR PRODUCING BIODEGRADABLE SHAPED BODIES

• Main Authors: BOEHM, GITTE, BENGS, HOLGER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 12.06.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPSOR SEAWEED; FISHING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; FORESTRY; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HORTICULTURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; STORING; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; TRAPPING; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS; WATERING; WORKING-UP

Thermoplastic mixture based on biopolymers for producing shaped biodegradable articles with improved properties, preparation of the mixture, and also its use. A novel thermoplastic mixture based on biopolymers, in particular on starch, features the presence of lignin and is used for producing shaped biodegradable articles with improved properties, preferably with improved mechanical properties. The mixture is preferably obtained by preparing, and mixing with one another,A) 100 parts by weight of one or more physiologically nonhazardous, biodegradable, thermoplastically processable polymeric materials selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides and proteins, preferably at least one starch of any type which is native, chemically modified, fermentative, recombinant and/or prepared by biotransformation, and/or derivatives of the starches mentioned;B) from 10 to 100 parts by weight of water;C) from 1 to 100 parts by weight of lignin;D) if desired, up to 50 parts by weight of at least one plasticizer; andE) if desired, up to 200 parts by weight, preferably not more than 100 parts by weight, of other conventional additives;where the components are thermoplastified with introduction of thermal and mechanical energy into the mixture, preferably at an elevated temperature and with simultaneous exertion of shear forces onto the mixture. Surprisingly, the use of lignin with thermoplastic materials based on biopolymers, in particular based on starch, leads to improved thermoplastic materials which have advantages in particular in terms of their mechanical properties or other performance characteristics.