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Water stable fibers and articles comprising starch, and methods of making the same

a technology of thermoplastic starch and water stable fibers, which is applied in the direction of monocomponent polyamide artificial filaments, monocomponent polyester artificial filaments, blow-molded articles, etc., can solve the problems of large disruption of the stable supply of petroleum-based polymers used in making synthetic fibers, small defects, and inability to meet the current, and achieves the effect of improving the stability of the supply of petroleum-based polymers

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-08-30
NODA ISAO +3
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a method for making water stable fibers from thermoplastic polymer compositions containing destructured starch and reaction products of polyhydric alcohol and acid. The fibers can be used to make various articles such as non-wovens, absorbent articles, and packaging. The invention offers improved water stability without using petroleum-based polymers, making it a low-cost alternative to conventional materials. The technical effects include improved water stability and a variety of consumer-related benefits."

Problems solved by technology

However, starch fibers can be much more difficult to produce than films, blow-molded articles, and injection-molded articles containing starch because the material and processing characteristics for fibers are much more stringent.
For spinning fine fibers, small defects, slight inconsistencies, or non-homogeneity in the melt are typically not acceptable for current, commercially viable processes.
Unpredictable fluctuations in price and availability of petroleum and its derivatives have created serious disruptions to the stable supply of petroleum-based polymers used in making synthetic fibers, for example, those based on polyolefins.
Unfortunately, thermoplastic starch (TPS) is highly susceptible to moisture.
In fact, fibers made of TPS can spontaneously pick up atmospheric moisture and become tacky.
Although methods exist for rendering thermoplastic compositions containing starch more water stable including, but not limited the addition of petroleum based polymers, there remains an unmet need for greater water stability in such compositions and in articles made from such compositions.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0091]This example demonstrates melt mixing and one-shot spinning of water stable fibers. The following materials are mixed in a Haake Rheocord 90 melt mixer, Thermo Electron Corporation, Newington, N.H.:

30 g Ethylex™ 2015 hydroxyethylated starch (Tate& Lyle, Decatur, Ill.)

12.5 g Glycerol (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

7.5 g Stearic Acid (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

7.5 g Adipic Acid (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

[0092]The starch and the glycerol are mixed for about 3 minutes at about 60 rpm at a temperature of about 160° C. The balance of components is added and mixed for an additional 7 minutes at about 60 rpm. The contents are removed and allowed to cool to room temperature. The mixture is then chopped using a knife into pieces approximately 50 mm in diameter.

[0093]After 24 hours, the pieces are placed into a piston / cylinder one shot spinning system, Alex James, Inc. of Greer, S.C. The extruder barrel is preheated to 160° C. The spinneret capillary is 0.016″ diamet...

example 3

[0098]This example demonstrates melt mixing and one-shot spinning of water stable starch fibers of various compositions. The following materials are mixed in the described Haake Rheocord 90 melt mixer in a manner as described in Example 1 and melt blended. Approximately 50 g of each composition is made.

Adipic AcidEthylex ™GlycerolLauric Acid(Aldrich2015 starch(Aldrich(AldrichChemicals,Material,(Tate& Lyle,Chemicals, St.Chemicals, St.St.wt %Decatur, IL)Louis, MO)Louis, MO)Louis, MO)Sample 1602512.52.5Sample 26025105Sample 360257.57.5

[0099]After 24 hours, the materials are spun into fibers using the described piston / cylinder one shot spinning system. The extruder barrel is preheated to 160° C. The spinneret capillary is 0.016″ diameter and has an L / D of 3. Fibers are extruded by activating the piston at an extrusion rate of approximately 0.8 g / minute. Approximately 40 g of fibers of each composition are collected.

[0100]Approximately 20 g of each composition of fibers are dried in a co...

example 4

[0101]This example demonstrates additional blending and spinning of fibers with water stability. The following materials are used:

3500 g Ethylex™ 2015 (Tate& Lyle, Decatur, Ill.)

[0102]1095 g Glycerol (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

438 g Adipic acid (Solutia Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

438 g Stearic acid (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

50 g Magnesium stearate (Aldrich Chemicals, St. Louis, Mo.)

[0103]The starch, adipic acid, stearic acid and magnesium stearate (employed as a process aid) are dry mixed in a Henschel Raw Material Mixer (Green Bay, Wis.) for 4 minutes at 1000 rpm. The mixture is then fed into a B&P Process System Twin Screw Extrusion Compounding System (Saginaw, Mich.) with 40 mm co-rotating screws. Glycerol is fed through a liquid feed port at a rate that maintains the desired composition stated above. The screw speed is set at 90 rpm with the thermal profile as shown below:

zonezonezonezonezonezonezonezonezoneTemperature123456789dieSet (° C.)85851001451551601601601...

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Abstract

Water stable fibers and articles made therefrom are formed from a thermoplastic composition comprising destructured starch, polyhydric alcohol, acid, and optionally triglyceride. Processes for making water stable compositions may comprise melt extruding a mixture of destructured starch, polyhydric alcohol, acid, and optionally triglyceride, to form an extrudate, and heating the mixture, extrudate, or both to provide a water stable article.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation application which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 545,264 filed Oct. 10, 2006; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 725,424, filed 11 Oct. 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to fibers made from thermoplastic starch compositions, and articles made therefrom. The fibers and articles are water stable, or may be rendered so. The invention also relates to methods of making the fibers and articles.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]There have been many attempts to make starch-containing fibers, particularly on a high speed industrial level. However, starch fibers can be much more difficult to produce than films, blow-molded articles, and injection-molded articles containing starch because the material and processing characteristics for fibers are much more stringent. For example, local strain rates and shear rates can be much greater in fib...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C08L3/00D04H1/42D04H1/54D04H1/70D04H3/16
CPCA61L15/28Y10T428/2931C08L3/08C08L23/12C08L91/00C08L2205/02D01F1/10D01F6/46D01F6/90D01F6/92D01F8/06D01F8/14D01F8/18D01F9/00D01F11/00D04H1/42D04H1/54D04H1/70D04H3/16D21H13/14D21H13/30D21H15/10D21H17/13D21H17/15D21H17/28D21H17/38D21H17/47D21H17/53D21H27/10C08L3/02Y10T428/2929C08L2666/02C08L3/04D04H1/4266D04H1/435Y10T442/642Y10T442/696Y10T442/641Y10T442/637Y10T442/638D04H1/43828
Inventor NODA, ISAOSATKOWSKI, MICHAEL M.ALLEN, JR., WILLIAM M.KNAPMEYER, JAMES T.
Owner NODA ISAO
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